continuations

[tenebraecious]

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[tenebraecious]

[hands wrapping around her tea cup, looking down]

I am sorry . . .

[mind_blown]

I don't remember it. I just have context clues from my memories. Talon's got hints in one of the memories he got of me, too. So I know it was probably violent.

[tenebraecious]

[her expression twists some more but reaching a hand out to cover his]

You do not have to be well. Not with that over your head.

[mind_blown]

[He glances down at her hand, and is quiet, thinking for a minute.]

... But if I'm not?

[and then he turns his hand, lightly, letting hers rest in his.]

[tenebraecious]

What of it? If the world can only be filled with people who are right and whole, then it would be quite empty. —We hold a place here.

[and carefully squeezing his hand]

[mind_blown]

[he considers that.]

I guess we do.

[it's somewhat mollifying, even if it's still weighing on him, though now he's studying her.]

[tenebraecious]

[dropping her gaze]

I was dying before I was slain. I hope that I was only wrong since her death.

[mind_blown]

Is the her in this case you, from before?

Or someone else?

[tenebraecious]

Someone else. My mother, she was struck down.

[mind_blown]

Ah... How?

Or, better yet, why?

[tenebraecious]

Either her position as oracle or our connection to another kingdom. I and my brother were made prisoners in her absence which I suspect has effected me. Not identical to you, but I still have similar questions.

[mind_blown]

[honestly, he's glad he knows most of what led up to this. and that none of it had to do with politics or wars.]

So you've been a prisoner since you were a kid, basically.

[tenebraecious]

Yes. My circumstances were fraught, though it pains me to admit that. I can only imagine yours were as well. So, the question is what do we do now with that knowledge?

[mind_blown]

I don't know.

I'm still trying to figure that out. The only thing I can do is manage it.

[tenebraecious]

Manage your thoughts, you mean?

[mind_blown]

Manage my warped mind.

[tenebraecious]

And myself? What do you think I should do?

[mind_blown]

... I won't say this is a strings free second chance.

But it's one you can make in whatever way you want. You might as well enjoy what you can.

This place isn't all bad.

[tenebraecious]

That seems — Insufficient. Shouldn't I do more to learn about how I have been effected? Challenge myself where I have learned to cope with poor habits?

[mind_blown]

It's a blank check. You can do whatever you want, however you want.

Whenever you want.

[tenebraecious]

To save my world, I would gladly give my life a thousand times over, Jay.

[mind_blown]

That doesn't change my answer. It sounds like you already have some ideas. What do you think would actually change the outcome?

[he... sort of knows what his answer was. but now that he knows his mind is twisted, he's less certain of it.]

[tenebraecious]

I do not wish to change the outcome. Just who I am when I arrive at it.

[holding his hand tighter] I want to know what I wish for at my end.

[mind_blown]

Do you think being here will let you change that?

[an honest question]

It's a memory, it happened in the past. And the ways of changing that might involve making deals with the devil we'll later regret.

[tenebraecious]

I hope so. The conditions are less than ideal, but you are right: We do have some degree of liberty here.

[. . . but falling silent when deals with the devil comes up, looking off]