[WEEK 4, WEDNESDAY: Lief]

[spinatalltale]

[by now, she's peeked into the rooms of a few others. caught glimpses of illusions that didn't belong to her, of scenes that had no emotional impact on her heart but rendered other people on this island speechless with fear and grief. she's purposefully avoided hers and Laphicet's door, knowing that whatever was on the other side wouldn't be anything pleasant]

[until now]

Oh brother. . . I wonder what it says about my own recklessness that I'm doing this. . .

[and so! with a sigh, she steps forward, hand brushing against the handle of the door. she gives it a twist, pushes it open, and--]

[-- Velvet's eyes, devoid of color, devoid of everything that made her Velvet, flickering towards her. her hands clawing at Artorius's, which are wrapped tight around her neck, suffocating her and wringing the last remnants of life and defiance from the woman's body]

[Magilou's breath hitches in her throat for the barest of moments]

[and then she slams the door shut]







. . . no thank you!

Comments

[reidentify]

And in your eyes, that is still better than the alternative, is it not? In any case, I do not think an "ideal" future truly exists, and—saviours are only uncertain humans themselves.

[...]

[spinatalltale]

. . . that sounds like a line that comes from personal experience, Lief.

[but that's all she says about it, because. heck. he's not wrong]

[reidentify]

[He just. Kind of shrugs with his good shoulder.]

Perhaps.

[spinatalltale]

[heh]

Well, anyway. . . now you know. I suppose they were going for shock value with my illusion, but it's awfully hard to knock me off of my game when I already know the Shepherd is dead and Velvet's quest was successful.

[she plays it off, and she plays it off well, but truthfully? seeing Velvet-- the woman she admired more than anything-- with that dead, empty look in her eyes bothered her far more than she'd be willing to admit]

[reidentify]

... Even if you know it to be a lie, it can still be painful to see.

[He knows that his must be—both on an emotional and a physical level, his mother would be incapable of such an act—but that doesn't make it hurt much less.]

[spinatalltale]

[. . .]

[heh]

If they think they can break me by showing me an image of the strongest, most determined person I know bowing down at the hands of her enemy. . .

They'll have to try a lot harder than that.

[reidentify]

... Indeed. I feel the same way.

[His mother is one of the strongest people he knows, after all—someone who never gave in.]

[spinatalltale]

. . . what did you see, Lief?

[talk about personal questions]

[but hey, this conversation was personal from the moment he saw what was in Magilou and Laphicet's room]

[reidentify]

[...]

My mother apologized for not being able to "save" me before killing herself.

[spinatalltale]

[ah. . .]

I assume in reality she's a much stronger woman than that.

[reidentify]

... She is one of the strongest people I know. [Though there's grief in his voice, he's proud, as well.] Even if she had anything to apologize for—and she does not—she would never take that way out out. She would do everything she could to correct her mistakes.

[spinatalltale]

It's good that you remember that.

[so he doesn't get caught up in the grief and pain of watching her take her own life]

I get the feeling we'll all need to be remembering those sorts of things from here on out.

[reidentify]

... Yes. It is the only way we will be able to hold onto reality.

[spinatalltale]

. . . tell me about her.

About your mother. What is she like? Other than strong.

[reidentify]

[He thinks for a moment. There are so many things he could say, but he'll go with an anecdote Magilou might appreciate.]

... She is the sort of woman where, at a time when she, my father, and my father's friend were threatened, the enemy thought her to be the weakest one—the one he need not fear. That she was nothing more than a dull, painted doll.

[a beat]

And because he thought her to be harmless, she tricked him into looking out a window and proceeded to push him to his death.

[spinatalltale]

[holy]

. . . wow.

A woman after my own heart!