video | open to both courts

[boutant]

[ Caer Scima had not been a place Ariadne had wanted to return to after the previous month. But when searching for the feathers and feather thief pointed the trail in that direction, Ariadne had returned both her mare and her bandersnatch to her manor. Bentley the imp would look after them, and with the offerings (offerings, of all things) being left at the gate, she doubted finding others to employ would be as difficult as she'd feared. She uses her ability to move through shadows again for the first time, and combined with the fairy ring, she is soon back at Caer Scima.

For the best, she supposes; she has to pick up Ser Pounce-a-lot anyway.

As she opens the locket, Ariadne twirls a blue feather in her fingers; another one she'll have to give back to the imps, though she wonders if perhaps she ought to see if she can turn into something decent at tracking. Catching thieves is hardly her strong suit. ]

I have a confession to make, [ she starts, forcing herself to look at the locket. The twirling of the feather is a nervous gesture. ] Last month, some of you encountered a large shadow creature -- horned, with giant claws. Some of you were injured by it.

[ Some saw others killed by it. ]

The creature attacked the Station, Caer Scima, and Caer Glaem. It was at Caer Glaem that it was brought down and returned to its true state.

[ She takes a breath. ]

Me. And I'd like to apologize for what I did as the creature; I didn't have any control over it, any conscious thought at all.

[ She would not, at least, have attacked the Station or Caer Scima or her friends. Caer Glaem... well, she had been there before because she had been ordered to. ]

I have already been punished for it; I was in the dungeons of Caer Glaem, and I'm sure I'd still be there now if things were different. [ If Razul of the Larks had not been sent for her. ] I just thought that I should explain.

So. Now you know.

Comments

[video] then [action]

[chaoticwhimsy]

That was you?!

[Lumina just looks completely baffled at this tiny little person who had apparently turned into a giant shadow dog. And then there's a flare of dark and light energy, and she's standing nearby, pointing an accusatory finger at poor Araidne.]

You ate my cyclops!

[boutant]

[ Ariadne jumps slightly, one hand immediately going to one of the silver knives on her belt. It's a kid, though, and- well, she did kind of try to kill her. ]

I know- I'm sorry.

[ She pulls her hand up, away from the knife. ]

I really didn't have any control.

Video

[starspangled]

That took a lot of courage. How does it feel to get it off your chest?

Video

[boutant]

A little better. Now it's just... anxiety, I guess. [ She gives him a faint smile. ] People around here are well-armed, after all.

Video

[notavirtue]

[He'd seen the aftermath of the creature's attack, but avoiding the smaller ones had kept him out of its path. The Station was still a bit of mess.]

How is it that you were the shadow creature?

[He considered the feather she was toying with, except the timing didn't work out. Not unless this 'magic' bird had been losing feathers long before now.]

Video

[boutant]

I ended up inside one of the smaller ones and... transformed, I guess.

[ Magic, Javik. Magic. ]

video.

[rube]

[ben returned from his trip to the station a few days ago, although he's still a little more tired-looking than usual. he saw the damage first hand, both at the station and in caer glaem, and it takes him a moment to process the information ariadne is giving out.

he swallows, uncertain.]

That thing was you?

video.

[boutant]

[ Ariadne swallows as well. She'd needed to come clean, needed to get it out there -- but she doesn't particularly want to keep talking about it.

Still. She has to. And so she nods. ]

Unfortunately.

video; private

[greywater]

[The destruction was great, and she knows how much was lost. Still she would trust that Ariadne would not do any of that intentionally. While the two are not extremely close, her character is kind.]

Are you well now?

video; private

[boutant]

Now, yeah.

[ She sighs, lets one hand rub her face. ]

It- well, I definitely don't want to do it again.

video.

[mdma]

Thanks. Guess everything is hunky-dory now.

[even if ariadne didn't have any control of it, effy isn't too keen on forgiving someone, or something, that killed and injured a bunch of people just for the hell of it.]

video.

[boutant]

[ Oh, it wasn't just for the hell of it. The creature had a very specific purpose in mind, she remembers: destroy all light, destroy everything. ]

I didn't say that.

video; locked;

[jaywalks]

[ "confession" sets the alarm bells ringing for mako's cop brain... but what follows, and the admission of her capture. it makes him wonder, something he's been thinking on for a while. ]

Did... anyone ask you questions when you were put in the dungeon? Not an interrogation, just... taking a statement or something?

video; locked;

[boutant]

No. They didn't talk to me at all.

[ Which is better than them just killing her, but... ]

[huge_egomd]

Okay... wasn't expecting that.

[boutant]

[ SURPRISE! ]

Oh, god- Greg, are you okay? I remember- uh, going after you.

video.

[infame]

[Ariadne good lord. ]

It happens to the best of us.

video.

[boutant]

[ well at least she didn't kill her niece. peter. ]

Yeah?

[ She laughs, a bit awkward but also a bit relieved. ]

Video;

[thenameofscreen]

I have only heard the stories of what happened, but if my words hold any value to you, I would accept your apology.

[It doesn't sound like it was in the least bit intentional, but Star is curious how it happened in the first place now.]

I hope that you yourself were not harmed during your... [Imprisonment, incapacitation, sentence?] ... stay.

Video;

[boutant]

Thank you.

[ If she's someone who lives at any of those places, then- well, yes. The words hold value. ]

No, I wasn't. Which I'm... still a bit surprised about.

[video | locked]

[bird_brain]

You didn't have to.

[video | locked]

[boutant]

Maybe. I think I did, though.

private video

[bythewaves]

Feeling better Alcalasse?

private video

[boutant]

Not really, [ she says with a wry smile, leaning back against the nearest wall. ] But I think I needed to get it out there.

video.

[impeaches]

I hope our encounter did you no long-lasting harm, my lady.

video.

[boutant]

No, no- I'm fine. I should be asking you that.

video » locked.

[scinlae]

[ morgana looks tired when she appears in the image, though clean dark circles sit underneath her eyes, a painful contrast against her pale skin. ]

Are you well?

[ a question with many meanings. ]

video » locked.

[boutant]

I'm okay.

[ Alive. Not hurt. And emotionally... she'll recover.

Morgana, though, looks like shit. It's much easier to worry about her than to worry about the reception her confession might receive. ]

What about you?