![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Not too far from Fort Alhambra is Interitus. In a long trail torn through the ground. Apparently Volya's escape was one that lacked quite a bit of grace. Not too far from the plant creature itself was Volya, shaking heavily as he cried. Clearly hearing David scream out in pain like that was quite a bit too much for him to handle. Even if David was trying to kill him, a small part of Volya still saw him as a friend. He still remembered the good times back home before all of this. Everything hurt, between the hits Interitus took and the strain he felt from everything he was too out of it to notice if anyone had arrived. Interitus on the other hand did and looked to them, whining softly. Clearly she was unable to get Volya out of this state.]
Tags:
From:
no subject
[Sarah hops down into the trench Interitus's crash has dug through the ground. A simple but elegant chinese sword, its blade undrawn, rests across her shoulders. As she draws closer, the smile fades from her face.]
...I'm not interrupting something, am I?
From:
no subject
..S...Sarah... I..
[Volya coughs weakly.]
Is... everyone okay?
From:
no subject
[She sits down crosslegged near Volya, resting the sword to her left. As she sets it down, it's easy enough to see a new stretch of bandages along her right arm and hand.]
You did good.
From:
no subject
[He looked away when he caught sight of the bandages. He could almost here that taunting little voice that was so familiar in Lilica's Zone of Absolute Despair going 'Your fault~' in its poisonous sing song tone of cruelty.]
...I don't feel like I did...
From:
no subject
[Sarah holds up her hand, looking it over.] What, this? Don't worry, I'm tougher than I look. It's basically like a papercut.
[She puts it down, and looks back at him.]
...It's David that's got you down, isn't it.
From:
no subject
[He flinches a little. He still remembers just how much pain was in those screams.]
...I didn't want to hurt him Sarah... not like that or... or even at all!
From:
no subject
But if you stay out here like this all night, you're going to get pretty cold and hungry. Let's get you a hot shower and something to eat, alright?
[Sarah stands up, extending a hand down towards Volya.]
From:
no subject
[But he wouldn't really argue against a hot shower and food as he reaches out and holds onto Sarah's hand.]
Was it Jacob's dad you're talking about? That Percy guy?
From:
no subject
[She picks up her sword in her free hand, resting it across her shoulders. Interitus gets a nod to follow.]
Percival and I never fought like that until...well, until you came along. But I don't think we'll be fighting each other again. Violence can be like a game for our kind of people, but we never duked it out like that before.
[She walks in silence for a while.]
Her name was Lien Xiaohui...Her change was different from David's. Slower. Calmer, at first, though it didn't last.
...When it comes down to it, I don't think anyone will blame you if you hurt him or kill him. He's done his best to throw away whatever bond of friendship you had. You just have to make the choice that, in the end, you'll be happy with. One you can defend, if someone else objects to it. A choice you can believe in.
From:
no subject
I would... even if... even if he chose to do that... I don't know if I'd ever be able to forgive myself for it...
Even if he's done all of this... I...
[He bites his lip nervously.]
I know that people have to kill... I know you, Mizuki, Ken, Dido... a lot of people had to make that choice... Flit's a year older than me and he's already....
[He almost stumbles but manages to regain his footing.]
But I can't... I... I don't think I can... not even if its someone terrible...
From:
no subject
...Ah, sorry, I'm not good at this. Want me to fix up some pork steak? That's a lot easier than advice.
From:
no subject
[He sighs before looking up at Sarah.]
I'd like that... can I watch you cook it?
From:
no subject
Have a comforting hug instead. A warm embrace that speaks for itself - it says "everything is going to be alright", but also more importantly:
"You are not alone"]
From:
no subject
...
[Still. That there were still people there for him. That they were still there for him... perhaps that would give him some measure of comfort once he works the shock and horror out of his system.]
From:
no subject
[Why does one boy have to suffer so much?]
It's all alright now. There is nothing to be afraid of.
And...
You did nothing wrong to be ashamed of either.
From:
no subject
D... Didn't wanna hurt David... don't care 'f he was talking like Loni... he w's my friend... n'ver wanted any of this...
'n... 'nd I ran off while everyone was still fighting those monsters... n't strong like you or Mizuki or Walt or anyone... I...I can't keep... I just-
[He chokes on his words.]
...go home... I just wanna go home...
From:
no subject
[Ren puts their hands on Volya's shoulder, looking him in the eyes.]
