☀️ Arselia and Akonia

- You are right... to some extent. Dark echoes are present, that is true, but they are not related to the fact that I find it difficult to accept the idea that my essence is different from that of a demon or an evil spirit that needs to be destroyed. I have, after all, managed to come to terms with this over time, thanks to your words and those of other like-minded people. The problem is more that the paradigm of despair is gaining new momentum with each seemingly successful turn. In essence, there is nothing new in this; our entire life consists of this to some extent, but before, I was only responsible for myself, and now... I realized my powerlessness about six months ago, in the "chamber of horrors," not far from your store. There was a little girl working there, if you remember. She... was brutally killed, almost in front of my eyes, and I couldn't do anything. Where is that murderer now? Who knows. Probably living a happy life at some resort. There was another case - people close to me were almost harmed. I can't say it was my fault, but it's possible that if I hadn't been involved, that chain of events wouldn't have happened. Fortunately, everything worked out, but... Then it turned out that I am an abomination, and that all my efforts are a perversion. Let's put aside the significance of this opinion; it is now just a fact of the past. But now, our concept is changing again - even if I am not an abomination, is my work not a perversion? And if not, then it is still impossible to continue living under a rock, hoping that people will pay attention to you. And if they decide that everything is fine with you, is my friend and her path not a perversion? And her friend and her path? And so on, and so on, and so on. The spiral of the paradigm of despair," the priestess depicted this complex concept with her finger. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - I'm just explaining where this skepticism comes from, since you brought it up. Unfortunately, it more often affects not me personally, but other people, and this is what weighs on my heart. Yes, I have good "cards." I was very lucky with both of the people mentioned, and not only with them, but... The near future will show whether these cards are good enough. It is quite possible that today we are seeing each other for the last time, Kripov-shinpu, so I wanted to visit you partly for this reason. I will try to perceive this as a decisive test of whether Anuzish herself wants to see me on her territory or not. Yes, I remember that she doesn't care about me, but let this be my personal barrier that I need to overcome. If I'm lucky, I promise I will never sigh tragically in your presence again. But if it doesn't work out, then... you can turn my Sanctuary into a cultural heritage site," Aiyano shrugs. "Or take it apart into boards and stones, as you wish. Although it will be a little sad after all the work I've put in.
She nods towards the door from which she entered:
"I didn't come alone, I came with a friend. You remember her; we were looking at katanas together. And before that, she was on display in the store. She is a special case. I hope for the best, but I still can't predict what you will ask her and what she will answer. She had a rather strange life. So... even though it is excessive to ask this of you of all people, I still hope you will treat her with understanding.