Roleplay > Vignettes

The Castle On The Hill

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Beatrice:
Location: Pyrena Castle, Residential Suite
Time: 1:53 AST

"Usually when such news is reported you break out of your shell, have a celebratory drink, yet today on the announcement of the death of one of Mundus' most prolific terrorists you find yourself sullen? It's hard to understand you at times, Luci," Beatrice sighed as she enjoyed a toast with Alex, which prompted Lucinda to rise from her seat and punch the television, incidentally where David's face had been prior to turning into an abstract art piece. "Luci!" Beatrice shouted with some confusion before being allowed to continue. "It's so easy for you, isn't it, to celebrate the death of the man who saw Asuna made it home safely? Did you sit down with him, did you see the plans he had for the Principality, did you sit in a tube with crying children and uncertain parents as all manner of uncertainty flew above your heads? "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him," a quote you would find yourself to agree with, yes?" she asked pointedly, to which Beatrice nodded.

"Tell me what possibly a pygmy hedgehog, Baxter was his name, do for Kyle, let alone anyone beyond being yet another mouth to feed and water? Yet he couldn't bear the thought of him being homeless. You know me, I have little appreciation for pets as they're unpredictable and inflict their own emotions upon you, I digress though. Unlike you I saw his humanity, I saw the other side of the civil war you cast our lot in, and perhaps the world is celebrating the death of a terrorist because people like you, the Achkaerinese, the Dartfordians and every other nation accepted the Ironside narrative of the conflict without doing their due diligence. So no," she said as she turned her head to the broken television, "I will not be celebrating this death, but I will buy you a new television, sorry," she said as she rose to leave the room, stopping as she turned the door knob.

"In the most delicate debriefing I've ever given Asuna didn't give me any inclination of maltreatment while in Kyle's company, one of his own made sure she made the trek up the road to QAMB as, how did she say it, "I looked back and he wouldn't budge until he saw the guards at the gate had me in their arms." They did that for you, with no promises of alleviating their position, knowing they'd continue to be vilified, I hope you enjoy your celebratory evening. I wish you'd have remembered the reports I sent you, perhaps your heart would be a bit softer, and I'd have the Beatrice who held East Moreland to task for assassinating a new mother instead of one who takes such pleasure in death. I've killed countless people in your name so you wouldn't know the toll I've carried to this day, in the past I celebrated such deaths to keep up appearances. But this time?" she turned the knob of the door, "I'm tired of lying to everyone and myself. It wouldn't surprise me if they broke both the letter and the spirit of the MCUR before he died, but no one will bat an eye because, "terrorist." Goodnight, Bea," she said as she left the room, leaving Beatrice and Alexander to process her words.

As she walked back to her room she met her estranged husband in the hallway. "Are you alright? You seem troubled," he said, to which Lucinda would respond with a punch to the gut before finding herself on top of him punching his face relentlessly. "I told you to leave me alone and you couldn't even do that much?" she said in between blows, only being stopped when Kado pulled her off of him. "Lucinda," he said quietly, "return to your room, now," he added when she lingered. With a tear rolling down her cheek she nodded and made her way to her room, leaving Kado to help Lucius off the floor. "She is pushing her lu..." Kado would stop him mid-sentence. "You suffered a clumsy fall, necessitating you to take a few days off from work. Do you understand me?" he asked, and when Lucius opened his mouth to offer resistance Kado made a "tsk tsk" noise. "You saw what I did to Taryō, I trust. Don't fucking trifle with me," he said as he brushed Lucius' shoulders off. "You'll be as good as new in a few days, yes?" to which Lucius simply nodded. "Good," Kado said as he turned to walk down the hallway.

