Quest 172

[primrosella]

[Accidental Voice Post]

[The recording switches on to the sound of a Network device skittering across dirt and stone, as though it has just been shoved or kicked away and it has turned on of its own volition

Comments

[Action] placeholdery

[playstheblues]

[He scuffs in, and speaks before he sees her]

Come out, Rosella.

[Action] same

[primrosella]

[She is huddled about as far back into the cave as she can possibly manage, the lit screen of her Network device casting a dim glow on the ground a few feet in front of her.]

I'm not. I'm s-staying here.

[Action]

[playstheblues]

[He walks into the cave towards her. He's got his homelands outfit on, boots and tunic, and he moves in close to her]

Come on, Rosella.

[Action]

[primrosella]

[From the way that she's hunched over, hugging her knees and pressed up against the wall, it's difficult--but not impossible--to see the rip in the back of her dress where Sam's dagger went in. The blood soaked into the fabric and around the hem, on the other hand, is unmistakable.]

I can't. I...I don't want to, I don't want to do anything. I just want to take it all back...

[Action]

[playstheblues]

[He leans down and gently puts his arms around her]

Sam is really worried about you.

[Action]

[primrosella]

[She almost tries to pull away, but it's Blue, so she just hangs her head and lets him hug her instead.]

I couldn't stay there. Not after--not what I saw what we'd done. What I did. I didn't know what else to do and I just...came out here and...

[Action]

[playstheblues]

[He holds her tightly]

I know. I know.

[Action]

[primrosella]

I...I should've been able to stop myself. Or--or fought it, or something, anything, anything but what I did, I--I don't know what I could've done but I should've done it, Blue, I should've and I didn't.

[She turns her face away, keeping her head down so her hair remains like a curtain around her face.]

Sam died because I didn't.

[Action]

[playstheblues]

Oh, Rosella. We all do awful things during curses.

[He pushes her hair away and looks at her for a long time]

Once I handed Kay over to the Snow Queen, you know.

[Action]

[primrosella]

[She glances up, but can't quite make herself meet his eyes, and ends up averting her gaze to a random spot on the cave floor.]

I remember. I was worried about you.

[Action]

[playstheblues]

[He goes quiet for a minute and holds on]

Once I attacked Cori.

[He doesn't want to talk about it, but...]

I told him terrible things. The only reason I didn't kill him was because he was quick enough to get away. And I lov-[he swallows]-loved him.

[Action]

[primrosella]

I never--

[And now, at last, she leans into his hold, resting her forehead on his shoulder.]

He was going around yesterday, saying all those things, p-pretending to be me and saying such horrible things, and I followed along after and told all my friends, I told them--I said of course it wasn't me, the real me wouldn't say those things, the real me would never treat her friends like that, wouldn't hurt anyone like that...and...

[Action]

[playstheblues]

[He holds onto her tightly]

No one is angry with you except you, Rosella. Sam is very worried about you. He even called me, you know? He wants you to be all right.

No one thinks you are cruel.

[Action]

[primrosella]

It's--it's funny, isn't it? How I always say, oh, it's only a curse, it was only a curse, you can't hold it against someone, it's only a curse...

[Her voice cracks.]

I can forgive anyone else but I can't do it this time. Not when it's me. Not when Sam died because of me.

[Action]

[playstheblues]

It's not just a curse.

You killed someone, and that's a terrible thing to carry. And you shouldn't have to carry it.

[Action]

[primrosella]

It wasn't this bad when it was the witch. I didn't have time to think, then. Maybe that's why. But now I have all the time in the world to think and it's all mixed up when I do.