[KH2] - Sympathy (Namine & Vexen)
The two weeks preceding winter vacation were always the longest and most difficult of the year. Papers had to be written, projects had to be finished, assignments had to be completed and if you were unfortunate enough to have finals to deal with as well, outrageous amounts of knowledge to cram into your brain.
Namine groaned under the weight of her bag as she trudged down the hallway. Of course, her locker had to be in the science wing, the furthest from the front doors of the school.
“It’s exercise, I guess. All the exercise I’m gonna be getting between now and Christmas at this rate. Between the tests and my art projects, I’m gonna be chained to a desk forever.”
“Are you talking to yourself?”
Namine stopped and looked over her shoulder. A tall, lanky boy with long colorless hair and glasses was standing in a laboratory doorway looking at her.
“Uh…” She laughed nervously. “A little bit… sometimes I do that when I don’t think anyone’s listening.”
“Oh.” The boy didn’t say anything for a moment. He shifted his weight awkwardly. “I wasn’t listening. I just heard.”
“That’s okay.” Namine didn’t say anything for a minute and neither did the boy. “Um… So I guess you’re a science student? What’s your name?” She didn’t even think she had seen him before. It wasn’t all that uncommon, actually. Once students picked a concentration, the classes became much smaller and more tightly-knit. An art student like Namine had almost nothing to do with the science department.
“Vexen.” The boy pushed up his glasses. “I’m a science student… biology mostly.” He glanced down at his feet, then back up at her.
“Biology? Are you the guys who do all the experiments on the mice and rats and stuff?” Namine had always been curious to see what exactly the science department did with all of those animals.
“Yeah!” For the first time, Vexen seemed animated. He seemed terribly excited that someone was showing interest in something he loved. “All sorts of things… we test theories and new chemicals and things like that. They’re really useful.”
“You put chemicals on them? That doesn’t seem very safe for the animals.” Namine said doubtfully. “Doesn’t that hurt them?”
“Well… Yes. Sometimes they die.” Vexen seemed to wilt again. “But it’s for a good cause.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Vexen. I’ll see you later!” Namine ran off, grateful to be out of such an awkward situation.
“What a strange kid… Not bad, just awkward. I wonder if all the science geeks are like that?” She mused to herself.
And yet the next day, Namine couldn’t help looking out for him as she was leaving her locker. The hall was deserted but she walked over to the doorway that Vexen had been standing in last time. She peeked through the window curiously.
Vexen was sitting at a table with his back to her. But even from behind Namine could see that his shoulders were jerking up and down and his whole body seemed to heave. She couldn’t hear through the glass, but she knew that he was crying.
“Vexen?” Namine pushed open the door and stepped hesitantly inside. Although she hadn’t known him long at all, she felt bad watching anyone as upset as he appeared to be. It was the least she could to do try to help. “Vexen? Are you okay?”
The student jumped as though he had been struck. His thin shoulders hunched and he turned around, quickly scrubbing at his eyes, which were already red and swollen.
“What? Why are you in here? I-I’m fine. What do you want?” He croaked hurriedly.
Namine stood in the doorway, not wanting to embarrass him any more than she already had
“I… saw you in here and I wanted to say hi. Is anything wrong?”
Vexen set his chin stubbornly. “N-no, I’m fine.”
“You’re crying,” Namine said gently.
Vexen’s jaw worked and he looked like he wanted to protest, but couldn’t.
“…I hate it,” he finally admitted, sniffing one last time.
“Hate what?” Namine took the opportunity to walk towards him at last. She took a seat on the stool beside him and looked at him sympathetically.
“Killing the mice.” Vexen turned and showed her the cages, many of which had dead mice and rats strewn about inside. Their bodies were stiff and their eyes were wide open and staring in death. A few of them even had dried blood on their fur.
Namine gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, which only made Vexen cringe again.
“I don’t like having to do it… I hate hurting things. It’s not their fault that we’re bigger or smarter than they are. I hate hurting them and then the others make me clean them up because they know I’ll do it even though I hate it.” Vexen put his head down on the table. “I hate it.”
Hesitantly, Namine put her arms around him. “It’s okay… Look, it’s like you said… at least they died for a good cause, right? And maybe in some weird way they understand that you don’t really want to kill them.” It was difficult for Namine to think of what to say to comfort him. She had never been in the position of being forced to kill innocent creatures before… she had no idea what to say.
Vexen was stiff at first, but Namine’s warmth and kind words finally broke through something cold in his mind. He leaned into her, lightly at first and then more heavily until his head was resting on her shoulder.
“I still hate it,” he said dully. “I keep thinking about what a horrible person I am for killing them.”
“You’re not a horrible person. I mean, you’re probably saving a bunch of human lives with the research, right?"
"Yeah…" Vexen picked his head up.
Namine smiled a little at him. "Do they care what you do with them after they've died?"
"Not really…"
"Maybe you and I can go somewhere and bury them. Would that make you feel better?"
