007- [phone] And now we watch yet another victim slide up to level 5...

[smallestgrave]

[Alice has held out for a long time. But now she has to come clean.]

For me, Mayfield is a second chance. Back home, I'm dead. I gave up my life and my soul to a demon to protect the man I love. It was the only way to free him from the demon's curse.

[All things considered, she expected to end up in Hell because of it. The demon in question wasn't

Comments

[elevatoravatar]

"In my experience, when love is stronger than death, sometimes destiny allows for someone to bypass conventional means and use magical to make what is wrong right. That being said, please do not say you are a communist, as that is likely a way the town is marking us for the next horrible thing."

[smallestgrave]

Thank you. That is... very comforting to hear. I really hope it's true.

[She pauses, confused.]

I suppose I shouldn't have mentioned it over the phone, but it is true, and I thought that people ought to know....

[elevatoravatar]

"Are you certain it is true, and not just the town making you believe it to be true?"

[smallestgrave]

Well, I....

I suppose it must be true.

[Yeah, it's the town.]

[thisw0rldismine]

Not all fairytales have happy endings. If that was the only way to save him then he would just have to understand why ya did what ya did...wouldn't he?

Not you too. Maybe all you guys should, ya know, keep everything to yourselves. [He somehow managed to stay at Level 4, but he doesn't care.]

[smallestgrave]

I certainly hope so. But I also didn't tell him what I was doing until it was too late. I knew he'd try to stop me, and I didn't want to distract him from the coming fight against Cardinal Simon.

Not me too?

[She echoes him in confusion for a second.]

Oh! You mean that I'm a communist. Well, I just think it's better to be up front about that kind of thing.

[thisw0rldismine]

If you could've save him some other way without gettin' killed, It would've been pretty stupid to go 'n do something so dangerous. But like I said, if it was the only way, he'd have to understand. I don't know what else to say since I don't know the guy.

Yeah, but considering they're kinda bein' blamed for murder right now might get ya might get caught.

action, thank god he's only stage 1??

[madeofstoic]

[ Higgs only heard that last part. And, you know, he's been hearing all this stuff this whole week. He can't lie, but even if he knew that was the case, he'd still be just fine saying this. ]

...Y'r not. You can't be.

[smallestgrave]

[She gives a start and whirls around suddenly.]

Oh! Mr. Higgs, you startled me.

[Have an embarrassed smile.]

I'm sorry, what were you saying? I'm not what?

[madeofstoic]

A communist. Whatever that's 'sposed t'be.

[smallestgrave]

Oh, it's some kind of system of government where the populace is supposed to share everything equally.

I didn't know what it was either until someone explained it the other day. At the time, I didn't think much of it, since it seems a little unlikely to work in practice. But now I'm quite sure that I agree with it completely.

[Phone; Stage 4, closer and closer to 5]

[bitemescumbag]

[Yuri's spent most of the week with a destroyed phone, replying to broadcasts when it isn't. It's somewhat lucky he hears this -- for his usual standards it's insanely lucky, even considering the topic at hand.]

You... actually know what a communist is? It's been bugging me all week and there I go trying to use humor to cover up my own insecurity and hesitation again.

[Well, it's not like she doesn't already know that's how he acts, so he just keeps going.] There's no way I could be mad with you. Even for... that.

...I met my dad in the soul's graveyard, a couple months after you were gone. You wanna know what I told him? "I don't have any regrets." Heh, can you believe it? Lied to my own dad... I guess one regret is close enough to none though.

Dunno if you're a communist or not, but you deserve a nicer afterlife than this.

[smallestgrave]

[There is moment of silence as she tries to blink back the tears in her eyes.]

Oh, Yuri...

I didn't have any choice. I was desperate, and I'd have done anything to free you from that curse. I love you.

[She's so relieved that he forgives her, she finally gives up on stopping the tears.]

And getting the chance to see you again, it makes this place a far better afterlife than I could have hoped for.

[bitemescumbag]

[He laughs lightly.] You might be the only person happy 'bout getting stuck with me in the afterlife. Not that I mind that at all.

I just wish I'd been paying attention - that I coulda noticed what was happening. I'd wanted to sock those masks in the face for years, and that would have been the right time to it. If I had, I think it actually would've done something, too...

[smallestgrave]

[She finally wipes away the tears and smiles.]

I would be happy to be anywhere with you.

Don't blame yourself. It was my decision, and I don't regret it in the slightest. There's no point in dwelling on what could have been.

[It's kind of sad though. Because it would have helped. But at least she doesn't know that.]

[lunawolves10th]

[ Garviel listens to this. The phone can be heard crumpling as his hand slowly crushes it. Slowly. ]

[smallestgrave]

Oh, goodness!

[She can't imagine what that awful sound could be...]

[lunawolves10th]

Daemons can never be bargained with fairly....

It is best to defy them.

[smallestgrave]

I know, but......

But I really had no other option. I couldn't let Yuri die. Even if it cost me everything.