A wounded animal (Mitsu/Invite)

[Adrian Kreever]

White walls, white sheets, white duvet, people in white uniforms, white floors. Adrian hated hospitals, lying there helpless, under the care of people he didn't know, and therefore had no reason to trust. Normally, he put up a good show for sake of the façade, but today was different. "But sir, I really must-" "NO! PISS OFF!" "But Mr. Kreever, it's essential that-" "GET THE FUCK OUT!" The hapless nurse barely managed to avoid the coffee cup aimed for her head, running off to get the orderlies. Adrian was struggling to get out of his bonds, ripping out the few tubes that were connected to him and stumbling out of bed. The one thing he didn't tear off was the cast around his right arm, right now all he wanted to do was get out of there, back home to were it was safe, where he was in control. Peeking around the corner and seeing to orderlies heading for him, he set in a sprint in the opposite direction, only to run into another, very surprised nurse. When he woke up again, he was tied down to the bed.

He owed all this to himself, he knew that. He had been foolish enough to let down his guard for those precious few minutes, and now it had landed him there. The façade had gone to hell, he would probably be subjected to a psychological evaluation soon and tossed in the loony-bin. He imagined Mother and Father, looking at him with disbelief and sorrow in their eyes as he was dragged along by two faceless orderlies into dark, padded corridors. The picture lent him greater strength in his rabid efforts for freedom, but it was not enough to break his bonds. After thirty minutes of ceaseless struggling, he let himself fall back into the bed, panting. He needed to stay cool now, to keep his head. He needed that for the psych-evaluation, and for when the doctors came to see what was wrong with him. He took a deep breath, restraining the beast to the depths in his stomach, letting his mind fill more and more until there was calm. Exhaling, he began mumbling to himself, a string of words that he used to keep his mind occupied and placid. "Still water, mild breeze, rustling leaves, hopping frogs buzzing bugs-" He turned his head when he sensed someone in the doorway, and his eyes turned yellow as they widened, and all calm fled his face. "YOU!"

[Mitsukai]

Mitsukai had been wandering around the hospital hallways for what seemed like hours while trying to keep herself together. She felt like she was losing her mind to the madness. Her memory was very fuzzy and confusing. At first all she could remember was that dark cellar, the electric shock being sent throughout her entire body, the fist that was being pounded into her forcing the air out of her lungs, making it difficult to breath. Then there was more pain, the feeling of being kicked and the sound of Adrian's voice calling out to her, and now? Standing next to Kazuya's hospital bed, an axe in her hands preparing to strike the man while he laid there helpless, all while she had no clue how she even ended up there.

No.....she did have an idea how that happened. Well, now she did after she had calmed her mind down enough to think. It had to be Nami, there was no other explanation for why she had so many gaps in her memory. She had thought she had some control over the raging beast within her, but when Gabriel was hurting her, when he was about to kill Kevala she must have lost herself, giving her alter ego the chance she needed to come out. How she escaped from that man Mitsukai didn't know but the fact that she was free for who knows how long only meant one thing.....that death and despair followed in her wake. If Mitsukai had not awaken just before Nami tried to kill Kazuya his blood would have been on her hands. Adrian's too though she did not know how she even woke up in the first place.

Adrian......

She did not know what happened to him and that worried her the most. Even more then Kazuya but with him Mitsukai at least knew where he was and that she had not cause the injuries that sent him to this place. But Adrian? The only way she could see during that time for her to even wake up with him present was if Nami had targetted him for death. Just like she did everyone else. If he was dead now, it would be her fault.....she would be responsible for his death and that thought she couldn't bear. She had risked getting close to that man and he could be dead because of her.

No.....maybe he was not dead, though she did not see him before she was taken away from where ever she was Mitsukai had heard his voice. The dead couldn't speak but that did not mean that he was not seriously injured, or even dying as she wandered these halls. She needed to know if he was okay. She wanted to find out if he was still alive.