Without knocking he entered Lucinda's room, "I trust that felt good," he said as he sat next to her, placing his arm around her, "I'm sure <0 is already scrubbing the footage from that camera as we speak. I know you're conflicted with this news, you saw a side of Mr. Barren none of us have seen, but we must act in ways that support the Empress in such times." Noticing Lucinda was about to speak in protest he raised his finger to her lips, "I know what you're going to say and, while you have no official standing anymore, you're bound to protect the Empress and her interests, and we both know that she has a special admiration for the Ironsides, we won't be crushing that or her ambitions to restore things between our nations. You deal with this however you need to but, as far as the Empress is concerned, you have to keep this within your heart. You try to impart upon her sympathy for Kyle and you're consigning her reign to suicide, do you understand?" to which Lucinda would over a delayed nod. "Good," he said as he stood up, "just as with Lucius you suffered a fall, so you'll be confined to your room for the next week. Do what you must in that time, process your grief, but keep your feelings to yourself. I may not have the mandate of the Rosari, but I now have purview over your previous portfolio and I will ensure that nothing derails the Empress from success. Do you understand?"

"Yes, stop repeating your questions, by the Godesses," she finally spoke. "Just had to drive the point home," Kado said as he departed.

Beatrice:
Location: Pyrena Castle, Residential Suite, Lucinda's Quarters
Time: 2:15 AST

"Hey," Beatrice said as she closed the door behind her, two days after the incident in her quarters. "Hey," Lucinda said without emotion. Beatrice took a seat next to her and put her arm around her before pulling her in for a forceful hug. "I don't have anything else to say beyond I'm sorry.....and I might of had INIS use their capabilities to cancel your replacement for the TV you destroyed because I'll replace it myself. Look, Luci," she said raising her eyes to her own with her hand on Lucinda's chin, "I get it, I get why you were angry, and as always you somehow ended up looking out for me in the end. But I'm not Empress anymore," she took in a breath, "it's Asuna's feelings toward the Morelanders you have to think about and, to be honest, being a Borland sympathizer isn't going to win her any friends. It will earn her enemies, certainly, so while I in some ways share your reservations on this issue, we have to do what's best for my little girl, and that's supporting her and what she has set as her goals. The Borlanders didn't have a Beatrice Anselmo to rock the clock of the Ironsides, they lost, and in that the future from that point belonged to the Ironsides. I trust your character and so," she said looking to the pygmy hedge hog Lucinda had adopted with a pause, "Baxter JR," Lucida sighed, "don't take his life as being in vain. It seems he introduced you to empathy, embrace that and in that, a bit of him lives on into the future. Little Baxter JR is certainly more cute than your plants," Beatrice said as she went over to his enclosure and made silly noises his way, which prompted Lucinda to stop her, "You're disturbing his normal routine, I appreciate your affection but it is not necessary at this moment."

"Sorry," Beatrice said as she sneaked a berry into Baxter JR's enclosure with a knowing grin while whispering "Aunty Beatrice's got you", which he readily consumed. "But thank you," Lucinda replied eventually. "I get it, I do, but this is ultimately your fault. You befriended them without taking into full consideration that they might just be bad guys too; Barren wasn't a bad guy in my book." "And while I respect that,"Beatrice sighed, "it's irrelevant, wholly irrelevant, and I promise I'll support you all that you need right now but, as far as the Imperial Rokkenjiman Government is concerned, East Moreland eliminated a terrorist. That's what you, and I, must support for Asuna to succeed. Are you capable of holding your emotions back," she said with a light touch to her chest, "to see Asuna ultimately succeed?"

"Her life is my oath, I can separate my feelings from my obligations," Lucinda said with a measure of reservation. "Oh Luci," Beatrice said as she squeezed Lucinda, "if I weren't a married woman, you know you'd have my heart, I'm sorry that didn't quite track as we thought on the playground in our younger days. You know I always had an eye for you, and you a slot in my heart, but," Lucinda would interrupt her with a surprise kiss, which left the two most shocked equally. "I'm sorry," Lucinda said suddenly, "please leave now. I'm nearly through my mandatory period as stated by Kado and I'd like to get back to life beyond these walls. You complicate that objective..."

"I understand, Luci," Beatrice said as she rose and made the motions to leave, turning at the last moment to add, "but please know I love you, you're my soulmate in so many ways, and  I'm sorry, you're my muse, my inspiration, I'm sorry, I have to go," she said as she finally pushed the door open and left. "I feel the same," Lucinda said with a smile once the door closed, "and I hate that we're in the timeline I get to watch you have a family and a happy life whereas here I am," she motioned, "killing people with their own intestinal cords. I hate this life, I despise being a tool of violence, I hate all of it but as it's for you," she paused, "it's worth it."

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