More and More Alike [Augy/Vas]

[Aione Higurashi]

"Neechan! Neechan!"

Sitting at one of the many desks in the semi-empty library, a young woman's head jolted from its place nestled in its arms. Aione blinked and looked around at the source of the voice. Her line of vision was met with the cover of a book, along with a pair of large ocean-blue eyes. For the first time in three days, some sort of emotion crossed the humans face, which seemed to be getting paler by the hour. It was a blank, confused expression. Motoko giggled at her.

"Neechan, look how far I've gotten in this one," Moto chimed, placing the book in front of her eldest sister and opening it to the marked page. It was almost at the end. Aione's dulled silver eyes softened...but just a little...and she smiled a little. "Wow, good job, imouto-chan. Your English is coming along very nicely..." she paused, "...who did you say is teaching you, again?"

The blueberry girl hesitated for less than a second, "Sori-niichan is teaching me!"

Aione just took that answer and left it at that. Once the book was moved from the desk before her, the raven-haired woman began to resume her original resting position, but before she could a little cold hand caught her wrist. Despite herself, Ai winced. Moto noticed. "Neechan, why are you in pain?" The little Higurashi murmered softly, so that Boogies nearby couldn't hear. "You've been acting strange since earlier this week, and now...these cuts on your hand and your wrist being sore..."

"...who did you get into a fight with?"

Leave it to the littlest one to put the pieces together. Ai sighed and sat up straight, looking right and left before nodding for Moto to get a little closer. The preteen even put the book in front of their faces.

"Me and Kristopher Roberts had a...disagreement. He hurt my wrist, but I messed up his face with a fist-full of roses..." he didn't sound to proud of her actions, but a cold smile started on her face. Motoko seemed enthralled. "He was telling me to leave his boyfriend alone. Not that I want him. You know what I mean, right, imouto-chan? You know about her, don't you?"

Motoko nodded once. "I know I have another Ai-neechan."

"Good girl."

[Augusta Davingoun]

A boy needed some space. Some space to himself, without people following him around and annoying the piss out of him. No Boogies to try and boss him around, no slaves to try and talk to him. They didn't want to talk to him anyway. They wanted Augusta. They wanted the white side, the good side. And the man inhabiting Augusta's mind was far from good. He was in fact, evil. Sure he did horrible things, but he did them to protect Augusta. He did them for Augusta's good. It was his job, he couldn't let anybody hurt Augy anymore.

Me and Kristopher Roberts had a...disagreement. He hurt my wrist, but I messed up his face with a fist-full of roses... He was telling me to leave his boyfriend alone. Not that I want him. You know what I mean, right, imouto-chan? You know about her, don't you?

The man inhabiting Augusta's mind, named Vasant, was walking around, trying to get away from people. People who wanted to talk to Augy, but he wasn't Augy. He had wandered into the library and was walking around. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a bow of cigarettes. He tapped the box a couple times before pulling a stick out and placing it in his mouth as he wandered the shelves and shelves of books. He heard voices and went to investigate. He only wanted to go see because he heard Kristopher's name used, and even though he disliked the blond, he knew Augy would want to know.

Vasant walked around the corner, pulling out his lighter and seeing two girls talking. Hmm, Kris and that Aione-girl got onto a fight. That's not surprising he thought, She did try and sleep with Augy... Man... This chick really got to him...

Vasant stared apathetically at the two as he light his cigarette and took a deep and long drag of it before blowing smoke into the air. He then cracked his neck and leaned against a shelf, he didn't say anything. In fact he waited for one of the two to notice him, he thought it'd be funny to mess with the Aione-girl, since she was unaware that Augy had another guy living inside his head.

Amusing.

[Aione Higurashi]

For a moment it was quiet, except for the sound of far-off voices and the creaking of a few chairs and shelves. Motoko was staring at her big sister in an odd way, the way a pet cat would eye the pet hamster. Except...when she stared, it was even stranger. When did Moto get such a funny look in her eyes? She was so innocent and care-free and, well, normal in a house of crazies. When did that changed? Aione broke eye contact and went back to eying her desk, just in time for her little sister to stand at her side and look about.

The younger sister saw him first. Just out of the corner of her eyes.

Who are you?

