Forge Contact II

[priscilla]

You've reached Priscilla. Please leave your message as you prefer. I will absolutely return your contact, especially in the case of business concerns!

[...]

I'm sorry I left that terrible message up for so long!

[beep!]

Comments

[silverking]

Priscilla.

I've been meaning to ask you something.

[priscilla]

Oh?

I-- [FUMBLING NOISES, SOMEONE DROPPED THE FORGE. OH ITS HER.]

Hrm. Yes, what is it?

[halcyonthird.livejournal.com]

Priscilla?

[...]

I wanted you to know that I have asked Isley to assist me in my training. I thought it would be important that I kept you...

...in the loop? [Is that the phrase?]

ROFL TIMING IRENE

[priscilla]

Okay.

Okay, I...

[...her voice is trembling. SHE'S GOING. TO CRY.]

That's fine!

[silverking]

[ Silence. ]

[ Wherever he is, only the presence of his yoki could discern the location. ]

[ Tread carefully... he must tread carefully. A step wrong could ruin everything, and he's so close... so close already. To having all he's ever wanted. To seeing the ruination of all that he's worked hard to achieve. ]

[ It's a precarious position, sitting on the fence. ]

My sincerest apologies, Priscilla.

...I feel SO BAD FOR HER.

[priscilla]

Isley!

[She exhales just after his name, as though she hasn't breathed in hours.]

I... was wondering where you... It's not that I was worried, really, I can tell you're okay, and I... don't want to worry about you anyway because that bothers you, doesn't it and anyway, it's not like-- Um! I just--

You... didn't show up for our-- and I just. Wondered.

That's all.

I--

I thought maybe you didn't want to see me.

Getting a head start on the VM thing for later. :D;;

[silverking]

I have acquired a small place to stay, as I said I would.

Head to Dismas. I will send you the coordinates once you reach the stairs.

I SEE HOW IT IS

[priscilla]

[Wait, did she say she'd go-- well, nevermind.]

Okay. I'll be there in a few-- I need to get dressed.

[halcyonthird.livejournal.com]

[...]

How much experience do you have with snowball fighting?

[priscilla]

I-- what?

» audio «

[manscruff.livejournal.com]

Buon giorno, signora Priscilla. [ He even says her name with a bit of Italian ~flair~. ]

[ And that is... all he does say. He'll wait for a reply before disclosing his request. ]

» audio «

[priscilla]

Um! Hello.

[...she has no idea what any of that meant, aside from her name. Hm.]

» audio | backdated to the 27th « sdkfjf, right after you updated the list, I'm so sorry

[manscruff.livejournal.com]

Buona sera, Priscilla. It's Ezio.

I would like to become a member of Il Perlustrazione.

[ a significant reason for this choice: free housing. but he's not telling anyone that. IT MIGHT BE OBVIOUS, THOUGH, IF HE MOVES IN IMMEDIATELYsdfkjf. ]

» audio | HAHAHA! :D

[priscilla]

...I don't really understand most of what you just said!

[silverking]

You and Irene are close. Very close, it seems.

It's been brought to my attention that you spoke of a certain promise with her, one that did not concern her? Now, Priscilla, why would you go and do something like that...?

You must not have known what she would do upon realizing I refused to adhere to that request, otherwise... well. I simply cannot believe you would have gone to her and been so open about it.

Nevertheless, I am curious. So very curious.

[priscilla]

What? Well, we are... close, but I have no idea what she did.

...what did she do?

[halcyonthird.livejournal.com]

I am requesting a leave of absence for a couple days. I didn't want you to see this on the network and wonder why I had not come to you, first.

[priscilla]

Um. Okay.

Is something wrong?

[girl-unlocking.livejournal.com]

Priscilla? Are you ...busy? Cause if you're busy this can totally wait ...only maybe it can't? I. You're big on second chances too, right?

[priscilla]

I'm not busy! Um, what's wrong?

[She seems to be saying that a lot today. :|]

...and yes, I am!

[Sort of. Really, more from necessity.]

[sucker-punches.livejournal.com]

Priscilla, there's something I need to talk to you about. [Pause.] Actually, it's... something I should clear up.

Isley spoke to me and mentioned that you'd suspected him of... killing me. I thought I should tell you that he didn't.

[priscilla]

[..... dot. dot. dot.]

He told you that?

[ voice ] backdated to Wednesday-ish

[lonestray.livejournal.com]

[There's a few moments of heavy breathing audible before Scar speaks up, and even when he does, he sounds a bit pained, though he's trying valiantly to hide it.]

Priscilla.

