[ He'd asked her here, at the rest area. Her question that Sunday's been at the back of his mind, gnawing, burning, a thing he hadn't been sure how to handle. He's thought about it literally all week, because hell, he doesn't want her to go back. Rhys has an... idea, but.
Even now, he isn't sure if it's the best one. ]
It's cool. It's fine.
[ That's what he tells himself, as he crushes up some of the pills he'd gotten from Angel earlier. Rhys's hands shake, and he has to step back a few times to get it together. Cookies. Hot cocoa. It's seemingly innocent, but the crushed-up pills are a sign of anything but. The first batch, he'd burnt the cookies, but he'd managed to salvage a few cookies. It's... just enough, he thinks.
At the time he'd agreed to meet Angel, he juggles the plate of cookies and cocoa, and goes up to the fourth floor rest area. ]
[Rhys's invitation, to join him in the fourth floor rest area, was a welcome one. After the stress of the week, from the memories to the motive and everything in between, Angel welcomed the reprieve. Perhaps she was a little nervous, being out so late on a Thursday night, but... Rhys always managed to make her feel safe, at least.
Her cloud-like blanket and stuffed Pandoracorn are plucked up, part of Rhys's insistence on being comfortable. The unitard's were at least close enough to pajamas that she didn't bother changing.
Soon enough, she had settled onto a mattress. She was quick to get up, however, when she saw Rhys struggling with their treats. A hand came to rest against his own, attempting to pull the drink into her hand.]
[ His stomach drops when she comes to help him. Part of him thinks he should just... not go through with it. Spend a nice night with his girlfriend, do something that doesn't involve killing them both.
In his head, Jack's screaming at him. He winces a little, even as he hands over the cup of hot cocoa. Hers has a chocolate-covered strawberry on top, to mark it as hers. His is less extravagant: just whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. ]
Thanks, [ Rhys breathes. ] You, uh... had a good night? So far?
[ He's nervous, visibly so, and his eyes flick over to where he's set the siren collar. It's pretty close to where she'd been sitting, actually. ]
[A sip was taken off the top, and a smile spread over her lips as she felt that trace of whipped cream on her upper lip. It lasted only a second, however -- it was next to impossible to miss that nervousness. She couldn't blame him for... well, whatever it was. Again, it had been a long week.
Taking hold of his elbow, she led him toward her seat. The siren collar was either ignored or missed -- perhaps not catching her attention at all, or perhaps pushed to the back of her mind.]
I have. [It was a quick but honest response, given more out of courtesy than anyone else. She didn't want to ignore him, after all.] What about you? You seem... unwell.
[ His heart gives a little leap as she smiles, and he's reminded of the last time they'd had hot cocoa. He'd made her laugh...
Rhys groans as Jack screams louder and he takes his seat next to her. At least before long, he won't have to worry about the headaches. The objections whenever Rhys so much as looked at Angel. ]
I'm ffff--no. I'm, uh... I've been thinking about what you asked me. On Sunday. [ He pauses, shifts in his seat. ] About helping you. I think... I figured something out. But it's... it's not... it's kind of... really...
[The mere mention of that particular topic was enough to sober Angel up. The groan was also noted, but quickly attributed to the topic at hand. Guilt surged through her; it was too much to put on him, and she knew that. She felt guilty for bringing it up to begin with.]
If it... isn't something you are able to do, if it is too much for you to take on, that's okay. [She didn't want to go home, but if there was anything she wanted less? It was for what little time they had together to be tainted by this struggle.]
Whatever you do have planned though, I am sure it is enough. If... you are still interested, I mean.
[It was hard, not being selfish when it came to this.]
No-- no, it's-- I'm just... worried. About how you'll react to it. That's all.
[ He reaches out and grips her hand. His hot cocoa is untouched, and he keeps giving nervous little glances toward it. There's... quite a lot of oxy in that stuff, after all. He's also kept the plate of cookies away from her. If... if he's going to go through with this, she deserves to know.
And, if he ends his own life, maybe there won't be a trial. If something goes wrong, if he fails somehow, he'll just confess right away. There's no use in making their friends go through a trial again, no use in making them risk their lives. ]
But... but first, I have to do something, [ he says, withdrawing the siren collar from its place. He sets the plate of cookies aside. ] I'm gonna destroy this thing.
