wondertwits | (908) Would you like to blur the lines between friendship and lesbianism tonight?

[The past few days have been pretty rough on Shirley. A week at sea, crash landing on the Legacy, and being kidnapped not once--not twice--but three times can really take it out of a girl. She couldn't even remember properly being brought to this cell; everything since the cliff is fuzzy in her mind, as if it had happened to someone else entirely.

It just doesn't feel real. Just a week ago, she and Senel had been at home, laughing, making dinner together... and now she's here, locked up, and he's at the bottom of a cliff somewhere. Just thinking about what happened to him is enough to make Shirley's throat close up--not even someone as tough as Senel could have fallen that far without injury.]

[But before her thoughts become trapped thinking about how badly Senel must be hurt, Shirley notices something glowing in the gloom of her cell out of the corner of her eye.]

The shell...? [She stares down at it, dumbfounded, before reaching down to pick it up.] It's... glowing? I wonder... does that mean he's alright? [She closes her eyes, clasping the shell tightly between her palms. The Oresoren had said that the shells were connected. If Senel still had his, maybe her feelings could reach him through it.] I'm... really glad you're alive, Senel... I'm okay, really. [She blinks back tears.] So, please... just be careful. Don't do anything rash.

[When she hears footsteps echo down the corridor outside, Fenimore shrinks further into the back of her cell. Movement can only mean bad things, and movement so close to her can mean worse things still. She knows that she's the only one left in this row of cells. It's been a long time since she's heard anyone else -- or, rather, anyone Ferines, which is all that really matters -- but she can't be sure if that means she is the last one or if they are just far away. It's also hard to know how long it has been since she last heard someone dragged to the room down the hall, when the only indication of the passing of time is the way the torches on the wall are worn down or the movements of the Orerines.]

[The footsteps pass by her cell. It seems like she's been lucky again today, or what passes for lucky here. But she doesn't move from the back of the cell until they've passed back away and she can't hear them anymore. Only then does she relax, insofar as she can. She's not sure what they had been doing, but she doesn't care what Orerines do so long as they aren't coming for her.]

[But then she hears a voice that doesn't sound like a guard. She thinks she's imagining it at first, but it continues, much less rough than any Orerines she's ever heard -- which is to say, any soldier in red. She creeps forward, trying to catch the words and figure out where it's coming from.]

[She listens for some time and, now that she can hear what the other girl is saying, she is almost certain it can't be an Orerines.]

[It's so good to hear another voice again.]

[And then it stops, but by now she thinks she knows where it's coming from. It sounds like it's coming from a cell to her right and there's only one of those. It's been empty for some time, but -- not anymore, it seems. She moves to the wall facing that cell and knocks.]

Hello? [Her voice is initially a little timid. Swallowing her nerves, she makes herself knock a little louder.] Can you hear me?

[Shirley gasps at the sound of another voice and the knocking, reflexively flinching back into the corner of her cell. Her eyes dart around, looking for where it's coming from; there's no one in here with her, and there's no one on the other side of the bars.

But if she's in a cell... maybe there's someone else locked up in another one next to her. That has to be it--there was a knocking, too, as if someone were tapping on a shared wall. Shirley swallows, before moving across the cell to be closer to the wall where she heard the voice and the knocking sound.]

Is-- is someone there? [She rests her hand on the wall. Compared to the heat of the rest of the room, it's cool underneath her palm.] Hello?

[Under normal circumstances, she might have made some remark like "no, I'm a disembodied voice haunting the walls," but she's just too relieved to have someone to talk to again. The first couple of times she'd gained a neighbour, either from someone new being captured or some Orerines putting someone in the wrong cell, she'd felt terribly guilty about that. It certainly wasn't something to feel relieved about for the other person. By now, though, the guilt is much less and she doesn't even bother to hide the relief in her voice.]

I thought so. You must be a new one.

[For the first time in a while, she smiles. The voice sounds young -- maybe the girl is around her age. It's been even longer since she was able to talk to a girl her age. Later, she'll feel sad over what this girl has to go through, but, right now, she's almost excited.]

Yes, I'm here, in the next cell. [...Probably. She's pretty sure there's only one other cell in that direction.] Where are you from?