[A few more moments of silence., save for the breathing]

When you have a momen, pleaset.

[ voice] :O what is this!

[priscilla]

I have a minute right now!

[ Video ]

[silverking]

[ The waterfront stretches behind him, a white-capped sea of black with swirls of Mist floating atop it. ]

Priscilla.

[ He recognizes that you're closer to the edge now than you've been in a little while, and he would see you topple over into Oblivion with him if that would give him all he wanted, but it won't. So he doesn't press. Exercises a calm, unfazed tone of voice, but one with something of an authoritative quality to it.

The General, less the Lover. ]

It is neither Luciela, nor Riful... I cannot sense their yoki rising in correlation to your own.

Who has upset you so...?

[ Video ]

[priscilla]

Irene.

[The name comes before she stops to think about it - not that she would have said anything different. Well. Maybe a bit less bluntness.]

[But the name comes with another surge - one that shakes the ground and shatters a nearby boulders before it calms.]

[Calms. Does not disappear.]

[halcyonthird.livejournal.com]

[Ultimately she doesn't care that it's awkward, or difficult, or that she feels slightly (only slightly, that's a lie) heartsick, because the disgust she feels for herself outweighs all of that at this moment.

And wasn't keeping silent part of what put her in this situation? Silent to the wrong people, possibly too free with others? She's not sure about the second part, but the first ...yes. She should have spoken to Priscilla at the outset.

But she didn't, and now we have this.

Formal lineface go!]

There is information you might be interested in regarding a spar I had with Isley in Dismas.

[priscilla]

[...]

[There isn't enough lineface for this. She rubs her face and sighs.]

What is it?

[redknives]

[...]

[Just a long stretch of silence, before he says anything.]

Hey. You busy?

[priscilla]

[Always.]

Not to you.

[Especially now. She rubs her face.]

I was about to contact you.

/b-backdated to 1/24

[halcyonthird.livejournal.com]

[at least ten minutes after the disconnect]

[...]

There was one more thing.

[Pause. Fights a silent battle over saying this at all. Part of her thinks it'll make things worse. Part of her thinks she deserves it if it does. Empty promises. Useless words.]

I'm sorry, Priscilla.

:| :| :|

[priscilla]

[Priscilla plays the message back twice, trying to decide whether to respond. Whether she even has the ability to respond.

[She has thoughts - things she could reply with, but. Words are meaningless, absent will.]

[In the end, she rubs her face... and leaves it unanswered.]

[ Voice ]

[i-love-squats.livejournal.com]

[There’s a click, a deep breath, and Priscilla will probably recognize the voice, should recognize it. It’s different than it was last time, stronger, solid, humbled and proud in the same go. Hopeful, but not for the reasons one might think.]

Hey, Pris. It’s Zack. Don’t hang up! I just have something I want to tell you, and I don’t expect you to respond. It’s okay if you don’t. Might be better if you don’t. I just needed you to know something.

I spent a lot of time thinking, and you’re right: what I did was wrong. I should’ve talked to you, told you everything, and I’m sorry. But I can’t go back and change what happened; what’s done is done, past is past. Sometimes we have to make mistakes to learn stuff, you know, and sometimes you have to lose someone important to have those lessons stick for a lifetime.

So, I sat back. I learned. I’m learning still. And I just wanted you to know that I’m working hard, and I won’t make those same mistakes again. I’m going to be the person you remember, and not just because of what happened with us, but because I want to be that person. I’m going let the SOLDIER honor shine for everyone to see.

And I understand that things can’t go back to the way they were, but…I just want you to know that I’m moving. I’m not staying stagnant. I’m going to take what I learned from this and grow.

[Listen to the leather in his gloves as he makes a determined fist.]

And I wanted you to know I was sorry, Priscilla.

See you ‘round.

shortly following Isley's post

[redknives]

[Breaking glass, shifting rubble, all those wonderful noises. And then Senji, sounding tense and... not exactly as calm as he normally does.]

Priscilla...

[He kind of laughs.]

Look I dunno what the fuck you're doin' but you better knock it the hell off and answer or me or I'm gonna--

Where are you? This ain't funny.

[There's a loud clattering sound, like something falling. Or being kicked over.]

Shit. If he did anything...

Look, just-- answer me if you get this, all right? C'mon, gimme a break here.

[halcyonthird.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, go ahead and be angry. Or silent. But just answer the forge and be coldly silent enough that she knows you're alive.]

Priscilla.

Voice - Right after Isley's post

[applelimber.livejournal.com]

Hey! Pris! What the hell's going on!

[Somehow managing to sound angry and terrified all at once.]

Don't make me come over there! Shit!