Catch-all: Lucretia

[ercnerd]

Comments

w7, friday

[ambiography]

[well!! a lot happened there. it's a little later when they meet up again in the suite they're sharing, though this time, lucretia is just laying on the bed, an arm sort of draped over her face to block out the light filtering in the window.

it has been a Long Day. period of time. multiple days?]

[ercnerd]

[When Sieghart enters the room, he regards Lucretia for a quiet moment.]

Still feeling exhausted? You should've napped on our way back.

[ambiography]

I-- no, I'm all right.

[she'll sleep later. she's tired, yes, sore from the arrow and spike grazes scattered over her, but she's just not ready to pass out yet. she pushes herself back up to sit, then gestures for sieghart to join her.]

...Sieghart, I think I owe you-- probably a couple of different apologies, for all of that.

[ercnerd]

[He comes over and sits on the edge near the foot of the bed, where he props Soluna against the footboard.]

What for?

[ambiography]

You went through quite a bit of trouble, back there, thanks to us.

[ercnerd]

Is that how you want Hugo to respond to you?

[ambiography]

[-oh, boy. well. she's quiet, at that, breath hitching for just a moment.]

I-- Sieghart, he won't.

[ercnerd]

. . . What do you mean?

[ambiography]

I spoke with Claude, a little while ago. They... they had to fight him, and they couldn't...

They had to kill him.

[ercnerd]

. . . That can mean anything here. What happened?

[ambiography]

He was being controlled, according to Claude. Nothing they tried would work-- if they knocked him unconscious, he got back up and kept fighting them, he-- he nearly killed Maya.

[another few moments of silence.]

...if those two were there, then I know-- I know they tried everything they could. I believe him. But it just didn't work.

[ercnerd]

It's not over.

[His gaze is fixed to the space between himself and Lucretia as he says this without hesitation.]

Half of us died and returned. That means there's a way for him to return, too.

[ambiography]

I don't know how sure I am that we'll pull that one off twice, Sieghart.

[she just sounds exhausted.]

Of course we're going to try to find a way. We have to. But if we put an end to all of this-- what if it falls apart before we can.

[ercnerd]

. . . Not every consequence can be fixed. If we fail, that's something we'll have to live with in the aftermath.

[ambiography]

...I know.

[just-- dragging a hand down her face. fuck.]

Believe me, I know.

[ercnerd]

[The air is thick with anxiety. Watching her, he decides that that's enough doom and gloom.]

Don't worry about it, Lucretia. There's still time.

[ambiography]

...there is.

[but-- well, even if they get him back, it's not going to fix what happened or remove that experience, just like it didn't for anyone else who had to die, and it sounded pretty damn rough.]

We'll figure out what comes next.

[her mind clearly still isn't off everything, though.]

[ercnerd]

[Clearly. He lets her have a moment before coaxing her back to the now.]

What's on your mind?

[ambiography]

That's kind of a complicated one, Sieghart, what do you mean besides 'everything'?

[ercnerd]

It's your mind. Why don't you start with one thing at a time?

[ambiography]

[she exhales a breath, there, focuses a little more. she's still not doing great after the news from claude, but-- overall... overall, they managed what they set out to do. they did what they had to, hopefully returned with what they might need.

and thinking back on that, on what they did--]

...when I wasn't myself-- that version of me, I-- tried to hurt you. I know that I meant to, with the things I said to you.

You didn't let me.

[this time, I'm staying. she remembers him reiterating that, very clearly.]

[ercnerd]

[It takes him a second, but he lifts his head when he catches on to what she's referring.

Of all things, that's what's on her mind? Granted, she's the type who thinks about a great many thing at once. Still, for this to be among them is a surprise.]

You've said it yourself. That wasn't the real you. Why would I have listened to anything a false personality said to me?

[ambiography]

[she was going to apologize for what they put him and lila through earlier, of course it's one of the things on her mind, don't @ her.]

Maybe I should rephrase. I believed, fundamentally, some things that weren't true, and those drove me to act-- but it might not be entirely accurate to say that wasn't me.

[a version of her, but still her on some level.]

[ercnerd]

You were compelled.

[She already knows his thoughts on people and compulsions.]

All it succeeded in was angering me.

[ambiography]

Well, I can't blame you for that. I suppose there was plenty to be angry with.