Without bothering her sister, who seemed to be lost in thought, the curious little Higurashi trotted over to the stranger. He was looking right at her and her neechan...did he know her? Or was it a creeper? Either way, she wanted to see who this guy was. Aione just assumed she was going to put the book back and focused on her hand again, torn up and bandaged. It wasn't even Kris who'd done this to her, she'd just squeezed the crown of roses too hard. Self-inflicted injuries...geez, she was going crazy.

"Excuse me, mister?"

Ai blinked at her little sisters voice, but she didn't turn. Motoko was right up near Augusta, Vasant, with the book behind her back and her face devoid of any emotion except for that strange, cryptic stare. Right at the glasses-wearing man's face. She looked a lot like her sister...but her eyes were different. Deeper. Darker. She tilted her head. "Who are you, megane-kun? And why are you staring at my Oneechan?"

[Augusta Davingoun]

Vasant was a bit of a creeper, even he himself would admit that. But he really was more enticed by the older of the two girls. The air about her seemed to be a but rough, it was obvious, even to the mentally unstable guy on this side of the area, that the Aione-girl had been through quite a bit lately. But it's not like he cared. He didn't care a bit. Even if she was kinda cute.

"Excuse me, mister? Who are you, megane-kun? And why are you staring at my Oneechan?"

Vasant looked down and saw the girl staring at him and was creeped out just a bit. But he put on a crooked smile, one that did NOT belong to Augusta. She patted the girl on the head softly, " Your Oneechan has gotten into some trouble with my Oniisan, and he's a bit sore about it... So he sent me to talk to her about it... Yah see, she hurt my Oniisan... And I can't let her do that..." he said. The end of his sentence became bitter as he looked up at the girl, took a drag of his cigarette and gave her a dark glare.

Vasant walked over and threw his lighter and box of cigarettes on the table in front of him. He pulled out a chair facing opposite of Aione sat down on the back of it, putting his black combat boots in the actually seat of the chair. He put his elbows on his knees, took off his glasses and leaned forward. The cigarette still hanging from his mouth he stared at Aione with the same deep black eyes that her other persona fell so deeply for.

" So girlie... What the hecks your problem?" he asked, a bit too cocky and smug for his own good.

[Aione Higurashi]

Getting her head pat was not something Motoko enjoyed. It made her feel young, belittled, and down right insulted. Right of the bat she didn't like this fellow, who ever he was, and then he went and told her he was the little brother of somebody Aione knew? He spoken of a big brother, and he said Ai hurt him, so was he talking about this Kristopher Roberts who hurt her Oneechan's wrist? If that was the case, was he going to yell at her Oneechan? Would he hurt he? No, no, Moto wouldn't let such a thing happen.

"...be nice..." she whispered as the man walked toward the desks.

Aione jolted at the sound of a very familiar voice, speaking in a very unfamiliar way to her little sister. It was Augusta. It had to be. Hearing that voice alone kicked her heart into high gear...but she didn't want to react like that! Damn muscle memories. Even though the mind was different, the body was still the same. And Augy......wait. Footsteps got closer and closer, earning heavy and harder slams in the slave girls chest. Why was Augusta here?

Right after her fight with Kris. Right after she'd be threatened with death if she even spoke to him again...

Soon as he sat down across from her, the raven-haired woman jolted back up and looked right at the man her heart beat for but mind repelled. He was acting different...acting wrong. Was he mad at her? Oh no, did Kris tell him about the fight? Was he going to yell at her for hurting his precious Kristopher? He might hate me too.

And then...who will I have...?

"Good morning, Augusta-kun. Nothing's wrong," her eyes trailed to the lighter on the desk. Since when did Augy smoke? "Just haven't been...sleeping much."

Motoko hissed back where she'd been left, watching them angrily.

Don't make Oneechan sad. Don't make her cry anymore. Or else.

[Augusta Davingoun]

"Good morning, Augusta-kun. Nothing's wrong, Just haven't been...sleeping much."

This brought a smirk to the man's lips, it was dark, unlike Augy. Anyone who claimed to know Augusta well would know that this wasn't Augy. Not even close. He sighed softly and reached over with a hand and poked the girl in the forehead. " For being such a cute girlie your pretty dumb..." he said and leaned away from her. He slid down and actually sat in the seat. He threw his feet up onto the table and took another heavy draw from the cancer stick he held. " I mean really... Do I look like Augusta-kun to you?" he asked and then laughed. It was such a bitter sound coming from the Frenchman, so vile and soiled. It was downright evil.

