Darling please, just give us some time, and I swear we'll be alright
Atlas, whispers in her mind, and her breath stutters. It is well-hidden beneath her general tearful demeanor, but a cold certainty clenches in her gut. The story she has spun has one fatal flaw that she must stitch over with careful words - the fact that Atlas is gone, and Morgan had known him, ever present in her spa as he had been. Her mind spins and whirls for threads to pull, though her lips are already parting. "I wasn't near the second fire, it didn't manage to spread very far from what I understand, but it was spoken of in tandem with the destruction of the Advocates." She worries at bitten lips, curling tighter into her chair. It's a mystery that bothers her endlessly, even as it aids her alibi.
Morgan's empathy both burns and soothes, and a small kernel of regret lodges in her withered heart at having to pull the wool over the woman's eyes the way she does. "Deimos and I have known each other for so long, I can scarcely recall life without him," she says softly instead, seemingly at odds with the woman's apologetic tone for a moment. "I know I can't speak on his behalf, or excuse him, but his hatred of Sunjata must make sense to you then if you can imagine it at all." A plea for mercy to be extended, or perhaps even the barest dredges of understanding.
Tears spill over her lashes at last despite her desires, wavering grip on her emotions failing at Morgan's assurances. "I...I'm..." swallowing hard, she brings the heels of her palms to press into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Morgan, I wasn't entirely truthful. I was there. I was too late, and I never saw Deimos visually - I didn't know, but I suspected." Her vagueness about her last two stops before returning to Halo a chip she must rely on to have been evidence of concealment, scared of Morgan's retribution. "I had been a member of the Advocates, I had told him of where it was and what we did because I was so angry. When I realized what he might do I thought I could stop him, but I couldn't even find him when the fire began." Grief is very real now, almost uncontrollable as she hiccups into her palms and digs her nails into her brows. "I had Atlas guard the door, to try and prevent anyone from playing hero while I tried to find Deimos. And then - there was a woman, and she killed him." Her voice goes slightly hysterical with the weight of her loss, and the tears spill messily over her palms where they try in vain to contain them against her cheeks.
Removing her hands she stares imploringly at Morgan, the dark shadows of exhaustion and grief like smudges of ash beneath her eyes. "S-She killed him with fire. So I tried to kill her, I admit. I was out of my mind - I know it doesn't help with our relations to Torchline...I didn't mean to make things worse, I swear," she begs, and her face crumples as Hotaru tries to fight back further tears at the memory of Atlas' last moments of pain. Placing the blame for the Wren fire on the mystery woman is payback she hopes viciously will work. "I don't know if she set the other fire, or why she went after Atlas. If it was an accident. But I'm so sorry. I didn't do enough."
Morgan's empathy both burns and soothes, and a small kernel of regret lodges in her withered heart at having to pull the wool over the woman's eyes the way she does. "Deimos and I have known each other for so long, I can scarcely recall life without him," she says softly instead, seemingly at odds with the woman's apologetic tone for a moment. "I know I can't speak on his behalf, or excuse him, but his hatred of Sunjata must make sense to you then if you can imagine it at all." A plea for mercy to be extended, or perhaps even the barest dredges of understanding.
Tears spill over her lashes at last despite her desires, wavering grip on her emotions failing at Morgan's assurances. "I...I'm..." swallowing hard, she brings the heels of her palms to press into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Morgan, I wasn't entirely truthful. I was there. I was too late, and I never saw Deimos visually - I didn't know, but I suspected." Her vagueness about her last two stops before returning to Halo a chip she must rely on to have been evidence of concealment, scared of Morgan's retribution. "I had been a member of the Advocates, I had told him of where it was and what we did because I was so angry. When I realized what he might do I thought I could stop him, but I couldn't even find him when the fire began." Grief is very real now, almost uncontrollable as she hiccups into her palms and digs her nails into her brows. "I had Atlas guard the door, to try and prevent anyone from playing hero while I tried to find Deimos. And then - there was a woman, and she killed him." Her voice goes slightly hysterical with the weight of her loss, and the tears spill messily over her palms where they try in vain to contain them against her cheeks.
Removing her hands she stares imploringly at Morgan, the dark shadows of exhaustion and grief like smudges of ash beneath her eyes. "S-She killed him with fire. So I tried to kill her, I admit. I was out of my mind - I know it doesn't help with our relations to Torchline...I didn't mean to make things worse, I swear," she begs, and her face crumples as Hotaru tries to fight back further tears at the memory of Atlas' last moments of pain. Placing the blame for the Wren fire on the mystery woman is payback she hopes viciously will work. "I don't know if she set the other fire, or why she went after Atlas. If it was an accident. But I'm so sorry. I didn't do enough."
HOTARU
