"I would have done it anyway." Dove's voice is flat in response to Ahiru. In spite of her uncompromising tone, her shoulders quiver, as do the tips of her fingers as they balance on Joe's shoulder.

Kaito tried to do that too -- steal the responsibility from her, tell her it was all nothing, that it wasn't her fault for the things she did.

Sometimes she felt it was something he did to make himself feel better more than her.

A quick shudder, as though trying to cast it off. "I was stupid. They probably even knew . . ."

Quickly pushing on to Joe, "Just a few cuts and things?" Slightly pointedly, ". . . I'm not the one who got hit."