Vasant grinned like a villian and looked away from Aione as he blew little smoke-rings into the air. " I mean, come on! Why does everyone think that I'm Augusta... I don't resemble him at all!!!" he said and then slammed his hand on the table and chuckled. " Oh well, personally I don't... Maybe I physically do..." he joked. But he didn't really care, he picked up the box of cigarettes and held it out as if he was offering her one. She was going to need it if she was going to deal with him for a good span of time.

" So... Woman... I heard you were trying to get into my Oniisan's pants not too long ago... That really screwed him up... He's quite sore about the whole ordeal... and I heard you fought with his little love-bird... I don't like that too much..." Vasant sure talked a lot. He leaned over the table, his face dangerous close to hers and he kept that dark and heavy black gaze on her. He pointed a long piano finger at her and said the next bit in a tone darker than dark.

"And I don't like that.... Understand?"

[Aione Higurashi]

...what's going on here?

Aione's eyes widened little by little with each of Augusta's...no, this isn't Augy-kun...with each of this stranger's words. Who was this man? He wore Augusta's skin, but the way he spoke, that bitter, horrid tone of his voice...and, of course, the smoking. Was this a shape-shifter? It couldn't be a member of the real megane's family, could it? No, his brother had died. He'd told me himself. So who was this fake and why was he calling Augy 'Oniichan'?

And yet, something about this man was familiar. Too familiar. Not just because he looked like Augusta...the way he acted, the mannerisms...the way he spoke about the true Augusta.

But he had still insulted her. And if there was one emotion left in her shell of a woman, it was the one that got pissed off very quickly. "Well then, I apologize, sir. I mistook you for someone else." He offered her a cigarette. Though Ai had never smoked in her life, she took one. She could feel a headache coming on already from this jabber-mouth, but the pain didn't keep the cold glare from retaining any of it's icy sting. "I don't believe I know you. Might I ask your name?"

Motoko's eyes narrowed when her Oneechan took the death-stick from this stranger. Her sister never smoked. Sori smoked, but not cigarettes...mostly stronger drugs. Why is Aione taking one?

Even with the Augusta-who-wasn't-Augy's face perilously close to her own, the young woman didn't so much as blink. She simply held the cigarette to her lips and ducked around that pointing hand, snatching up the lighter and lighting it before even bothering to look back up at the wolf-like eyes of this...man. "Sorry I did so much damage. But I'm afraid you've got the wrong person."

The tobacco tasted like shit as she inhaled. Still, gave her a way to break in her sentence.

"And even if he's disturbed, and if he is your 'Oniichan', I don't think I want to talk about this with you..." Ai blew smoke out to the side, then glanced up at him while he head was still turned, "...so are you going to keep pointing at me or do I have to bite that finger off?"

[Augusta Davingoun]

Vasant had a feeling, as soon as she took the cigarette from him, that he was going to come to like this girls company. She was realistic, she wasn't trying to impress anybody. She also didn't seem to care about anything. And she took an offered gift, when Vas gave hand-outs, you might as well take them because he might never be kind to you again. He listened to her and smiled that evil and crooked smile of his again.

"I don't believe I know you. Might I ask your name?"

" It's Vasant... Vas if you think you've got the balls to call me that..."

"And even if he's disturbed, and if he is your 'Oniichan', I don't think I want to talk about this with you....so are you going to keep pointing at me or do I have to bite that finger off?"

Oooh, a bit feisty this one is! Vasant smirked and pulled his hand away and leaned back into his chair. He took another breath of smoke and let out a pleased sound. Smoking was such an awful but wonderful habit. " Oh he is my Oniichan..." he then pointed to his head, referred to his mind, " He is my Oniichan up here..." he said and laughed. He then looked at her again as he reached for his lighter. " Just like the girl who tried seducing Augusta isn't really you now is it?" he said and smiled, " I heard your conversation with your sister... Two people in one body doesn't always work out huh..." he said and then leaned his chair back. He leaned it back on two legs, he balanced for awhile before putting his feet back up on the table. He rocked back and forth as he stared at the ceiling and smoked.

" I just don't think, despite how much hate that stupid blond, that your side should be fuckin' around with Augusta... He's got enough on his plate yah see... And I have to protect him..." he leaned forward and the chair legs hit the ground with a strong and loud thump. " He let out a deep breath of smoke. " It's my job to protect him from people like you..."