[The grip of his hand, his nervous demeanor... it all comes together in one big knot within her own gut. Her heart began to pound, the rhythm hard and almost painful against her ribs.
She opened her mouth to protest his plan. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the damned thing destroyed. But she was far more concerned with whatever was on Rhys's mind. The way he was avoiding it... it only served to amplify her terror.]
Rhys... [She stopped, though, mouth closing once more. If this was what he wanted, she wouldn't object.]
[ He nods, once, then sets the thing down on the floor. ]
It's... probably gonna be a little loud. So... cover your ears?
[ And he turns his attention back to the collar. It's a bad thing--it caused her pain. It's only good in pieces, and that's what it's going to be. Rhys squeezes her hand, once, before moving off the mattress. Kneeling on the floor, he brings his robot hand back, curls it into a fist.
And he slams it into the thing. Several times, he punches it until it's in pieces. Over and over again, until he's satisfied.
He imagines it's Jack's face, really.
When he's finished, he gathers the pieces up into a neat little pile before joining her again. He's no less nervous, though. ]
[It was loud, and that left her regretting not immediately putting her hands up to her ears. In some ways, it was also almost saddening to watch. Yes, it was a horrible, cruel thing that she had no doubt would be used against her one day. Yet at the same time, it had gotten her through her time here. It was the reason people like Queenie and Rhys were safe.
There was no denying her satisfaction when it was finally shattered, though.
Once Rhys was settled back in, Angel curled back up beside him. Her head rested above his chest, and her hand entwined itself with his. She let the silence stretch on between them for a moment, trying to let him build up his own courage.]
[ His free arm automatically wraps around her. It's times like these, with the knowledge of Angel's past and the thing he'd just done heavy on his mind, that he notices just how small she is.
Rhys holds her that much closer. ]
You know how I asked you to bring that medicine? [ His mouth is dry, and it's hard to swallow. ] I... it's in the cookies. For-- for you. And it's in my cup of hot chocolate... for me.
[The implication doesn't hit her immediately. For a moment, all she could do was gaze at him, to try and piece together what he was getting at. What pain killers had to do with his plan, she had no clue. She wasn't hurting, that much was for certain. And why Rhys would need them --
But that sort of medication didn't normally go in food, or drink. All at once, his warm embrace seemed to grow cold.]
[She had to admit, it wasn't the least pleasant possibility. If they managed to survive somehow, well... That meant she was going home. Kip couldn't confirm or deny it but... even the slightest chance was foreboding enough. And that was begging the question they managed to survive. It wasn't as if Angel could defend herself. And Rhys...
What would she do if she lost him along the way. She didn't even want to lose him to this.]
I can't... put you through this. I don't want you to -- [The words bunched up in her throat. 'I don't want you to die'] -- because of me.
[ He'd been afraid of this, honestly. And he's scared to die. But at the same time, he remembers his conversation with Nishitani at the last gathering after Roland's Rose Ceremony. Rhys draws in a shaky breath and pushes a hand through his hair. ]
I... Angel, if I'm going to die here, I want it to be on my own terms. I don't want to die, but the odds of surviving this thing... I don't know how good they are. PAL... he's enough of a conniving dick that he might be doing something to make us kill every week. Every Friday, Angel. Every Friday-- even though everyone's getting along, it still happens.
[ He shakes his head. ]
This... this is the only thing I could think of. Like-- like I said. It's your choice. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do.
We... have to leave some kind of note then. PAL will call an investigation no matter what. The more evidence we leave, the easier it will be to pass the matter off.
And... I do not know that I want to leave them behind without a message.
[Her heart pounded all the harder. Was she really going through with this, ending her life because of an unshakeable past?
[ He inhales sharply, when she takes one of the cookies. Idly, he remembers the first time they'd tried to bake something. He'd dropped all the eggshells... and he'd made her smile. Laugh.
He wonders if she'd ever laughed, really and truly, before that. Rhys gently grasps her wrist, pulls the cookie away. ]
Just... one more thing.
