dramatispersonae

PERIDOT

[You find yourselves on your team stage with the rest of Aather serving as your audience. The pressure is on...]

[YES WE CAN]

I--I am going to stay with Dusk tonight, if it is no trouble for him . . . I'm sorry.

That's fine, but... hang on.

This is not something I wish to discuss. If you dare defend him . . .

I won't.

I know he's a monster. I don't really understand why this is worse than what he's done before, but I've seen his memories, Konatsu. I saw... I felt him torture those people, and not feel any regret or pain for it at all. I saw him completely destroy someone... and possibly kill them, just because that's... what he does. Did.

And if we were in a place where death mattered, and... I thought he couldn't be stopped some other way, I would kill him myself. I've done that much before.

But killing him won't solve anything here. Neither will beating him up... though I won't stop you if you want to. And completely giving up on won't help either. He is changing, even if it isn't fast enough, or good enough.

I won't blame you if you just never talk to him again, or hate him. But... the way I see it, not giving up on him is the only way things might possibly be better, for him and everyone around him. So... I won't give up on him.

. . .

I was not going to hurt him. You are right--it would do nothing . . . that is not the way to get through to him. I--don't know that there is one. I--I had thought I would never . . . knowing what I do of myself, how can I judge--but I am--so angry--so disgusted to have loved him--I am not asking you to do anything, Dawn, but I--

[8( hand on your shoulder]

I'm sorry. I know it... I know what it feels like. Or at least part of it. And it's not like he doesn't deserve to be hated. So...