Ugh. [Lumina huffs.] You sound like Lightning. She was always insisting everything was fine even when everything was so very clearly terrible. Course, she was kind of a mess...
[Blue eyes fix on Alice then.]
If you bottle everything up, it ends badly. Not just for you, for everybody around you too.
[ That hits a nerve for Alice, who falls into silence for a moment. She's never really had the luxury of people worried for her well being, not in a very long time. She doesn't know what to say to that but sag forward lsilently with Sophie in her lap. ]
Hey! [Lumina scoots closer, twisting to sit next to her, and puts an hand on her back.] Sorry, I'm trying not to make things worse, promise.
[God this not lying this made everything more complicated.]
It's just. I've got this sister, right? ['Sister' was the easiest way to explain their relationship anyway.] Her name's Lightning. Well, no it's not but it's what she tells everybody her name is. Anyway, she spent so long bottling everything up inside, thinking she had to be strong and tough and make sure nobody ever knew that something was wrong that it broke her!
You gotta be careful about stuff like that. Trust me.
Lizzie Alice remembers. She spent a good portion of her time trading secrets with Alice when Alice was young. Of course, Alice was 11 years younger than her. Lizzie kept that secret from her family, until it boiled over and she caved and told their father what had happened before their deaths. Bottling it up was a solution for Lizzie, because Alice was too young to understand Bumby's disgusting advances.
All of this has conjured up a lot of old feelings for Alice, ones she wasn't really ready to deal with again. Alice sucks in a breath thinking she can hold back tears. Sister. Lumina doesn't know, it's not fair to burden her with those things. But there's little Alice can do when she bursts into tears, covering her face so that Sophie doesn't get caught in the crossfire. Besides, who takes children away from their older sisters, anyway? That's cruel. ]
[ It's mine. She thinks to herself, she thinks she's too weak and a failure having been kidnapped. Alice isn't very thrilled about being touch, but Lumina's young enough that she gets away with it. ]
I'm afraid you're far too young to hear some things. It's more than that, that's all I will say.
Sure. [Lumina is used to that. She is a kid, but at the same time she isn't, yet it's not something she really wants to give up. So when it comes down to it, she isn't going to press the point. Besides, maybe Alice was right, maybe she really was too young to hear it.]
[As the other girl talks, Lumina releases the hug, though she keeps her hand on her back. She knew she liked that, or she thought she would. People were rarely comforting to chaos children.]
I think it's just a big sister flaw, and no matter how much you shout it at them, they can't change it.
[ Lizzie was so fiercely protective of her and Alice had looked up to her in addition to her mother as a model lady. Alice wipes her eyes, and looks back down at the rabbit in her lap who hasn't budged the entire time.
Sophie was always so good about tuning into Alice's emotions. ]
You have nothing to apologize for. All of them will be leaving soon to stop Reynard and I will be here.
[ And Alice hates that; he's drained her, locked her up in a cell, and struck her so hard that she hit the ground.
But still it is nothing compared to the ten years in the asylum. ]
[ More than a week, but Alice has lost track of days. Her mind simply goes back to Berserker wounded. What if she didn't intervene with the hobby horse? What would happen to him? The idea frightens her. ]
It will take more than just words for that, Lumina. Much more.
We'll see. [Lumina knows there's a plan but she doesn't know enough of the details to really be sure of anything. Heart hunting is the theme of the hour.]
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[Blue eyes fix on Alice then.]
If you bottle everything up, it ends badly. Not just for you, for everybody around you too.
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[God this not lying this made everything more complicated.]
It's just. I've got this sister, right? ['Sister' was the easiest way to explain their relationship anyway.] Her name's Lightning. Well, no it's not but it's what she tells everybody her name is. Anyway, she spent so long bottling everything up inside, thinking she had to be strong and tough and make sure nobody ever knew that something was wrong that it broke her!
You gotta be careful about stuff like that. Trust me.
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Lizzie Alice remembers. She spent a good portion of her time trading secrets with Alice when Alice was young. Of course, Alice was 11 years younger than her. Lizzie kept that secret from her family, until it boiled over and she caved and told their father what had happened before their deaths. Bottling it up was a solution for Lizzie, because Alice was too young to understand Bumby's disgusting advances.
All of this has conjured up a lot of old feelings for Alice, ones she wasn't really ready to deal with again. Alice sucks in a breath thinking she can hold back tears. Sister. Lumina doesn't know, it's not fair to burden her with those things. But there's little Alice can do when she bursts into tears, covering her face so that Sophie doesn't get caught in the crossfire. Besides, who takes children away from their older sisters, anyway? That's cruel. ]
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Sorry.
[She wasn't sure what else to say, not while Alice was bawling like that. Instead she scooted a bit closer and tried to give her another hug.]
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[ It's mine. She thinks to herself, she thinks she's too weak and a failure having been kidnapped. Alice isn't very thrilled about being touch, but Lumina's young enough that she gets away with it. ]
I'm afraid you're far too young to hear some things. It's more than that, that's all I will say.
But I know, my sister did the same thing, too.
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[As the other girl talks, Lumina releases the hug, though she keeps her hand on her back. She knew she liked that, or she thought she would. People were rarely comforting to chaos children.]
I think it's just a big sister flaw, and no matter how much you shout it at them, they can't change it.
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[ Lizzie was so fiercely protective of her and Alice had looked up to her in addition to her mother as a model lady. Alice wipes her eyes, and looks back down at the rabbit in her lap who hasn't budged the entire time.
Sophie was always so good about tuning into Alice's emotions. ]
You have nothing to apologize for. All of them will be leaving soon to stop Reynard and I will be here.
[ And Alice hates that; he's drained her, locked her up in a cell, and struck her so hard that she hit the ground.
But still it is nothing compared to the ten years in the asylum. ]
And he will hurt them again.
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Or maybe they'll kill him dead. [Lumina isn't entirely sure she believes it, but it's not a lie either.]
Plus you've gone through the wringer twice in a week. I'm pretty sure you get to take a couple days to not be doing that.
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It will take more than just words for that, Lumina. Much more.
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You really want to be there, huh.
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[ But Alice is already resigned to the fact she's too weak to go. Although- ]
But you shouldn't, you're far too young for these sort of things.