"Yeah," Erin says, frankly. "...I'm tired, youngblood. This month has been a nightmare with no waking and now my last sanctuary from it feels like someone slapped a piece from the wrong puzzle in it. Maybe you were just having a really bad night, that first night. But I don't think so. I know the kind of damage I heard in her voice and her words and you don't shuck that like a badly-fitting coat."
The Lost turns to face Tear. Rests her hand on her saber, not threateningly, but openly. "So. Did I somehow get everything wrong about my friend? Or is there another name I ought to be calling you?"
because it's true -- yeah, she has every right to be suspicious, and to be upset that the singing lesson isn't going the way she wants for it to, but ...
" I don't think you got anything wrong about me... I'm not possessed, I was just thrown off by what you said earlier -- about that guy, Giles. I ... "
she pauses, hesitating. well ... a little bit of honesty wouldn't hurt here.
" I've been through something like that before, with a former teacher of mine. Hearing about that was really upsetting ... But I'm not possessed. If I was then don't you think I'd be attacking you, or going around hurting people, or something? I wouldn't be coming to see you, or wanting to hear you out in the first place."
ghosts are spooky and all that, right? plus, with what she just said giles did... well. torn was nothing like that.
Erin gives that serious consideration. Turns, just a little, to face the front of the stage instead of standing hostile. "...Not all the ghosts have been like that. I'm not gonna talk details, but while Giles' possessor was my first he hasn't been my only. The ones who have been living in harmony with the crew I've...let go. They didn't choose to be here either. They're passengers. One of us. Children of this garden."
(Leave the revelation aside for now Peters. We're too hurt to ask.)
|What if she needs to talk about it?|
(How much talking is she gonna do if we break down sobbing before she can even finish? One crisis at a time. One.)
wow, interesting... torn in genuine surprise here.
" he's not the only ghost? "
she's surprised to hear that -- both that erin's found some of them out already, and also that she's let them go for whatever reason.
" what do you mean when you say that they're passengers...? are you saying they're passengers right now, because they're in a passenger's body? or is it something else? "
she's genuinely curious, since the answer would tell her how much erin knows about them. torn had heard along the grapevine that some of the ghosts had been sharing information about them with the other passengers, but she's never really gone into the specifics. she'd been way more occupied with tear's friend group: that freak genius colonel and that magic-freak keeping her on her toes.
she has no hostility towards erin though, and hopes her genuine surprise and curiosity lend to the believability of her act. if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that under tear's tough-soldier act, she was still just a regular teen girl. erin probably hadn't seen that side yet, though, but ... maybe getting a glimpse this way wasn't bad either.
Erin's ears twitch faintly. "Were, and are, and maybe will be. SecUnit sent some information first, and then it got backed up by the people I met. They had their own voyage. A hard, cruel voyage, run through the gauntlet of misery, presumably to fuel our creator. You know I'm the second time Erin Peters has had her soul copied? Two fucking nickels."
"...They said they don't know how to give the bodies back even if they wanted to. That they don't know how they got in them even. They rhyme a bit with the host but they're playing the wrong song, if you'll excuse the indulgence. That's. Why I'm so worried, right now. I'm prepared to accept that the friends I've made here might be gone. To welcome those who have returned through no fault of their own."
A small, shaky sob. "I just. Want to know if I need to mourn them or not."
these are ... pretty much all people she doesn't know, so she stays silent as erin talks -- letting her get it all out. the piece about erin's soul being split into two, or being copied, piques her curiosity though.
the part about not knowing how to give the bodies back is odd, though. but then again, they were probably lying.
" I see ... I understand why you'd be wary of me, then. You don't want to lose any more people you care about... "
she feels a little bad for erin -- a little. what they were doing, and trying to accomplish, was way more important than just one person's feelings. but if the roles were reversed, and the shoe was on the other foot, torn knows she'd probably be reacting just the same.
" I'm not sure if we need to mourn them... I haven't spoken to any of the possessed people myself. Do you think there's a chance the original person is still in there? Or did the ghosts say that they're gone? "
Erin listens. Her ears twitch violently, as if trying to swat something. And then she lets out a heavy sigh.
The song of her voice is leaden: "You're not saying it quite right. Tear hides from herself. Her voice is only this true and vulnerable when she's singing. You're too okay being yourself to be the friend I came here for, passenger."
[ she sighs, and shakes her head, long hair swinging with the motion. the way this person described things too -- "our garden" ... how cringey is that?
whatever. this person can believe what she wants to believe.
part of her is suuuper pissed off about this, but she isn't here looking for a fight. not when she has bigger things to deal with.
but then again: actually, maybe this is a good thing since not having to do singing lessons will free up her time more? ]
That's a strong opinion you have towards someone you hardly know.
[ how many interactions did erin even have with tear before this? like, a handful of lessons?
it was shocking to her that so many people were dead-set on their perceptions of tear, how so many came to know her so quickly and surely. but then again, her stoicism probably lended to that, right? her brutal honesty, her monotone way of speaking.
she was basically like a robot.
or, like makoto. ]
So ... am I correct in guessing you'd like to stop the singing lessons?