[ Rhys swallows hard... and moves in closer. Gently, softly, he brushes his lips against hers. ]
[In the space of a second, the space of her chest filled with more emotions than she could process. Elation, at yet another, beautiful first. Dismay, knowing that this would be both the first and last kiss they would share, or at least close to it. And somewhere between there? Burning, fiery anger.
She was at least a thousand light-years from Jack, if not an entire dimension or universe, and yet he still managed to ruin what little good she could scratch out. PAL came to mind, for forcing them into this state, though she knew that if not for him, she wouldn't have had even this.
But she couldn't lament her feelings for long, couldn't think about how her eyes burned with tears she couldn't shed. She'd shared enough chaste kisses with Queenie to know a little bit about what to do. She pressed back into the kiss, hoping that somehow, she might be able to convey enough to last a lifetime cut short. She let go of the cookie in favor of curling her fingers into Rhys's own. The other hand lifted, cupped his cheek for a brief moment, then pushed back into his hair.]
I love you.
[The words came quick, and she knew they were too soon. It didn't matter. If not as a lover, Rhys was her best friend, and she knew she loved him for that much. And really? She wanted a chance to say it someone and mean it.]
[ He's had a girlfriend before, but... in all honesty, he can't say Stacy ever made him feel the way he has-- had with Angel. Rhys grasps the hand on his cheek before it moves to his hair, and he gives it a squeeze. He hopes he puts a lot of unsaid things into that one squeeze, and--
And then she says that, and Rhys's heart stops. Gently, he guides her hand to his lips, and he brushes his lips across her knuckles. His eyes sting with tears--he doesn't have it in him right now to feel like a total sap.
Somehow, he can tune out Jack's screeching. Right now, all that exists is her and him. ]
I love you, too.
[ He gathers both of her hands into his, sandwiching both of them in both of his. He's reminded, strongly, intensely, of how fragile the best things in life are.
His throat feels tight as he pulls his hands away and sets the plate between them. ]
[A tear or two streaked down her cheek, ones she desperately tried to ignore as she took hold of a cookie once more. Once more, fear coiled in her stomach, but at least she knew she would not be alone.
The dessert was lifted, heaped into her mouth. She forced herself to down one without a word, then picked up a second to pick at. Other than feeling a touch more chalky than usual, it wasn't an unpleasant meal.]
I am... very glad I met you. Though I suppose... [She laughed, a sound that came out a bit more like a whimper.] I suppose that is obvious now, isn't it?
[ It... hurts. To see her cry. After doing all he could to make sure she was free of pain... it feels like he's causing it. Rhys brushes her tears away, swallowing hard, painfully. ]
Y-yeah. [ God. This is actually the worst. ] I'm glad I met you, too. You... made me a better person, Angel.
I'm glad. [She leaned forward, bumping her forehead against his. Leaving it all behind was a hard thought to swallow. But she had it to begin with, and that was something she never could have fathomed.
Leaning back against the mattress, Angel fed herself another cookie, before closing her eyes for a moment. She didn't know what would happen, what she might feel, but whatever it was? She wanted to be comfortable.]
Would it... be too cheesy for me to ask you to tell me a story? Or... just say anything. I don't care.
No-- I'll do it for you. I'm, uh... not good at story telling. But I'll do what I can.
[ Rhys pauses. First, before he starts in... he gently guides Angel so her head's in his lap. Just for a little while longer, he can feel her warmth. ]
[She might have enjoyed it more, curling up with him, but she supposed that it was harder to drink something while laying down than it was to eat it. At least this way, there was still contact, still warmth to comfort her.]
Don't worry about telling the story well. I just... [A fuzziness started up in the back of her head, easily ignored for the moment.] I want to hear your voice.
[ He brushes a bit of hair out of her face, her eyes. His hands tremble that much more, as his fingers ghost along her forehead. A story... He's never had to think up stories before.
Just another thing she's changed about him. ]
Once... once upon a time, there was a princess locked up in a tower. She'd never wanted to be there, but... she was special. She-- [ He swallows hard. ] She deserved much more than that. She deserved happiness, to be free. And that's what she desired more than anything: To be free. To... to go out. Live her life. Go on adventures, make friends.
