The next one, since some people asked for it :D I was in Italy without much Internet access when chapter 125 came out ; I managed to read it at an Internet cafe, though, and wrote this afterwards, but I couldn't post it before coming back home. So yesss, I realize the suspense and "OMGWTF" feeling have kind of died down, but whatever /shrug/

Warnings : Chapter 125 spoilerful, like I said, as well as a minor reference to Kuro's past, but like they say, "blink and you'll miss it". Also, overuse of italics, and swearing (we all know why).

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Blood. She wants blood, red blood, vibrant, warm blood like the one that's dripping from his eye, flowing out of his face — faster and faster and faster. Blood like the one that's tainting the bandages, wetting the bed sheets, falling — drop — by — drop — on the floor. Blood like the one that's rushing through your veins, like the one you can feel beating, pulsing, pounding in your ears.

Blood for water (your blood for their water), water for life (their water for his life). You suppose it could be worse, but you know there's a catch, there's always a catch with that witch.

And you're right, oh how you're right.

Your blood for his life.

Give him your blood and his life is yours, since he no longer wants it, give him your blood and as long as you're alive, he will be as well. Give him your blood and he'll live.

Give him your blood and he'll hate you.

Give him your blood and he'll become some kind of parasite, of monster, of demon (don't think of that, not now, of all times not now), a vampire bat that will suck your blood and your life until your death, until both your deaths.

Worse is, it's no metaphor — this is literally, exactly, pointedly what he'll become, and it'll be your fault.

(Are you sure ?)

You could never stand him after all. You could never stand him because he's such a coward, because he's always running away, because he gives up on his life without even trying. You could never stand him for the very reason he's dying now.

(Are you sure you can stand having him around forever ?)

Except that's not it. That's not it.

You hate it when he's fooling around, you hate it when he's smiling his stupid fake smiles, you hate it when he pretends to be happy, to be alright when you know everything's really wrong, wrong, wrong — you hate it — but you don't hate him.

You can't stand having him around for more than ten minutes, how could you last a lifetime — whether it be your lifetime or his ?

But that's not the question, that's not the question, damn it. Damn it all to Hell and back, but that's not what it's all about.

(Can you stand not having him around for your whole life ? Can you spend your whole life without seeing him again, ever, ever, ever again ?)

Stop, he says, stop, but he's the one who has to stop, stop fucking dying — he can't die, he can't, not now, not ever. Not as long as you're alive.

He doesn't want you to save him, you know that, you know it perfectly well. So what ? You want to save him.

So it'll be your fault if he lives, it'll be your own damn fault if he hates you, but fuck, it's your turn to be selfish now.

A life with him is better than without, no matter how long.

(Shut up.)

He looks at you, with his only eye and something that's screaming inside.

Your blood for his life, the witch says, but that's not it, really. You give your blood and he lives, yes. He lives, but the price is that he'll hate you for it.

You don't hate him, you don't, but he will hate you.

(Shut up.)

"You're responsible for his life" can mean you'll have to take care of him forever, but to him, you know it will mean it's your fault that he's still alive.

(SHUT UP !)

But you save him anyway.