"No, I still cannot read minds. That said, I still feel that I could have been a better friend to you in that moment. If it were ever to happen again, I would wish to do more. You can tell me not to worry, but I can hear in your voice how much it bothered you. You don't need to put up a brave face for me, Fever."
There's a silence on the other end, such that one almost could be forgiven for thinking that she left. But finally, a breath.
"If I cannot mend this breach in my defenses, then who knows what the next command will be? If I cannot resist the order to be still, what if the next one is to turn my power upon you all? I have fought too hard to master myself, and if in a word he can take it away? Then that is a problem I need to fix."
She's glad he cannot see her face. Communication like this, she can infuse her voice with irritation, fall back to the familiar comforts of drowning out fear with opposition.
Wretched thing. You failed then. You failed at the theatre. Do better.
"I need to fix it, or else be a liability to you all."
He waits. He will wait as long as she needs in perfect silence. He can guess the thoughts moving through her now, because he can guess at the ones that would plague him in the same situation. It is something he has had to consider before for himself. It's something one must consider when they have the ability to do so much harm.
"Yes, I agree," Erik answers. "We cannot let that stand. We won't. But, Fever, I do mean we. You will do the brunt of the work, no doubt, but you do not need to do it in isolation. I'd like to help you. If not that, at least may I accompany you through some of it?" They way he should have been doing all along.
She wants to reassure him, to say she'll be fine, that she'll find this solution. That if she can rip out something deeper set than words, then there has to be strength enough to evade Aster.
"By supporting your efforts and your needs, Fever, as simple as that sounds."
He wishes he could be there in person to give her some physical comfort, too. He can hear how desperate she sounds.
"I know others I could ask for advice, with discretion. And, frankly, Aster seems to thrive on isolating his targets to silence them. He can't do that to you, now."
The her of a year ago, gathered in Mortanne's net, would not have believed him. Could not have believed him. Yet the her now wants to believe - wants strongly to not be still so afraid of undoing all her hard work. It's hard to remember, sometimes, that people want to support her too - that she should talk, and let them. But it's worth the fight to get there.
"He didn't bind me from speaking about it. That's his mistake."
It's not as full of conviction as perhaps they'd like, but it's a step in the right direction.
"Those you would ask for advice...if you trust them, then I'll try to do the same."
"That should be proof to you that he is not as all-powerful and clever as he likes to present himself as. He can be thwarted." He projects the confidence she's lacking.
"Thank you for that trust; I will not betray it. I care very deeply for you, Fever."
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"If I cannot mend this breach in my defenses, then who knows what the next command will be? If I cannot resist the order to be still, what if the next one is to turn my power upon you all? I have fought too hard to master myself, and if in a word he can take it away? Then that is a problem I need to fix."
She's glad he cannot see her face. Communication like this, she can infuse her voice with irritation, fall back to the familiar comforts of drowning out fear with opposition.
Wretched thing. You failed then. You failed at the theatre. Do better.
"I need to fix it, or else be a liability to you all."
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"Yes, I agree," Erik answers. "We cannot let that stand. We won't. But, Fever, I do mean we. You will do the brunt of the work, no doubt, but you do not need to do it in isolation. I'd like to help you. If not that, at least may I accompany you through some of it?" They way he should have been doing all along.
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What comes out instead is different.
"...How?"
How can he help with such a task?
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He wishes he could be there in person to give her some physical comfort, too. He can hear how desperate she sounds.
"I know others I could ask for advice, with discretion. And, frankly, Aster seems to thrive on isolating his targets to silence them. He can't do that to you, now."
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"He didn't bind me from speaking about it. That's his mistake."
It's not as full of conviction as perhaps they'd like, but it's a step in the right direction.
"Those you would ask for advice...if you trust them, then I'll try to do the same."
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"Thank you for that trust; I will not betray it. I care very deeply for you, Fever."