Talk to Kayo

It takes a few long, awkward seconds before Shuri clears her throat and speaks. "Thank you," she manages stiffly. "For...what you did, back there. If it weren't for you--"

She cuts herself, inwardly shuddering at the thought of it. Absentmindedly, she brushes some nonexistent dust off of her shirt, as if that'll make the man's touch disappear. "Well, you know. So...thanks."

Kayo doesn't look at her, eyes glued to the taser. "No problem," she mumbles.

It's twice in one day this girl's helped her, Shuri realizes, even though they're strangers and competing for the same thing. Patching up her cut was one thing, but saving her from being **** when the girl could have easily just run away is entirely another.

She can't help but feel a twinge of guilt that even after that, she still doesn't plan on working with Kayo. Alliances never end well, she reminds herself. Even though Kayo had rescued her now, Shuri has no way of telling if that would stick far later.

But something about Kayo's vacant expression is unnerving, as if she's in a trance that will leave her as she is until someone interrupts her. The idea of who that someone could be gives unpleasant mental images, to say the least.

Shuri, never the best at assuring people, coughs a little and touches Kayo's shoulder. She keeps her hand light, but it's enough for Kayo to jump at the contact.

"Listen," Shuri states curtly, "don't feel guilty for what you did, okay? It was just self-defense. And you saved me back there. I..."

She searches for the right words. "I can't thank you enough for that. But thanks, anyway."

When Kayo finally does look at her, her expression is less vacant and more inscrutable. Almost as if she wants to say more than one thing in more than one tone at a time, but when she answers, her tone is clipped. "I didn't say I felt guilty."

"Well, it was hard of me not to assume," Shuri replies dryly. "You were pretty out of it--"

"Are you surprised I was out of it?" Kayo's voice is edged but trembling again, poised as if she's daring Shuri to answer, even with her expression still neutral.

Shuri raises her eyebrows. "No. But I'd be surprised if you felt guilty after realizing what you did."

"I'm not, okay?!" Kayo bursts out, now glaring at her. "I'm not fucking sorry for defending myself, or helping you! But I never said I was! But you know, god forbid I act weird like a normal human being after almost being taken down to be--to be--"

Her voice catches at the end. "--After I thought I could be helping someone. I thought Jade--"

"Yeah, and that worked real fucking well, didn't it?" Shuri snaps. "Had to take someone with two functioning eyes and a memory to get a damn clue, and get you to actually take the taser--"

"Oh, yes, I'm so sorry for not being such a perfect observer like you!" Kayo lashes back. "I'm just so fucking stupid--"

"Actually, no, you're not fucking stupid," Shuri deadpans. "In fact, you're not fucking anyone right now, because of the taser. That I told you to take out and you didn't want to because you wanted to let her in--"

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Kayo's voice is nearly a scream, only "nearly" because they both know screaming would attract attention. "Are you seriously blaming me for wanting to help someone? After I just saved your pathetic ass--"

"Oh, I'm not blaming you," Shuri answers coldly and matter-of-factly. "I'm just pointing out facts, because you weren't the one who wanted to stay quiet and pretend no one was in the house--"

"While time was almost up anyway, so it's not like anything would've been different!" Kayo fires back. "Either we could've stayed and let the five hour time limit going out alert all the men to our location, or stayed and still get attacked if they were waiting around outside!"

It takes a tense, empty second for Shuri to realize Kayo's right. In the end, no matter what they'd done, they would still have been trapped because of the time limit. They'd been lucky to get away as they had.

So, without any argument to counter that and with too much pride to apologize (and anger at herself for fighting with Kayo after what Kayo's done for her), Shuri just lets out a humorless laugh. "You think you're so damn smart, don't you? After you threw yourself into this shithole willingly?"

Something about Kayo stiffens. Shuri can sense she's really gotten to her now, and ruthlessly, she digs in further. "You're just whoring yourself out for cash, really. And not even the actual cash, just the opportunity! Or maybe you're here because you know someone else who did similar things. Following in Mother's footsteps--"

She can't say she didn't expect, or deserve, that punch. It hits her too quick for her to dodge, impacting her near the stomach, and the blow is hard enough for the wind to be temporarily knocked out of her. She barely stays on her feet, clutching at her belly and nearly keeling over.

Funny how that works, Shuri thinks. This girl helps her with a cut, saves her from being ****, and punches her, all in not even two days.

Kayo's breathing is hard and sharp. "Don't you dare," she snarls, "say anything like that about my mother."

Shuri just laughs again, but now it comes out more like a cough. "Lesson learned."

"Fuck you."

"That's the men's job, remember?" Shuri deadpans. "And my job is to make sure they don't do it. At least not to me."

"Then why are you here?" Kayo runs her hands back through her hair with a groan. "I didn't--I didn't sign up for this willingly! I never--"

"Yeah? Well, neither did I." Shuri looks up at the sky. Still pitch black, obviously, but it's strange to think it'll soon be dawn and she'll still be here on this island. "I'm just here because of my lovely fucking school."

Kayo looks quizzical, but she doesn't push it. Instead, she lets out a long sigh, shoulders slumping. "I just--I just want to go home," she whispers. "I don't even care about winning. I wish someone would just get the money already, or something so all of this is over."

Shuri doesn't answer. What can she say to that?

"Sorry for saying...you know, about your mom," she mutters, instead. She's not looking up to see, but she can feel Kayo's gaze on her when she exhales and turns to keep moving. Whether or not Kayo's going to still follow her, after all, is up to her.