Oh, that's right, Haizea thinks, as Garrot speaks to her so coldly, This is why I don't do this. She meets his glares and disappointment levelly, her face remaining stoic even as he insults and threatens her.

"To be fair, I lied to everyone," she says blithely. "You're so optimistic, foolishly so, but it was such a nice dream I didn't wanna dash it, not yet. Half of us have died already, Garrot, I never thought for a minute that we'd actually be able to go see the snow in Kosenkorva or that you'd come visit me in Farida. I'd never want to put you and yours in danger," she sighs and looks away now. At no point has she tried to get out of his grip, not yet at least.

"Besides, it's all over now. It was probably over the moment Fumicq came to me. I tried to keep a hold on things, tried to keep my connection to my crew, to my kids, from being public knowledge, but this is the biggest event of the year. You scare off one reporter and a dozen more pop outta the woodwork. The story is gonna break soon, and it's gonna be worse than even the reporters know, so I just pulled the plug. My kids will get all my funds and new identities far away from me, my crew will go underground until the dust clears, and I'll take the fall." This is why she broke her phone, to remove as much of a connection between herself and the people she cares about as she possibly could.

"You probably shouldn't trust me, but I'll trust you. I've got nothing else to lose by doin' so."