Audience - Yves

[holyspirits]

Comments

[noirges]

[ pouts... ]

Family dynamics seem complicated... I won't invite myself anywhere I don't belong, but let me know if I can help anywhere, okay?

[ holds her hand between both of his own ]

I know you both love each other. I do think that'll let everything work out eventually. It just might take a few bumps along the way.

[hotfixer]

Thank you. But I think it's just always going to be like this.

[ which she doesn't love, but she'll take 'generally talking and getting along even if i'm confused as hell' over how things were before. ]

But you're right. She's my family, and I love her more than anyone. So it's okay.

[noirges]

[ well... at least that's something. yves smiles ]

I'm still glad you have each other, even if things are confusing.

[ anyway homewrecking mem for cola

You're so kind that it's scary... ]

[hotfixer]

[ MY HOMEWRECKING!!!! ]

Two days behind bars for stabbing someone with poison?

[ why is this what she's stuck on. ]

[noirges]

They were right I wasn't going to press charges...

[hotfixer]

Why not? He could have killed you!

[noirges]

Oh, I don't think the wound was deep enough for that. Scien patched me up in an evening...

[hotfixer]

"Could have," not "almost did."

But even assault usually ends in more time than that.

[noirges]

[ he looks sheepish ]

Well, we weren't even the official law enforcement on the island... so we did the best we could with what we had.

[hotfixer]

Do you think it's better that someone capable of stabbing a stranger with poison isn't reported to the authorities? That they're on the street?

[noirges]

The authorities wouldn't do anything about it, Ramiel. They don't care what happens out in Coene, where the commoners are.

[hotfixer]

[ FROWNY. ]

But commoners are the majority of a society. [ IT'S IN THE NAME!! THEY'RE COMMON!! ]

[noirges]

[ nods ]

I know. It's not really all that fair. Either way, I trust Adolphe's judgment. He always led us really well when he was in charge of the Corps.

He was always reasonable and level-headed, even when the rest of our country felt... difficult to live in.

[hotfixer]

I suppose it's natural that a community starts to take care of themselves if no authority figures will...

Do you know what happened to that man afterwards?

[noirges]

[ shakes head ]

No... That's actually a different timeline than the one I know.

So maybe he's alive, and I hope he gets to be happy.

[hotfixer]

What?

That didn't even happen to you?

[noirges]

[ shakes head ]

No... but it happened to Adolphe. I think that's the series of events that he remembers, based on stuff that happened later...

[hotfixer]

[ ??????? ]

So you're from different worlds. Or timelines. However that works.

[noirges]

[ nods ]

Yeah. I can actually... sort through the memories a little and realize where things went... different? [ he doesn't want to say "wrong" but he almost did ]

But either way, he's still my Adolphe.

[hotfixer]

Because he's the Adolphe you met here? Or because all Adolphes are your Adolphe?

[noirges]

The latter!

[ so confidently ]

Unless something deviates really hard... and even then, I dunno! I can't imagine Adolphe ever not being my best friend.

[hotfixer]

I was going to ask what if you met two different Adolphes from two different timelines, but we have had this conversation before.

[ it's functionally the same as the 'how can you love everyone as a baseline' conversation again. ]

[noirges]

[ he laughs ]

I guess now I have, right? Since I know the Adolphe that I knew and lost four years ago, but then I got to meet the one here.

I think I still love him about the same amount, but the reasons are a little different now.

[hotfixer]

What are the new reasons?

[noirges]

[ looks thoughtful.... ]

This Adolphe... was more honest with me than mine. He opened up to me about himself, and that gave me more reasons to love him. To know how brave he is, even in a situation that can feel isolating and lonely.

He took care of me even though I was even more clingy since I hadn't seen him in so long, but he didn't even hesitate about it. He just watched over me without asking questions.

And... he made a really big sacrifice for me. One that I would never ask him to do again but... he trusted me with something more important than his life. Knowing that he was willing to believe in me that much... I guess my affection only had room to grow.