[She hesitates for a moment. She can't imagine the Orerines doing something as terrible as this to anyone other than a Ferines, but she realizes that she's just assuming the voice on the other side of the wall belongs to a Ferines. She should make sure.]

You're Ferines, too, aren't you?

[Shirley feels both relieved to hear a friendly voice--and afraid, knowing that the soldiers have locked someone else up in the prison. She never thought she would see another Ferines again, especially not in a place like this.]

Y-yes, I am... but it's been a long time since I've been home. [To be exact, it's been three years. Three long, lonely years of running and hiding. Without warning, Shirley can feel her face tighten up with tears. She reaches up to dab at her eyes with one of her sleeves, which has gotten dirty and grimy from all of her recent misadventures. (Shirley wishes she could just--take a bath and do the laundry.)] My village... the last time I saw it, everything was burning. I don't think it's there anymore.

[For a moment, Shirley hesitates. There are so many things she wants to ask the other girl behind the wall. What does she mean by, "a new one"? Were there other Ferines being held here? How long had she been held captive? What did the soldiers in red even want with the Ferines.]

Could... you tell me your true name? [It's not that Shirley doubts the other girl... she just wants to hear someone speak Relares again.] Please.

[Fenimore goes still and quiet as Shirley answers. It's an unfortunately common story -- though Fenimore is assuming that the "long time" is less than three years, as it would be hard to imagine someone escaping her village being burned down and lasting that long unless she found another Ferines settlement. Possible, but unlikely enough that she doesn't even consider it.

Before answering the question, she solemnly addresses the first part:] I understand.

[She'd seen her own village burn and caught sight of some places she'd known all her life in ashes as the army moved out. It was a long time since then, or so it feels.

She doesn't dwell on it, moving quickly to the actual question. While she does think that a part of it may be to check if she's really a Ferines, she also wants to hear someone speak something as uniquely Ferines as the Relares of a true name.]

My true name is Xelhes. And otherwise, my name is Fenimore. [Granted, she wasn't asked that, but she assumes the question would be asked at some point and it's easier to talk when they know each others' names.] What about you?

[How many villages the soldiers have destroyed in their search for the Merines? How many Ferines have lost their freedom or their lives during Vaclav's rampage? Shirley doesn't like thinking about it. But, as long as she's speaking with Fenimore, it's difficult not to. Although she had hoped that her village was the only one targeted, it's obvious now that others had been attacked.]

Xelhes... "blessing". Your name is really beautiful, Fenimore. [Shirley rests her head against the wall, drawing her knees up to her chest.] ... I'm Shirley. My true name is Fennes.

[Fenimore can tell by the tone of the voice that Shirley is feeling upset about something, but she doesn't even try to find out why. When you're captured by Orerines who burned down your village and put into a dismal cell, there are hundreds of reasons to be upset.]

Thanks. Though, under the circumstances, I don't really feel in a position to be blessing anyone.

[Her thanks are genuine and sound it: she's proud of her true name and she's glad that this other person -- Shirley -- thinks that it's beautiful. However, her tone turns a little sardonic towards the end, before she shakes her head and tries to forget about those hundreds of reasons to be upset. She'd rather focus on getting to talk to someone.]

But your true name is really the amazing one. "One who prays".... Whoever named you must have had great hopes for your future.

[Great hopes is putting it mildly. Before the Rite of Accession, her future had seemed so bright. The village was safe, quietly growing in numbers and size as wandering Ferines were drawn to it by rumors of the birth of a new Merines. Those were days spent laughing and arguing with Stella in equal parts, sitting back-to-back as their teriques fluttered overhead.]

... Maybe... [She doesn't elaborate further. After all, what hope is there for the future of a failed Merines?]

[The lackluster response gives Fenimore pause. Ah, of course a comment about hope for the future would cause Shirley to feel down in a situation like this, in a place with no hope for any future beyond one like Fenimore's -- scraping by, keeping her head down, and hoping to last one more day.

A place with no hope, huh? No Welzes....]

Do you have any family, Shirley?

[For the past three years, she's lived with and called Senel her brother. They aren't related by blood, but he's the closest thing she has to family anymore.]

