video ♛ sᴏ ɪ'ᴍ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴇᴍʙᴇᴅᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғʀᴏsᴛ

[scinlae]

[ So last time Morgana appeared on the network you all got a lovely view of her face. This time? Well the tablet has been distinctly pointed towards what looks like a ruined wall, eroded by time or anger it is hard to tell. ]

She is gone.

[ What a lovely opening. The voice comes from off camera, laced with venom and anger. She did not want to remember, she did not want to experience all that again, she hates them she hates them ─

And the Initiative made her love again. ]

She is dead.

[ If she knew more about the tablet, if she cared, she would filter this to the necessary parties (the only ones who would understand her words) but she doesn't, she is far too angry, far too furious to do such a thing. ]

That girl died years ago while Camelot slept, she died and she is never coming back.

[ Is she trying to convince them? Or herself? Who knows and perhaps no one will, but a moment later with heavy footsteps the camera goes dark. ]

Comments

[graciousness]

[ Gwen knew it wouldn't last. Even she in her optimism knew that Morgana would not remain smiling and warm but for a moment, somewhere between the embraces and her the way Morgana looked at her, as if things are right again, she almost forgot.

Almost.

This hurts, hurts almost like the first time she had seen her like this. But her words sting the most, that she would say that Gwen's best friend is dead, that she is gone. That she will shut out the sweet woman who was present in the city only days ago, bury her and call her dead. Gwen remembers Arthur who said all of Morgana's goodness is gone but from Morgana it angers her rather than upsets her. Arthur suffered from Morgana's hand but to have her friend act as if the girl she was, is, still, even if she would not admit it is gone - ]

Are you attempting to convince yourself of it?

[ disapproval. Something she never thought she'd feel towards Morgana who she called amazing, loyal, brave - gone? ]

I would not allow anyone who knows you to speak of you thus, I would not accept it from anyone and that includes you. You know better or else you wouldn't be so angry. If she was truly gone you wouldn't have cared, yet you do. Far more than you care to admit. Stop this.

[ and it's odd, odd that she would command Morgana to do anything but this, this is not quite Morgana. Her friend is buried under this layer of anger and Gwen misses her, longs for her but she knows, somehow, Morgana would not appreciate her humoring this. ]

You are better than this, Morgana. You may wish to make us turn our backs to you so you would prove to be right but I will not. I don't believe that she is gone and I don't think you believe her to be that either.

voice;

[scinlae]

[ No, no no no no no no no no NO ─

She thinks of the warmth of her embrace, the faint smell of lavender in her hair, laughter, the comfort of a friend's face, and she claws at her head hoping to tear the memories from them. To rip to away and burn them until there is nothing left.

All she succeeds in is tearing out some hair and giving herself a headache.

Gwen is no friend, she is no friend, she is as much an enemy as the rest of them. She is the most dangerous. She will steal what is hers, she will sit in Morgana's place ─ a seat she never belonged in.

But when she closes her eyes she does not see the vision that has haunted her sleep, she sees the smile of a friend, she hears soft words that have no place in her head.

By the time Morgana responds an hour has passed, and this time the feed does not switch on. Somewhere between her mad attempts to dig her nails into her skull she figured her tablet out ─ to a point anyway. ]

You presume too much, you do not know what I think.

[ She is gone, she is dead, she is gone and dead, she is she is she is ─ ]

video;

[graciousness]

I know you, Morgana.

[ her voice softens. Do not frighten her away, do not anger her. Simply speak the truth<. ]

I have known you for years, you have changed but not so much that I won't know you. Morgana.

[ she sounds upset, Morgana does and it upsets Gwen to hear her like this. ]

You know it isn't true. You are one and the same. You can't lock away your heart from those who love you. I told you once, you may be angry with me and think I don't care but I do.

[ Morgana uses voice but Gwen leaves the video on so she may see her and know her to be truthful. ]

I remember the king wanted to execute me for doing magic and you were the only one to tell him you believed me. I remember you spent a night in the dungeon for my father. You cannot ask me to forget what you've done for me. You could have simply not to but you did, you were loyal to me and I am to you, even if you don't believe me yet.

voice;

[scinlae]

That girl ─ [ Is dead. Morgana searches the image, she searches for something she isn't all that sure of. Even now she cannot deny the truth in her words, the things that she had done for a girl that had once been her friend, the injustice she fought for the sake of others.

Nevertheless...

Gwen is her enemy. Gwen is ─ ]

You care for nothing but a corpse buried under a mountain of ash. [ Her words are less sure, the fight in them dissipating like smoke. The Initiative dragged her back out, for a time that girl lived again and she was happy, they were all happy. But now she is gone again, buried under her mountain, and has left Morgana with the bitter taste of ash in her mouth. ]

She died that day Gwen, she tasted the bitter drink of betrayal and no one saved her. Her body carried off by the only one who knew her innocence, the only one who cared.

[ She is tired, she is so tired, she wants to fight but she her words fall flat and limbs feel heavy. ]

[Video]

[holy_prankster]

[Camelot? Now that is a name he hadn't heard in quite some time.

There's a mysterious curve to his lips as the video feed turns on. Regarding the screen with his eyes continuously closed, there seemed to be an almost knowing look on his expression.]

And just who has died, hmm?

voice

[scinlae]

She is dead, what does her name matter? [ Her voice is curt, sharp; her reply almost an hour since the initial post and the anger remains, clinging like a terrified child to her voice. ]

voice

[holy_prankster]

[He's hardly deterred by her rather hostile tone, but more encouraged by it.]

