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[/html]Tayui was silent as Jefferson spoke. She did not trust herself to say anything lest she say too much. He identified her feelings exactly and Tayui didn't know how she felt about it. It was either a sign that they could grow to be quite close if they shared the same thoughts or a sign that Jefferson knew too much for a reason. She didn't know if outward appearances were anything to go by, but he looked like he might know of a few ways to learn things he would be better off not knowing. She knew that there would have been a time in her life, before Noir's death, that she would not have considered such a deception and trusted Jefferson implicitly. But now, she did not have the luxury of tacit respect. Nothing was inherent and everything had to be earned or learned.
He re-iterated his relation to Haku. Their discussion had now come to a full circle: initially, Jefferson had explained that they were half-brothers, but now, he casually referred to them as brothers. Tayui wondered how much of a difference a single parent made in one's identification of a family member. Did that mean her half-brother Daedalus, the murderer and the arsonist, was really more than just halfway related to her? And did it mean she would one day become like him? She didn't know and feared to dwell on it too long.
Tayui was, however, surprised to hear his admission. If he was tired of killing, who or whom else had he killed? He probably didn't even remember being an amnesiac, and somehow, this saddened Tayui a great deal. There were so many secrets hidden in this wolf.
He surprised her again when he explained that it wasn't her fault. Tayui shook her head, wondering how to reply. She had never considered that: she had done what she could to keep her children safe, but ultimately, the demon Haku had found them. And what of it? She'd played no role in Noir's death -- she couldn't have done anything differently. There was nothing she could have done.
"I know," she replied. "I blame Haku." She paused. "He murdered my daughter and I've now become a monster." Her wording was deliberate: Haku had not made her into a monster. "I am wholly my own creation."