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year 5, quarter 3
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[attr=class,bulk] Garnet seemed hesitant to leave once more. Mikoto turned to look at the dark-haired woman. Her expression was still that frozen calm as she gave Zidane’s woman her undivided attention, holding her bag to her chest as she did so. She stepped out of the way of the door and more along the building so as not to be bumped or prodded by passersby. [break][break] “I have listened and heard all you have said. But, because I do not do exactly as you would, you think I am disagreeable.” She looked down as she thought on Garnet’s words. Her words were blunt and unrestrained. “You try hard to find commonalities, when it is okay when there are none. Diversity is healthy for the survival of a unit. Did you find commonalities with all of those persons you traveled with? Each had a role to play to ensure survival.” Mikoto did not believe that they would survive against Kuja. And yet, they did. [break][break] Her head fell to the side as her teal eyes lifted back to Garnet’s. She kept bringing up this painful reminder as easily as the wind blew. Garnet could not imagine the effects of the loss. How it was not just vessels and souls destroyed, by an entire culture gone extinct in mere minutes. [break][break] “I have not forgotten the wrong Kuja has done to my home. But, did you and your companions also not play a part in its destruction?” Sure, they saved the vessels, but did they not defy Garland’s will too? Would they have left Terra intact, when that spelled doom for Gaia? Mikoto doubted it. And yet, she held no accusation in her tone. Just straight facts. “No genome was free of Garland until Kuja’s decisive actions.” She felt her chest heavy again, and she looked away to the street. Where the people cheerfully went about their day. It would be so much easier to walk away from this conversation. [break][break] “I do not doubt that Kuja’s actions were harmful. They were intended to be.” Mikoto would not deny it. “But, Terrans don’t usually put effort in certain actions without reason. What reasons does he have now?” Her tail fell behind her and she watched Garnet curiously now. Terra was gone. Garland was dead. Mikoto had a hard time fathoming what drastic measures Kuja would take or his reasons for taking them. [break][break] “Earlier, you understood because of a similar situation with your ‘mother’.” The word mother sounded foreign to her tongue and she still did not understand its meaning. “What would you do if I told you to be careful around this person or even not to go back to them, after all their wrongs? Especially, if this ‘mother’ was the last part of your home?” [break][break] Mikoto sincerely asked the question, looking to Garnet for the answer. After waiting for the answer, she acknowledged Garnet’s original intent. “Everyone here keeps asking me to think for myself.” Even Kuja was encouraging it and only he seemed to understand her difficulty. “Gaians know how to do this. Genomes in Bran Bal were discouraged from it. Garland’s word was law.” It was not that she was actively resisting Garnet. She simply was still learning how to do this ‘thinking for one’s self’. Every action she was to make was to benefit her people. She need only to obey Garland’s commands. [break][break] “I appreciate you being here for me.” Her tone was still even. Even if Garnet had irritated her earlier, the woman still assisted her despite the discomfort between them. “I agreed to assist you when I can.” And Mikoto would, as needed. Then, she finished all her points and stood uncomfortably quiet as she stared at Garnet.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Nov 4, 2020 6:42:18 GMT -6
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"Sometimes, Mikoto, there is a difference between hearing and listening," Garnet said, trying to sound delicate as she approached the matter. She had no doubt that Mikoto had heard the words she had said. She just wasn't sure that Mikoto had understood them at all. But, she supposed, perhaps Mikoto was right. She was looking for similarities between the two when there weren't any. Maybe she was wasting her time in trying. She wasn't sure why she felt so compelled to try. Maybe it was because Zidane would have done the same thing, or maybe it was because she knew that Mikoto had in her the same power Kuja had, and she desperately wanted to prevent Mikoto walking down that path.
"I think... in the end, we all had more similarities than we cared to admit," Garnet admitted when Mikoto asked if there were similarities between the ones she travelled with. "We may have been different, we may have had different skills, but we had the same goal. We worked together because, beneath all our differences, beneath our different abilities, we all believed in the same thing. Otherwise, I am not sure we would have worked together as well as we did," she explained. She could see Mikoto's point, but Garnet still believed that deep down, everybody in their team had been inherently good, and seen the evil in Kuja. Even Amarant, even if he wouldn't quite admit it.
She asked about what her and her 'companions' had done to Terra, and again, Garnet found herself trying to understand Mikoto. "We never wanted to harm Terra, Mikoto. We didn't destroy it, we didn't cause any harm to it, not intentionally. All we did was try to save our world and defend those who mattered to us. Garland wanted to control Zidane and attacked us. We defended ourselves. As did Kuja. Terra's destruction was Kuja's fault. There could have been a way to save your world, if only Kuja, if only Garland, had come to us offering peace, instead of destruction. If the forces of Gaia had known an entire world was in danger, we would have done everything we could to find a way to save it. Even if we couldn't save the planet, we'd have offered a new home to your people, with no bloodshed, or death. Our actions show that, that even after everything that happened, we still found a home for the genomes..." Garnet explained, wishing that Mikoto would understand. The loss of Terra must have hurt so much, Garnet knew the feeling when she saw Alexandria burn, but she also wanted Mikoto to blame the right person. Kuja and Garland had destroyed Alexandria, and then destroyed Terra. They had a common enemy. Why could Mikoto not see that?
