{rp} Will you follow me into fire? Will you follow me into darkness? Will you follow me into death?

[superiorspectre]

Suzie's chosen a relatively isolated spot -- no point in possibly knocking anyone else out when Thane comes to get her -- and is sitting comfortably, leaning back against a tree, browsing The Complete Emily Dickinson. (Paper books, at last!) The Dickinson calms her down, and the tree ought to spare her any undignified toppling over when she's

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[superiorspectre]

Everything is still for a moment, and the larger shadow looks down at Jack, eyes blazing. This is what you'd ask of Us, it says. After what We have offered you, you'd still destroy us completely, O Captain? It's crying. It's been crying for twenty-one years.

You knew, the girl-shadow says, accusation in her voice. You knew. You can't take it back now, when he's doing what he said he would.

We should have DESTROYED him. We should--

Stop, says the girl-shadow, and the larger goes silent. D'you think we could have? Really? Or is he just another thing for you to throw us against until we're dead? She looks up at the larger shadow. ...Aren't you tired? I am.

The larger shadow says nothing. Slowly. it lets the weapons fall from its hands. They're gone before they hit the ground.

Suzie's curling in on herself, hands over her face. Yes, she's breaking down, that's true enough, shaking again, hiding for just a moment -- but that moment gives her time to ransack the structure the Vesmier built in her mind, going through each and every trigger, releasing them all.

The structure itself, or what remains of it, she'll need -- the Vesmier will be in contact, and she needs a place to retreat to, a place she can contact him. But all the things that this particular mental construct was built to protect, she's releasing, bringing up into herself.

Nothing's exempt, not even the knowledge of a place in her mind she's been told not to think of, the thing she can't look at directly... But she doesn't have the energy or the focus to deal with it right now. It can wait, if she survives.

This isn't enough, bringing everything to the surface. But maybe, she thinks, if she gathers it all up, maybe when it cracks, it'll be what they're looking for, Thane and Jack both.

Help me, the girl-shadow says. It's time.

It won't hold, says the larger. Not for long.

...Maybe we won't need long. Do you think we've got anything to lose, other than him? She nods at Jack.

Perhaps he's best lost, it growls in response.

You know that's not true.

...I know. It looks at Jack. All the same, hope We do not see you again as Ourself, Captain. If you're right, there will be no need.

The girl-shadow looks back at Jack for moment, then turns away. Are you ready?

No. But it doesn't matter. The larger shadow embraces her, the two shadows blurring, shifting, until they're indistinguishable, just a moving mass of darkness that curls in on itself, condensing, and, after agonizing moments, settling into a humanoid form, a shadow-Suzie that picks herself up off the floor and moves towards Jack, her expression unreadable.

A step towards him and her face blurs, flickers. For a moment, it seems she'll pull apart. She shakes her head, features reduced to dim streaks, and then she moves towards him again, takes his head in her hands, and speaks quietly, urgently.

Listen. There isn't much time. You'll forget so much, but something's going to remain, flickers from your subconscious, things you can't quite make sense of. Hold onto this.

She leans close, a blur of lips against what would be Jack's. It's not quite a kiss.

I forgive you. She lets the words fill the space between them, lets him hear the love and the anger in her voice, and then she's gone.