voice

[invasif]

You left me to die.

[ Soft with buried rage and spite. ]

Comments

( voice | private )

[insubordination]

You are going to have to be a little more specific.

[ roy sounds pretty terrible. disoriented, confused. frustrated, angry. but he still manages to deliver on that pointed indifference, when it comes to ilde. so there is that. ]

[invasif]

Must I?

[ Only venom in her voice. ]

[insubordination]

If you want to get anywhere, yes.

[ tiredly. ]

If you're referring to Astoria, by all means. But if you're referring to us, you're directing your fury at the wrong people.

[invasif]

Then I choose you, General. I agreed to your terms, to report my power and assist our group. Where were the rest of your lackeys.

[ A small hiss of breath. ]

No, that's just as unfair. You have no power here.

[insubordination]

[ well, being angry at him is better than screaming at some kid, so roy will take it. but still, he bristles. ]

I was just as dead as you were, Ilde. So were a decent amount of kids.

[ his tone is even, calm. tempered fire, maybe. ]

You aren't the only one who suffered.

[invasif]

Oh, I never am.

[ SHE MAKES SURE OF THAT. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE'S DOING RIGHT NOW. ]

Don't patronize me, General.

[ I outrank you, and I've killed generals for less. ]

[insubordination]

Patronize you?

[ his tone, now, is getting a little more clipped. ]

What do you want me to tell you? What do you need to hear? That going down there was a mistake? Or do you want someone to take the blame for the people who were killed as a result of the plan?

[ there's a cough -- a wet sound, but he continues. ]

It was a mistake. And if you want someone to blame for the fallout, and for mobilizing, and forcing people to consider the concept of working as a team, then by all means, blame me for it. But don't take out your anger on a group of people who tried to do the right thing. It isn't their fault that we were too slow.

[invasif]

I want to hear some contrition. I want to hear some self-awareness from the rest of this miserable coalition. You can't speak for them.

[ She enunciates that last sentence with terse clarity. ]

You can't accept their failures for them. We will not succeed at any of this with only good intentions. We were too slow and too complacent to kill that thing before it killed us. We were too slow and too complacent to make a choice in Akvos.

How many more, General? Will you leave me to die again?

[insubordination]

[ it's an impossible ask. to prevent anyone from dying. but what she actually asks of him, is rather easy to answer. ]

I never leave anyone to die. I would rather die myself, first.

[ tiredly. ]

But I expect you'll catch more flies with honey, if you want them to apologize. Or own up to mistakes. Or accept responsibility. Or all of the above.

[ he pauses. ]

Are you alright? Aside from the obvious, of coming back from the dead.

[invasif]

I have been kind enough.

[ She's reached out before, to little effect. Now she has a weapon to wield against them. ]

I should ask you the same. You fared no better than I.

[insubordination]

Perhaps, but that still doesn't change the fact that we need to work together to try to prevent being slaughtered again.

[ mildly enough. but roy won't force ilde to work with others if she doesn't want to. she, understandably, is furious. let her be angry. he'll work on getting her to agree another day. ]

And I'm fine.

[ he isn't, but he's not admitting that out loud. ]

We made it, didn't we? The only thing to do is keep moving forward.

[invasif]

[ Oh my god please. ]

As you say.

[insubordination]

There's really no other option, is there.

[ he won't be deterred by your dickishness, ilde!! ]

Let me know if you need anything.