Her father had bigger plans for her--even when she didn't want them.
[ He swallows again, and this time, it's more difficult. His voice sounds a little thicker now. ]
But one day, a wizard took her away from her tower. The wizard... had bad intentions. The worst. But the princess was free in some ways. Terrible stuff happened-- the worst things, and people lost their lives. Some of the princess's friends were taken forever from her...
But still, she-- she kept on. Even when she remembered the worst things, she... she stayed strong. She made friends. She found happiness in the smallest things.
[Singing. A faint smile crossed her lips. The longer Rhys spoke, the heavier the buzz in the back of her head grew. It spread outward, and a chill settled into her veins. She curled closer to the man, seeking out the warmth of his torso.]
You never got to hear me sing. I'm sorry.
[The thought of the things he wouldn't get to do clung to her mind, but only for a second.]
It's-- it's okay. I mean... the others did. So... that's enough.
[ He's definitely tearing up now. Rhys draws in a sharp breath, and he continues stroking her hair. ]
Any-- anyway. The princess... she knew she had to go back. Eventually. Because... because she knew that was how things had to go. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to go back to the only way of existing she'd known.
She asked her closest friend for help. At first... he didn't know what to do.
[ He wonders if it's hard to stay awake for her by now. If she's even registering what he's saying... ]
But... he put together a potion. A potion that would help her escape that fate for good. It... it wasn't easy. But for her, he'd have done anything.
[Rhys wasn't too far off. Though she could still process his words, her eyes could no longer stay open. The chill crept further up her body, but she couldn't find the energy to be concerned.
Between Rhys's voice, and the heat radiating off his body was enough to keep her comfortable, even if she should have been afraid.
She was slipping further and further down, though. His last phrase felt like it was shouted at a distance, like she was pulling away from him. She moved to cling to him, but her arms wouldn't listen. Even her breaths were labored, coming slower and slower as her muscles refused to work on their own.]
Anything. [It was a sleepy sort of mumble, one she couldn't be sure actually left her lips or made any sense. In the face of death, that much was comforting. ]
Yeah. [ His throat is tight, and his hand stills for a moment in her hair. ]
Anything.
[ Truthfully, what does he have left? Rhys doesn't doubt that PAL means for all of them to die here--or if some of them survive, have them go on and be Overseers. He'd told Nari that, right? That she'd make a good Overseer. He recoils at the thought of her or anyone continuing this. He knows she wouldn't do something like this.
But then again... Like Nishitani had said. It doesn't take much for someone to start killing. To start doing terrible stuff. Jack had gotten a taste of blood, and he'd spiraled downward. Rhys himself had gotten his dreams within his grasp.
... Then again. There are those who are way better than people like Jack and Rhys. A lot of them... they're here. Queenie. Nari. Arianna. Clarith. So many good people, it churns Rhys's stomach to think about their being here.
Kip. Kip had power, too, but in the end-- he'd done what he could to save them, hadn't he?
So maybe losing and giving into PAL isn't an inevitability. It's funny--weeks ago Rhys had been under the impression that it was. Even last week, perhaps a little bit. But, honestly? Rhys can't say he feels that way anymore. Somehow, the people he'd met here had changed him in small ways.
... It's up to him, then, to spur them on a little more. Make their escape a reality, and not some crazy, fleeting dream. ]
Angel?
[ His voice is a whisper. ]
I'm... I'm sorry. That I couldn't do more. I'm sorry.
[She heard him speak, but the words didn't make sense. Was he asking if she was okay? Saying goodbye? She wanted to offer some amount of comfort, to answer him, but even breathing --
all of it was too hard. Trying to keep fighting, against PAL, against Jack? She had spent years under the thumb of someone else. Being here was her first taste of freedom, but at the end of the day, wasn't she still playing the game PAL wanted her to?
Perhaps even this, her death, was part of that game. But at least, for the first time, she could look someone in the face (metaphorically speaking, at least) and say no. She wasn't going to play anymore.
She only wished she had the energy to thank him for finally giving her a choice.
