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[ofhope]

[Lucrezia]

I'll be there soon.

[ Could not sound happier about preparing to waltz onto a death ship, really. ]

Where are you? Are you still alive? Princess?

Lucrezia. Lucrezia. Lucrezia. Lucrezia. Lucrezia.

[ ... ]

Lucy.

[/Lucrezia]

Comments

[heloise]

[ It would be hours until she replies. Maybe it's already her fourth day here, hard to tell when it is always night. She hears her name, but the last she hears is the wrong one. ]

Lucrezia. Lucrezia Borgia. [ Never mind that her throat feels like sandpaper. This is important. ]

[ofhope]

[ Which is precisely why he keeps opening his journal and saying her name until she answers, even if that does take hours. It figures it would be the Americanized nickname that would get her attention. Just as planned! ]

Lucrezia Borgia.

[ Said properly, just to satisfy her. ]

What happened to you? Were you busy carving out hearts?

[heloise]

[ It takes her a few minutes to clear her mind enough to respond. She keeps seeing people, hearing them and only the smallest part of her remembers they can't be here. Joshua is here, but then again he is not. ]

I took Sforza's but then I lost it. I lost Spike. They took my son. We must find him. Are you here?

[ofhope]

Soon.

[ Fuck the what now? ]

Your son? ...Abel?

[heloise]

[ Oh, yes. Abel too. ]

Giovanni. Where is Abel? It is May already. Is it June?

[ofhope]

Giovanni.

[ THAT NAME... FUCK THAT NAME. IT FUCKING HAUNTS HIM. The only reason he even knows how to pronounce it. ]

...I don't know. But it's warm, so Abel will be here soon. But you'll have to survive if you want to see him. What if you're gone the two weeks he's here? Not good.

[heloise]

[ IT HAUNTS HER TOO, he just has to deal. If before the reminder would make her more determined, now it just reminds her of the impossible. No one is getting off this ship.

Her breath hitches, but she can't cry anymore. ]

You will have to take care of him then... Do not let him eat grasshoppers.

[ofhope]

I'm no good at that. Besides, if you're going, aren't I going with you? He'll have to be watched by someone else.

[heloise]

[ No, Joshua, you're not leaving that child an orphan. ]

Do not let him heal them either. Do not let him heal anything, they are not worth his trouble.

[ofhope]

I made a promise to you. Remember? Just focus on that.

[heloise]

[ When she dies, she wants to take the entire world with her. If she must go then they must suffer too. But then she wants to be remembered. Would Joshua even remember? Will he forget the next day? ]

No. Save yourself. Leave us.

[ofhope]

I'd be breaking my promise.

[ This kind of crazy isn't hot, shut your stupid face. ]

[heloise]

[ NO, YOU SHUT UP AND GO. ]

So break it. I would not remember that you did. I would not know you.

[ofhope]

[ I'LL GO AND SHUT YOU UP. ]

You would be back in two weeks.

[heloise]

Why did you call me Lucy? That is not my name. Did you forget?

[ofhope]

I thought it would get your attention. Or make you think of fluffy kittens.

[ Or things. ]

[heloise]

You cannot forget me when I go. You have to remember me, my name. Not Lucy.

[ You have to obsess over her every single day until you die, Joshua. ]

[ofhope]

[ Wow, that's asking a lot, babe. I mean we only have a kid and live together it's not that serious... ]

I don't forget my family.

[ Just their faces. So shut yours! ]

I'll be there soon. I have fingers to rip off, remember?

[heloise]

[ Totally just a fling. But say her name whenever you have sex with anyone else and she promises not to haunt you. ]

Rip off their fingers if any of them survive. They would be put to no good use.

[ofhope]

[ Wow is he ever going to sex anyone else in Paradisa? Not likely. So don't leave bitch. ]

Too many wishes at once. I'm not a fairy. You're going to have to pick a promise.

[heloise]

[ He can use all her toys. ]

Only one?

[ofhope]

[ No start cooperating now. Now. Now. Now. Now. ]

Until I can reach your side. Only one.

[heloise]

[ NO. ]

Then make the other ship leave. Save yourself. You cannot defeat her. She would not let you leave.

[ofhope]

Then we won't leave.

[heloise]

[ Why isn't he listening to her? It already takes so much effort to form coherent words. ]

I said, leave me alone!