My brother, Senel, looks after me. [She swallows, as her throat tightens.] I... I used to have a sister, but she's-- she's not with us anymore...

[Stella isn't something that she and Senel talk about. It's a forbidden subject.]

[She should have known that a question like this would have an answer like this when the last Shirley had seen of her village had been it burning. Yet she can't help but feel glad to hear that Shirley and her brother had both managed to escape. Even one is a miracle, let alone two.]

It's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. [As she said before, she understands.]

I have a sister myself. She went with some others to visit another village before it was attacked. [Thyra wasn't supposed to be there, as a few of the villagers went to trade, but she'd wanted to visit someone and so she was. Fenimore could have been, if she had snuck on with her.] They must have reached it before the Orerines came.

[It's a must have without any evidence behind it. Only hope. She rests her head against the connecting wall, a smile on her face despite everything.]

It's been a long time since I've talked with someone like this. The others from my village are all gone now, and I haven't heard anyone else for a while.

Thanks... [Fenimore... is a kind person. Somehow, despite being locked up in a prison cell, she has the strength to be comforting to her fellow inmates.]

I hope they're safe... [No matter what the odds are, Shirley would like to believe at least one Ferines village is still safe from attack.]

Me too... Senel says it's not safe for me to leave the house, so I don't get out much. [It's been such a long time since she's had another Ferines to talk to--let alone with a girl her age. It would be nice, if the circumstances were different.] Um... what do you mean, they're gone? Were-- they released? Did they manage to escape?

[Oh Shirley. Oh you sweet summer child. You really don't get out much, do you?

Fenimore is quiet for a moment, not wanting to say it so directly when Shirley is already feeling down. But it seems that she won't get it if she doesn't.]

They were killed.

[Released, really? What kind of Orerines would release a Ferines willingly?]

[Shirley flinches and draws a sharp breath. It's not that she couldn't imagine that the other Ferines from Fenimore's village were dead--it's that she didn't want to accept the idea.]

That's horrible! Why would they do that?! [It's too awful to think about. But why would Fenimore lie about it? Shirley can't think of a single reason why Fenimore wouldn't be telling her the truth.]

[This poor girl. She really doesn't know anything about Orerines, does she? She feels even worse for her getting caught up in all of this, though she's grown somewhat numb to that feeling after hearing so many Ferines go to their deaths.]

Why? Because they're Orerines, and we're Ferines. They don't need any more reason than that.

That's-- ["Not true!" ... is what Shirley wants to say. She doesn't understand how Vaclav and his soldiers could treat the other Ferines so horribly, but she knows it's not just because they're Orerines. After all, she and Senel have lived together for three years--their relationship is living proof that the Ferines and Orerines can live and work side-by-side.

But somewhere along the line, the words get stuck in her throat. She can't find the courage to object. Instead, she just draws her knees closer to her chest.]

[The adults in Shirley's village must not have told her about the way Orerines are. This must all seem so overwhelming for her. But there's not much Fenimore can say to make it better and so she stays silent for several seconds. There's no real hope of rescue, except maybe for --]

Hey, Shirley. Have you heard the rumour that the Merines was born in one of the villages?

I... [Shirley's voice falters, as guilt twists in her stomach. What can she say? What is she supposed to say? Knowing the truth wouldn't comfort Fenimore. It would just make her dismal situation even worse.] ... yes, I have.

[Fenimore smiles and it leaks into her voice. So Shirley had heard it, too, from wherever her village was. Maybe if it's so widespread, it might be more likely to be true. She has to hold onto that hope, because it's the only one left for her.]

It would be great if it's true. If anyone could save us from this situation, it would be the Merines. She'd rescue us and take care of these horrible Oreri --

[Her voice stops as cleanly as if it were cut off with a knife. Her eyes widen. The guards have stopped outside her cell. Oh no. Oh no no no no no.

Her cell door scrapes open.]

[Shirley listens quietly to Fenimore talk. It would be nice, wouldn't it, if the Merines had the power to save Fenimore. Shirley stares down at her feet, holding back tears. More than anything, she wishes that she-- had known about what was happening here sooner. That she could have done something (anything) to prevent Fenimore's friends and family from dying. As the Merines, protecting the Ferines is her responsibility-- more than that, it's her duty.