Rather than forcing her chest to continue to lift, to draw breath into her body, Angel simply stopped. And as the darkness of sleep crept closer and closer, washed over her mind, she allowed herself to be taken under.
It would take a little longer for it to happen. One by one, her body would be starved of oxygen. Parts of her would panic, rail against the things slowly killing her. But Angel's mind had shut down, she'd drifted into a far more peaceful place. As far as she was concerned?
[ Slowly, the warmth starts to leave her body. She grows limper, and Rhys allows himself a sob. Another. Eventually, he manages to gather himself. But he can't look at her face.
(He slips up and looks. Angel looks peaceful, and Rhys doesn't think that's fair at all.)
Rhys leans down, presses a kiss to her forehead. He'll follow her, soon after. He's not sure what follows death, but likely, he'll just fade away. Rhys isn't sure there's any kind of afterlife, but if there's a heaven, he's damn sure that's where Angel will go.
Carefully, he lays her down. He sets the plush in her arms, the blanket over her body. She looks like she could be sleeping, now.
Rhys takes the mug into his hands. It's spiked with the oxy, this one; he's not sure he'll be able to drink all of it, but hopefully there's enough in thereto do the job. His hands shake as he brings it up to his lips. He takes a small drink.
... And then he realizes, he needs to make a note. He needs to tell everyone what happened, so they can just... vote for him and it'll be done. That's how it'll work, right? There's been a murder, and suicide or not, he's still a culprit. Likely PAL will make them go through that, and he doesn't want to risk their lives for his and Angel's decision.
Rhys stands, mug still in his hand. Unfortunately, there's still enough of that drug in him to make him all woozy. He stumbles a little, and there's nothing he can grab onto-- ]
Fuck--
[ Rhys falls. The mug falls and shatters, hot chocolate spilling everywhere. He hits his head, and groaning, he tries to keep it together...
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Even now, he isn't sure if it's the best one. ]
It's cool. It's fine.
[ That's what he tells himself, as he crushes up some of the pills he'd gotten from Angel earlier. Rhys's hands shake, and he has to step back a few times to get it together. Cookies. Hot cocoa. It's seemingly innocent, but the crushed-up pills are a sign of anything but. The first batch, he'd burnt the cookies, but he'd managed to salvage a few cookies. It's... just enough, he thinks.
At the time he'd agreed to meet Angel, he juggles the plate of cookies and cocoa, and goes up to the fourth floor rest area. ]
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Her cloud-like blanket and stuffed Pandoracorn are plucked up, part of Rhys's insistence on being comfortable. The unitard's were at least close enough to pajamas that she didn't bother changing.
Soon enough, she had settled onto a mattress. She was quick to get up, however, when she saw Rhys struggling with their treats. A hand came to rest against his own, attempting to pull the drink into her hand.]
Hey. Let me help.
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In his head, Jack's screaming at him. He winces a little, even as he hands over the cup of hot cocoa. Hers has a chocolate-covered strawberry on top, to mark it as hers. His is less extravagant: just whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. ]
Thanks, [ Rhys breathes. ] You, uh... had a good night? So far?
[ He's nervous, visibly so, and his eyes flick over to where he's set the siren collar. It's pretty close to where she'd been sitting, actually. ]
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Taking hold of his elbow, she led him toward her seat. The siren collar was either ignored or missed -- perhaps not catching her attention at all, or perhaps pushed to the back of her mind.]
I have. [It was a quick but honest response, given more out of courtesy than anyone else. She didn't want to ignore him, after all.] What about you? You seem... unwell.
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Rhys groans as Jack screams louder and he takes his seat next to her. At least before long, he won't have to worry about the headaches. The objections whenever Rhys so much as looked at Angel. ]
I'm ffff--no. I'm, uh... I've been thinking about what you asked me. On Sunday. [ He pauses, shifts in his seat. ] About helping you. I think... I figured something out. But it's... it's not... it's kind of... really...
[ He gestures vaguely. ]
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If it... isn't something you are able to do, if it is too much for you to take on, that's okay. [She didn't want to go home, but if there was anything she wanted less? It was for what little time they had together to be tainted by this struggle.]