Vexen looked over at her with slightly widened eyes.
"You'd do that for me?"
"Yeah… I would."
~
Namine groaned under the weight of her bag as she trudged down the hallway. Of course, her locker had to be in the science wing, the furthest from the front doors of the school.
“It’s exercise, I guess. All the exercise I’m gonna be getting between now and Christmas at this rate. Between the tests and my art projects, I’m gonna be chained to a desk forever.”
“Are you talking to yourself?”
Namine stopped and looked over her shoulder. A tall, lanky boy with long colorless hair and glasses was standing in a laboratory doorway looking at her.
“Uh…” She laughed nervously. “A little bit… sometimes I do that when I don’t think anyone’s listening.”
“Oh.” The boy didn’t say anything for a moment. He shifted his weight awkwardly. “I wasn’t listening. I just heard.”
“That’s okay.” Namine didn’t say anything for a minute and neither did the boy. “Um… So I guess you’re a science student? What’s your name?” She didn’t even think she had seen him before. It wasn’t all that uncommon, actually. Once students picked a concentration, the classes became much smaller and more tightly-knit. An art student like Namine had almost nothing to do with the science department.
“Vexen.” The boy pushed up his glasses. “I’m a science student… biology mostly.” He glanced down at his feet, then back up at her.
“Biology? Are you the guys who do all the experiments on the mice and rats and stuff?” Namine had always been curious to see what exactly the science department did with all of those animals.
“Yeah!” For the first time, Vexen seemed animated. He seemed terribly excited that someone was showing interest in something he loved. “All sorts of things… we test theories and new chemicals and things like that. They’re really useful.”
“You put chemicals on them? That doesn’t seem very safe for the animals.” Namine said doubtfully. “Doesn’t that hurt them?”
“Well… Yes. Sometimes they die.” Vexen seemed to wilt again. “But it’s for a good cause.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Vexen. I’ll see you later!” Namine ran off, grateful to be out of such an awkward situation.
“What a strange kid… Not bad, just awkward. I wonder if all the science geeks are like that?” She mused to herself.
And yet the next day, Namine couldn’t help looking out for him as she was leaving her locker. The hall was deserted but she walked over to the doorway that Vexen had been standing in last time. She peeked through the window curiously.
Vexen was sitting at a table with his back to her. But even from behind Namine could see that his shoulders were jerking up and down and his whole body seemed to heave. She couldn’t hear through the glass, but she knew that he was crying.
“Vexen?” Namine pushed open the door and stepped hesitantly inside. Although she hadn’t known him long at all, she felt bad watching anyone as upset as he appeared to be. It was the least she could to do try to help. “Vexen? Are you okay?”
The student jumped as though he had been struck. His thin shoulders hunched and he turned around, quickly scrubbing at his eyes, which were already red and swollen.
“What? Why are you in here? I-I’m fine. What do you want?” He croaked hurriedly.
Namine stood in the doorway, not wanting to embarrass him any more than she already had
“I… saw you in here and I wanted to say hi. Is anything wrong?”
Vexen set his chin stubbornly. “N-no, I’m fine.”
“You’re crying,” Namine said gently.
Vexen’s jaw worked and he looked like he wanted to protest, but couldn’t.
“…I hate it,” he finally admitted, sniffing one last time.
“Hate what?” Namine took the opportunity to walk towards him at last. She took a seat on the stool beside him and looked at him sympathetically.
“Killing the mice.” Vexen turned and showed her the cages, many of which had dead mice and rats strewn about inside. Their bodies were stiff and their eyes were wide open and staring in death. A few of them even had dried blood on their fur.
Namine gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, which only made Vexen cringe again.
“I don’t like having to do it… I hate hurting things. It’s not their fault that we’re bigger or smarter than they are. I hate hurting them and then the others make me clean them up because they know I’ll do it even though I hate it.” Vexen put his head down on the table. “I hate it.”
Hesitantly, Namine put her arms around him. “It’s okay… Look, it’s like you said… at least they died for a good cause, right? And maybe in some weird way they understand that you don’t really want to kill them.” It was difficult for Namine to think of what to say to comfort him. She had never been in the position of being forced to kill innocent creatures before… she had no idea what to say.
Vexen was stiff at first, but Namine’s warmth and kind words finally broke through something cold in his mind. He leaned into her, lightly at first and then more heavily until his head was resting on her shoulder.
“I still hate it,” he said dully. “I keep thinking about what a horrible person I am for killing them.”
“You’re not a horrible person. I mean, you’re probably saving a bunch of human lives with the research, right?"
"Yeah…" Vexen picked his head up.
Namine smiled a little at him. "Do they care what you do with them after they've died?"
"Not really…"
"Maybe you and I can go somewhere and bury them. Would that make you feel better?"
Vexen looked over at her with slightly widened eyes.
"You'd do that for me?"
"Yeah… I would."
~