"The damage is infectious, and all that can be done is purge it all and start from scratch."
If life is a series of choices, then perhaps that just means that life is a game? To Akazawa Saki, that's all life really is. She refutes the existence of G...
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A restless night of turbulent thoughts were all that graced Akazawa Saki. Sleepless in every meaning of the word, punctured by paranoia and anxiety and driven by the what-ifs that rumors this time weren't just an exaggeration of entertainment.
Dawn came slowly, measured in the sparks that flew from the dying camp fire embers and heavy chorus of cricket tones. There were no irritations of human form to torment her once the early hours of the morning drew in, all four forms that she were to tend to were absent, seemingly retired for the night, and the horses slumbered all the same.
However, Saki didn't get a single moment of sleep.
There was something in the air that had changed following the discussion that the guards had with Shirayuki and Obi, enough so for Saki to note its presence with little more than a scowl and gritted teeth. And it only sought to worsen when the inquisitive pair emerged from their so called hiding places.
That shift in the air was so potent the instant that Shirayuki had spotted her trimming and wrapping the dried meat in wax-treated parchment however, that Saki could identify exactly what it was.
It was pity. Or at the very least, it's what Saki took as pity.
And that did not fail to displease the woman greatly.
Exchanges had been had while Saki was absent, information gleaned about her that made some impact to the petite woman now at Saki's side asking if she needed any help preparing breakfast, looking hopeful, as if there was nothing more she really wanted to do right now.
However, Saki simply shook her head in reply and tossed a fairly large strip of dried meat to the onyx feline, who almost seemed to purr as it leaned up to catch the incoming snack.
'Then, can I at least help wash up?' Shirayuki asked.
Saki rolled her eyes from behind her mask and lifted the lid off of the cooking pot to retrieve the contents from within. Without care, Saki plucked the large mound of bread she had tossed inside and dropped it carelessly onto the barrel she had been using as a makeshift table.
Surely this woman had more important things to do?
Like maybe something like going over what she needed before they set out for the diseased, dying forests?
'Miss Akazawa--'
'No.' Saki cut in over the woman as she dropped a serrated knife and a rough canister of market-grade butter next to the bread and stalked off.
Thankfully for Saki's remaining sanity, the redhead decided not to insist on helping anymore, at least for that morning.
Eventually, after breakfast the small redhead decided that it really was best to get herself organized for her first visit to the dying forests, organizing the cart for all necessities, and thankfully her inquisitive bodyguard decided to keep her company well away from Saki.
