Of Cages and Misery

[Cat]

Aurora blinked a few times, and then discarded at least some parts of her defensive stance. "Oh... it's you. I told you I didn't want to meet you! You can't just come here! Especially... looking like that!" she stated, finally taking her eyes off him to look around in the kitchen, but only briefly before she focused on him again. "What the hell do you want, apart from getting me into trouble?" She started to slowly make her way further into the kitchen, trying not to make it appear too suspicious.

Kyle shrugged, as he thought he could just tell the truth now. "Those thugs of your husband's didn't give me any choice." He then quickly added another remark, sticking to his plan: "And before you can discard it as a lie, you can go ask whoever is monitoring the prison cells right now. I bet they'd tell you I've been around here for a week, only released today for whatever reason." He realized that his reply sounded somewhat aggressive, despite his calm voice. "I really have nobody else in Gallia to go to, Aurora. I'm stuck on a station where I don't know anyone but you," he continued in a somewhat apologetic manner.

"Look..." Kyle continued calmly, going for his last gambit. "The last time we talked you seemed eager to remember what you were doing in Sirius. If that hasn't changed, then I can still help you, with proof this time. You wouldn't even have to leave this station." He looked outside the room briefly, hoping there'd be no bystanders who might have been observing the whole thing. He then sighed and continued: "If you tell me to go away now, I'll do it. But don't be surprised if you'll find my starved corpse by your doorstep tomorrow."

Aurora shook her head in disbelief. How could he keep on trying to lie to her, in such an obvious way? "Just stop it, I'm sick of your lies!" she said to him angrily, closing in to a set of large knifes placed in the kitchen on a counter. "I want to remember, but not like this. I told you, we have to wait for my husband," she continued, before her eyes briefly went to the knifes, then back to the intruder. "How can anyone be so jealous?! You're being ridiculous."

Now it was Kyle's turn to shake his head: "It's you who are being ridiculous. You aren't even listening to what I'm saying, are you?" He lowered his head; the plan wasn't proceeding nearly as good as he'd imagine. If anything, it only made him feel worse than the time when Kiara had kissed that old geezer in front of him. And yet she was the one to say something of jealousy and lies?! Kyle was about to snap.

A part of him wanted to tell Kiara everything bad that he had thought about her current attitude. That desire was spiced up by the multiple mentions of her current 'husband' (whom Kyle brought up himself). As Kyle thought how satisfying it would be to tell Kiara that she was nothing like the person he had known, it wouldn't end well. She'd probably tell him to get lost, and he'd do just that out of spite. Then he'd lose his only potential ally on this forsaken station, and he'd have nothing at all. That, and Kyle still cared about Kiara, despite the fact she might have been a different person by now. Or was it just a memory of Kiara now?

Nevertheless, he chose to try and restrain himself from saying anything rash. He just stood there, waiting for Kiara to reply to his comment about not hearing what he was actually telling.

"It's not me who's being ridiculous! Why would I listen to your lies?" Aurora asked, an undertone of fear still hearable, even through her anger. "He's all I have! The only thing between me and nothingness. Stop trying to destroy my life!" She glanced at the knifes again, but stopped moving towards them for now, being close enough that they gave her some reassurance he couldn't just overpower her like that. That speech sounded so dramatic and wrong that Kyle shook his head, realizing how messed up Kiara's mind was. Aurora Moreau may only have her husband, but Kiara Garlow had at least a few other people who cared about her. Kyle decided not to voice that for now.

The woman breathed slowly for a few seconds to calm down, before asking: "So what did actually happen to you? You look horrible." Seeing that a somewhat civil and less emotional conversation was about to start, Kyle made use of it: "You mind if I actually come in? I'll stand by the entrance if it makes you feel better. Then I'll explain everything, with proof if need be. But it really feels weird talking to you through a half-open door."

Aurora seemed to struggle with herself for a few seconds, but finally nodded, and she did not look comfortable, but at least keeping herself under control sternly. "O-Okay... You will take a shower, not to keep looking like that... And then we'll head to a public place to talk," the way she said this made clear that none of that was open for discussion.

Kyle nodded with a faint smile, entering the room and closing the door behind him, but still not walking in farther than he had to, so as not to frighten Kiara again. "To be honest, I was kind of wondering how I'd ask you about letting me use a shower among other things. But well, that solved itself. And I'm ok with those conditions. So..." he looked around the room with a questioning expression. "Can I just get to it?"

Aurora just pointed to the corridor leading out of the living room. "There... the door to the right", she stated and gulped, not sure if this was a good idea. "I'll wait over here, don't you dare get any ideas..." She did not move from her position in the kitchen. Kyle decided to cut this part short, hoping that a few minutes she'd spend away from him would make her calm down even more. That's why Kyle's reply was short: "Got it." He turned around and locked the entry door before walking down the corridor Kiara had pointed him at. Finally, a shower after a long couple of weeks... Maybe there was something of Kiara left in this 'Aurora' after all.