As guilty as Fenimore's words make her feel they are, at the same time, comforting. Knowing that there's someone with her makes her feel a little safer in this frightening situation. When they stop, Shirley feels a sharp pang of fear.]

Fenimore? [There's a high note of panic in Shirley's voice. Somehow, deep in her stomach, she knows that something awful is about to happen.] Fenimore, why did you stop? Please, say something!

[Fenimore barely even registers that Shirley has said anything, scrambling back from the approaching guards. Her mind goes blank, overloaded on the knowledge of what must be coming next. She feels like there's almost a ringing in her ears.]

N...no! Get away from me!

[She waves her arms frantically, as though trying to ward them off, but one of them grabs her by her arm, hard enough to hurt. Her voice turns more furious, although the fear never leaves it.]

Don't touch me! Let me go, you Or --

[She struggles, but instinctively she doesn't try to hit them. She knows what happens to people who hit the guards. It doesn't take long for the first guard to catch her other arm. The second approaches with a gag in her hand, reaching for Fenimore's head.]

No! Please, don't -- !

[She tries to swing her head out of the way as her voice turns more pleading, even though she knows it's pointless, but the second guard grabs her hair and thumps her head against the first guard's breastplate. While Fenimore is stunned, the guard shoves the gag into her mouth.]

Get off m -- !

[Her voice is cut off suddenly as the gag is shoved in her mouth. It doesn't stop her from making muffled sounds as she is dragged out, the sounds becoming increasingly desperate and frightened as she leaves earshot.

The cell door clangs shut, and then there is silence.]

[Shirley scrambles to her feet, stumbling a little on the uneven floor of the cell. She ignores the stiff pain of her new bruises as she forces herself to move, quickly, to the front of her cell. She can't see much in the dim light, but the soldiers aren't far; their shadows, made sharp by the armor they wear and the whips they carry on their hips, flicker ominously down the hall in the unsteady light of the torches.]

Fenimore! [Shirley clings to the bars and watches, helplessly, as Fenimore is taken away by the guards. She forces a hand through the bars, reaching desperately for a girl she can't possibly save.] Please, stop! Leave her alone! Don't hurt her!

[Her pleas fall on deaf ears. Shirley watches on, in horror, as Fenimore is dragged away into the darkness of the prison. Shirley's feeble strength leaves her as the true horror of the prison dawns on her; her knees bend and buckle, and she crumples down to the floor. Her shoulders tremble, then shake, before she begins to cry uncontrollably.

Why was this happening? How could anyone be so cruel to a scared, defenseless girl? And why couldn't she do anything to prevent it?]

Edited (goddamnit typos!!) 2014-05-06 06:23 (UTC)

[In her terror, she can't make out any of the words that Shirley is saying, but she can hear the tone. For a moment, she is glad to have someone worry for her. It was good to meet a girl like that before the end. If only she could tell her.

But it's not enough. It's nowhere near enough to not get soon swamped out by everything else. The only really good fortune she has is that she eventually loses consciousness when the pain becomes too much, even if she's sure that it will be for the last time.

It's to her surprise when she realizes she's thinking again and the pain has -- well, the pain is still there and it feels like every part of her body hurts, but it's mostly the duller pain of things having been done, not the sharp pain of things ongoing.

She doesn't think the afterlife was supposed to hurt like this.

She shifts slightly and groans as the distribution of pain in her body shifts with her. She starts to open her eyes. While she's barely able to make anything out at first, the colour of the ceiling and the dimness of the light seems a lot like the cells. She really doesn't think the afterlife is like that.

She tries to say something, to ask where she is even though she doesn't expect anyone to be around to answer, but all that comes out is another groan as even the slight stirring motion hits another bruise.]

[For a long time, all Shirley can do is cry; the tears fall down her face, making messy streaks on her dirty cheeks. She calls out, helplessly, to the guards, begging them not to hurt Fenimore--but her words fall on deaf ears. Eventually, Shirley's voice gives out on her; she doesn't have the strength to cry, or plead with the guards.