"I don't know, Mikoto, but Kuja isn't like you or other Terrans. Look at how he dresses, how he thinks, he has... a different mind. He's far more Gaian than you might ever expect. Without a purpose, I'm sure he'll find one, and I doubt it'll be much good for us when he does. Maybe he'll want revenge, or maybe just more power now that he's lost his position both on Terra and Gaia. I don't know, but he's an evil man, and I know he will do something. He should be arrested and stand trial for his crimes and all the death he caused. We cannot let him walk free," Garnet knew her words were useless. Mikoto was right that Kuja had, in a manner, freed the genomes, but it hadn't been his goal. If it had been left to Kuja, they would have all died. It was Zidane and Garnet and the others who had saved them all. Why couldn't Mikoto see that?
Finally, Mikoto asked about her mother, and Garnet gave a sad smile, looking at the ground. She fiddled with her pendant for a moment, before releasing it, and returning her gaze to Mikoto. "Oh, Mikoto, don't you understand? That did happen to me. My mother... The damage she caused, the actions she took, I ran away from home because of it. I stood against her when it mattered the most. And yes, sometimes I made mistakes. I returned to her side at a time when I shouldn't, but only because I believed she would listen to reason. I still knew her actions were evil and I wished to persuade her otherwise. And when it became clear that I could not, I... fled again," she went on. Okay, that wasn't strictly true, she was rescued after her mother tried to drain her Eidolons, but she would have fled if she had been able. That had been the moment even Beatrix had realised how wrong her mother had been.
"If my mother was still alive, even if Alexandria was gone, I would..." Garnet hesitated. What WOULD she do? "I would not need your warning to be careful around her. I would know to do so. I would not wish to see her dead, but I would wish to see her stand trial for her crimes. You do not need to wish Kuja dead, but you should also understand how dangerous he is and the crimes he has committed. As I did with my mother," she explained. "I know how hard it can be. I have seen my home burn... twice. My entire village was destroyed when I was only a child, and then I had to watch the kingdom I was supposed to protect burn as well, and I was powerless to stop it. But evil is evil, no matter who is committing it. That was true of my mother, and it is true of Kuja." She suspected this would be another case of Mikoto hearing without listening, but she had to try.
"It is my pleasure to assist you, Mikoto. I would like to be friends, even if we sometimes disagree," Garnet offered with a smile. It was the best she could. She couldn't change Mikoto today, but perhaps, by offering friendship, she could, one day, change her point of view. Both Kuja and Zidane showed that genomes could evolve beyond their basic instincts. She knew that Mikoto would get there one day.
[attr=class,bulk] Mikoto tried to take in everything Garnet had to say. It was a lot. But it seemed that though her ‘companions’ had been so different they believed in the same thing and shared a common goal. Hadn’t Garnet and her shared some common goals today? But it seemed Garnet had been too distracted all day to dedicate herself to the tasks. Zidane wanted her to be ‘friendly’ and Mikoto had certainly not been hostile towards Garnet all day. But it seemed some criteria had not been met. She really didn’t understand.
[break][break] Then, Garnet explained the Gaian’s motives on Terra. Did they really believe that extending a hand out in peace would work? The Terrans wanted to preserve and restore their culture, not intermingle it with lesser beings. She doubted Garland would have caved to their treatise, and was probably his cause for the attack on them. They intruded upon his territory, did not meet his demands, and he attacked them to preserve his work. Garland would have done what he could to keep Terra from falling.
[break][break] Still, if the Gaians had not arrived, perhaps the loss could have been avoided. And she still did not understand why Kuja would turn on Terra. Part of her didn’t want to believe it, but she had seen the destruction in the distance with her own eyes.
[break][break] However, if there was anything Mikoto did take away, it was that it seemed the Gaians wanted peace over a fight. But hadn’t the Black Mages created a village to avoid humans’ cruel nature? So which was it? Did they want peace? Or did they want violence? Her eyes lowered in thought. If anything, at least Zidane and his companions would prefer peace. That, she could be certain of. And it did seem they tried to prevent further damage the best way they knew how - by saving the vessels.
[break][break] She bristled as she spoke about Kuja. How she continued to push her Gaian values on a Terran she made her skin crawl. But she said nothing at first, but finally the feeling bubbled over. “And what would your trials do?” Garland removed a genome’s soul when he judged one unworthy, so what would the Gaians do? “To give you a justification to take his life?” To justify his murder. How did that make them any different then? She felt herself standing straighter, her tail fluffed a little bigger. She wouldn’t allow it. And why did Zephon care what he did on another planet? “I would trade my life in his place.” If they demanded payment, then they could have her blood instead. She served no purpose to the people here. But maybe for a genome…
[break][break] After all, Kuja was much more competent than her. He seemed better suited to keep his life than her.
[break][break] Then, the moment passed and her tail fell low. Was she doing this ‘listening’ thing? What was Garnet trying to convey. It was difficult for her. “I understand Kuja is dangerous and he has taken many things from Gaians to give you cause to be upset.” But, that was what genomes had been created for. It was difficult to fault him while Garland was still alive to assert them to be Angels of Death.
