comeuppance

WESSEX after all is said and done you're just a carnivore let you in and drink my blood you're nothing but a monster ‘Sam. Safehouse. Tonight.’ The terse message is all that comes from the Wraith as she begins to deal with cleaning up and dealing with her own thoughts on the events of LongNight. For all the fire and destruction, there were thankfully few deaths, and only one she actually cared about. Cera will be remembered and laid to rest in her mind - later. Now, she has to deal with the far more troubling part: Sam’s escapade outside and whatever mental deficiency he’s suffering from this time.   It can’t be just pure stupidity. There’s got to be something else going on. Wessex lifts the cube and descends the stairs, placing the object back on the trap door as she lowers it down. Lighting a candle, she settles on to a bed and waits for the ginger to show his face. He will. She knows he will. It’s just a matter of how sniveling and how pathetic he’ll be.

Samuel

We can leave life for tomorrow
Or grieve all that we thought we’d do

Sam knew he'd have to get to Wessex eventually in his apologies. She was the scariest one apart from The Voice and he was anxious about it, but he had the experience of his last few conversations with Remi, Rexanna and Jigano about the failed Longnight mission. Those had made him realise he was on a rather drastic downwards spiral.

He was coming up to a large moment of decision in his life, he knew it. Just what he'd choose, he didn't know.

A little later than Wessex, last minute fear causing him to be slow, he headed down into the safehouse. As he shut the trap door behind him, he tried to resolve himself. Not to be cocky or rude; he knew he was in the wrong. But to be dignified, perhaps. Not crying at the first moment of hardness. It would be difficult, but he had to try or he'd never be able to change.

Walking towards Wessex and stopping about five feet away, he looked to the candle then forced himself to meet her eyes. "Hello, Wessex. I suppose you'd like to speak to me about what happened during Longnight." His voice stayed surprisingly steady, but his hands were a tell-tale sign of his anxiety, balling into fists and relaxing over and over again.

Or make each moment new

WESSEX after all is said and done you're just a carnivore let you in and drink my blood you're nothing but a monster Some time in between leaning against the headboard of the bed and when Sam started to descend into the cellar, Wessex pulled her knives out of her boots. Half for effect. Half because she genuinely wanted to hurt the ginger. All that self-control she’s had recently has to go somewhere, and she can feel it leaking out of her, her anger bubbling up like a vile case of heartburn, eating at her chest in cold, but surprisingly illogical way. “Speak with… sure. Let’s call it that,” she says flatly. The Wraith swings her legs over the edge of the bed and stands up in a fluid motion, knife in hand. The other one remains on the bed. “Let me guess,” Wessex begins sarcastically, taking very slow and deliberate steps towards her brother. “You have an excuse, or some reasoning for what happened, that in hindsight was really fucking stupid?” There’s a flash of something dangerous in her eyes, something that screams this is far more personal than Sam could have imagined; unlike Rexanna, Remi, and Jigano, Wessex has no compassion or patience left to give.

Samuel

We can leave life for tomorrow
Or grieve all that we thought we’d do

Sam had expected Wessex to shout, to criticise and maybe even throw something, but he had not even dreamed she would advance towards him with a weapon. With wide eyes he stared at the knife, taking steps back as she approached. "U-um.." For a moment his words were taken away, the only thing in his mind a ringing runawayrunawayrunaway repeating in a crashing chorus.

But he forced himself to swallow the fear and respond, though he still was wary of the knife. "I did have reasons. But you are right. It was...ah..fucking stupid. Yes. I am taking steps to try and remedy it, as best I can." It was a miracle he was able to get the words out as well as he did, the panic in him raising to a crescendo as he knew his assurances would likely achieve nothing.

Or make each moment new

WESSEX after all is said and done you're just a carnivore let you in and drink my blood you're nothing but a monster There is some delight in doing the unexpected; in knowing that there is often more power and fear in staying quiet and tightly coiled rather than raising her voice and making a big show of things. She feels like a tigress stalking her prey, like a dark angel, like a furious, vengeful Wraith. “And do you know the extent of the damage you’ve done?” Wessex hisses at him, each word precise and sharp. Trying to maneuver herself into a position to block the stairs and the way out, she eventually stops advancing on Sam, wherever he may be. “The damage you do," she corrects herself, "because you don’t think and you can’t keep your mouth shut?” The many ways Samuel Wordsworth has hurt the Ascended, despite being one of them, is numerous and ongoing. Wessex’s kept an ongoing tally, weighed her brother, and found him wanting in a way that their gracious, generous Mother never would. Sam isn’t bright. He’s an idiot. And he either needs to change or be put down.

Samuel

We can leave life for tomorrow
Or grieve all that we thought we’d do

Sam stopped as Wessex blocked his exit, stumbling back a foot. He was silent as she asked her accusatory questions, shaking just slightly as his eyes grew wet. He blinked, forcing the tears back down - and as he swallowed them, something else came up into his throat. A determination that he had found within himself several times recently.

Activating his barrier to keep him safe from Wessex's knife, Sam straightened up and said back loudly, but not shouting: "No. I have made a mistake. I'm sorry for that and I am doing what I can to fix it. That does not make me bad and I am not the biggest challenge we have here." Speaking like this to Wessex was terrifying, but he kept his gaze steady, knowing he had to start standing up for himself at some point.

"I have apologised, spoken to The Voice and Rexanna and we have ways to fix things. I don't see why you need to tell me how awful I am on top of that. B-believe me, plenty of people have told me over the years." He took in a breath of anxiety rather than necessity, forcing himself to stay straight faced.

