AN: Obligatory summary on the first chapter. This is pretty much just a collection of excerpts pertaining to my story Purposeful Existence, but don't have an actual place in the storyline. These won't make sense unless you're familiar with the story itself.

Now for this chapter's notes. Just a vent drabble. Not a whole lot else to say.

She was quiet. Too quiet. He didn't like it. Usually she'd babble about her day, her bird, or something she had talked about with the other servants. Not today; today she simply picked at her food and hardly touched anything. She remained mindful enough not to put something on her plate without eating it, but the amount of her choosings were...pathetic. Even her favorite dish he had specifically requested the head servant to find a recipe for barely had a dent in the large bowl. Orange chicken was something he had discovered she could be quite greedy with, so why had she only taken two of the plentiful pieces?

The wine hadn't been much better. She hardly spoke, only mumbling a polite "arigatou" when he poured her glass. They had drank in total silence until she finally escorted herself back to her own room, no explanation given other than she was tired.

Akito sighed, rubbing his temple with his forefinger and middle finger. He'd been around Amethyst enough to know about her spontaneous "depression attacks" as she so dubbed them. She rarely showed her symptoms, but once it caught up to her, it completely nailed her and dragged her into an inescapable abyss that no amount of solace could help with. At least... That's what she had said. She didn't understand. He wasn't like those perfidious friends she had, at some point, relied on. He wasn't experienced in the field, but he did truly feel concerned over what was ailing her mind and wasn't just digging for ways to betray her later on.

Without knocking, he slid her door open- or rather... Attempted to. He groaned and forced the door aside with as much brute strength as he could muster, hearing the clatter of the broom as it made impact with the floor. He should've known she'd try to keep secluded, but she should've known it wasn't going to stop him, even if he had to walk out on the engawa and force his way through from the outside door. The girl sat in the frame of the doorway leading to the garden, her legs bent and sprawled to her side, her shoulder pressed to the framework. So much as a flinch didn't escape her from his entrance, and her body remained so stiff he wondered if she had fallen asleep in that position. The cool air from the outside night gently caressed him from where he stood, and he could see her hair swaying and fluttering in the breeze. Life...almost didn't seem real.

"What do you want, Akito?" These words were softly spoken, yet were sharp with their demand for answers.

"I don't like your silence."

"You think I give a fuck about what you like or don't? Let me be myself. If you think you're going to control me, you shouldn't have asked me to mar-"

"I don't think that. I know you do. Just like you know you can't avoid giving me a satisfactory response. So tell me..." He walked across the room and folded his legs beside her, sitting on his heels as he stared out at the garden, keeping the dirty-blonde in his peripheral. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing."

He didn't reply, only tilted his head in her direction and shifted his gaze to her face, narrowing his eyes and furrowing his brows in a silent order to spill her guts and a reminder he knows her too well to buy that crap. She met his eyes before sighing and closing her lids. "I'm just an insignificant blob of flesh with no real purpose in life." Oh boy... This was always a hard subject to approach. This wasn't something he could counter easily like something someone said, or an issue they could resolve together.

"That's not true at all-"

"It's not?! Then why the hell would so many people backstab me? Why would my own father treat me like dirt? Why would everyone only get what they want from me and trick me into believing they care, just to burn the bridge once they got what they were after? Why would my own parents tell my past abusers where I had left to? All I am is a single person playing this cruel game of life. And I'm sorry you had to get involved with the likes of me. You would've been happier with someone else. Maybe it would be better if," there was a noticeable shift of her arm as she talked, and moving his steel eyes to the appendage, his heart stopped. How did she hide that butcher knife in her robe?! "I died. You could find someone without health problems. Someone mentally and emotionally stable. Someone who doesn't stutter or have an injured eye. Someone who doesn't flinch out of instinct anytime you barely touch them. You don't actually love me. Why would you? There is nothing special about me."