Whatever you do have planned though, I am sure it is enough. If... you are still interested, I mean.
[It was hard, not being selfish when it came to this.]
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[ He reaches out and grips her hand. His hot cocoa is untouched, and he keeps giving nervous little glances toward it. There's... quite a lot of oxy in that stuff, after all. He's also kept the plate of cookies away from her. If... if he's going to go through with this, she deserves to know.
And, if he ends his own life, maybe there won't be a trial. If something goes wrong, if he fails somehow, he'll just confess right away. There's no use in making their friends go through a trial again, no use in making them risk their lives. ]
But... but first, I have to do something, [ he says, withdrawing the siren collar from its place. He sets the plate of cookies aside. ] I'm gonna destroy this thing.
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She opened her mouth to protest his plan. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the damned thing destroyed. But she was far more concerned with whatever was on Rhys's mind. The way he was avoiding it... it only served to amplify her terror.]
Rhys... [She stopped, though, mouth closing once more. If this was what he wanted, she wouldn't object.]
Do... whatever you need.
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It's... probably gonna be a little loud. So... cover your ears?
[ And he turns his attention back to the collar. It's a bad thing--it caused her pain. It's only good in pieces, and that's what it's going to be. Rhys squeezes her hand, once, before moving off the mattress. Kneeling on the floor, he brings his robot hand back, curls it into a fist.
And he slams it into the thing. Several times, he punches it until it's in pieces. Over and over again, until he's satisfied.
He imagines it's Jack's face, really.
When he's finished, he gathers the pieces up into a neat little pile before joining her again. He's no less nervous, though. ]
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There was no denying her satisfaction when it was finally shattered, though.
Once Rhys was settled back in, Angel curled back up beside him. Her head rested above his chest, and her hand entwined itself with his. She let the silence stretch on between them for a moment, trying to let him build up his own courage.]
[Eventually, though, something had to be said.]
What... is your plan then?
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Rhys holds her that much closer. ]
You know how I asked you to bring that medicine? [ His mouth is dry, and it's hard to swallow. ] I... it's in the cookies. For-- for you. And it's in my cup of hot chocolate... for me.
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But that sort of medication didn't normally go in food, or drink. All at once, his warm embrace seemed to grow cold.]
Rhys, what are you saying?
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[ His own voice sounds far away. Even he seems detached from his body, like he's far away and looking at them. ]
You... you don't have to. But I figured... you'd have a choice.
[ It's more than Jack ever gave her. ]
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[She had to admit, it wasn't the least pleasant possibility. If they managed to survive somehow, well... That meant she was going home. Kip couldn't confirm or deny it but... even the slightest chance was foreboding enough. And that was begging the question they managed to survive. It wasn't as if Angel could defend herself. And Rhys...
What would she do if she lost him along the way. She didn't even want to lose him to this.]
I can't... put you through this. I don't want you to -- [The words bunched up in her throat. 'I don't want you to die'] -- because of me.
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I... Angel, if I'm going to die here, I want it to be on my own terms. I don't want to die, but the odds of surviving this thing... I don't know how good they are. PAL... he's enough of a conniving dick that he might be doing something to make us kill every week. Every Friday, Angel. Every Friday-- even though everyone's getting along, it still happens.
[ He shakes his head. ]
This... this is the only thing I could think of. Like-- like I said. It's your choice. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do.
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[Before she said anything, she needed to hear it out loud. If they died together, it would be because it was of their own, individual choices.]
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No--and I'm not just saying that. I don't want you to ever think it was because of you, Angel. Really.
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And... I do not know that I want to leave them behind without a message.
[Her heart pounded all the harder. Was she really going through with this, ending her life because of an unshakeable past?
But then... she was dying anyway, wasn't she?]
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[ He hesitates, then lifts up the plate of cookies. ]
I... Angel? Are you sure, really sure?
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It's... i would rather die happy with you, than scared and without you. I have done more in this life than I ever thought I would. It is... enough.
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He wonders if she'd ever laughed, really and truly, before that. Rhys gently grasps her wrist, pulls the cookie away. ]
Just... one more thing.
