#oh yeah and if Q ends up killing / seriously hurting Ai I'm not going to complain have at thee

[lovelornings]

@theircurse said: " Just say it. I should have listened to you from the beginning. " ( Yumi )

* A FABLE OF GODS: ARIA OF THE ACCURSED (NOVEL) PART ONE.

❥- She should have known better. She should have know better

The thought kept repeating itself over and over again in her mind like a broken record. Damning herself, cursing her own stupidity for having let a lesson she learned long ago not stop her.

She shouldn't be talking to anyone without mother's instructions. She couldn't have friends outside of what Ai approved of, and even then, only interact in the way her mother saw fit. At school, she may have had a bit more liberty with that - but not at home. Not even in her own front yard.

Kitahachi's death should have taught her that. Served as a constant reminder of what she'd told Yumeno yesterday:

I don't think we should be friends. It'll be dangerous if mother finds out.

They'd seen her idly messing about with a bag of marbles on the driveway in passing, Yumi attempting to pass the time as she waited for Ai to come home later that day. Even if she'd rather be studying, Father didn't want her in the house. He liked to put distance between them any chance he could get.

They'd just wanted to play with her. Although Yumi hesitated at first, she'd been convinced by idea of only playing one round of bullseye. Told herself it'd be over quickly, since she more than likely held an unfair advantage with the amount of hours she'd be at it already. They shouldn't be in any danger of mother coming home and catching them.

But something expected had happened: she'd started having fun. The presence of another person had her smiling genuinely for the first time in what felt like years, and she'd fallen into the endless cycle of 'one more time!' more times than she could count: as if time would somehow stand still forever.But of course, it didn't. She lost track of it completely.

Mother had seen them. Although she barely commented on it as they arrived at the house, Yumi knew there was going to be hell to pay for the both of them.

Her punishment had started yesterday. Ai might have shown her mercy before by only giving her a slice across her face, but she wasn't happy about having to teach this lesson a second time.

"No, no - it's my fault. I should have insisted." Her arm still stings, the wound running down the length of its entire side. She'd had to stich the cut up herself, just like last time. "I'm...I'm so sorry. I was being selfish. I wanted to play with you too."

Chances are, she was about to go through so much worse tomorrow when mother found out she'd forced herself into the basement. But she didn't care about that right now. Her fear of Ai couldn't override her guilt, nor her desperation to see them again.

"...Did she electrocute you too?"