"That's where you're wrong." Taking advantage of the quick flash of her emerald optics, he snatched the blade from her hand and put it on his other side out of her reach, pressing his other hand to her stomach to hold her back when she grasped for it. "You may have your flaws, but what human on this earth doesn't? I'm violent, crude, have mood swings, get overprotective and clingy, lack basic social skills. Need I remind you of the times I physically hurt you? No one is perfect, but we can grow. Together. You have helped me overcome my barbaric gruffness. You have the patience and the strength to stop me when acting out of line and not leave me. All things considered, you shouldn't have stayed longer than a week. But now look. It's been a half a year, and you are to be the Lady of this clan." He cupped her face with his hands, forcing her to look him dead in the eye. "Forget those idiots who couldn't remain loyal to you or respect you. Things are different here, and no one will be allowed to mistreat you. If they do, they have to answer to me."

"Yeah, well," Her voice was laced with a disgruntled, sarcastic snort. "Forgive me if someone being forced to respect me instead of doing so because they, well, respect me isn't the most comforting thing to hear." She pulled her legs nearer to her and made her way into her feet, turning on her heel and pacing to her bed. "Your effort is appreciated, don't get me wrong. But it doesn't do much to make me feel like I'm any less of a horrible, unlovable person."

Pangs of annoyance rattled through his body, but of course this was also expected. She wasn't an easy person to comfort. Especially when this indomitable belief she was odious was so deeply rooted. He was strongly tempted to shout at her for not seeing his own concern, for not realizing she's clearly pleasant enough for even him to take an interest in her, but he had mentioned this once before. She had said she knew and was flattered, but she still found herself doubting her worth. He was totally at a loss of what to say. He could, and should, just leave her to wallow in this self-pity. But he knew he couldn't live with himself unless he tried to soothe her. He had to stop being selfish if he wanted her to stay.

He heard the shifting of the bed as she laid down. "Akito, just leave. You and I both know I'm hopeless and impossible to help. Save yourself time, and go to bed."

The Head stood then, waiting a moment before turning. She was laying on her side and facing away from him. No doubt, the sound of his movement would lead her to believe he was taking her up on her advice. Without saying a word, he made his way to her bed, noticing the green shifting of her eyes to stare at him as the remainder of her body seemed lifeless. Clambering beside her, he supported himself on his elbow and held his head up on palm, his free hand resting on her side. "Had you been anyone else, I would've done just that. But you are special. I'm staying right here with you. For better or for worse. You think I'm just going to leave you here to cry alone?"

"I'm not crying."

"You were going to once I left. Weren't you?"

"..."

"See? We're-"

"Akito, why do you even bother with me? Seriously, why? I want an answer."

"Because you've proven your worth."

"That's one of the vaguest answers I've ever heard."

He should've known she'd want more details. She could be absolutely impossible to satisfy.

"You know how to stand up for yourself and demand respect. You stayed on this manor despite how I treated you and were the first person to see me beyond my outbursts. You're the only one who even seemed to understand me."

"So-"

He moved his hand to run his fingers through her locks, watching the strands separate around them before collecting. "You've been hurt enough in your life by insolent trash, and it's high time someone didn't take advantage of your kindness. I want to show you that not everyone is going to use you before leaving. I know how that feels, and I want to be the one to give you what you deserve."

Silence followed. His honest answer, though the words were like medicine on his tongue - he was very unaccustomed to giving praise, seemed to satiate her desire for affirmation. Maybe now she'd calm down and-

A heavy and wavering exhale escaped her before she turned her head back to face him, tears lining her bottom lid as her irises flicked with the restraint it took not to let the water slide. "You... You promise not to leave? You aren't just saying this, are you?"

"I would not make a promise I cannot keep. And I promise. If I asked for your hand in marriage, do you honestly think I would turn around and leave you in dust?"

"Well..." Her eyes left his, a single tear falling free as her voice cracked. "You could find someone better, y'know... What if you meet someone smarter, prettier..."

"Amethyst. Stop. I mean it. You are the only one I could want. I don't care about the others. How could I when I've already gotten so close to you? How could I when I've already decided on you being the one at my side? You and I are both old-fashioned, as they say, so I know you know where I'm coming from."

"...Hai."

"So stop worrying so much. I don't want you to ever think such ludicrous things again, you understand?"

"Hai... Arigatou." As she said her thanks, she rolled over and pressed herself close to his chest. He merely hummed his acknowledgement as he stroked her hair. He would never understand how those thoughts found their way to her brain, but he would have to try harder to prove she has no reason to believe them.

AN: Pardon Autocorrect changes. I don't always catch them all.