[HH 1v1] Getting to know you (Lizzy vs Deryk)

[Dragain]

Lizzy's eyes widened, and she tensed up for a moment, her brow furrowing, "N-no, but... Participated in events that resulted in..." Her voice had gotten softer and softer, until it could no longer be heard, although her lips were still moving, and her gaze had dropped to the floor; she didn't like talking about it. It wasn't something that she was particularly proud of.

"A-are you genuinely sorry?" She asked, surprised that she was actually hearing an apology from a hunter, "Ah... Looking for a human - no, a hunter - that wouldn't mind talking to me honestly... You seem pretty honest."

She looked hopeful as she eyed Deryk, "... Rogue horsemen?"  

[Blade Kuroda]

Deryk frowned at her. Had she seen Killzone get killed? That was the first thing that came to mind. As for her question, he shifted in place.

"Well I definitely didn't want it to happen. You kids are.. well.. mostly innocent. And this was after that whole speech of only taking willing students with us. If those kids had gone 'ok I'll follow you' or whatever, that's not a problem," he groaned. Yes. The whole kidnapping thing was bothering him quite a bit.

"Er... well. You're talking to one right now. And yeah. Weren't given much details. Might have to do with recent run ins with horsemen. Maybe. Not sure. Speaking of. Um... have.. you kids... started to team up with them..?"

He may as well get some information while he was here.  

[Dragain]

"Willing students? Which part of those students looked willing?" Lizzy asked, huffing, "For calling us evil, among other horrible, horrible names, hunters don't pay much attention to their own morals."

When she realized that she might had been venting her anger on this poor hunter, she blushed, looking sheepish, "I'm sorry... It's just that... Out of the students who was kidnapped was one of my best friends... And two of them I view as sisters. It felt like you guys broke my family up..." Her eyes were moist as she said this, but she somehow managed to stop herself from sobbing, "Team up...? Ah... Some students decided to... Follow Medea. She's a Horsemen. She promised them Fear and power, things that we lack. I suppose it was tempting for many students, who had been kicked around, unable to protect the things they care about."  

[Blade Kuroda]

"..Not at all..." Deryk sighed before scratching his head. He couldn't help but grimace at the further explanation she had given to. It didn't make him feel any better about the matter.

"..Oh. I'm sorry. And a-ah.. that explains that. We.. had a run in with horsemans recently. In the human world. There were students with them though. Not many. Just a handful. But... it.. concerned me," he explained while shifting in place again.  

[Dragain]

It seemed like there were apologies going around.

"... Oh," Lizzy didn't have much to say to that; was that where Medea had taken them? To the human world? Why the human world though... And what were they doing before that? She frowned, more and more questions emerging as she sighed, "Deryk... When people are forced to a corner, they'll do anything to survive. I think most of those students wouldn't be there if the hunters hadn't attacked our school again and again..."

She trailed off, tilting her head as she eyed the hunter, as if trying to decide something, "Don't let me be wrong about you. The reason my good friend got captured was because she was too trusting of someone she had only met once - a hunter in disguise. She somehow got her hands on her phone number..." Her frown deepened, and she sighed, "So please... Please don't let me be wrong about you."  

[Blade Kuroda]

"I know. I don't call the shots though. A lot of the hunters think you all deserve it. Or don't care what happens," Deryk said before pausing as she brought up a rather familiar story.

"... Mitsu.. right?"

He shifted slightly in place at that.

"Phone number was my fault. Was on another mission. Unrelated when I got it. Had to fetch minipets personally. The hunter who went after her told me that she was going to be willing when I gave the information..." he frowned. Obviously that wasn't the case. While Candace treated Mitsu well as far as he knew, he still wasn't too happy about kidnapping her away like that.  

[Dragain]

"That's how some students are beginning to think about hunters," Lizzy replied softly, looking uncomfortable, "And humans, in extension... But when it comes down to it, why do I think that we have more compassion? And... What do you call it... Humidity? Wait, no... Humanity?"

Some of the books in the library came in handy.

"... How did you-" She froze, taking a step back from the hunter, feeling wary again. When he admitted that it was his fault, she felt conflicted - she was glad that he was willing to admit it, but it was his fault. That Mitsu had to go through so much that she lost her memory. That Shun was - is still - suffering. It all begun with this person, standing in front of her right now.

