[ She doesn't reach out right away. To give Beau a chance to breathe and recover from assimilation, to give herself a moment to tend to her injuries and not think about Annie and yet another life she'd taken.
[she does, in fact, open the door! she's been seen to, at least, a potion forced on her, so she's significantly less exploded, though she is coughing on the couch when otome comes in.
she just looks tired, mostly, and vaguely confused.]
You still supported me. [ She'll remind her, quietly. ] Despite everything.
I think the only reason Molly and I were fine... was because we died. I suppose that makes sense, given that we had to kill to sever the... connection...
... [ Otome trails off, her eyes slowly widening. ]
We were able to change our statuses to match everyone else's, but even then, the story wasn't able to assimilate us. It didn't work with the Dorm Heads when we tried, but that might have been because they were alive-- at least in the way the story viewed them. [ Sorry, Annie. ]
I-- I mean, it's just a theory right now. I certainly can't say if I'm right.
But if we did finally sever her connection, there's a good chance we might be able to save her for real this time.
[well, okay. that feels a little better than having just killed annie for no reason. she'll take that. it's still been a lot, and she's still - unhappy, but at least there's maybe some hope.
a pause, and then:]
I think - there's only so much more of myself that I have to give. But I'll try.
[and she's just quiet. she'd said she was angry - and that's true, because she is, but it's kind of just. helpless anger. there's nowhere for it to go.
beau is not really a heroic person. she tries, and sometimes she succeeds, but she can't always force herself to keep going and going, after a while. she's doing her best, because this is the right thing to do, and she doesn't want more people to suffer, it's just. she's - really just burnt out. tired.
seeing yasha and veth really kicked her ass - she hadn't realized how much she'd missed home until right this second.]
[ Otome isn't a mind-reader. All she can really rely on is her own observations and her sense of empathy. The things that allow her to be a good doctor but also just a good friend.
This is slightly easier to understand, when she's also exhausted. Otome, however, is absolutely the type of person who will keep going until she collapses from it. It's a bad habit.
For now, she's quiet. And then, softly. ]
You'll get to see them soon. I promise, I'm going to make sure everyone can get home-- or to wherever they want to go. You'll have quite a few stories to tell them, you know.
[ Seeing them had hurt Beau, she knows that. And she thinks that having to run from them had hurt her even worse. She'd said it, after all. That she couldn't leave them behind. ]
[she nods a little, and then shifts, wrapping her arms around otome's waist. it's unfair, to not take her fair share of the support. she has to be there for people, or what good is she - she should be trying harder to make otome rest, to balance this out, but she's just ache-y and upset. doesn't have the energy, the drive, or the motivation to do anything but stew in her own thoughts, her negativity.
a pause.]
I've tried... really hard. My whole life. [she says, a little fragmented.] To not be what someone else wanted me to be. I made my own decisions, and I made myself into something on my own merit.
Feels like all of that has been taken from me, here.
[ Otome closes her eyes briefly, before she gently tugs Beau a little closer to wrap her arms around her in return. ]
It's beyond frustrating, what this place has done. That it takes-- what makes us unique, what keeps us going, our memories and our relationships and personalities and tries to force us into a role.
I've been trying to just... push through it, since the first week I was asked to act. But I'm...
[ What is the right word here... ]
... I want to destroy this story with every fiber of my being for what it did to you. What it did to everyone. I honestly want to tear it apart and feed it to the demons.
Week 7, Friday
But finally, she sends Beau a text. ]
How are you feeling?
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angry
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That's valid. Her reply takes a little longer, as though she's trying to figure out what to say. What she can say. ]
Would you rather be alone right now?
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probably shouldn't be
not angry at you
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Beau's right, though. They'd already had a talk, about isolation. Then-- ]
Open the door. I'll be there in two minutes.
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she just looks tired, mostly, and vaguely confused.]
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She just silently walks over to sit down beside her, letting their shoulders touch. ]
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... What was the point of all of it? We didn't even save her.
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[ Her shoulder's still a little achy but she reaches up nonetheless, to stroke Beau's hair. ]
If we're able to write a ending that brings them back... but I never wanted them to die in the first place.
[ She never. Wanted to kill anyone she cared about again, and she pauses to take a shaky breath. ]
I'm sorry. I keep trying to think back, to see if there was anything else I missed or could have done...
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cough.]
Don't apologize. You're the only one who had her head on straight.
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I think the only reason Molly and I were fine... was because we died. I suppose that makes sense, given that we had to kill to sever the... connection...
... [ Otome trails off, her eyes slowly widening. ]
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... Is that what we were doing? [a beat.] Severing Annie's connection to the story.
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I-- I mean, it's just a theory right now. I certainly can't say if I'm right.
But if we did finally sever her connection, there's a good chance we might be able to save her for real this time.
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[well, okay. that feels a little better than having just killed annie for no reason. she'll take that. it's still been a lot, and she's still - unhappy, but at least there's maybe some hope.
a pause, and then:]
I think - there's only so much more of myself that I have to give. But I'll try.
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[ Her gaze softens, both fond and concerned. ]
Please don't push yourself. You've already been through far too much.
We'll... all work through this together, okay?
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[and she's just quiet. she'd said she was angry - and that's true, because she is, but it's kind of just. helpless anger. there's nowhere for it to go.
beau is not really a heroic person. she tries, and sometimes she succeeds, but she can't always force herself to keep going and going, after a while. she's doing her best, because this is the right thing to do, and she doesn't want more people to suffer, it's just. she's - really just burnt out. tired.
seeing yasha and veth really kicked her ass - she hadn't realized how much she'd missed home until right this second.]
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This is slightly easier to understand, when she's also exhausted. Otome, however, is absolutely the type of person who will keep going until she collapses from it. It's a bad habit.
For now, she's quiet. And then, softly. ]
You'll get to see them soon. I promise, I'm going to make sure everyone can get home-- or to wherever they want to go. You'll have quite a few stories to tell them, you know.
[ Seeing them had hurt Beau, she knows that. And she thinks that having to run from them had hurt her even worse. She'd said it, after all. That she couldn't leave them behind. ]
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a pause.]
I've tried... really hard. My whole life. [she says, a little fragmented.] To not be what someone else wanted me to be. I made my own decisions, and I made myself into something on my own merit.
Feels like all of that has been taken from me, here.
no subject
It's beyond frustrating, what this place has done. That it takes-- what makes us unique, what keeps us going, our memories and our relationships and personalities and tries to force us into a role.
I've been trying to just... push through it, since the first week I was asked to act. But I'm...
[ What is the right word here... ]
... I want to destroy this story with every fiber of my being for what it did to you. What it did to everyone. I honestly want to tear it apart and feed it to the demons.