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Practically everything is. [ Humorous and a little bit world-weary. ]

Why? [ More businesslike. Looks in the direction Sakuri is looking in. ]

Edited 2015-02-11 00:31 (UTC)

[She's looking at... some guys skateboarding. To most people this is not noteworthy, but Sakuri looks at them like she expects them to die in the process of getting onto the boards.

Suffice to say, she's a bit more afraid of the world than most.]

Oh! The skateboarders. [ Smiles at her, reassuringly. ] Well, I guess they do have accidents sometimes. But they have fun, too.

Edited 2015-02-11 12:11 (UTC)

I just - the, the n-nearest hospital is across t-town. What if they g-get hurt?

I'll call an ambulance, then. [ He holds up his cell phone. ] Or somebody else will.

You worry a lot about other people? [Gentle voice. ]

Um, well, y-yeah. I mean, people d-don't look out for e-each other as, as much as they sh-should, so. I think about what c-could go wrong a lot, sometimes.

...is that bad?

I agree with you. People should look out for each other more. No, I don't think it's bad to think about what could go wrong. I often do.

Did things go wrong for you?

...y-yeah. Things, um, th-things went wrong. [She tries, unsuccessfully, to swallow back tears that spring to her eyes, but makes a valiant effort not to freak out in front of a stranger.]

[ And he recognizes that it is a valiant attempt. ]

Come, sit down. [ There is a park bench right behind them. He turns and indicates its seat. Stands beside the bench and waits for her to sit, like a gentleman. ]

What happened?

...i-it's not, not that I d-don't want to talk about it, [Sakuri says softly as she sits down, hands wringing.] But it's k-kind of insane. To, to tell y-you the truth this is the longest I-I've been outside f-for months.

I - I guess i-if you cut to the ch-chase, m-my mom, and, and my sister w-were killed. A-and I... I... [Was supposed to die, was hurt, was tortured and wanted to die but didn't. And now what is she supposed to do, so afraid of the world that people skateboarding makes her think of death and hospitals?

Her sister should have lived. Setsuna wouldn't have been weak and afraid like this. Sakuri jumps at the sound of the wind blowing trash by, and tears begin to fall as she watches it drift in the wind. Is this how she's always going to be?

Why can't she be stronger? Why is she burdening this poor guy with all her problems? How did she manage to fall apart not twenty minutes out of the house?]

I-I'm, I'm sorry... [She wipes at her eyes, embarrassed.]

[ Hisoka sits down beside her. ]

Then good for you, that you managed to put one foot in front of the other and get out of the house, even if only for a short time. That is no small thing. [ A fragment of a poem he had once seen had spoken of going on with courage for as long as you can, and then, when your courage is gone, "you go on without it." He has known so many people who did. Himself included. ]

[ Yes, they always kill the strong ones first, or find some way to get them out of the way, so that the most vulnerable have no protectors. ]

No need to apologize. Especially not to me. If you want to talk about it, go ahead. But only if you want to. It's your choice. [Very gentle voice.]

Edited 2015-02-15 03:26 (UTC)

I - I r-really appreciate that, that you'd be w-willing to talk to me a-a-about what happened. But I... [She takes a deep breath and tries to reign in the tears so she won't cause a scene. Sakuri is so grateful for the kindness she feels awful turning him down.] I need some time, b-before I can, can go there.

I'm trying, r-really, I am. I just w-wish I didn't end up c-crying, because you, you've been n-nice and here I am f-freaking out on you.

Don't worry. It's all right. [ Not concerned that she turned him down. ]

I know. It's very hard to talk about the crap you've been through. Especially when you were young when you went through it. And especially to a stranger. Don't worry, I'm not going to be disappointed. You're the one who's in the best position to make good decisions about how to take care of yourself. And if not talking about it now is your decision -- because it's too soon, and this is not the right situation, and maybe there is somebody else it should be instead? -- well, I support that.

[ Digs in his jacket pocket and extracts a package of tissues, removes four or five of them and hands them to her. ] Here.

Edited 2015-02-17 12:40 (UTC)