"The hunter who went after her. Candace? She should rename herself W. H. Ore," She muttered angrily, balling her hands into fists by her side, "How could she take Mitsu away like that? Willing? Why would she be willing? She just got engaged a few Octobers ago. She has a fiance and many friends who love her very much... Deryk, pick better people to trust."  

[Blade Kuroda]

Deryk couldn't help but blink when Elizabeth said 'humidity' but soon understood when she corrected herself.

"It's always easier to er... demonize... the other side. Um. No.. offense? Just.. didn't know a better word to use," he blinked again. Though, as the student started to get angry, he frowned and waved his hands rapidly before himself. He was also watching her, in case she decided that she was going to take her anger out on him.

"I didn't know that! Met Mitsu long before. Didn't even talk all that much. Just... helped get a ghost dog from her. She just seemed like a nice girl.. Didn't know anything else about her.. until she arrived at the island. And c-come on. Don't need to be calling anyone names," he whined.  

[Dragain]

"Easier to make the other side seem worse, yes," Lizzy seemed to have calmed down a fair bit, although she was still visibly upset, "But the constant attacks and other things are not helping our opinion on humans... I know the hunters seem to hate us for some reason. Why? What did we do to make them look at us like we're nothing more than dirt?"

She deflated, biting down on her lower lip, "Sorry... I don't like name calling either, but it's just... When I think of Mitsu, all alone, scared, kidnapped from her home... It hurts-" She placed a hand over her chest, "-here. And my other friends too... Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do with their life, and if you really find someone willing... Good for you. But most people aren't."

A long pause followed.

"When you go back, tell Candace that I hope she's happy about ruining the happiness of two people with the same range of emotions she probably has," She frowned, looking away, "Because I hope she never has to go through the same sort of pain Mitsu's fiance faced over the past few weeks. And you seem like a nice guy... So I hope you never have to go through that either."  

[Blade Kuroda]

"Some of them spent their lives in fear. Some have seen some pretty horrible things. And now experienced them too. Thanks to the horseman. Don't know why some of our orders as they are but.. gotta follow them. Quite frankly. We were told not to sympathize. That.. not so easy though..." Deryk explained before groaning. She was guilt tripping him now, on something that he was already feeling really shitty about.

"I..."

He wasn't sure if he really wanted to relay that message. He kinda really didn't want to. That was just asking for an unwanted confrontation.

"Well.. thanks.." he murmured while glancing away.  

[Dragain]

"I did hear a hunter say it once," Lizzy admitted, thinking back to the day they confronted Stacey, "That not all ways of scaring are harmless... But the thing that gathers the most Fear is actually killing a human, not scaring... There are laws put in place in Halloween against it though. For Horsemen...? Not so much. They have some sort of agreement with the Halloween authorities, but they don't consider themselves one of us. It's been like that for as long as anyone can remember."

She sighed, staring at him for a little bit, "I like to think that most of you were just following orders..." She paused, and then took a step towards him, "May I hug you?"

She wanted to know what it felt like to hug a hunter... Since Professor QB said something about them not being 'real' humans anymore; it didn't sound like Deryk would be able to take in that sort of information right now though... After all, she wouldn't want someone to tell her that she was 'no longer a Fear creature' or something.  

[Blade Kuroda]

This sounded a little familiar to what Amrita had told him. He was aware that they weren't all murderous little creeps. If they were, he would be a lot less sympathetic to their cause. There were plenty of thrill seekers in the world and those who liked to be scared. Deryk knew he purposefully read a few creepy pastas himself. If he didn't want to be frightened.. he wouldn't have read those.

However, her question threw him completely off guard.

"H-hug me?" he stammered out. Why did she want to hug him all of the sudden?

"Wh-why do you want to hug me? I.. I'm technically still an enemy..."  

[Dragain]

"Pleeeeeeeease?" Lizzy wondered if puppy faces worked on humans. She tried anyway.  

[Blade Kuroda]

Deryk wasn't sure what to make of this.

"You... aren't.. planning on trying to strangle me.. o-or something like that... a-are you?"  

[Dragain]

"... Why would I do that?"