gutterbound: (103)

[personal profile] gutterbound 2025-03-13 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
I...

[The man's hands shake and his eyes flick quick between hers. Seeing something, daring not hope — can't even think to hope, even if it's all he comes to this fucking town to do — not when she's slathered in blood. Not when she's frightened, this strange woman with the strange weapon, who looks so much like her mother.

He's almost convinced she isn't real, even after she speaks. Then he swallows, hands lighting on her shoulders.]


Good god, child, you're...what's happened to you? Come in, come in.

[Except you need to leave. Don't you?]
Edited 2025-03-13 05:47 (UTC)
sacredpath: (s37)

[personal profile] sacredpath 2025-03-13 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
[she lets him draw her inside, lets him touch her shoulders. she folds her own arms across herself and starts to cry.]

Father, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[she's not going anywhere. this is all she ever wanted, even if it's not complete, even if he doesn't seem to understand, or know her.

but you can make her leave, that's fine.]
gutterbound: (103)

[personal profile] gutterbound 2025-03-13 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
[He will hold her. She calls him father, and he almost chokes with the need for it to be true.

He's never forgiven Viconia. He's never forgiven the town, but he comes back every year, even if they put her headstone in the family plot up north. Even if there's no reason to, if no one else here had marked her passing or laid out flowers. He has to, because she wasn't found. She was missing.

And she's here now.]


Jenny, oh my Jenny...Don't be. Please, don't be. It's all my fault.

[He pulls her in. In complete disbelief, taking her to fetch a towel, wipe some of this off. But they need help, don't they? He tries the phone and gets nothing but a dial tone, so let's go down together, Jenny, please stay with me, let's go down and try the front desk. Let's go down and get you looked at, hold onto my arm, love, I won't let you go.

He doesn't let her go. He doesn't know how it's possible, but he refuses to believe it's anything but the truth. She's his, and he's hers.

With hitching breaths and entangled arms, the pair descend the bloodied stairs together.]