Azer thought once again through the pain... Friends? Azer had not had them for years... if ever. Almost as if by command, the pain subsided for a moment as an inner dialogue seemed to begin. As if the warring generals in her mind had settled down for a peace talk.
Umi: "Think of your life up to this point, Azer... I can see it, you know. What was it really like up to this point?"
Azer thought for a moment, all her life up to this point seemed to contain nothing but pain, loneliness, and the fear that her past would catch up to her.
Azer: "Yes, but these people took what little was left! And now they want me to give up everything else... lose who I was forever."
Umi: "Stupid! All they are doing is offering a way to help you get rid of the pain of loss. And besides, its not like its mandatory!"
Azer: "..."
Umi: "And besides that, they are offering you a place to call home, their friendship, and a purpose! For all you know, they were once in the same position as you are now. You might have realized that if you werent busy sitting on the ground, crying for your lost manhood!"
Azer realized at this point that she could feel hot tears running down her cheeks. She also realized then that everything Umi was saying was true.
Umi: "Your old life is gone... but at least dont go screwing up this one too! Now stop mopeing around and get to it!"
At that point, the dialogue ended, probably for good. The war in her head also ended, as Azer let Umi in to settle in her own mind. She reluctantly let parts of her slip away to be replaced by Umi, but it wasnt the complete removal of self that the pill would have offerred. The dull ache in her mind finally faded as the two sides found balance. She then looked up at the girls, tears still staining her face, and smiled. It was the first real honest smiles she could remember for the longest time.
"Sure... I would like to be friends. And as for what you should call me... I guess you can call me Umi, or Umi-Chan. Azer really dosent fit me very well, dose it?"
She gave a light hiccuping laugh, trying to keep her voice straight through the emotions that had so recently driven her to tears.
"And yes... I guess I could stay here... I might like that."
She gave one more laugh as she thought of the unknown pursuers that had worried her not so long ago. They would never find her now.
OOC: Forgive me if I am being overly dramatic. It is a weakness of mine.
Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil...prayer, fasting, good works and so on. Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun. Eat leaden death, demon...