Or make each moment new

WESSEX after all is said and done you're just a carnivore let you in and drink my blood you're nothing but a monster Well look who finally grew a spine. Wessex still lays claim to the balls, but she’ll give Sam credit where credit is due. It’s a mixed feeling that washes over her, one of further anger for daring to tell her she’s wrong, and one of relief because at least something is working with him. Nevertheless, she finds herself baring  her fangs and continuing her onslaught. “It makes you and your continuous mistakes a liability,” she hisses back. “You are short-sighted, you don’t think shit through, can’t hold your own in a fight, and now you’ve almost killed Rex.” Her voice hitches, cracking and betraying the emotion she’s been holding back since finding out how very close to death her friend and sister came. No one knows how much Wessex feels like she needs the woman, how aware she is that things are probably going to go downhill fast, and it might be Rex who saves them all. “And who knows what you might have told to people who would use information against us.” And perhaps that one is the scariest of all to the Queen. She can’t trust Sam to not go talking to people. She can’t trust Sam to keep their secrets. “I can’t trust you not to betray us.” Lobbing the knife at him (aimlessly, but he probably wouldn’t know that), Wessex leans forward ever so slightly. “So how are you going to fix those things, huh?”

Samuel

We can leave life for tomorrow
Or grieve all that we thought we’d do

Wessex still threatened him, still terrified him, but Sam saw two glimpses of human weakness in her, dents in her armour: first the second of surprise in her eyes as he spoke back then the more obvious hitch in her voice when she spoke of Rex. The second made him suddenly feel rather sorry for Wessex, which was not an emotion he was used to.

Still, she continued and even threw the knife, though luckily it bounced into the wall behind him (he ducked instinctively anyway, hands going over his head, somewhat ruining his attempt to be tough). Sam straightened himself back up and looked at her for a moment, wondered if he owed a response to someone who would resort to violence like this, when it was so clear who the victor would be.

But maybe he owed it to himself, to speak on his own behalf for once. "I can't stop myself from ever making mistakes. None of us can. But...I'm trying to learn how to be of more use in fights..." As he said this he thought of Remi, sweet gentle Remi, assuring him he didn't need to fight to succeed. A nice ideal, but unrealistic. "And I've learnt that my friends, no matter how much they love me, won't understand The Voice. So there's no reason to tell them anything new."

A sad realisation, but a true one. "I did not mean for any harm to come to Rexanna. It did and I was...horrified. I was ready to give myself for her healing, but I didn't need to, as it turned out. Wessex, I am not the enemy here. Please. I'm just..." He pushed a hand through his hair. "I'm just very new to all of this fighting and action and secrecy and I'm trying to learn how it works." Surprised at his own eloquence and steadiness he waited to see if his words would make any difference.

Or make each moment new

WESSEX after all is said and done you're just a carnivore let you in and drink my blood you're nothing but a monster Of course Wessex has human weaknesses, she isn’t a robot, despite being made of nanites and such. She just… isn’t cuddly. Unless she makes a concerted effort, her fear comes out as anger and sharp words. She reacts in order to head things off so they don’t get worse. She is stubborn and prideful. The world has beaten her down and she’s seen time and time again that only one thing works with people: the threat of violence. So it seems to be with Sam - she was nice and the lessons didn’t take, but this show of force seems to have done something, at least. “No,” she says finally, flatly. “You’re not the enemy here.” It is the one thing he’s right about. The Wraith takes a step back in a very noticeable effort to restrain herself. “Promise me something, Sam. And if you break it, so help me, I will come for one of your upgrades and you will not like that experience at all.” Searching for Sam’s gaze, she focuses everything she has on him. “If there’s any inkling that your idea may not be well thought out, you come to me and ask. This can’t happen again.”

Samuel

We can leave life for tomorrow
Or grieve all that we thought we’d do

As Wessex conceded he was not their enemy Sam felt himself relax a little, hoping that he may have gotten through to her a little bit. Maybe eventually, when he got better at explaining himself, he could actually work with Wessex.

Which made her suggestion a very good idea. "Alright. That sounds like a good idea to me. I will do that." He looked down to the knife now on the floor and paused, unsure if he wanted to make peace with Wessex right now. But she was a good leader and he could not afford to have this feud as well as everything else. "I do respect you and all you do for us. And I am sorry."

Or make each moment new

WESSEX after all is said and done you're just a carnivore let you in and drink my blood you're nothing but a monster Terrible at apologies and greatly preferring to just be honest about shit so she doesn’t have to apologize (and yet how often the words I’m sorry have crossed her lips recently), Wessex can feel things start to settle in her as she gets most of what she wants. Bloodlust still haunts the edges of her energy, the desire to hurt him for hurting someone she loves still bubbles up, but the Queen at least has some notion that she needs to leave this encounter salvageable - if only for their future. In the end, it’s his acknowledgment of respect and all that she’s done that pulls the Wraith off the warpath. Her lips press into a tight line and her jaw clenches as she turns from him, nodding again in acceptance. Finding her knives, she sheathes both and then returns to the stairs, muttering “I should not have thrown a knife at you,” as a sort of apology. He’d be able to hear it, but she prefers not to face him. A couple of days would be needed, and lucky for her, she has plans. Darting up the stairs, Wessex leaves the Safehouse - and Sam - to go shred some dead trees in the Outskirts, taking her energy out on unsuspecting wood.