[break][break] She hesitated and held her bag closer to her chest. Her head tilted to the side as she drew her brow together. “But I would like to see for myself what he is like. He is different, but that does not bother me.” No, she was perplexed by it. “He destroyed our home, but I want to understand why from him. I don’t feel the destruction of Terra and its inhabitants were his main objective.” If so, he could have destroyed her upon their first meeting. Did Gaian logic work on Kuja? Or was Terran logic needed? She doubted coercion from a Gaian trial would get her the answers she sought. But perhaps, if she lingered near, he would talk to her about it.
[break][break] She let Garnet talk about her ‘mother’. She frowned as Garnet stated she would let this special person stand trial. Maybe they did not end in death after all? But what would be a fair judgement for those people who took so much then?
[break][break] “Thank you for sharing.” Mikoto tried again. Then she seemed to look at Garnet a little confused. “I thought we were friends when we shared food and stories.” She gave a slight nod, before turning to leave. She felt like she was trembling. Garnet had shaken her a little. And she didn't seem to feel each step she took.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Nov 14, 2020 8:05:51 GMT -6
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Garnet watched as Mikoto turned to leave. She should have just let her go, given that everything Garnet tried to say made things worse. She was trying her very best to connect, to make Mikoto understand, but maybe that was her mistake? Maybe trying to force Mikoto to see things her way was her error. She thought it was so simple, she didn't feel like her point of view should have been controversial, that it should have raised questions, but here they were. Apparently wanting to see a genocidal maniac put on trial was something they couldn't agree on. Apparently thinking that a man who had murdered billions should be punished wasn't something they'd see eye to eye on. It was so difficult to understand...
"Mikoto, wait," she dashed forward, wanting to stop her. "Listen, I don't want to kill Kuja-" she paused. Was that a lie? There was certainly a part of her that wanted to see him dead. A very large part of her. But she was a healer by nature. She believed in helping those in need, not murdering people. "I... won't pretend that I would be sad to hear he had passed. Not after all he has done to me. But... standing trial does not mean execution. As the Queen of Alexandria, I don't wish to see anybody executed. I have been imprisoned too many times, my friends have been imprisoned too many times, I wish to see justice done. Life imprisonment. Somewhere where Kuja can pay for his crimes without dying," she explained. That was without saying that Zidane wouldn't want to see him dead either. But her words were true as well, a capital punishment felt wrong after facing it so many times herself, or seeing her friends face it.
"You can understand why. Just... stay safe, and do not trust him," Garnet warned, before sighing again. This was getting them nowhere. "I am glad that we are friends, though," she smiled softly. It was about the best that she could offer, given the situation.
Mikoto had one function now - to be the keeper of genomes. And as long as Kuja was one, she would do her best to make sure no harm would befall him. No matter the circumstances. Even if all he did was wrong - to her or Garnet - nothing could change her nurturing nature toward him. Or at least, not currently. She was being selfish, wasn’t she?
[break][break] Terra’s loss hurt her deeply, but she could not bring herself to turn him away. She will always have that memory, but to see him as a monster for one intense moment? She knew him not before events leading up to it. Garnet tried to explain his nature to her, but it was too hard to process all at once. What she did understand was she would have followed in his footsteps, if he had not done what he did. Would she have done the same as Kuja and Zidane in defying Garland? Would she have thought so lowly of Bran Bal like they? Would she have resisted too? What did they understand that she did not?
[break][break] It was too much to process. Garnet wanted a resolution now, but Mikoto could not give it. She needed time to think about it, and right now she was tired.
[break][break] But, before she could make it far to find a quiet place to rest, she was stopped once more by Garnet. Her footsteps ceased, as she turned back to her. Mikoto was not daft. Garnet's long pause told her much of what she wished of Kuja. Then, how did human trials work? Did they put each other under scrutiny and subject their own punishments to their peers? The thought was bizarre to Mikoto. Genomes were meant to work with each other in harmony. Garland made all the decisions, while her peers quietly lived in peace at Bran Bal. She would never think to scrutinize them and subject them to punishments, but would rather find ways to improve for the future.
[break][break] Non-Terrans came up with such bizarre methods to punish their own. She didn’t understand life imprisonment. But it sounded terribly unproductive. And she highly doubted that any human structure could keep Kuja without his permission. Not with his power.
[break][break] She decided not to question Garnet. She did not fully understand the concepts she brought up. But it seemed she was trying to mean well. Garnet was stuck on Kuja though and Mikoto shifted her weight. “You gave me an abundance of information.” Mikoto simply stated. “I will need time to process.” She looked down at the cobblestone, her tail swayed in thought. That was the best she could give too. “Know that I also wish to protect Zidane. Once he is found.” She meant well for both genomes. What she would do for Kuja, she would do for Zidane. Just because Kuja was a certain way, doesn’t mean that Mikoto would be. She wanted nothing more than to see both genomes safe and happy. She did not wish to see them fight each other again. “Goodbye.”
[break][break] With that Mikoto turned away again, determined to find that quiet spot.