[Aione Higurashi]

It was a mistake to take another inhale just as Vasant, she decided she would call him 'Vas' from now on, started to speak again. Aione started to cough madly from his words alone. C-Could it be? He's...just like me? Silver eyes widened and she looked straight at the megane's terrible grin. Augusta and Vasant were just like her and Ai-chan? So Vasant is the inner-voice...? Is he the true voice? Which one is which? But she was too busy coughing to ask that certain question.

Rather, once her breathing came back, she simply stated. "Nice to meet another crazy one, Vas-san."

Motoko blinked, being too far away to hear the conversation, but being able to recognize the surprise and shock in her face. What was happening that was so unexpected? Did she know this guy or not? Was he being rude? Or was it something else she hadn't caught? But now she was getting too nervous. She didn't want to get any closer to the horrible stranger, nor did she want to run away. The girl was too afraid he would do something to Ai.

But what can I do?

"You'll be thrilled to find out I'm not interested in Augusta-kun in that way. It was her that was, and...well..." an empty grin showed behind the cigarette-holding hand, "...she seems to have disappeard...not my problem...though it is a pain that Kris couldn't tell us apart." She took another breath in on the cancer-stick. What better time to start a life-threatening habit than right now? "I don't have to worry about two persona's anymore. It's just me and me alone. I think. Haven't really looked that hard."

The last thing Vasant said did catch Aione's ear. To protect? That was what she'd had Ai-chan for: to protect her from the pain and torture Darion had put her through. So there was her answer. Augusta had made Vasant in his mind...to protect him. Just like me. The true smile that seemed to have died two weeks ago broke through her shell.

"I see...normally the Oniichan protects the otouto-chan...but for you..." Aione breathed out a little circle of smoke, "Protection by any means?"

[Augusta Davingoun]

"Nice to meet another crazy one, Vas-san."

Vasant frowned slightly and moved his lighter and box away from her. He didn't need her stealing any of them. It took a lot of bloodshed to get a pack, and he wasn't wasting it. He sighed and waved his hand, " Vas-Sama sounds better but I'm not Japanese so who cares?!" he said and laughed, " But I do speak it like Augy does, but not nearly as good. " he sighed and flicked off his ash onto the table and chuckled. He was so odd and so mean. But it was him. He couldn't protect Augusta if he was weak and frail. He had to be rough and tough and cruel to protect his 'host.'

"You'll be thrilled to find out I'm not interested in Augusta-kun in that way. It was her that was, and...well...she seems to have disappeared...not my problem...though it is a pain that Kris couldn't tell us apart. I don't have to worry about two persona's anymore. It's just me and me alone. I think. Haven't really looked that hard."

Vasant sighed softly and looked away from her, he brushed some hair out of his face before flicking off some more ashes. " I guess I'd consider you lucky girlie... But if Augy got rid of me I don't know what he'd do... probably bend over and take it... He's a pussy and a weakling if yah ask me..."

"I see...normally the Oniichan protects the otouto-chan...but for you... Protection by any means, right?"

Vasant looked up, and for once he didn't have a smirk, in fact this look seemed to be a bit more curious. Like Cheshire cat on a good day. He smiled softly, not a smirk, a smile. " Well Oniichan's sometimes need protecting... and who better to do it then the Otouto-chan?" he said and paused, " By any means necessary... Ever since Jouhnin raped the poor boy, and he found out Corvus had a sleep-over with the blond, and since your other half tried to seduce him.... He's needed a little protection..."

[Aione Higurashi]

"Vas-san is what I'm going to call you now. Maybe if you stop acting so cocky I'll consider 'kun' or 'sama'." Aione's eyes glimmered as she eyed the human man across from her. He was a dangerous fellow, much more dangerous that the true Augusta, but she didn't fear him as much as she probably should. Vasant said that he was around to protect Augy, and Augy would be sad if his friend got hurt by his alter-self. And even though he was a different person mentally, physically he had the same body, and she knew him well in that way...but then again, that meant Kristopher's threat was probably still in place with him.

The longer she stayed around him the worse it would get if Kris found out. But did she really care? After all, it was his fault for mistaking her for Ai-chan and fighting her. She could do and talk to whatever and whoever she wanted.

So there.

But there was the other problem of a certian child still watching them from not too far off. Ai didn't want her sister to be around if this discussion got serious or...in worst case scenario...violent. She needed to get her to leave before she did anything else. "Motoko..." Aione turned to her little sister while Vasant was looking the other way. Moto looked at her nervously. "...kare wa watashi no tomodachi desu. Daijoubu desu. Watashi wa ato kara mairimasu."

