[ Backdated to the 14th, Action, Video ] .001
[After waking up in an unfamiliar place and receiving an unorthodox welcome and exhilarating ride over the mountains and to the edge of the forest, Gracia Hughes is a woman on a mission. Prerogative One: Make sure Elicia's not here. Prerogative Two: Find out where exactly here is. From there... get home. But first, one step at a time
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-and what kind of messed-up guy goes straight to that, every time? What kind of messed-up world do they come from, where it's perfectly reasonable to be suspicious?
And damn if he isn't almost equally terrified that it could really be his wife. So many ways to lose.
Really only one way to get things going, Maes, you great coward. He does his best not to sound- well, not to sound like he's not sure this is actually happening. ]
... Gracia?
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She'd know that voice anywhere. It still haunts her dreams.
Maes.
That's not - possible.
Her instinctive response is to slam the book shut.]
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This puts the wings she's received in a whole different light.
Does that mean... Elicia...
No.
Several heartbeats later, Gracia takes a few shuddering breaths and - opens the book.]
...hello?
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Hello. [ All things considered, he should have expected a reaction like that. He manages to scrape up a short-lived weak smile for it before speaking again.
It feels like it's been forever since he got to hear that voice. But this isn't the time for getting emotional- he has to be sure before anybody rushes out to meet anybody. So he's switching to a filtered conversation, because when it comes to things only certain people know about, sometimes it's safer to keep it that way. ]
Mind if I ask you about something? [ Not that an answer to the negative would likely deter him, to be perfectly honest. He wants to get this over with, so that if it is her- if it is her... ]
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[But that's his voice. That's his voice.
Through her stunned numbness, habit determines her response.]
Of-of course not. What do you want to ask me?
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Could you tell me about your engagement ring? [ That...she would absolutely know about that. ]
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Um. You - [You? Really? Is it really you? How could this be possible?] - you bought it for me during the war. It was a plain band of silver. It fit perfectly.
[An exhale that's an almost-laugh.] It turned my finger green. You were so embarrassed.
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[Is it really you?
She said that it was. She couldn't deny his voice or the picture. But...]
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She got it right.
It's a good thing he started this conversation out sitting down, because the sheer rush of relief is enough to make him lightheaded. ]
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It's me- I guarantee it's really me, you can ask me anything at all- [ She's really here. She's really here, again, and like hell he's bringing himself to think of any of the potential negatives that could wind up cropping up later on, and dammit where are his boots- ]
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Maes...
[It's really him. She doesn't need to ask anything at all. No one else could mimic that enthusiasm. Just... how is this... she starts to feel dizzy.]
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... I'm sorry. I know that this is crazy- and that all the explanations are even crazier, if there are any at all. It's not much, but I'll help with everything I can.
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She breathes out, low and long. And then she manages to pick up the book again.]
I just want to see you - you and Elicia.
[Nothing else matters. She'll figure the rest out later. Just - if it's him, he's here - hearing his voice and seeing his face isn't enough. She has to touch him.]
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All right.
All right, we can do that. Where are you?
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[She glances down at her feet; she can't let Elicia see that.] Over by the fountain.
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And it's not like he ever minds needing to make a walk. ]
We shouldn't have a problem meeting you there! Just- stay where you are, if you can? [ No disappearing, please let there be no disappearing. But if you need to run for your life or something, that's- you know, understandable. ]
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