hadriel | voice

We are here. What--

「What happened? No, it might be too soon to ask, also, kind of obvious... It was rough to be alone out there.」

Don't cry, you're not alone. Is anyone going to get you?

Hey, big eyes. Are you okay? Were you someplace safe?

Yeah, a couple of people said they'd come.

Yeah, I guess. As safe as it can be in here anyway.

Do you want company?

I've got some people coming. Maybe you could meet me at my apartment? You remember where it is?

Yes. 「He gives her a little smile.」

I'll be here as soon as possible, Lilly.

[She wipes at her eyes and tries to smile back.]

Thank you.

「Atem gets ready for the storm out there and waits long enough for whoever said would pick Abigail up, to do so. By the time he makes it there, he's absolutely drenched but, it's not like he cares, really. At least the wind hasn't picked up enough to literally blow him away.

He knocks loudly on the door, the loud sounds of the storm could probably muffle that.」

Lilly, it's Atem!

[Abigail's just had enough time to dry herself off when she hears him at the door. She opens the door.]

You're really here. C'mon inside. Let's get you warm.

[She'd hug him if he wasn't soaked.]

It's good to see you. I thought I'd never see anyone I knew again.

[She would have made different choices if she knew she would.]

「He goes inside and helps her close the door, those winds are evil.

Funny, he'd hug her as well if he wasn't soaked. He hangs around the entrance because he's not about to drip everywhere. But hey, look, that hair of his looks a little more normal when wet.」

I know the feeling... Are you alright?

I'm okay, considering I was alone and then, you know, dead.

[It's hard to even say the word out loud when she's with her friend. She looks him over to see if there's a coat or a jacket she can take.]

I can get you some towels and blankets.

「Does he want to ask? Nope, not really, one of these days he will wake and none of his friends would be have died nor hurt or suffering in some way, but today is not that day so he will ask, eventually. He's not here to act detective, he's here to keep her company.」

I'd appreciate that.

「He takes off a very light jacket he's wearing but that's about it.」

Crazy weather, huh... Last time I saw this much rain the world was ending.

「He's not even kidding, so really it's just small talk.」

[Abigail hangs the jacket up, separately from the other jackets in the closet.]

I'll be right back.

[She returns quickly with an armful of towels and blankets. She wraps one of the thickest towels around his shoulders, rubbing his shoulders as she does.]

You must be freezing. Let's hope the world's not ending here. I don't have enough wood to build an ark and who'd want to round up two of all the animals we have here?

[She gives him a small smile.]

「He chuckles at the view, those are many towels! But allows her to warm him up with a sheepish smile, it feels great.」

I'm fine. 「No, he is a freezing but nothing a warm towel will not fix.」

Wait what...? An ark?

「He's so not familiar with that tale, hmm, legend? Story? Thing.」

[Abigail chuckles.]

I guess that joke only works with someone from my world. There's a story about a man named Noah. There was a big flood and he built an ark, a really big boat. He put two of every animal on it.

「Oh but they might have the same story, he's just like a million years early for it.」

That sounds kinda silly. How did he know there was gonna be a flood? And there are like millions of animals out there, how do you pair them all?

「Meanwhile he takes the towel from her hands and proceeds to dry his hair.」

Edited (oops) 2018-09-09 20:40 (UTC)

God told him about it. Then god flooded the world, killed everyone else. But he loves his children.

[Abigail says it sarcastically and shrugs.]

And how did he keep them from eating each other while they were on the ship?

「Oh, okay, there is a god involved. That changes things, weirdly. But sounds a bit harsh... Not unlike his own version of how humanity rebelled against the Sun god and how that ended in a terrible slaughter and reordering of the cosmos. Basically.」

God told them not to...? 「He says skeptically with a shrug.」

God told them to go against the instincts that he gave them...Yeah, that sounds like the god I've heard about.

[Abigail nods.]

C'mon, let's go sit down. [She walks to the couch.]

Yeah... They could do that I guess. 「The last time he said some shit about other people's god, it didn't go really well (obviously), he's not gonna risk it, so there goes another shrug. He wraps the towel around himself and follows her to the couch. Before sitting down he puts another towel on the cushion so it doesn't get wet.

He allows a bit of silence to settle in as he keeps drying his coiffure. It is very obvious now what went down during those days that she was alone... Or was she?」

... Wanna talk about it?

[Abigail sits next to him and gives a small nod. She can't keep this bottled up and she feels like he'll understand.]

I had a lot of time to think when I was alone. I thought about all the people that got hurt because of me. The people that died. Even when I slept, I'd see them in my dreams.

[She looks down at the floor, still feeling that guilt.]

Do you remember that dream we shared? The one where you showed me a monster that was in me? There was a man with me, he showed me something like that. It wasn't a monster. It was the sin in me, my bad soul. It glowed red.

「He remembers, of course he does, it doesn't bring him any pride or joy, but he understands. He had judged her wrong, though.」

And... that man, what did he do?

「There is a sinking sensation down his stomach, if that person had hurt her, it wouldn't have been any different from he did in that dream.」

He took the sin out. He made it all go away.

[Abigail looks up slowly.]

It wasn't bad. He didn't have me in chains or anything, not like that dream. He even played music for me.

「Atem can't help but feel a little judged, it's not like it was his fault that his subconscious had her in chains.」

Took the sin out? So, what, you're clean now?

「Come on, it can't possibly work that way. If he sounds skeptical and a little cynical, it's not her imagination.」

[Abigail frowns, maybe the things she's done can't go away.]

I don't know. I was supposed to be. I saw the sin coming out when I died. That has to mean something.

[She's not sure if she's trying to convince him or herself.]

You still remember it, don't you?

「What was the point of that? A second or two after he says it he regrets it. He's not supposed to make her feel worse.」

What does it mean to you?

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