The preteen bristled. "Omachi shimashou, oneechan."

"Zen shin!"

Aione turned sharply back to Augusta, or Vasant, seeing that he'd stopped talking. Motoko's eyes sharpened to a glare before she turned on her heel and ran for the door as fast as her little feet could carry her. The raven-haired Higurashi sighed softly, eying the table before looking back up at the megane. She inhaled on her cigarette again. "Aha...she can be...a bit stubborn." Like any normal sister was, she guessed. Normal wasn't in Motoko's job description. Ai blew out more smoke. "I'm sorry about that."

Just as she'd expected, this conversation had gotten darker. Starlit-silver eyes widened. "R-Raped...? Jouhnin...he...to Augusta-kun...?" Her voice shook with surprise. The way Augy had spoken about Jou way back when, he sounded more like a flamboyant gay uncle or something silly like that. Certainly not a rapist. And then the mention of Kris cheating on the poor boy just surprised her even more. "Kami-sama...he's gone through the ringer lately, hasn't he? I never would have thought Roberts-san could do something so..."

She paused. He'd threatened to take her life over a man. A man he cheated on. Suddenly adultery didn't seem so out of the picture. Aione hadn't wanted to dislike Kristopher, let alone hate, but lately he was making it difficult to think any nice things about him.

"...you know..." Ai's voice dripped with acid, "...I can imagine him doing something that cruel."


[Translations~ Ai: He's my friend. Everything's fine. I'll see you later.
Moto: I can wait, big sister.
Ai: Go now!]

[Augusta Davingoun]

"Vas-san is what I'm going to call you now. Maybe if you stop acting so cocky I'll consider 'kun' or 'sama'."

Vasant let out a dark laugh. " Like that's ever gonna happen..." he said and grinned with a look so unlike Augusta. He knew he would never stop being cocky and pompous, it was Vasant's nature. he was made to be so, to protect Augusta. It for his other-half's own good. Vasant listened to Aione as she talked with her sister. He caught bits and pieces of it, but since neither Vas nor Augy had spoken Japanese in so long they were both rusty on it. He nodded when she apologized for her sister and then stayed quiet as Aione responded to his earlier comment.

"R-Raped...? Jouhnin...he...to Augusta-kun...?"

Vasant started to chuckle at her reaction. He leaned back in the chair and sighed, " Yup. Third time now... or maybe second. I know his V-card was taken by Jouhnin when he was 17 or 18... and then again a month or so ago..." He said and ran hand through his black hair. Vasant looked over non nonchalantly at Aione. " He screamed like a little girl too... It was ridiculous..." he said and finally put out his cigarette and blew out his last puff of smoke.

"Kami-sama...he's gone through the ringer lately, hasn't he? I never would have thought Roberts-san could do something so...you know... I can imagine him doing something that cruel."

Vasant looked over and sighed, " Going through the ringer is an understatement... I mean, what kind of shit do you have to go through to have to make a guy like me?" he joked with a laugh. But when Aione said she could imagine Kris doing something so cruel he slowly looked over at her. A slight curiosity gripped him and he smiled, " That's exactly what I thought... All that blond does is make Augy's life harder... He is always makin' me angry..." he said.

Vasant was starting to like the way this girl thought.

[Aione Higurashi]

Aione couldn't believe how this conversation was going. Kami-sama, the entire time she'd known Augusta she would have never imagined this. The Augy she'd known, or at least the one she'd seen through Ai-chan's innocent eyes, was strong and smart and confident and everything she'd ever wanted to be. That he'd been sexually abused by his master...and screamed...Kami-sama...it made her heart ache in her chest.

"Augusta-kun...Kami-sama, poor Augusta-kun..." the young woman mumbled into her hand before inhaling the toxic again.

I can't believe he could go through that...

That cold laugh was something that sent shivers up the ex-redhead's spine, but she would have to ignore that. Aione exhaled the smoke in a almost-perfect ring. "Pretty fucked up, I guess," she answered, "I was too when I created the little 'shoulder-angel', so...here's to losing our minds." Dull silver eyes glanced over at the man with cool disinterest. She wasn't sure if she should like the way he was looking at her or not.

Ehh...like it. He could be glaring at me.