Dead or not, a name always matters. [His voice is still cheerful.] She must have been important to you for you to announce it with such emotion.

[flightybookshrew]

[Hmm.]

And 'that girl' would be...?

I realize it's probably hardly any of my business but since you felt the need to inform us all, you can hardly blame me for my curiosity.

voice

[scinlae]

A dead girl, nothing more. [ Frustrated, yes that enters the mixture of her tone. But what else did she expect? The entire network saw her declaration. ]

voice

[flightybookshrew]

How unhelpfully nonspecific.

[voice]

[mentore]

[Ezio may not understand what the words mean, but he recognizes the anger, the hatred, the sheer rage and frustration in her voice. The Assassin has harbored anger for a majority of his life, and he knows how this could end.]

How certain are you of this?

[Because in his case? He knows that the Ezio of 16 years old has been washed away by the river with the corpses of his brothers and his father.]

[voice]

[scinlae]

[ Ha, someone who understands the meaning to the words. She does not know if she should be amused or annoyed. He's not the right person after all.

Neverless, some time later she responds but the anger, the hatred, the rage and frustration still clings to her voice. It clings like ivy, like a poison rooted so deep within her blood nothing can get it out. ]

Very.

[ You weren't there, you weren't there to taste the poison rip apart my lungs. ]

[voice]

[mentore]

[There is more than one kind of poison.]

Mi dispiace. This place is... a torture to some.

voice;

[skennen]

[That's a disconcerting message to find on one's machine.

Someone... mourning the loss of a loved one? It sounds somehow odd, but that must be it.]

Are you all right?

voice;

[scinlae]

[ In a sense yes, deep down perhaps where her hatred and anger never reached. Where the girl resides under ash and dirt.

This annoys her on some level, for reasons she cannot express. Concern tastes bitter in her mouth and she no longer knows if she enjoys it. ]

I am fine. [ Funny thing those words, they say one thing but her tone... oh her tone says another thing all together. ]

voice;

[skennen]

[He thinks he probably should have expected such an answer... complete with the contrast between her words and her tone. It's never easy to lose someone, after all.]

You are not.

[Blunt as can be, but he speaks quietly, patient and sympathetic in the face of raw anger.]

[sharpe]

Milady. [ Softly. ]

She's a sweet girl, that she is.

[scinlae]

[ She inhales sharply, half cursing herself for her slip but it matters little now, the deed was done and the words cannot be retracted. ]

Sharpe.

[ There is more defeat in her voice now than anger but it remains nonetheless. ]

[sharpe]

[ He tucks his head down, and places his fingers against his brow, almost a salute. ]

Aye. 'Tis I.

voice

[futurarex]

[it was not to last. if there was one good thing about the enchantments of the weeks past, it was Morgana's change--but there is no such thing as a good enchantment. most unfair is how the memory of Morgana lingers--the old Morgana, the one who is dead.

or is Gwen right? is she there, somewhere, worth saving? seeing Morgana as she was has muddled him, and Arthur first replays her message, to hear the venom in her voice once more, to remind him that she has changed back, that she is no longer the same, that she is dead. he must remember. he must not let his own thoughts betray him, because that will surely be his undoing.

but when he goes to make a reply, he finds it more difficult than it should be. the other Morgana will not stay dead, and so his reply is calmer than it might be, though still heavy.]

And do you mourn that death?

voice

[scinlae]

[ It is the one voice she does not want to hear, the one voice that makes her almost recoil from her tablet and fling to across the dark, damp room she is currently occupying.

For his voice comes with the sounds of laughter, memories of smiles, of the love and affection she once bore him. She can still hear it, still see it, and she wants to scream. She wants to tear out her hair, tear out the memories leaving the taste of ash in her mouth.

He did not like it, her magic, but in the end he accepted her all the same. That girl who died as Camelot slept, betrayed by one she thought she could trust.

(she is dead, she is dead, she was weak and she is dead) ]

Do you?

[ The venom seems to fade against her will, harshness melting away for something more tired. She wants to be angry at him, she wants to scream, she wants to hate him like she did before. It is harder now, so much harder when she closes her eyes and sees his smiling face. ]

voice

[futurarex]

I have known her dead for some time now. All grief fades.

[that admits too much, that admits that there was grief--but he cannot deny it now, not so fresh from seeing her as he knew her for so long.

he should have held his tongue. he should not have spoken to her; he should be above this, all of it-- if he could hate her as he did before (but even then, hate was an uncertain thing, too touched with grief), if he could think only of her sorcery, the way he ought to--but even at that, he hears her voice, I never asked for magic, Arthur you must believe me, if I could give it back I would but I cannot-- ]

A prince cannot afford to linger in grief and weakness. [it lacks something of its usual conviction, but he does his best with it, and moves on quickly, briskly.] But I asked you the question. Do you mourn her?

video;

[captains]

...Sounds like you could use a drink.

[He says it because...Well, it'd be pretty obvious if he ignored this, but also...Christ, why did one of the few people he'd met here, that he'd enjoyed conversing with, have to come with fresh baggage?

But he's not a stranger to that, so. A subtle offer for company it is]

voice;

[scinlae]

[ She remembers him and for a brief moment she cringes. ]

I could. [ She is thankful, however, that he avoids the line of questioning most have taken. By now she is so tired of them. ]

[captains]

I know a place. It's pretty close to the apartments, if you can meet there.

[It's easier, he thinks, than sending coordinates. And well, he's got no interest in the details. Death, losing people- It's always painful. And nothing's ever hit him as strong after loss, as the need for everything in his head to just be silent.

Alcohol is a pretty tried and true method of achieving that. He doesn't mind sharing it]