Psycho-Pass: Coping Mechanisms

Part 9 : Compartmentalize

PART 9 – Compartmentalize

She tried not to think about what happened, but she went over the whole event in her mind. Shocked by Nobuchika's behavior, but also with her own behavior, she needed to calm down. She opened the bottle of red wine, sipping it into her favorite glass.

Just look at you. Behaving like an enforcer, even now. How are you not a latent criminal already?

She almost heard his voice, reprimanding her. She wasn't going to listen to that.

Despite disabling Nyx for half a year... she found the old holographic installation and enabled her AI assistant once again.

She desperately needed a distraction. She was reliving all the memories she thought she had successfully suppressed, related to her family, her job, but also those of Ginoza and Kogami. She had a lot of dark memories in her own history, and they were always there, in some repressed corner of her mind, lurking from the bottom of her personal abyss even when she tried her best to look into the future.

Her hologram assistant, now shaped as a cheery red sea-star, appeared before her.

"Akibara-san, you should be sleeping. It's two o'clock and seven minutes in the morning!" happy voice of Nyx informed her. The little star danced around her, projecting her statistics.

"You had half of portion of the recommended meal. You haven't been drinking a lot of water this week. You have also skipped your daily training, five days in a row. You currently have dark circles around your eyes and are not feeling very optimistic. Your Systema skills have recently been dropping down, it is advised you take a course and renew your trainings. Please, make sure to take care of your body! Well managed body also means well managed hue! Other than that, you haven't being asking for holographic themed surroundings for your flat for six months. Change is recommended to cheer you up!!"

"Okay... please, change it. Model it after the Versailles palace."

"Will do!"

The environment changed with a simple scan over the room. She was surrendered by extravagant luxury which was pleasant to watch. Still, it didn't avert her from thinking. She wondered how things got so out of control. Squeezing the glass in her hand, she looked into her own distorted reflection in reddish liquid, thinking how her personality distorted as well in the past several years.

She took a sip, trying not to recall the taste of Gino's lips... or feeling that his kisses produced afterward. It wasn't supposed to affect her that much, but she felt absolutely overwhelmed.

The thing that bothered her so... was the fact that she provoked him into doing it. Knowingly or not... she pushed him to his limit and he did what she didn't expect him to do. And now, she felt horrible about it. He might have initiated it all... but he tried to stop himself. She wanted to test his patience. His response was her punishment.

Unconsciously, she reached for the neck-let that she was always wearing, finding a small comfort in holding the spherical shape. Tears were still sliding down her face, and she couldn't stop them.

"Your psycho pass is in danger! It's recommended you stop drinking now!"

She sighed, thinking how selecting the 'chatty' mode for Nyx was probably a mistake. Especially at this hour. But, she needed someone to talk to... even if it was an artificial intelligence. At this hour, she couldn't call anybody without disturbing their hues. Mio would reassure her... but Mio needed a clean hue in order to lead a normal life, blessed by Sibyl. She wasn't an option. Yuna and Kaori were her friends... but not that close so she could call them at this hour.

She could talk to enforcers, but she didn't feel at ease. Masaoka came to mind, but it would feel awkward. How would she tell him? Masu-san, Gino kissed me? No. Just... no. Karanomori would probably just tease her and tell her that she should have let Gino do more. She would call it a stress-reliever. Yayoi wasn't an option. Neither was Kagari. But, more than anyone else, Kogami was out of question... especially since this was related to Ginoza. It's probably for the best if Kou never finds out about that kiss. And all that aside... they all also needed to rest. Enforcers weren't just hunting dogs. They were humans.