"They were never lessons, passenger. Just two shy people sharing their art, knowing we wouldn't be judged."
Some part of Erin wants to say: would you sing for me still? Can I hear those songs one last time, pretend things are normal? It would be so easy to just lie to herself.
But honesty is a habit, isn't it?
"...Just go. I won't press you, or push you. If you find that wretch living in Giles, I dunno. Maybe ask your fellows if he's the kind of vermin you want around in your home. I won't say it's been nice meeting you, but..."
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no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 01:04 am (UTC)The Lost turns to face Tear. Rests her hand on her saber, not threateningly, but openly. "So. Did I somehow get everything wrong about my friend? Or is there another name I ought to be calling you?"
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 01:09 am (UTC)because it's true -- yeah, she has every right to be suspicious, and to be upset that
the singing lesson isn't going the way she wants for it to, but ...
" I don't think you got anything wrong about me... I'm not possessed, I was just
thrown off by what you said earlier -- about that guy, Giles. I ... "
she pauses, hesitating. well ... a little bit of honesty wouldn't hurt here.
" I've been through something like that before, with a former teacher of mine.
Hearing about that was really upsetting ... But I'm not possessed. If I was then
don't you think I'd be attacking you, or going around hurting people, or something?
I wouldn't be coming to see you, or wanting to hear you out in the first place."
ghosts are spooky and all that, right? plus, with what she just said giles did... well.
torn was nothing like that.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 01:12 am (UTC)(Leave the revelation aside for now Peters. We're too hurt to ask.)
|What if she needs to talk about it?|
(How much talking is she gonna do if we break down sobbing before she can even finish? One crisis at a time. One.)
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 01:21 am (UTC)" he's not the only ghost? "
she's surprised to hear that -- both that erin's found some of them out already,
and also that she's let them go for whatever reason.
" what do you mean when you say that they're passengers...? are you saying they're
passengers right now, because they're in a passenger's body? or is it something else? "
she's genuinely curious, since the answer would tell her how much erin knows about
them. torn had heard along the grapevine that some of the ghosts had been sharing
information about them with the other passengers, but she's never really gone into
the specifics. she'd been way more occupied with tear's friend group: that freak
genius colonel and that magic-freak keeping her on her toes.
she has no hostility towards erin though, and hopes her genuine surprise and curiosity lend to the believability of her act. if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that under tear's tough-soldier act, she was still just a regular teen girl.
erin probably hadn't seen that side yet, though, but ... maybe getting a glimpse
this way wasn't bad either.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 01:33 am (UTC)"...They said they don't know how to give the bodies back even if they wanted to. That they don't know how they got in them even. They rhyme a bit with the host but they're playing the wrong song, if you'll excuse the indulgence. That's. Why I'm so worried, right now. I'm prepared to accept that the friends I've made here might be gone. To welcome those who have returned through no fault of their own."
A small, shaky sob. "I just. Want to know if I need to mourn them or not."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 01:52 am (UTC)silent as erin talks -- letting her get it all out. the piece about
erin's soul being split into two, or being copied, piques her curiosity
though.
the part about not knowing how to give the bodies back is odd, though.
but then again, they were probably lying.
" I see ... I understand why you'd be wary of me, then. You don't want
to lose any more people you care about... "
she feels a little bad for erin -- a little. what they were doing,
and trying to accomplish, was way more important than just one person's
feelings. but if the roles were reversed, and the shoe was on the other foot,
torn knows she'd probably be reacting just the same.
" I'm not sure if we need to mourn them... I haven't spoken to any of the
possessed people myself. Do you think there's a chance the original person
is still in there? Or did the ghosts say that they're gone? "
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 02:02 am (UTC)The song of her voice is leaden: "You're not saying it quite right. Tear hides from herself. Her voice is only this true and vulnerable when she's singing. You're too okay being yourself to be the friend I came here for, passenger."
"...Welcome back to our garden."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 03:40 pm (UTC)the way this person described things too -- "our garden" ... how cringey is that?
whatever. this person can believe what she wants to believe.
part of her is suuuper pissed off about this, but she isn't here looking
for a fight. not when she has bigger things to deal with.
but then again: actually, maybe this is a good thing since not having to do
singing lessons will free up her time more? ]
That's a strong opinion you have towards someone you hardly know.
[ how many interactions did erin even have with tear before this? like,
a handful of lessons?
it was shocking to her that so many people were dead-set on their perceptions
of tear, how so many came to know her so quickly and surely. but then again,
her stoicism probably lended to that, right? her brutal honesty, her monotone
way of speaking.
she was basically like a robot.
or, like makoto. ]
So ... am I correct in guessing you'd like to stop the singing lessons?
no subject
Date: 2022-10-23 04:25 pm (UTC)Some part of Erin wants to say: would you sing for me still? Can I hear those songs one last time, pretend things are normal? It would be so easy to just lie to herself.
But honesty is a habit, isn't it?
"...Just go. I won't press you, or push you. If you find that wretch living in Giles, I dunno. Maybe ask your fellows if he's the kind of vermin you want around in your home. I won't say it's been nice meeting you, but..."
"...This is your home too. I mean that."