008 ["voice"]

[chaincutter]

[A couple of inkspots appear on the page, as if the owner of the journal is pondering what to write. Then a short pause, and it switches over to voice. Or perhaps "voice." After a minute of nothing but the wind and the faint sound of the river, the entry is cut off by the sound of the journal closing

Comments

[Voice]

[vermified]

[.....Wh-what was all that cussing. Some of those he's never even heard of before.]

M... my lord...?

[Voice]

[chaincutter]

[Ah...haha...ha. Looks like he's made someone blush, although Ed's not exactly a drunken sailor. Of all the people to overhear that... At least it wasn't Svala. Or Katie.]

...That was unintentional.

[Voice]

[vermified]

[....Um.]

Are you alright?

[He's a little afraid to ask wtf is going on.]

[Voice]

[chaincutter]

[...]

I was carving a flute.

[That really should tell Ed everything he needs to know about Sigmund's state of mind.]

[Voice]

[vermified]

[...Ah. Yeah, that... that tells him all he needs to know.]

Do you wish to be alone, my lord? I can take care of those who are bothering you at once!

[He's serious, too. He is a horrible threadjacker for his lord's sake.]

[Voice]

[chaincutter]

There is no need.

[There's a long pause, and then, in a flat, despondent voice that's really only distinguishable from any of Sigmund's other flat voices through long association-]

I threw it in the river.

[Voice]

[vermified]

[In the ri-

Oh god, why did he-]

Where might I find you?

[This is not a conversation for the open journals.]

[Voice]

[chaincutter]

[He half considers telling Edward to leave him, but why not? At least Edward won't question him. Edward knows.]

Past the bridge behind the house.

[Action]

[vermified]

[It's more of a quiet companionship - and a listening ear, if by some random chance Sigmund decides he needs to talk about it - so before too long Edward finds him there, approaching quietly to avoid disturbing him too much, but not hiding himself because one really doesn't sneak up on the Liberator.]

[Action]

[chaincutter]

[Sigmund is pretty much exactly where he said he'd be, and obviously damp after his little impromptu swimming trip. He acknowledges Edward by turning his head a little when he hears him, but otherwise doesn't move from where he's sitting in the grass. He's much more interested in his carving.]

[Action]

[vermified]

[Edward hesitates briefly, then steps forward and sits down in the grass beside him, watching the river pass by. He waits a while before speaking.]

...You rescued it, my lord. Before it was lost in the current.

[Action]

[chaincutter]

[Sigmund is silent for a long while before answering, concentrating on rounding out the tone hole he's been working on. Then-]

The flute, perhaps.

[Action]

[vermified]

Everyone's done something they regret. Something others will forgive them for, even if they won't forgive themselves.

[He knows it too, even if he's too ashamed to share it. He may not have destroyed a country, but... people are so easily killed when facing vermiforms. And who knows how many could have died if Capell and the others hadn't stopped him?]

[Action]

[chaincutter]

Some acts are not forgivable.

[Action]

[vermified]

But they're forgiven, regardless. No one can control the forgiveness of another person.

[Action]

[chaincutter]

[Sure. He sets the knife down and puts the flute to his lips to test the note again -- softly, this time. It isn't perfect, but it also isn't earsplitting. Just a few more adjustments...]

So you've forgiven Leonid.