IC contact for wethelost

[devoutish]

Solomons & Melborn
1108 Sweet Cream Street

[Feel free to use this space for letter/package deliveries as well as visits/knocks on the front door!]

Comments

[furgood]

...i get the feeling that you don't mean in the normal sort of way.

[devoutish]

Well--

[ He pauses, because he hadn't been thinking of the anomalies, but they do come to mind now. ]

Sometimes they were wrong. Yeah. Monsters with their shapes.

[furgood]

Ah-- sorry if you meant just normally. I'm used to the way the Capitol did things. [She shrugs ] They brought in families of people and then brought them in once more during an arena, only wrong.

[devoutish]

Were they tricks, or were they really them?

[furgood]

[She shakes her head, breathing out heavily ] To know that, you'd have to talk to the people who ran that arena. I don't really know. They could change people as well as make mutts, abominations.

[ She fiddles with the doll and holds out her hand for the smallest doll.]

[devoutish]

[He places it in her palm, curling her fingers over it.]

I saw family once, not long after I arrived. They came spilling out of a monster and crawled along the floor, looking horribly in pain.

[furgood]

I'm sorry. [ She shakes her head] People love you use those you care about against you.

[devoutish]

Wouldn't call the things what ran Norfinbury people, myself.

[furgood]

You know what I meant. [ She carefully reassembles the nesting doll, making sure everything lines up. ] They know the easiest way to get to someone is through their friends, their family.

[devoutish]

They were masters of that. Yes.

[He closes his eyes.]

They pulled things from our heads; from our memories. It's very likely that it wasn't them. That they were never there.

[furgood]

[The doll is set to the side and she reaches out and covers his hand with both of hers] I'm sorry. It sounds awful. [She hesitates] Did they ever mess with who you were? What you believed in, your morals, things like that?

[devoutish]

They'd force us to attack people.

[So that definitely counts.]

Get into our heads, make us think that it was what we wanted to do. We'd kill; torture.

[All things that he's done, sure, but being made to do it when he wouldn't have otherwise had still been egregious to him.]

[furgood]

[He can surely feel her physical shudder. Her gaze dips and she looks blank and far away for a solid five seconds before she snaps back]

I'm sorry. I- I can't stand how they...

[devoutish]

We're here now.

[He says evenly, touching her arm.]

Eh?

[furgood]

[ She nods once and then tilts her head in question ]

Hmn?

[devoutish]

[He crinkles his brow at her, concerned.]

You all right?

[furgood]

I'm... I'm fine. Just upset by what Norfinbury put you through. Upset about things I can't change. [She lets go and picks up her empty tea cup. In a swift motion she stands and tries on a tight smile] Maybe I'll just get a refill.

[devoutish]

Here, here - let me.

[He reaches for her cup, if she'll give it to him. He is the host, after all.]

[furgood]

[ She lets go, if a little reluctantly. It doesn't stop her from trailing after him, like she's going through the motions either way ]

I have to have you over again so I can make you let me get everything. [Her voice sounds at first a little absent and detached but soon picks up.] If you'll even let me.

[devoutish]

Sure, I will. Yeah.

[He pours her another cup and hands it back to her, then leans against the counter with his arms folded.]

Is Norfinbury really all that's bothering you?

[furgood]

Norfinbury is pretty awful. [ She takes a gulp, more so she doesn't have to soak than to quench any thirst ]

... Do you remember Rae's brother? I don't know if you met him. But he controlled her, controlled anyone. And she loved him anyways even if he hurt her. She knew better but she couldn't help it.

[devoutish]

I did hear about it, yeah.

[He waits, assuming that she has more to say.]

[furgood]

[She opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. The silence stretches for several long moments and then she takes a deep breath] I'm sorry. I never thought I'd tell anyone any of this. Not about what happened to my hearing or--

[Another deep breath.] I loved someone, trusted them, even though I knew better. Or I should have. And they... didn't control me like Slink did to Rae. But they let someone else in my head and told me it was right. That it fixed me. And I agreed for a long time until someone else helped me.

[devoutish]

[Aha. He knew there was a fully story behind that look.]

You're free of them now?

[furgood]

[Wince ] I...I like to think all the programming is gone but it pops up sometimes. It was worse around those who loved the Capitol. Not many of those here.