Alphinaud; Catch-all

[misstrust]

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w6; saturday

[arcsplainist]

[ Post trial... Wherever Dorothy is, Alphinaud will be approaching. ]

[misstrust]

[ She's in the employee lounge behind a barrier! Like a good convicted murder.

Hi, Alphinaud. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ Barriers. Boo. Also I forgot to mention this'll be a bit after it ends... nods.

That said. ]

... Dorothy?

[misstrust]

Alphinaud.

[ She lifts her head. ]

Hello.

[arcsplainist]

[ He's never heard her so short-spoken before; Alphinaud looks dejected as soon as she speaks. ]

... Pray worry not of what I think, my friend. I know it is not because you wished for this.

[misstrust]

[ Alphinaud no, don't look like that?? ]

You take a certain responsibility on for taking a life, regardless of the reason. I've already accepted that.

[arcsplainist]

[ No! He's sad! ]

Yes. ... It could not have been an easy choice—no, I can say with certainty it was not.

[misstrust]

I expect you to get through this with your chin held high, Alphinaud. You're still very much needed.

[arcsplainist]

Dorothy... I—

[ Ugh, this damn barrier! Alphinaud only leans into it a little, and then his head lowers; with a sniff, he rubs at his eyes with a sleeve. ]

[misstrust]

...

[ Oh, no.

Dorothy presses her palm to the barrier, the closest thing she can do. ]

It's all right. You've done so well so far. And if all goes well, I won't be parted from you for long.

[arcsplainist]

[ Oh yes, it's happening. Alphinaud wipes at his face again, but the tears come. ]

I— I can only pray to the gods above that it may come true... The uncertainty of it has been but a crushing weight upon mine own heart.

[misstrust]

Keep searching. Keep learning. I'll see what I can do, from the other side, but this will need to be an effort made by everyone.

... You'll be fine. I know you will, Alphinaud.

[ STOP CRYING, HONEY. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ LET HIM BE SAD!! He's tried to keep it level for so long. ]

Of—of course. Of course... I will do whatever damned thing it takes, Dorothy.

[ He lifts his hand to where hers is, closing his eyes, and then says, quieter, as it reciting a mantra: ]

For those we have lost. For those we can yet save.

[misstrust]

For everyone.

[ And Dorothy smiles at him, steadily. He doesn't need to be strong-- she can do this much for him. ]

And then we'll have a proper hug at the end of it. Sound fair?

[arcsplainist]

Hah...

[ It's a little forced, a bit weak, but Alphinaud lifts his chin and manages a small smile back, even if he's definitely red around the eyes. ]

We cannot now, so I daresay, you owe me one.

[misstrust]

Yes, you have my word. One long, embarrassing embrace.

[ He can look forward to that. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ He nods once. (then sniffs again.) ]

You have my thanks... for everything. I can only hope that one day I am able to repay you in kind.

[misstrust]

You can. Just survive and get through this.

[ Simple enough. ]

[arcsplainist]

I will. For you, and Archer, and Ochako, and—and everyone.

[ He lowers his gaze again. Rubs at his eyes, again. ]

This past week, I knew not what to do with myself. My grief and anger over what our circumstances have become had overwhelmed me... Even now, I still feel it. Yet in spite of that, I want to do what it takes to save everyone. I will not die—not here. Not now.

[misstrust]

[ Man, she wants to headpat him so badly. ]

It's natural to feel sad and upset over losing people and the circumstances we've found ourselves in. But what's most important, and it seems like you've already realized it, is that we keep moving forward. We can't let ourselves lose to the kind of feelings that would keep us right where we are.

So I'm glad to hear you say that.

[arcsplainist]

[ he nods! ]

Always have you held such strength within you... 'Tis not oft you find that.

[misstrust]

Both you and Rufus today, goodness. You'll make a lady blush at this rate.

[ All this talk about strength, gosh. ]

[arcsplainist]

Well? He is not wrong. I do hope you realize that.

[misstrust]

It's admittedly hard to think about my strength when I was caught based on quite a bit of of concerningly obvious evidence.

[ None of which was actually hers. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ ... well. ]

This may be a foolish question, but were you hoping to hide what you had done?

[ Jeanne purposefully made it pretty obvious. ]