ctable

'Savior.' 'Young lady.'

Nobody's ever called me those things before...

(Soft chirping)

In the past, those people in their fancy clothes would never call me anything like that. As for the kids... I didn't dare listen to what names they had for me.

They never once called out to me. They were merely speaking to a fabrication, a fake me that I've never known.

But, just now... They called me a savior. They called me a young lady...

Nobody's ever called me those things before...

(Hops around on the table)

Did you know...

I've... killed people before.

I've never told this to the Doctor, or even the medic who saved me.

They rescued me.... They brought me in, gave me food to eat and water to drink.

Was it because I was scared? Back then, I felt that the only way I could survive was by listening to them. Starving to death is such an awful thing...

The fowlbeast fetches a grain of rice from Cantabile's untouched meal, raising its neck to swallow it.

I've killed more than one person... I always told myself, they're objects, not living beings. Those people took me to their funerals countless times, and each time, I never heard their crying as anything more than that.

But, that last time, my target's... wife. Thinking I was her son's teacher, she begged me from beneath the rubble to save her husband I had just killed, or at least to pull out his body.

And then, she...

The fowlbeast pulls out another grain of rice and places it in front of Cantabile, turning its eyes up at her.

She...

In her terror, right there in front of me, she gave birth to a...

To a...

...loudly-crying child.

The fowlbeast sees that Cantabile still hasn't moved, and continues pecking around. After eating another grain of rice, it places another in front of Cantabile and turns its head to look at her.

Cantabile's hand brushes against the Originium crystal on her arm.

I... I was wounded in the explosion... I, I also helped her patch her wounds, but dared not touch her again. I knew what Originium dust was, so...

That was a... life. I realized, all the targets I did in before, were also lives.

I'd always been lying to myself! I lied to myself that my targets were nothing more than targets, that my food was nothing more than food.

...No, they were all lives.

I should never have... seen them as <i>things</i>, that could be exchanged for my strength, for my continued survival...

They were not, and neither am I...

The fowlbeast pushes the rice grains towards Cantabile, the grains it had already picked up forming a small pile.

It picks up another grain, wanting Cantabile to eat as well.

Cantabile takes one and places it into her mouth.

...I didn't die in the refugee camp. I was rescued and brought here, so I should...

I should set aside my old ways.

(Pecks at the grains of rice)

Can I... pet you?

As... a living, breathing being?

Cantabile hesitantly reaches out to the fowlbeast.

The creature approaches little by little, until it leans in to snuggle up to her.

Her hand runs gently across its soft feathers.

I shouldn't keep it hidden anymore, should I?

I also... shouldn't treat myself the same way. That won't accomplish anything.

I'll write down my entire past.

Cantabile looks at the report she had written and slides it into the file folder bag.

They will learn about these things. If they find out, then I...

I will know more clearly how I should behave in the future.