Downed And Dumped [Catherine/Doku]

"A job you like's hardly a job," Her cig danced in her mouth as she spoke, only to be parted momentarily with a brief puff of smoke rings, "But the things in the job, what it enables me to do, I guess I enjoy."

The most she could lend in a way of thought to Doku's interests was a simple 'that's nice'. Wasn't like she had the experience of a sibling to really relate to it - she'd mostly been on her own growing up, and especially after her first hunt. She didn't want to answer that last question either, noticing Doku's demeanor change with her comment of how uplifted he should be given he doesn't have to worry about caring for another person for once in his life. Then it collapsed into yelling - he had lost his cool.

Ah. She won. No need to hold back, then. The fire burning in her chest from the words thrown her way was just begging to be exposed to air, and she had the excuse she needed to open that vent. Her pale face didn't express what she was thinking or feeling at all, quietly smothering her cigarette butt by twisting the edge of the stick into itself with her power until the gentle ember stopped smoking. Only then was when she got up so suddenly and aggressively, the air tasting of her anger and indignation as she glowered at Doku with piercing eyes.

"You know what Doku, you're right," Her voice was unusually cold, tone harsh as she breathed this thought into the room, "I wouldn't know what it feels like to care for someone, especially not family. Never knew my mother - she died before I was even capable of conscious thought. My father was always working to support us, so sure didn't know what that was like. No siblings - I was in the house alone. Grandfather's a piece of shit who reminds me of how inferior I am for not being a proper heir, yet daring to be that anyway every time i'm within orbit of him. And i've killed whatever remained of any other members."

Voice grown harsher, she held back the want to grab the man and shake sense into him, her heart twisting beneath this veneer of cold rage, all the experiences she'd never be allowed to have... "Your sister's alive. Shes' with people who can actually take care of her, and I doubt she'd be put up to any dangerous jobs. You can visit her anytime you want, you can call her, you can see her. Is your ego that weak that you can't see the benefit in this situation? Are you that thrilled to be someone else's caretaker til you croak in your goddamn house broke and unfulfilled?! Does being charged with this responsibility the only damn thing that makes you feel important?!"

She slammed her fist on the coffee table, with no measured control of her frustration. The table collapsed into a pile of splinters with such ease, the items atop it either gone flying or caving along with it. Her head whipped around to look at what she'd done, the flourish of pain in her fist.. She grit her teeth, got up, and moved away into the bathroom, locking the door with a veil of silence falling upon the room in her wake.