I Won't Give Up

ACT 10

ACT 10

The morning sun shined through the glass of the bedroom window, the warm rays shining on an empty bed. At the living room, Ashe is currently perched on a sofa, wearing nothing but boxers while she ate a bowl of cereal.

In front of her, the small bird cage is placed on her coffee table, the red lovebird perched on its swing as it ate the bird seeds Ashe had filled the food cup hooked at the side.

Students aren't really required to attend Pilty Fair, so she decided not to show up at the second day.

'I have no more points anyway.' She thought, gazing at the red bird. 'I spent it all on you.'

She had bought the bird to give to Katarina as a gift, but after the... incident yesterday, Ashe found herself more scared of her 'girlfriend'. The bird reminded her of Katarina. What, with its red feathers, a few black ones, the green eyes and the claw marks on one of its eyes, the bird is practically a 'bird version' of Katarina, which is the main reason why she bought it for the redhead.

"I should probably name you." She said to the bird. Ashe placed the now empty cereal bowl beside the cage as she leaned forward. "How about... Ruby?"

The bird ignored her.

"Hmm... Cherry?"

Still no response.

"Scarlet?"

Again, no reply.

"Strawberry?"

.....

.....

.....

After dozens of names inspired by the color red was mentioned, Ashe finally gave up in naming the red-feathered bird.

"I should probably call you Katarina." She muttered sarcastically as she rested her back on the backrest of the couch.

Surprisingly, the bird looked away from its seeds and stared at her. She met the bird's stare with an equally focused one.

Stare.

Stare.

Stare.

Ashe shook her head.

"Just a coincidence." She murmured. 'The bird coincidentally turned at the same time I called her Katarina. Yes, completely coincidental.'

Not.

The bird turned back to its small cup of seeds, pecking each and every one of it one by one. For Ashe, it only took at least a full minute before she succumbed to her curiosity. She couldn't help herself.

"Katarina?"

The bird practically snapped its gaze back to her, looking as if it's waiting for her to speak and continue on. She retried calling the bird different names, but in the end, it settled on responding only when it's referred to as Katarina.

Ashe opened the cage and offered a finger of hers for the bird to perch on. "Katarina."

The bird, acting quite obedient, flew off of its swing and perched itself on her finger, balancing itself with ease. Ashe eased back into the sofa, gaze focused on the bird. Using one finger, she softly rubbed the back of the bird.

After petting the lovebird, she took a few seeds in her other palm and offered it to the animal. The bird instantly perched on her food-filled palm and started pecking away.

Ashe sighed.

"At least you're nicer than the human Katarina."

The red bird, now officially named Katarina, merely stared back at her.