The Girls of Virtue

[04-3] Real or Fake, a Vision into a Distorted World

Eventually, after a while, after she's unsure of how long she's been walking, the twisting streets open up to a small, grassy square.

The grass is grey and dead, of course, and the trees are small and withered. There's a little playground in the middle of it all, just a swing set and a couple of rickety-looking seesaws. It's pathetic. It looks a lot like how Beginning is feeling at the moment. With a sigh that feels like it takes the last bit of life out of her, Beginning plops herself down on a swing.

Not five minutes into slowly swaying back and forth, trying to find her breath, a voice screeches at her from somewhere behind.

"What do you think you're doing! This is my territory, you silly girl! Stand up! Right now!" Avoidance's voice shouts, sharply enough that Beginning can't help but wince, shoulders sliding up.

Feeling like she should have seen this coming, Beginning hesitantly stands up. A part of her just wants to walk away then and there. She's so, so sick of being harassed at every turn, and with the Judgement incident fresh in her mind, she thinks she'd rather just lay down and cry for a while.

"I'm sorry. What, um, wh-what exactly did I do?" she asks instead, half-dreading the answer. It's bound to be something harmless.

"This is my territory! Didn't you hear me? I'm the only one who's allowed to be here, so unless you feel like making yourself useful, get out. You're not wanted here, dumb girl. I don't have any patience for stupid brats who think they're special just because they're new!" As Beginning turns around, Avoidance's slim figure cuts through the fog like a shadow. Her dark clothes hang on her slim body like rags, only her white, bony legs sticking out from under the layers and layers of black.

Beginning tries not to sigh. She can tell already that this isn't going to be fun. "Again, I'm, um, I'm sorry? I really didn't know it was yours. Please don't be mad at me..." She's fighting a losing battle, she can feel it.

"Make it up to me!" Avoidance shrieks, pointing a long, thin finger right at Beginning's nose. "Sit down and listen. You don't have anything else to do, do you?" Before Beginning can answer, "That's what I thought!"

Thinking with frustration that Avoidance just told her to stand up, Beginning slowly sits back down on the swing, trying not to make the other girl mad. Well, any more mad. She's not looking forward to whatever she's going to have to do now, whatever she's going to have to put up with.

Avoidance herself neatly perches herself on the swing next to Beginning, skinny legs lightly pushing her back and forth. Her sleeves fall back when she grabs the chains, revealing bone-thin wrists.

"You know what a pain those meetings are?" she starts, shrill tone approaching something downright whiny. Beginning winces. "I mean, nothing against Judgement-- she's fantastic, amazing, of course--, but sudden meetings are just too much! Maybe I had something to do! Maybe I didn't want to attend! I don't know why I can't just be left out of it all! There's no reason why I need to join the rest of those idiots."

Beginning thinks, distinctly, that Avoidance might be very, very stupid. She can't imagine talking so poorly about Judgement's choices, even if she isn't anywhere near. Such a choice seems suicidal at the very least, and Avoidance is acting like she feels perfectly safe saying it.

It feels sort of dangerous to even sit there and listen, but Beginning knows she doesn't have much of a choice. She stays where she is, giving only the slightest nod, and Avoidance goes right into her spiel all over again.

And apparently, Avoidance can talk for ages. Beginning sits there, listening to the endless, shrill complaints until her ears start to ring, too scared to try to leave. Avoidance only gets more fervored as she goes, waving her hands wildly enough to make the swing set creak.