oceanicbutterfly | [rl with Shia, not virus-related]

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[rl with Shia, not virus-related]

Karen's greenhouse had evidently become her standard place to meet people from offworld. It wasn't the only easily-accessible place that was typically devoid of witnesses (as a magical girl, you tended to get good at finding those), but it was the one with the pretty flowers, so...

Shia had seemed considerably more than "shaken" when they'd spoken on the comm, and Karen wasn't really surprised by it. She wasn't really sure what to expect when Shia got here--well, talking, of course, but she might need to be comforted, or calmed down, or something else she hadn't thought of. She might even need special care of some sort. Whatever it was, Shia apparently thought Karen was the person to do it.

Karen waited.

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She was more than shaken-- she was confused, hurt, frightened. Her life had been turned around completely by the community on a whole, and particularly by a certain member who had now disappeared from her life every bit as suddenly as he'd come into it.

She stepped into the greenhouse, a hand at her collar. She scanned for Karen, smiling just a little when she spotted her, and approached her, greeting her with a slight bow.

"Hello," she began, "And... thank you again."

"It's no problem at all." Karen smiled as she led Shia towards a convenient bench. "I don't mind having people over. It can get... a little dull around here." Lonely, she'd almost said, but there was no need to burden other people with things like that.

Shia nodded understandingly, following her lead. It had gotten quite lonely in the laboratory, even though she'd never truly been alone. She had been very glad when Amber arrived; having such a bright, cheerful child around was a wonderful feeling after having spent so long longing for company.

"This place is very nice."

"Thank you. I've worked hard on it." Karen was pretty proud of the greenhouse, actually, having essentially tended to it entirely on her own for years. It would have been nice to be able to forget about it sometimes, but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy it.

"So..."

Shia closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath. She'd never been completely honest with anyone about what had happened over the course of the past year-- she had told certain people parts of it, but never the whole. There was much to talk about and much to think over now that she was free to-- free of his psychic hold.

"... I apologize," she said quietly. "I suppose I haven't really been honest with... anyone in the past year. Perhaps not even myself."

Karen knew a thing or two about not being honest with oneself.

"It's not too late to start."

"... yes," she said quietly, offering Karen a small, almost sad smile. "You're right."

Where to begin? She cast her mind over the events of the last year, trying to decide.

"... when I said that I wasn't... in my own world," she began hesitantly, "I was... staying. In the world of Pokemon-- Mewtwo-san's world. He'd commanded that I do so."

"Did he force you to, or..."

"... I couldn't leave at first because I was far too weak, but... I could have left on my own after the first few months." Something she hadn't even admitted out loud to Mewtwo. "But I remained. I'm not certain why... perhaps because I wanted to be stronger. I wanted to be able to protect my friends and myself, something I've... never been able to do."

"Shia-san..."

People wanted to be stronger, so they could protect their friends. It was starting to become a recurring theme among the people Karen knew. She wasn't exactly an exception herself, either.

Hesitantly, she put a hand on Shia's shoulder. If she didn't want to go on just yet, then she didn't have to.

Shia glanced at her and then away, shaking her head just a little.

"... it's alright. It-- it did work, after all," she said, again with that weak smile. "I've become much stronger than I was. I have him to thank for that. But..."

She clasped her hands together in front of her, her gaze downcast to them. "It was... very lonely there. He was nearly always busy or just... away, and I wasn't allowed to leave even to go to town in that world after what... happened. I suppose that was the only truly painful part-- feeling so isolated there. He distanced himself and his home from anyone or anything else in the world."

"That was when he was planning his revenge, right?" Karen moved slightly closer to Shia, looking concerned. "And he just had you staying there by yourself..."

She nodded slightly. "Until Amber arrived, yes."

"Why didn't you leave?"

She hesitated.

"... because he told me not to, and... I owe him my life. It only seemed fair that, in return for another chance to live, I would become..." She wasn't sure how to word it. His property? His captive? That word had been used a lot by other members when she'd mentioned it in the past. "... I would obey."

"That's ridiculous. You shouldn't have to obey someone just because he saved your life. It's not as if that makes you his." The very idea was ridiculous, and Karen wondered where Shia had gotten an idea like that. "Why would he tell you something like that, anyway?"

Shia blushed and shook her head. "I didn't... honestly mind. I mean, it... wasn't that bad there on the island. And I was well-protected there."

"I suppose there is that. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be safe, after all." It was reasonable enough, but... "Still, it must have bothered you..."

"... really," she began awkwardly, "I was also... curious. About him. I could never truly understand him, and... there are reasons for the way he behaves. I'm certain of it. I'm just not... sure what they may be. Humans did something to him to make him so angry and hurt."

Karen very awkwardly moved her hand to Shia's back in what she hoped would be a comforting gesture and not just strange. "I'm sure he does have reasons, but... just because someone has a reason for what he does doesn't make it right."

"... I know," she murmured. "I know. I tried to talk to him about it. But he refused to listen."

"You shouldn't have stayed." Karen's tone was serious. "When did you realize something was wrong?"

"Perhaps I shouldn't have." In retrospect, it did seem a lot more strange. "... it wasn't an all at once realization. It was more... I could feel that something was strange about him, but I was never sure what. Over time, as I learned more about him and his origin, I became... concerned. When he sent Amber and I away so suddenly and ordered me not to return, I knew that something was happening."

"And that was when you posted, right?"

Shia nodded. "Yes... I was uncertain of what to do. He'd instructed me not to return, but I... I couldn't stop worrying."

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[rl with Shia, not virus-related]

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...I keep getting distracted >_>

fff it happens

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...I fail so much. Quick comment to get this moving again

It's okay! I picked up 9 and things kinda got. Not Shiatastic for a while. :|