post-dungeon regroup

[discutio]

[Obviously, they had to pull back and recover; Phoenix thought it would be best to head to the pseudo-headquarters in Invidia and settle back into the mansion to recover as well as consolidate what they all knew. There was a lot to get through, and a lot of recovery to be done by some of them. He'd need to talk to Etoile, thank Ariel, thank Medic again--]

[...But for now, he just about immediately collapsed on a couch and decided he would exist there for a while. You're on your own for food this time, kids.]

Comments

[discutio]

...I was afraid.

[No point in being anything but honest. He'd have said the same to Chiron without amnesia, anyway.]

Afraid for everyone else's safety as well, to be sure, but...primarily yours. I was afraid, and angry, and more than a little desperate. I--we can't afford to lose you.

[schardynfreude]

...Phoenix.

[How does a guy that big get a voice to sound that small? It doesn't matter that Phoenix can't see him; he doesn't look at the man who was on fire. Fusses with the cuffs of his coat.]

I daresay it's an appropriate name. Were you...were we, ah...

[Oh we're just not finishing the question okay.]

[discutio]

[He bit back a nervous laugh; it would have just made the situation feel more tense, on his own side. Although it was funny, in a dark sort of way.]

I...well, not exactly, it...we might have kissed once or twice not terribly long ago, but there wasn't really the benefit of time enough to consider it further.

[schardynfreude]

Friends with something. I see. ...Or, no, I don't, that seems insane to me given how we were. But I've no doubt in your words or convictions.

[discutio]

I am not...the person I was. And in our time here I have found no reason to believe you are whatever you were, either.

...Strange as I know it may sound, I trust you with my life--the particulars of that phrase aside.

[schardynfreude]

I was a man given a singular purpose, and...fell from grace, I suppose. So whatever I was, it was multifaceted. I'm...glad to be so trusted, however.

[discutio]

[He'd promised Achilles he would explain that memory to Chiron; of unearthing the shreds of history deliberately buried. Would it be easier to do now, or would it worsen the whole situation? Phoenix silently weighed the odds and decided that it would be better to do very soon; but today? Probably not today, when they were both recovering from physical and mental exhaustion.]

Anyone here would call you a valued friend and teammate...well, maybe not Sword, but he has a prickly sort of way of appreciating others.

[schardynfreude]

Sword has his moments, but it's so strange how he and Wolfsbane are the opposite sides of the same coin and can't stand each other. Perhaps they are too similar.

[discutio]

Perhaps so. Well, we've functioned decently so far even with the two of them at each other's throats on occasion.

[schardynfreude]

I simply wish...that this unexpected turn of events wasn't so painful. I'm perfectly happy to meet people again, to relearn what's gone on here, but it...shouldn't have to be that way.

[discutio]

...I'm sorry, Chiron. If I had only started by attacking more decisively, this would never have happened. I took her arm off far too late to make any real difference.

[schardynfreude]

This is hardly your fault. Or anyone's. We had no idea what we would face, and certainly not the likes of her.

[discutio]

I...I know that, it's only...I feel responsible all the same. I feel sure there must be some way to fix this, and yet I don't know what that is.

[schardynfreude]

One of the hardest truths to learn is that you cannot fix everything. Perhaps that's a reason why you're here rather than among the living.

[discutio]

...you could certainly be right about that.

[A thin, bitter smile.]

Even so, I don't plan on simply leaving this as it is. I told Achilles and Mona we would find a way to restore your memory, and I intend to do as much as I can for that.

[schardynfreude]

I've my doubts you'll be finding butterflies with glimpses of my memories within them. They seem to be shared with others rather than go back to their owner, at any rate.

[discutio]

Perhaps, and perhaps not. But if the time spent here has shown me anything, it's that missing memories need not be gone. After all, the mere fact that you know me from Altissia says that much.

[schardynfreude]

You were quite adamant. You had the chance to save yourself the pain and come with me, and you chose...all of that.

[discutio]

He was important to me. I don't...I don't remember anything of who he was, but I know that I didn't regret doing any of that for his sake.

[Phoenix paused, under the pretense of adjusting his sunglasses.]

...If I'd lost something else this time, I would still not regret doing so again.

[schardynfreude]

...I've yet to regain all the memories of my life, but I very much doubt that I had anyone like you in it.

[discutio]

Perhaps not.

[...He didn't like that he knew the definite answer to that.]

But I don't plan upon going anywhere now, memory or otherwise.

[schardynfreude]

Where would you even go if you wanted to, that's the real question.

[discutio]

Who knows? Superbia, probably, Etoile and I both have its Authority. But that would make me abundantly easy to find.

[schardynfreude]

Not a bad thing, surely, to be found. If one wants to be found.

[discutio]

I think I might like to be, in that situation.