It's reasonable. You survived, and that's good. Not only that but when others were in danger you immediately went to help them. Even if it meant hurting your old friend. But your friend knew what he was doing, so he had only himself to blame.
You didn't do anything wrong.
From:
no subject
[Volya nods weakly. He still probably didn't accept it just yet, but Ren's understanding nature helped ease things somewhat.]
From:
no subject
I... can give you a little bit of advice, Volya. But maybe not now. Now's not the time.
For now, it's okay to just let it all out. It really is. No need to act strong for others or for me.
From:
no subject
"Volya!" She calls out. "...you wanna talk?"
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
She crouches down by you. "Man." She says after a period of silence. "Today was really crummy, wasn't it? And strangely enough, the invasion of the carnivorous biological nightmare universe next door wasn't the worst of it!"
She rests her hands on her chin. "Fighting giant gross monsters isn't nearly painful as fighting good people. Good people who, no matter what you do or say, keep on hating and fearing you."
She scratches her neck. "Uh...nod if I'm on the right track?"
From:
no subject
[Volya nods shakily, chewing his lip and still not trusting his voice.]
From:
no subject
She rubs the back of her head. "And that's not even getting into Daniel: a year ago, he was a friend you trusted; now he's so obsessed with killing you that he hurts himself every time you fight back!" Dido lowers her hand. "Even though they're idiots, the Knights are good people. And you don't want to see them hurt."
She clenches her fist. "But that's why you need to resist them, Volya....not just for your sake, but for theirs as well!"
From:
no subject
[He speaks up albeit a little hoarsely to correct Dido... but everything else... He wipes his eyes and tries to ponder on her words.]
From:
no subject
She rubs her nose. "I suck at these...the last person I gave a pep talk to blew up Scotland. Gah, I'll just say what I mean."
She waves her hands around. "We both know that the Knights of the Guiding Hand are wrong. Maybe their rug has a loose stitch. Maybe there's corruption in the upper ranks. But their system for doing good has a glitch in it. If you surrender and turn yourself in, that glitch will just get worse. They'll cause more destruction, more sacrifices that aren't needed. And by the time they realize something's wrong on their own...kaboom."
She brings her hand together. "But your defiance and good will is making them think. Nathaniel, Percival, Sarah, that Seraphina person...they're all awakening from autopilot. They're learning to judge good and evil on their own again. Eventually, they'll uncover the truth for themselves, and work to steer the Knighthood on a new path."
She shrugs. "It may not look like it, but fighting back against the Knights will save them and the world! Well, except for Lilica: she can go to hell."
From:
no subject
[He looked a little nervous at the admission.]
But... if its doing good...
From:
no subject
She looks around, then groans. "I should probably get back to base...but then they'd probably make me try to clean up all the guts and viscera from the meat-mechs. Mind if I hang with you and Inty for a bit?"
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Hey...
[She says nothing more, instead simply sitting down next to Volya and holding out her scarf, in case he needs something to wipe his tears off with.]
From:
no subject
[Volya hiccups weakly and reaches out for the scarf at first before his hand flinches away from it, as if unsure if he should at all. He looks away, shame and worry and guilt eating at him.]
From:
no subject
[She waves the scarf briefly.]
Go ahead. That's what I'm holding it out for.
From:
no subject
[He silently wipes his tears away with the scarf - albeit a little roughly. He chewed his lip, unsure of if he should even ask...]
...Do... do you think he'll be alright?
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
[If he didn't stop David, Dido could have died. But maybe he could have stopped him some other way? Or someone else could have made the save or...]
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
[Volya shakes his head after some thought. No. If it was someone else in that situation it would be self defense pure and simple... he sighs both out of irritation and sadness.]
Stupid wall rugs...
From:
no subject
And I didn't say I'd see it burned just for shock value.
From:
no subject
[From over a small hill, Ken runs onto the scene. He'd unfortunately been on the wrong side of town, getting in some running, when things went nuts.]
A-Are you alright? ...Dumb question, sorry.
[He swears at himself briefly, before checking Volya physically once he gets close.]
Does anything hurt at least?
From:
no subject
[He hiccups and chokes on his sobs, struggling to get words out and failing.]
From:
no subject
[Ken's heard a vague summary of events. He tries to think of something that could work, even momentarily to help distract.]
...Remember those smoke bombs? For when you were in distress?
Feel like using them?
[Ken hasn't got a good speech for this.]
From:
no subject
Red for danger.... blue for counsel... and green for crazy things.
From:
no subject