When it's all over, the soldiers approach her cell; they yank her up by her arms and drag her out, so roughly that it's hard for her to keep her footing. What they show her is horrible beyond words: Fenimore, whose vibrant voice had given her some amount of courage, laying broken and bleeding on a table.]

Fenimore... [Although her hoarse voice wavers, Shirley swallows.] Why?! Why did you hurt her so much? How could you do that to her?! If this keeps up, she's going to die!

[A guard by her side snickers. "Nah, we wouldn't kill her that easily. She's a valuable little guinea pig."

The woman's words are sickening; repugnant. Hearing her talk that way about Fenimore is horrible Shirley's stomach clenches, not with fear, but anger.]

Don't talk about Fenimore that way! How can you just use people like that?!

[That's when the situation begins to get uglier. The grip of the female soldier on her arm becomes painfully tight.

"Watch yourself." "If you want to save her, take her place." "Use that power of yours to serve the Commander."

But, before the soldiers can do anything else to her or Fenimore, the tension is abruptly cut in two by the entrance of the three Terrors. The woman with the horns quickly dresses the soldiers down... for not following proper procedure. According to her, "the Radiant girl and the Merines" are valuable tools--and they're not to be "played around with" at "this stage of the operation".

What happens next is almost unbelievable. The soldiers are curtly dismissed, and others are brought in. The man in the mask, surprisingly gentle and skilled for a soldier in Vaclav's regime, treated Fenimore's wounds. And then they were both taken back to the cell, with water--and more medicine, for when Fenimore wakes up.]

[Shirley doesn't know what to think; she's exhausted and distraught. But she can't allow her to rest, not when Fenimore needs her. She does her best to make the other girl comfortable in the cell, staying close by so she'll know exactly when she wakes. When Fenimore begins to stir, Shirley immediately notices.]

Fenimore? Are you awake? [Her voice is quiet--even if the guards who hurt Fenimore have been sent away, she doesn't want to draw the attention of anyone else in this horrible building.]

Edited 2014-05-21 01:49 (UTC)

Mm....

[The noise is vaguely like a yes in answer to the question, but it's cut off by a sharp intake of breath as she shifts to look towards -- she thinks it must be Shirley's voice, though something sounds different about it. Less muffled, setting aside the mild ringing in her ears. She's surprised when she sees...well, her vision is still blurry and her head is still spinning, but the splotches of colour aren't a wall. She can at least tell that's a person and, more importantly, a blonde person.

They were in the same cell? Did they forget which cell she was supposed to be in? She isn't going to complain. It feels like forever since she's seen another real person. (Orerines don't count as people. That seems to be the Orerines view on Ferines, anyway, so turnabout is fair play.)

When she speaks, her voice is raspy.]

I'm...still alive? I thought for sure this time, I was going to....

[She doesn't end that sentence. She doesn't want to think about that moment of understanding -- not acceptance, as she struggled against and cursed that seemingly unstoppable fate -- that this was the end of her life and that the next time she passed out from the pain would be one she never woke from. It terrifies her.]

[Shirley manages a teary-eyed, wavery smile. Their situation is horrible beyond belief--but she can't help but feel revealed that Fenimore can talk through her injuries.]

Shh. It's okay, you don't have to talk... [Shirley reaches to her left, retrieving a cup of water and holding it out for Fenimore to drink.] You are. One of the other soldiers, a man in a mask... he gave me some medicine and helped to treat your wounds.

[At first, Fenimore doesn't react to the water. One of the soldiers helped to treat her wounds? She can't hear that with gratitude. Her first reaction is disgust that one of them touched her while she was unconscious, even to treat her, even if she'd been in the hands of other soldiers just before losing consciousness in far more harmful ways. Her second is resentment -- where was this soldier when her friends were dying? She supposes they must be feeling more cautious now that they're running out of Ferines to torture. She begins to sit up, almost running into the cup being offered.]

One of the sol -- ? [She immediately regrets the sudden movement. She's been treated, but she's certainly not fully recovered. Her breath hitches as she winces, and then she starts to cough. Now she notices the water, and she tries to reach for it. Her hand is pretty unsteady -- she'll probably be able to drink unaided, but she'll likely spill about half of it on her own.]

(908) Would you like to blur the lines between friendship and lesbianism tonight?

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