video — un: starburst | backdated mid to late december.

[valeas]

( The video opens with Emilia sitting in the snow, clad in a velvet cloak to shield her from the day's chill. She isn't much of a presence lately, her recent stint back home having left her in the foulest mood. Those that know her probably sensed the proceed with caution vibes she emanated the days following the beacon disaster.

But today is a new day, and some things need doing. It starts with contacting Red for a personal heads up, and now:

Standing behind her is her husband betrothed in his trademark suit, not looking the slightest bit bothered or affected by the weather.

And behind Wrath is — well. The reason for this transmission. A creature the size of a medium horse plays in the snow, one of its three heads gnawing on a bone. Needless to say, the threat posed by one of the more vicious wolves has since been eliminated. )

This is ...

( At Emilia's careful pause, Wrath fondly supplies: )

A puppy.

( It is not a puppy by mortal standards. The doglike creature's fur is white as the snow that continues to fall, its eyes a glacier blue holding pupils that dilate and contract strangely. Its fangs are twice the size of dinner knives, and appear to be just as sharp when another one of its heads bares them before perching on Emilia's shoulder. )

He is from our world. We thought it prudent ( Emilia shoots Wrath a look then ) to alert the group of his presence.

( Wrath raises an eyebrow at the look his wife sends before releasing a sigh — this is not the underworld and some mortals are easily frightened, which could complicate matters unnecessarily. ) He does not attack without my command.

( Comforting as always, Wrath. )

Let either of us know if you wish to meet him, so that he may become familiar with you. His name is a work in progress. ( Emilia ignores Wrath's snort to add: ) And a summoning ward will ensure he has a place to retreat to as needed.

( The puppy mainly just wants to play right now tbh. It really is a puppy by hell standards. They grow to the size of elephants, so. )

Comments

[rumorate]

[Yes but ... dogs the size of elephants. Woof.]

And it's ... coming with us? Not complaining, just curious.

[inferus]

I was provided with a ward, which is capable of hiding the puppy when necessary. Otherwise it would be highly impractical to bring along.

( By impractical, he means, it would terrify the locals wherever they went. )

[rumorate]

Well, that's good.

[The puppy will be safe, and hopefully so will everyone else.]

It's cute, for a puppy the size of the horse.

[inferus]

( Wrath raises an eyebrow at that descriptor of 'cute' though he certainly finds them so in his... own way. He would never say that word out loud though. )

I believe you are the first individual to refer to a hellhound with such an adjective.

[rumorate]

I've been told I have interesting taste.

[Then a faint, bittersweet smile crosses her face.]

Claire would have lost her mind - in a good way.

[valeas]

As Wrath said, the ward will accommodate for his size.

( After a slight pause, she speaks again. )

Are you busy?

( It's been a while since they've truly spoken. Not only because Emilia has been processing, but because they both went through the beacon. Time has passed. She doesn't want to let what has happened with her twin turn her into a bad friend. )

[rumorate]

Not currently, no.

[And honestly she could use some friend time.]

Should I see if I can find some wine?

[valeas]

I'd hardly complain if you did. I can meet you back in your room?

[rumorate]

Sounds perfect.

[And she will drum up some wine because at least on Allison's end, they're going to need it. When Emilia arrives at her door, she opens it with a smile, gesturing for her to come in.]

Hey. Make yourself at home.

[valeas]

( Emilia gives Allison a small smile: warm in an earnest relief to see her friend, and strained at the edges, because yeah. She'll need some of that wine, too. Maybe a lot of it. The amount in question is yet to be determined.

At least she comes with a small basket in tow. Allison knows what that means. )

Grazi. I've brought some bruschetta to pair with the wine.

( ... This world's version of it, anyhow. Sometimes substitutions need to be made. )

[rumorate]

Delicious.

[She closes the door behind them and then goes to pour the wine which has been left to breathe. Once the glasses are filled, she passes one off to her friend before settling in a comfy chair.]

Sorry I haven't checked in. Things have been a little nuts.

[valeas]

You need not apologize to me.

( Not when Emilia has been guilty of the same.

She sets the bread on a small plate between them, accepting the glass that Allison offers. It is not just her hair that is different. Something about her feels... harder, angrier, lately. In a way Emilia truly does understand. )

How long were you gone?

[rumorate]

About a week?

[That seems to be the right amount of time for things to go to shit.]

Doesn't seem like a lot of time, but a lot happened.

[valeas]

( Emilia nods her understanding. It wasn't very long for her either, yet it feels like her whole life has changed. Again. )

Do you need to talk about it?

( Sometimes that's different than wanting to. )

[rumorate]

[Emilia's not wrong. Allison doesn't want to talk about it, because the more she says the words out loud, the more real it becomes that Allison can't get back there, to the things she wants most. But she also knows that the more real it becomes, the more she can keep her focus on staying alive and moving forward here.

She knows she can't afford to slip, not here.]

When we arrived back in 2019, we found out that ... things were changed that meant we were never born, so my daughter was never born.

[valeas]

( Her heart sinks.

She remembers their first conversation about Claire. Remembers the lip of the fountain they sat at, the little girls from Taravast that wove flowers into their hair. It'd always been the one thing that kept Allison going — the thought of returning to her. )

Is there a way to ... change them back?

( For all that Emilia has grown more powerful, time travel is utterly foreign to her. )

[rumorate]

I was trying to before I got here, but the beacon snatched me back.

[She was very upset about it.]

Five was also very upset with me and made me promise him I wouldn't try to go back again until we were going together so ... I'm trying to keep that promise for now.

[valeas]

Five does not have a child.

( Neither does Emilia, at that, but she does know what it's like to be driven to desperate measures. To be willing to do dreadful things for the person you love. It burns in her still, the discovery it was all for nothing. For a ghost that never was. )

I know how much you love her.

( It is not an I'm sorry, exactly. But it is understanding. )

[rumorate]

[Allison nods, before taking another long sip of her wine.]

But I also fucked up in my own right, so there's that. Trusted the wrong people because I was so desperate to get what I wanted. He's not wrong, about making sure we have a better plan.

[valeas]

( Her tactility is reserved for those closest to her, and Emilia does slip her hand on top of Allison's for just a brief moment, that she may feel supported. Emilia herself has trusted the wrong people, and she's only just begun to realize it. )

If I can help somehow, you know I will.

( It does not all have to begin and end with these godsdamn beacons. )

[rumorate]

I know.

[She turns her hand and squeezes Emilia's. Enough about Allison's problems, though:]

I take it things weren't peaches and roses for you back home?

[valeas]

( The temperature in the room rises ever so slightly, though not with intention. Emilia shakes her head in response, aware when she says the words aloud, there's no putting them back. Aware that was never an option in the first place. )

No. My sister isn't dead. She was never in trouble. It was all part of her plan.

[rumorate]

[Allison sits up a bit, trying to connect the dots and watching Emilia's face to try and gauge how she's feeling about that.]

... I'm sorry, what?

[She's offended on Emilia's behalf, right out the gate.]

And what was this plan, exactly?

[valeas]

She would not tell me.

( The story of Emilia's fucking life, really. )

I was simply meant to take her at her word that she did it all for us, even if it might not seem like it. She said even the most volatile fuel requires a spark to cause flames, as though I was the fuel.

( Vittoria wants their enemies to burn, and break the chains that bind them. It didn't matter how. )

[rumorate]

So she faked her own death, for you, without even consulting you, and now she's just trying to swan back in like nothing happened and everything is fine?

[Yeah, Allison has only one response to all of that.]

Bitch.