Rondo

[residentflorist]

code

Helianthus
Named after its tendency to turn to face the sun.
Helianthus comes from Greek helios, "sun" and anthos, "flower"
Adoration, loyalty, and longevity

Comments

[flameguard]

[ honestly a full out hug would be fine, he never rejects any kind of affection - when her arm slips into his, he just lifts it a little to make room, and he looks down at his feet. you did well. you lack resolve, rondo. ]

... I hesitated. I shouldn't... I should have moved faster.

[residentflorist]

[she just kind of shakes their adjoined arms, but she's also shaking her head.]

No. You can't blame yourself, Rondo. We...we did what we had to do. And if we had stopped her too early, we'd still have to vote for someone else. There wasn't enough time by the time we realized.

[flameguard]

What if tomorrow, someone gets sent in to do the ritual that can't fight?

[ that's the biggest issue. that's the scariest thing in the entire world. ]

[residentflorist]

...do you think there's a way to ask the overseers? Maybe now that we've done the ritual once, they have a better handle on it and can control some things better.

[flameguard]

[ oh. that's - that's not a bad idea. ]

... I could try. [ if nothing else. he just - he wouldn't be able to live with himself. thinking about how badly karlach got hurt last week, and karlach is an amazing fighter, but she was poorly armed, and...

rondo swallows. ]

[residentflorist]

It's worth a shot. We won't know how much they can help us until we ask. And I want to believe still that they want to help as best as they can. [...] It's going to be kinda scary no matter what.

[their KARLACH]

[flameguard]

[ THEIR KARLACH... ]

...And I can't help but wonder if not, if it will always be the most painful possible choice.

[ considering...karlach and boothill. it just feels bad, man. ]

[residentflorist]

[she's still holding his arm, but she folds her hands together while their arms are linked to think about this.]

Who do you think that would be in this case? I don't really know who Erin's close to.

[flameguard]

Miss Camille, or Miss Marina.

[ which is scary!!! bad!!! he gladly curls his hand with hers, though, soaking up affection week. ] Alfyn, too. I don't know, really, but... those are the ones I worry the most about.

[ like. these are three very different kind of people, but alfyn is rondo's water bottle. ]

[residentflorist]

[oh that is actually a lot of bad choices, cool. she hates that.]

...it'd be absolutely cruel to choose Alfyn after what he's gone through this week. And Camille doesn't strike me as someone who can or would want to fight. Marina might be able to hold her own, but...she's still young. Those are all terrible options for different reasons.

[flameguard]

[ YEAH!!! YEAH IT SUCKS!!! he swallows, voice breaking on the first syllable of his sentence before he gets it under control, small and achingly vulnerable. ] ...I don't want any of them to get hurt because I hesitated.

[ he doesn't want anyone to get hurt, because he hesitated. ]

[residentflorist]

[...she just grips his hand a little tighter, actually.]

It won't be your fault. If you hadn't hesitated, maybe it'd be Nona and someone else in there tomorrow. Or two unrelated people we can't even fathom. But this was not solely on you. All of us hesitated. Any one of us could have stepped in, too.

[flameguard]

[ it all just feels so heavy. for a moment, he clings to aerith's hand and her words like a lifeline, feeling - just. weak. always relying on other people for strength, rondo. you lack resolve. ]

... I know. [ he says, soft, and shakes his head. ] We still have to find the last person, too...

[residentflorist]

And we will. We're not going to let them get away. [she takes a breath.] But it doesn't have to be today. We all did so much today that it's weighing on us. It can come tomorrow, when we've had time to rest.