But a part of her was afraid to find out the truth. It was hard enough just thinking about the possibility of his death was hard enough, but to find out if it happened...that was too much. And if he was alive? If her theory of Nami taking over was correct, and Nami did in fact tried to kill him he might be scared or angry to see her. Understandably so of course, unlike Kevala who Nami had tortured in the past Adrian knew nothing about her split persona. He would assume that it was she herself that had attacked him. She shouldn't be anywhere near him if all she was going to do was make him suffer.

The biggest worry of course was if Nami came back to hurt him again. Mitsukai had lost all confidence in her ability to hold the psycho back, even if he was alive there would be little to stop her from killing him. It would be better not to risk it.

And yet....she couldn't do it...she couldn't bare not going to him. It was her fault, all her fault and she had to deal with the consequences. She didn't expect Adrian to forgive her, nor did she feel she deserved it. It might not have been her to harm him but it was because of her that Nami existed in the first place. She at least owed him some form of an apology. No matter how much it'll hurt her to see him hurt, for him to reject her she had to do it.

As if on que Mitsukai noticed the label on the door she had stopped in front of. 'Adrian Kreever' she did not recognize the last name but Adrian never told her his last name. It would hurt to see if it was the man she seeked or not.

Her hand stopped short of the door, her heart pounding so loud in her chest she could hear it. She couldn't do it, she couldn't open the door. It was best if she turned around right now and forget about this-

NO YOUR GOING IN THERE AND THAT'S FINALLY! she mentally screamed at herself for trying to back away like a coward. She was the last person she should be thinking about. It was Adrian who had been hurt, it was Adrian who suffered for the things she let happen because she became scared and lost control. It was because of her concern for him that she was standing in front od this door now. She had to go in. With a long heavy sigh she finally turned the knob and silently open the door. Mentally preparing herself for what might happen next.

"YOU!"

Yeah....it was Adrian alright....

She cringed when he yelled at her the second she came though the door. Already she felt what little confidence she had shaken but she held her ground. There was no other choice. She closed the door quickly before anyone else heard all the commotion. The last thing they needed was someone jumping in here thinking that he was going mad. Even though he had every right to be it would only make things worse.

She took the time to take in his condition. He looked terrible, despite his injuries they had strapped him down to the bed to prevent him from moving. "God don't tell me she did this to you." she breathed. More to her then to him. This all happened because she lost control. For a moment she feel silent, she didn't know what she should say. She knew at the very least she wanted to say sorry, though she wished she could do more then just that. She HAD to do more then just that but nothing she could ever do would make up for that. There was no excuse for what had happened between them, even if it was not HER doing her own weakness had caused it and that alone made it her fault.

"Listen......" she began, taking a step towards him watching to see how he reacted. She did not want to get too close simply because she didn't want to cause him further pain if at all possible. "I know that what I did was unforgivable and I don't expect you forgive me but....I'm sorry...I'm sorry for what I did...." Again she fell silent. There was so much she wanted to say, that she wanted to do but there was nothing that she could really do. It was all just caught in her throat, wanting to come all out at once but was stuck in there and refused to come out. Not like anything she could say would ever make up for it....

[Adrian Kreever]

Adrian had a thousand vile curses for her, if he didn't have to worry about breathing his verbal abuse could probably last from now and until late next morning. But something soft inside him kept him quiet, kept him waiting for her to speak. She closed the door and came closer, and Adrian's first thought was that she was there to finish what she'd started. His right arm, the one in the cast, was not secured by the bonds, but as he went to lift it he felt that softness again. She wasn't there to hurt him, at least he didn't believe so. She spoke, careful, soft words, words of apology and sorrow. He listened in silence, the blaze in his eyes dimming slightly, though the anger remained. A few seconds of silence passed after she fell silent before Adrian replied, and though it was the second time he responded to her this way, he found himself surprised again. He began laughing, roaring the haunting sound out loud enough to drown out a freight train, his entire body convulsing with the violent emotion.