"He is horrible, isn't he?" Ai looked at her cigarette before dusting some ashes onto the table, "Breaks hearts as bad as he breaks wrists." For a second she glanced down at her bad hand which, thanks to her object of loathing, was still hurting from earlier. She looked back up at Vasant with a dangerous little grin. "Little Lolita bastard."

"Can I ask you something, Vasant-san...?" the woman mused, "If you don't like Roberts-san, why are you keeping him around...?"

You could get him out of my hair.

[Augusta Davingoun]

Augusta was known to almost everyone to be how Ai-chan thought he was. To Boogies he was known as Jouhnin's competent slave, a hard-worker who did his chores with purpose. To Rebels he was a leader, a strong brave man with ambition. To the slaves he was a vigilante who helped them when Boogies gave them a hard time, they also knew him as Kristopher's lover, somebody who got hurt and was strong but could also love and care for others. But to some, very very few. Mostly to Piper, Vasant, Kristopher, and now Aione; Augusta was just a guy, a normal guy who went through way too much shit to act normal. He wasn't nearly as brave or confidant as every one thought he was. He was hurt, and scared and needed somebody like Vasant to help him get through. Amazing how one person can seem to be so many things.

"Pretty fucked up, I guess, I was too when I created the little 'shoulder-angel', so...here's to losing our minds. He is horrible, isn't he? Breaks hearts as bad as he breaks wrists. Little Lolita bastard."

Vasant frowned and sighed a bit. He wanted to light up again, kinda wanted to forget what he had just said. He needed to protect Augy, and bringing up that kinda crap wasn't going to help the cause any further. Vasant turned sideways from the ex-redhead, leaned back on two legs of his chair and sighed again. " He was drunk... Before he sexed up that boogie-guy..." then he smiled slightly, " Or maybe the other way around... But he could have said no..."

"Can I ask you something, Vasant-san...? If you don't like Roberts-san, why are you keeping him around...?"

Vasant didn't turn his head, in fact he nearly gave the girl the cold-shoulder for at least 3 minutes. It wasn't clear is Vasant was ignoring Aione or just thinking. He grabbed a book off the table they were sitting at and flipped it open to the middle. He let out a deep and long sigh as he started grabbing pages and tearing them out one by one. He threw each into the air,letting them fall lazily to the floor. He didn't even care if Aione had gotten the book or if she liked it, he was doing his to relive stress. " I don't know really..." he finally said, his voice dark. " I guess I haven't taken him out because Augusta loves him so much..." he said. " I mean I hate him and don't think he's good enough for Augy but... " he frowned and looked over at Aione with the same sly grin.

" I guess he couldn't stop me if I tried..."

[Aione Higurashi]

Ahh, hell, did I say something wrong?

Aione watched her new-yet-old acquaintance with curious and worried eyes. He was being a little too quiet, which, for the man who'd been chatting her ear off a moment ago, was a little unnerving. Maybe she shouldn't keep asking question about poor Augusta. It was a sensitive topic. But now she had the horrible feeling in her stomach that she'd gotten this unpredictable stranger mad at her. And even if they were separate mentally, Ai knew from experience that Augy was hella strong...so putting that strength in the hands of someone unafraid to use it in a not-so-nice-or-sane manner was...

She blinked when he reached for the book and started to tear it to pieces. Were this little Motoko, the bookworm would have a heart attack or humorously try to hit Vasant. But Aione didn't care much about whatever unfortunate literature was now part of the carpet.

"Alas, poor Webster."

There seemed to be a lot of bloodlust for a certain blondie going on at their table. Their smiles almost identical in darkness, the young woman leaned back so her chair was teetering on its back legs, cigarette hanging loosely between her fingers while some ashes fell to the ground. "Of course he couldn't. This is Kris we're talking about. Sure he can injure me, but you're much stronger, ne? Shouldn't be too hard to pin him." Silver eyes narrowed to the sort of twisted smirk that Vas had been wearing earlier. "Augusta-kun would be better off without him..."

...but...

For barely a second, a spark of doubt hit her eyes. Look at what had happened to her...it had shattered Ai-chan, twisted her heart...turned her into the two-faced demon who wanted her enemies dead rather than trying to work things out peacefully. But the last part could have just been the Wonderland finally poisoning her innocence. But...if Kris did die, or leave Augy...would he be able to handle it?

...could he live through losing Kristopher?

...could I live through losing him...?