108. Plain

[corrinesbell]

That wasn't me.

I dunno what that was but I promise it wasn't me. I'm really sorry if I said something terrible to any of you.

...Especially you, Colette.

Shirley, I think...can I talk to you?

[And there are some apologies that only work in person. Which is why later in the day she'll be going to house 42 and knocking hesitantly on the door]

Comments

[corrinesbell]

[It's muffled, but she's sort of shouting to counteract the pillow]

I take care of myself just fine! It's not my fault that other me did stupid things.

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Yeah sure, not like you wouldn't have been out and about doing stuff because of some stupid reason you come up with.

[corrinesbell]

So now you think it's stupid to try to help people out?

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

No, but you're going to do yourself in one of these days, forget Volt blasting you to kingdom come.

[corrinesbell]

No I'm not! And I wasn't gonna just let him kill you, Zelos!

[sitting up and shouting at him now. This is doing wonders for the headache]

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Are you stupid or something? I could've taken the hit. You know I have an affinity for the element.

[corrinesbell]

That doesn't matter! Do you really think I'd do nothing on the off chance that maybe it wouldn't kill you?

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Off chance? For the love of...

Whatever. That doesn't mean if you managed to get yourself killed back there, we were both dead.

[corrinesbell]

I wasn't gonna let that happen to anybody else! Especially somebody that matters to me!

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Think about someone besides me then. If you couldn't have stopped him after that attack, I sure as hell wasn't in the shape to. Who knows how many others he could have killed?

For someone who likes protecting as many people as you can, you sure as hell don't know when to cut your losses.

[corrinesbell]

Is that what you really think?

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

I think you're damn lucky things turned out the way they did, all things considered.

[corrinesbell]

The summon spirits are my responsibility.

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

All right, tell me this then. If you had died there, would they have all gone back to rampaging?

[corrinesbell]

...

I wasn't gonna die.

[Tell her about it. For real this time.]

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Sheena, I thought you were dead. Or when I figured out you weren't, I thought you were about to die any damn minute.

[corrinesbell]

Well maybe you were overreacting.

[Really? You don't sound so sure anymore, Sheena.]

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Yeah, tell me that again when I find you half-conscious and shaking. Then I'll overreact again.

[corrinesbell]

[Somehow, finally owning up to her mistakes has turned into making the most selfish and destructive choice possible. Sheena breaks eye contact with him to cover her face with her hands.]

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Hey, don't...

Come on, it's over and done with.

[corrinesbell]

I thought I was finally doing it right.

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Whether you're doing it right or wrong, you can't change the past.

...So don't worry about it. Just think about what you're doing next time.

[corrinesbell]

I know I can't change the past. ...But this time I thought it could be different.

[There may be a hint of 'it could be me like it should've been' somewhere in there. Over it? Never.]

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

Hey, hey. I'm the idiot with the self-loathing streak. That's my deal, don't you go and start thinking dying's going to do anything to make up for anything.

[corrinesbell]

I don't think that. I'm not trying to make up for things.

[She drops her hands. It certainly doesn't look like she's lying.]

But if I let it happen again...then I haven't learned anything.