xxvii. dictated

[lucre]

Joel
You will prove to me that your assault was accidental.

[ That is a command, Joel, not a request. ]

Joshua
Only you and I are left, my love. Will you ask me to come home?

[ It has been so long since Lucrezia addressed the castle at large. For a time, she had been content with those closest to her, taking comfort in familiarity. But all that is unraveling fast and she is running out of places to go. Cassandra assured her that she would never be alone, and she believed her for a time, but look at her now. Death severs all vows.

Still, she is in no habit of airing her grievances, readily assuming that the news has spread and that acknowledging it would only mean admitting her weakness. She settles for a red herring: ]

You will find horses to be a most pleasant way to travel, if treated well. Carrots and apples will do you great favor.

Stephanie
[ Lucrezia is already waiting downstairs with a steed, too afraid to come knocking at the door. So she writes her a message on the journal instead: ]

You are in dire need of a bath.

[ ooc; she also has an open action thread HERE! ]

Comments

Lucrezia

[focusrighthere]

[ It's been a long time since he's experienced anything close to guilt, or shame, for the simple fact of not being psychologically equipped to handle it. If he thinks about one, he has to think about hundreds. But this, the Castle brainwashing him into taking out somebody he actually liked, he wasn't prepared for something like this.

He'd hurt Cassie, Cass. Killed her, for no reason whatsoever. He doesn't expect anyone to be forgiving in this scenario. The worst part is being able to trace back her line of thinking in leaving him disabled instead of dead. It's been a long time since he's experienced guilt, but there are other things he thought he couldn't feel anymore that he'd been wrong about.

Joel is recalling how useless this emotion is. It fixes nothing. As self-serving as rationalizing, because if he felt really bad, he wouldn't hide. ]

I have no way to do that.

Joel

[lucre]

[ Lucrezia would be inclined to agree. Guilt is useless because there is no such thing as mercy. Only God forgives. She certainly has no plans to. ]

You must find one then. It is the guilty who flees.

Lucrezia

[focusrighthere]

[ People are more worrisome creatures than infected. ]

Well, I can tell you my side and you can believe me or not.

Joel

[lucre]

[ When all she had wanted was to find him, lure him in. ]

Begin.

Lucrezia

[focusrighthere]

[ He'll keep his distance, thanks. "Castle's fault" sounds as stupid as it did the first time he thought about how speaking up for himself might go. ]

Couldn't recognize anyone. Everyone looked like, uh, enemies. Ones from my world.

[ If Cass hadn't crushed his hands, he would've kept trying to kill them all. ]

Dictated

[preformthisneigh]

[You brought this on yourself, Lulu]

Don't forget cupcakes, because those are-

[No. Hold up.]

What do you mean a way to travel?

Dictated

[lucre]

[ Dun dun dun. ]

Horses? Are they not fit to travel where you are from?

[ Are they all too plump from cupcakes? ]

forever!!!

[preformthisneigh]

I don't know about horses so much, but ponies are. If they want, anyway. Most ponies just stay in one town.

[A laugh, it's funny because it's ridiculous.] For a second there, I thought you were saying you like...rode on them or something, crazy right?

[Look the cupcakes are good ok.]

[lucre]

[ Well they're certainly off to a good start. She'll get the lay of the land first... ]

Should ponies not be ridden?

dictated;

[keelahs]

They're far too slow if you ask me.

dictated;

[lucre]

Faster than on foot.

What do you prefer instead?

dictated;

[keelahs]

I'll give you that one, but anything with an engine has got to be better than a live animal. If you ask me, the higher it goes, the better.

dictated;

[lucre]

That is unfortunately what we have so recently been deprived of.

Flying remains an alternative.

Lucrezia

[ofhope]

[ Joshua is...currently so fucked up he can barely tell which way the sky is. Waking up after being brainwashed, on a level that is disturbing even for him, leaves him groggy, confused, and very cranky. Like when you wake a toddler up from a nap too early.

His voice is a bit hoarse, like someone who's been screaming for hours, and though he's asking questions, they end with a sharp jar, like he keeps losing his train of thought. ]

I—

don't know where I am.

Where are you.

What happened.

Joshua

[lucre]

[ Ah. And she had holed herself up in her room for too long to even notice, what does that say about her? She feels a twinge of guilt when she hears him but knows that it would be worse if she comes rushing now. It would just be worse. ]

Too many things. You should rest.

Lucrezia

[ofhope]

Not until I reach home.

Where are

you

Come home.

Joshua

[lucre]

Can you suffer the noise if I did?

It is best I do not.

Lucrezia

[secondchances]

[She sort of wants to protest, but between the castle changing, the fights, and oh--Cass dying, she's not very clean nor does she have it in her to argue.]

Smell that bad, huh?

Stephanie

[lucre]

[ Lucrezia would go straight there and drag her out of bed if she's not too afraid of catching sight of Cass's body or meeting Tim. It would be too much. But Steph had promised her once that she would always drag her out of bed if she ever became too sad. Perhaps it's her turn, finally. ]

Yet I will bear it for a little longer to take you to a bathhouse.

Lucrezia

[secondchances]

It sounds like a good idea. I'll meet you somewhere. What's closest to you?

[A walk would do her good.]

Stephanie

[lucre]

Outside your apartment. I have come to bear you away on a mighty steed, my crowned one.

[dictated]

[defyingfrigidity]

It's been some time since I last rode a horse. I suppose this will be a good chance to see just how rusty I've gotten.

[dictated] sorry this is so late :c

[lucre]

Have I earned myself a riding partner?

[dictated] no worries bb :>

[defyingfrigidity]

If you don't mind a riding partner who might make a fool of herself due to lack of practice, I would be happy to take you up on that offer.

[dictated] <3!

[lucre]

Ah, but that would surely depend on your steed. Riding is like dancing, is it not?