[ Kainé sneers bitterly at Anna's first remarks, clumsily trying to defend the way she relates her back to Rose, sees all of her and her entire world in the reflected prism of her first love. Is Kainé any different, though? Not really. She keeps that staff with her, and that clumsy childhood scribble. A flower that will one day go to seed. The feeling of home belongs to grandma. Understanding belongs to Emil. And something else, in her muddled and broken memories, claims how Anna gives her purpose and makes her heart feel light. The infuriating thing that makes her head throb to chase. She winces at that pain, and scratches at her arm.

But after a moment, something softer comes over her fierce features. Anna is pleading, and desperate. She's hurt and afraid like Kainé is, to lose this connection that ended up contextualizing her whole life here. She's hurt and bitter, betrayal seethes in the back of her brain, but... these past few weeks haven't been the actions of somebody that just wanted to fuck her and use her as an emotional replacement. Not just that, anyway. She squeezes her eyes shut. ]

She's gone. And I'm not her. I'll never be her. [ And Anna will always only be Anna. ] I'm not fucking here to replace somebody I never goddamn met. I ain't even here to be your mirror to feel better about yourself with.

[ But fuck she wants to believe her. She wants that so bad. She wants far more than that. No matter how harsh her words are, she wants to take and take from this woman. ]

I... saw myself too. It's been... good. Really good. Being around you.

[ She sighs tiredly, despite everything seething in her brain, fear and distrust coiling in her amygdala. And something far warmer, somewhere else. ]