~ Sarikana Lesh ~
Sarikana Lesh sat on the wall, her legs swinging. She was five minutes early, so it wasn't really surprising that Victor Needleman hadn't arrived yet. Still, as good a partner as Victor was Sarikana was glad she had reached the park before him. She needed some time alone, to sort her thoughts out. She should stop trying to wriggle out of meetings, to avoid him as much as possible. She knew she wasn't being fair. It wasn't Victor's fault that her emotions made it hard for her to be around others. Especially now. This was one of the worst times for her, a time when despair was one of her main emotions. And anger. That was pretty strong for her now, too. It was just as well the gardens were empty. If anyone were to be around her right now, she would probably lose control. Her stomach felt like a deep pit as she ran her fingers over the surface of a rose hanging over onto the fence. Calm. She told herself, struggling not to start sending balls of flame. Fire was her element, and whenever she lost control it wasn't long before she started an infernio. Calm, stay calm. It was hard. But the rose in her hand still hadn't turned to ashes, so she must be managing. She wondered what it must be like to be a Phantom if it was so bad for the Lost Haikajin. It would be worse for them. But as she fought to keep her tears in - crying would be admitting defeat - she decided she couldn't possibly imagine anything worse then this.
Sarikana checked her watch. Two minutes. Victor would be here in two minutes. In two minutes, she would have to stop being so hysterical, and gather herself. Victor. His name snapped at something in her mind, though she didn't quite realise what. All she knew was that she could now keep control over her rage with a relative ease. But that could only mean that another emotion was surfacing. Fear? No, it couldn't be fear. It felt nothing like fear. Ther was only one other emotion she had, though. Love. But that made no sence. She wasn't in love with Victor. They were partners, no more. No romantic implications. He was a human, she was a Haikajin. She had lost all her chances at becoming a human long ago.
One more minute. Victor would be here in one minute. She had to compose herself. Sarikana thought of Victor, always calm. Never panicking, or shouting, or bursting into tears. Her complete opposite. Maybe that was why they had become partners. She wished she could be like that, too. Cool and collected, responsible. Yes, she needed someone like him to keep her balanced out. She really had no idea how some Haikajins could manage without a partner. Perhaps their emotions weren't as pontent and overwhelming as hers were. Then she thought of all those phantoms. Sarikana had always been convinced that it must be worse for them, but was it really? Could it not truly be some sort of a release? No, she couldn't think like that. Selling her soul to become one was just pure... wrong. Evil. Sarikana refused to be evil. Sure she was instinctive, prone to anger rushes in which she was capable of even killing people. But that was what Victor was meant to do, right? Keep her in check? She felt tears streaming down her cheeks. A few more seconds. In a few more seconds, Victor would be here.....
Mayia was witnessing Ezvar robbing the restaurant)