After about eleven seconds he calmed down, fixing his glare on her as his mouth withdrew into what's best described as the hateful mixture of a smile and a snarl. "Do you even fucking LISTEN TO YOURSELF! Your words are all honey and candy, but I hear the tone in your voice little missy." His features drew into a cold, crisp smile now, devoid of all happiness as he began to mock her. " 'Oh, I'm so sad because I've got this, this big bad wolf inside of me and, and I can't hardly control it and and she tried to kill you and, and I'm so sorry.' GROW THE FUCK UP!" Adrian was in no mood for this half-assed apology, he knew her now. To think that he'd actually let his guard down around this one for even a second was disgusting. No, it was laughable. Even if she had managed to push her body's capabilities beyond his, she was so much weaker. If you couldn't master your mind, the strength of your flesh meant nothing. "You need to get your FUCKING ACT TOGETHER! If you don't have what it takes to keep that bitch under wraps then you're NO FUCKING BETTER THAN HER! YOU'RE the one she stems from, and she's acting out YOUR FUCKING WISHES! Until you can take some fucking responsibility, you're not worth my time." He paused, glaring at her. He felt his entire body ripple with rage, he wanted to reach out and hurt her, hurt her bad. And yet... There was something else, something that only made the pain that much more intolerable.

"I imagine it's a lot easier, apologizing for something you don't feel you can control, but for the life of me I can't imagine why anyone would willingly choose to be so despicably weak. And yet so many of you do." He turned his face away from her, avoiding her gaze. He couldn't bear to look at her, she made him sick. "So what, you just waltz in here and think I'll take pity on you? Is it usually that simple? Because if it is, then you hang out with some fucked up, weak degenerates, as wilfully blind as yourself."

[Mitsukai]

She did not say a word as Adrian snapped at her. She simply took the verbal abuse, her hands balling up in a tight fist to stop herself from shaking. It hurt but what he felt was much worse, even this would not be enough but there was very little she could do. There was nothing she could do to make up for it she knew that, and she rather him not forgive her. If he did it would only happen again because she was weak just like he said. She was a fucking weakling, it was her naiveness in thinking that she had any sense of control. The mere fact that being put in an enviroment of stress had been enough for her to lose control and allow this to happen proved that she had no sense of self-control. Things couldn't keep going like this. Too many people suffered or died because of her and she didn't want there to be anyone else.

"I don't want your pity." she said, coming closer to his bedside. "I didn't come here so you can forgive me. I rather you don't." Even if he did forgive her she would never forgive herself. She would never forget what happened, what little she could remember. "But I can't just leave without doing something no matter how small it might be to give you something." Reaching into the trenchcoat she was wearing she pulled out a small dagger, placing it next to him on the bed so he knew she was not going to stab him with it. "Your right....I am weak....I tried to deny it but I have long since lost the fight with the monster I created." No matter how different the two personalities were Nami was still born from a part of her. Maybe her anger and resentment towards humanity, she didn't know but she could never deny that fact. Thats why she had to pay for everything that Nami did, and now was the time.

Taking off the trenchcoat she threw the thing close to the door. There was a lot of hidden weapons in that coat and she rather not have them on her, just incase the bitch in her head woke up sensing something was wrong and use them against Adrian. Nami might be in a deep sleep now but there was no guarantee that she might not rear her ugly head again.

"I need to do more then simply say I am sorry....the only way I can even come close to paying for my own weakness is to make sure it never happens again." There was no emotion in her voice as she spoke. She did not even look at him as she spoke, instead she went to work undoing the bindings pinning him down. When she was done did she met his eyes again.

"Kill me....kill me, torture me, maim me whatever you wish. If that will at least give you some satisfaction then do it." Either ways she would do it herself. She had thought about this before but could never do it. Even if she could force herself to do it Nami was there to stop her. But this time she wasn't, she had the chance but she wanted to do something to pay for what she had done to Adrian first. If this was it then so be it.