[ He does nothing to refute her silent accusations, makes no attempt to steal back the envelope or escape her blows. For how much she must hate him right now, she should be striking him with more force, but it wouldn't matter. The raw pain in her hushed sobs may as well be screams in his ears, with every strike from her hands bruising him to his mockery of a soul. He utterly wilts under her assault, only taking a step or two back so that when push comes shove, he's the one to stumble so that she doesn't.
Alicia has known what he wants, she's known his motivation all along. She had to know that nothing would veer him away from his path, especially not so close to reaching his goal, but as deeply as he knows that if given the chance, he'd do it all over again, he can see it for what it is. A betrayal.
Even while being brutally honest to her face about his intentions, it didn't mean that he wasn't simultaneously burying a knife into her back, straight through her heart.
She'd had too much faith in him, in the Verso he used to be, and oh how sorry he is for it. Unfortunately, this is what he is, and now, this is what she's stuck with. They both are. He ought to just leave, but where is he going to go? Across the garden? This isn't the continent, it isn't so easy to hide from one's sins in this realm. And he's still too aware that Alicia is in a state far more vulnerable than she's potentially ever been, so he isn't going anywhere yet.
He wants to grab her and hold her tighter, to explain himself, but she deserves better. What comfort can he offer? What excuse can he utter than she doesn't already know?
Instead, he drops both hands and lets her vent for as long as she needs to—any flinch that occurs is for injury far more than skin-deep. He brought this on himself. He had never expected to be alive to face the consequence, but now that they're here, Verso can't run from them. ]
no subject
Alicia has known what he wants, she's known his motivation all along. She had to know that nothing would veer him away from his path, especially not so close to reaching his goal, but as deeply as he knows that if given the chance, he'd do it all over again, he can see it for what it is. A betrayal.
Even while being brutally honest to her face about his intentions, it didn't mean that he wasn't simultaneously burying a knife into her back, straight through her heart.
She'd had too much faith in him, in the Verso he used to be, and oh how sorry he is for it. Unfortunately, this is what he is, and now, this is what she's stuck with. They both are. He ought to just leave, but where is he going to go? Across the garden? This isn't the continent, it isn't so easy to hide from one's sins in this realm. And he's still too aware that Alicia is in a state far more vulnerable than she's potentially ever been, so he isn't going anywhere yet.
He wants to grab her and hold her tighter, to explain himself, but she deserves better. What comfort can he offer? What excuse can he utter than she doesn't already know?
Instead, he drops both hands and lets her vent for as long as she needs to—any flinch that occurs is for injury far more than skin-deep. He brought this on himself. He had never expected to be alive to face the consequence, but now that they're here, Verso can't run from them. ]