[ Rhys swallows hard... and moves in closer. Gently, softly, he brushes his lips against hers. ]
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She was at least a thousand light-years from Jack, if not an entire dimension or universe, and yet he still managed to ruin what little good she could scratch out. PAL came to mind, for forcing them into this state, though she knew that if not for him, she wouldn't have had even this.
But she couldn't lament her feelings for long, couldn't think about how her eyes burned with tears she couldn't shed. She'd shared enough chaste kisses with Queenie to know a little bit about what to do. She pressed back into the kiss, hoping that somehow, she might be able to convey enough to last a lifetime cut short. She let go of the cookie in favor of curling her fingers into Rhys's own. The other hand lifted, cupped his cheek for a brief moment, then pushed back into his hair.]
I love you.
[The words came quick, and she knew they were too soon. It didn't matter. If not as a lover, Rhys was her best friend, and she knew she loved him for that much. And really? She wanted a chance to say it someone and mean it.]
Thank you. For everything.
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And then she says that, and Rhys's heart stops. Gently, he guides her hand to his lips, and he brushes his lips across her knuckles. His eyes sting with tears--he doesn't have it in him right now to feel like a total sap.
Somehow, he can tune out Jack's screeching. Right now, all that exists is her and him. ]
I love you, too.
[ He gathers both of her hands into his, sandwiching both of them in both of his. He's reminded, strongly, intensely, of how fragile the best things in life are.
His throat feels tight as he pulls his hands away and sets the plate between them. ]
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The dessert was lifted, heaped into her mouth. She forced herself to down one without a word, then picked up a second to pick at. Other than feeling a touch more chalky than usual, it wasn't an unpleasant meal.]
I am... very glad I met you. Though I suppose... [She laughed, a sound that came out a bit more like a whimper.] I suppose that is obvious now, isn't it?
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Y-yeah. [ God. This is actually the worst. ] I'm glad I met you, too. You... made me a better person, Angel.
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Leaning back against the mattress, Angel fed herself another cookie, before closing her eyes for a moment. She didn't know what would happen, what she might feel, but whatever it was? She wanted to be comfortable.]
Would it... be too cheesy for me to ask you to tell me a story? Or... just say anything. I don't care.
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[ Rhys pauses. First, before he starts in... he gently guides Angel so her head's in his lap. Just for a little while longer, he can feel her warmth. ]
Is... is that okay?
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[She might have enjoyed it more, curling up with him, but she supposed that it was harder to drink something while laying down than it was to eat it. At least this way, there was still contact, still warmth to comfort her.]
Don't worry about telling the story well. I just... [A fuzziness started up in the back of her head, easily ignored for the moment.] I want to hear your voice.
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Just another thing she's changed about him. ]
Once... once upon a time, there was a princess locked up in a tower. She'd never wanted to be there, but... she was special. She-- [ He swallows hard. ] She deserved much more than that. She deserved happiness, to be free. And that's what she desired more than anything: To be free. To... to go out. Live her life. Go on adventures, make friends.
Her father had bigger plans for her--even when she didn't want them.
[ He swallows again, and this time, it's more difficult. His voice sounds a little thicker now. ]
But one day, a wizard took her away from her tower. The wizard... had bad intentions. The worst. But the princess was free in some ways. Terrible stuff happened-- the worst things, and people lost their lives. Some of the princess's friends were taken forever from her...
But still, she-- she kept on. Even when she remembered the worst things, she... she stayed strong. She made friends. She found happiness in the smallest things.
A batch of cookies. Singing. Learning new things.
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You never got to hear me sing. I'm sorry.
[The thought of the things he wouldn't get to do clung to her mind, but only for a second.]
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[ He's definitely tearing up now. Rhys draws in a sharp breath, and he continues stroking her hair. ]
Any-- anyway. The princess... she knew she had to go back. Eventually. Because... because she knew that was how things had to go. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to go back to the only way of existing she'd known.
She asked her closest friend for help. At first... he didn't know what to do.
[ He wonders if it's hard to stay awake for her by now. If she's even registering what he's saying... ]
But... he put together a potion. A potion that would help her escape that fate for good. It... it wasn't easy. But for her, he'd have done anything.
