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"Ei, you simply must get rid of it."
It. That's all he is now, simply a thing to be discarded at will.
"I've already told you, I'm not..." He can't make out the rest of her sentence. He has no idea why she feels the need to lower her voice when her companion is practically shouting, no doubt to make sure he hears every bit of her disdained remarks about him. It was no secret that the kitsune had never liked him, and he would have no qualms about giving her the same treatment if he wasn't so damn weak right now from whatever it was they were using to keep him largely incapacitated.
"If you won't, then I will."
"Miko."
He opens his eyes after hearing the tone of her voice. Yae seems to notice immediately and shoots a glare his way. He's sure Ei must also be aware, but she doesn't show any signs of it. Pathetic. She created him, rejected him, abandoned him, left him for dead, and is currently the driving factor behind his imprisonment. And now she won't even look at him. Absolutely pathetic.
The kitsune walks toward him with a wicked grin on her face. "It'd be so easy, Ei. Simply a small slip-" He lets out an involuntary groan as he's struck with Electro. "Is all it would take."
"Miko." Ei says again, clearly unamused by what Yae is finding to be an amazing source of entertainment. "This is not your place."
"Then whose is it?" the kitsune retorts, all interest in him suddenly lost. "You clearly won't do anything about it until it kills you."
Mine, he wants to say. He would carve his own fate, for better or for worse. Not leave it up to his traitor of a mother and some shrine maiden while. How he wishes to be anything but powerless right now, anything but chained to the floor inside of a cage like some animal. Some monster.
Ei remains silent despite finally turning to face him. Look at what you've done to your precious creation. "What is your proposal," she asks, voice devoid of any emotion.
He must be hearing things. Surely not again.
"Dispose of it promptly. You needn't know the details, just say the word."
Ei seems to have finally worked up the courage to approach, her fingers curling around one of the cage's bars as if she's the one trapped. She's considering Yae's offer, he can tell. The pit in his stomach opens and everything feels so very painfully empty. The feeling is still raw and their faces still haunt him. He can't. Not another time.
"Don't... leave me... again," he begs. He wishes the tears didn't come so easily. He only hopes that the very thing that was once his downfall may be his savior. "Mm, how precious," Yae muses. "He's even crying for you, Ei." His creator only stares blankly at him. He stares back, praying they reach an unspoken understanding. He swore he would never, but he wants nothing more than to reconcile with her and start over.
"Do it," Ei says, and he feels the ruined fragments of his heart shatter beyond repair. He isn't sure what's worse - the sting of rejection at its core or watching helplessly as she walks away, too cowardly to witness the aftereffects of her choice.
"Now normally, I wouldn't so flagrantly violate Ei's trust, or speak so harshly," Yae says. "But with you... exceptions must be made, I'm afraid. She simply won't learn until it's too late. Besides... you've already done your fair share of damage."
He has a feeling she's going to do more than her fair share on him
"Mother," he calls, though he doesn't know why. She never responded in the past, and she never would. Perhaps this was his fate. Destined to be forever alone, no matter how many lives he lived and no matter how many names he went by.
Yae only gives a bemused look. "How far you've fallen, Balladeer," she says, shaking her head. "I'm almost taking pity on you."
"Miko, stop," he hears Ei's voice say, and he isn't sure if it's just wishful thinking or real.
"I haven't done anything," Yae responds indignantly.
Ei is trying to keep her composure, but her shaky hands are giving her away. "Leave him here a while longer. I need to think."
"I'm not sure what about, but as you wish," the kitsune says, escorting herself out.
He wants Ei to talk, to stay, to do anything other than leave him again. But she follows her counterpart out.
He doesn't know if the better option was the eventual sweet release of death at Yae Miko's hands or the unknown future that lies ahead of him. He doesn't want anything extraordinary. Just a life with those who love him. Was that so hard to find?