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Between Rhys's voice, and the heat radiating off his body was enough to keep her comfortable, even if she should have been afraid.
She was slipping further and further down, though. His last phrase felt like it was shouted at a distance, like she was pulling away from him. She moved to cling to him, but her arms wouldn't listen. Even her breaths were labored, coming slower and slower as her muscles refused to work on their own.]
Anything. [It was a sleepy sort of mumble, one she couldn't be sure actually left her lips or made any sense. In the face of death, that much was comforting. ]
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Anything.
[ Truthfully, what does he have left? Rhys doesn't doubt that PAL means for all of them to die here--or if some of them survive, have them go on and be Overseers. He'd told Nari that, right? That she'd make a good Overseer. He recoils at the thought of her or anyone continuing this. He knows she wouldn't do something like this.
But then again... Like Nishitani had said. It doesn't take much for someone to start killing. To start doing terrible stuff. Jack had gotten a taste of blood, and he'd spiraled downward. Rhys himself had gotten his dreams within his grasp.
... Then again. There are those who are way better than people like Jack and Rhys. A lot of them... they're here. Queenie. Nari. Arianna. Clarith. So many good people, it churns Rhys's stomach to think about their being here.
Kip. Kip had power, too, but in the end-- he'd done what he could to save them, hadn't he?
So maybe losing and giving into PAL isn't an inevitability. It's funny--weeks ago Rhys had been under the impression that it was. Even last week, perhaps a little bit. But, honestly? Rhys can't say he feels that way anymore. Somehow, the people he'd met here had changed him in small ways.
... It's up to him, then, to spur them on a little more. Make their escape a reality, and not some crazy, fleeting dream. ]
Angel?
[ His voice is a whisper. ]
I'm... I'm sorry. That I couldn't do more. I'm sorry.
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all of it was too hard. Trying to keep fighting, against PAL, against Jack? She had spent years under the thumb of someone else. Being here was her first taste of freedom, but at the end of the day, wasn't she still playing the game PAL wanted her to?
Perhaps even this, her death, was part of that game. But at least, for the first time, she could look someone in the face (metaphorically speaking, at least) and say no. She wasn't going to play anymore.
She only wished she had the energy to thank him for finally giving her a choice.
Rather than forcing her chest to continue to lift, to draw breath into her body, Angel simply stopped. And as the darkness of sleep crept closer and closer, washed over her mind, she allowed herself to be taken under.
It would take a little longer for it to happen. One by one, her body would be starved of oxygen. Parts of her would panic, rail against the things slowly killing her. But Angel's mind had shut down, she'd drifted into a far more peaceful place. As far as she was concerned?
Angel the Siren is dead.]
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(He slips up and looks. Angel looks peaceful, and Rhys doesn't think that's fair at all.)
Rhys leans down, presses a kiss to her forehead. He'll follow her, soon after. He's not sure what follows death, but likely, he'll just fade away. Rhys isn't sure there's any kind of afterlife, but if there's a heaven, he's damn sure that's where Angel will go.
Carefully, he lays her down. He sets the plush in her arms, the blanket over her body. She looks like she could be sleeping, now.
Rhys takes the mug into his hands. It's spiked with the oxy, this one; he's not sure he'll be able to drink all of it, but hopefully there's enough in thereto do the job. His hands shake as he brings it up to his lips. He takes a small drink.
... And then he realizes, he needs to make a note. He needs to tell everyone what happened, so they can just... vote for him and it'll be done. That's how it'll work, right? There's been a murder, and suicide or not, he's still a culprit. Likely PAL will make them go through that, and he doesn't want to risk their lives for his and Angel's decision.
Rhys stands, mug still in his hand. Unfortunately, there's still enough of that drug in him to make him all woozy. He stumbles a little, and there's nothing he can grab onto-- ]
Fuck--
[ Rhys falls. The mug falls and shatters, hot chocolate spilling everywhere. He hits his head, and groaning, he tries to keep it together...
Mʏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɴᴏᴡ, Rʜʏsɪᴇ.
For all intents and purposes, Rhys is dead.
But Handsome Jack is here to take his place. ]