00:51   Trimangle   One afternoon, Alex arrives in the Hollow, making her way over to the Tree and rapping on the door. Her expression is somber, and she scuffs the ground with her boot.
00:53   Hazard  The field around you is green, held in life by Serius' good effort. The great tree's leaves have seen better days. They are browning at the edges, and the wood looks a bit dry. A few moments pass, and the door creaks open. A tiny face pokes out.
00:53   Hazard  "Alex?"
00:54   Trimangle   Alex's gaze is yanked back to the door. "Oh--hey, Hazard." She tries to smile, and a small one manages to appear. "May I come in?"
00:56   Hazard  She pulls the door open, and steps back. Her eyes have dark circles, like the days of her early training under Vix, and her skin is a bit pale. "Yeah, sure. What brings you by?"
00:57   Trimangle   It takes Alex a moment or two to respond, as if she's either inventing a reason, or concealing her true intention. "...I haven't seen you in a while," Alex says, stepping inside. "Have you been well?"
01:00   Hazard  "I've been worse." She closes the door after the air mage, and escorts her into the living room. "Want something to drink? Some food?"
01:02   Trimangle   "Something to drink, sure...I'm not really hungry," she responds, smiling a little. "Thanks, Hazard."
01:03   Hazard  "I have water, coffee, zevia... I think I still have some rum hiding somewhere if Sirius hasn't found it." She motions to the sofa, and continues on to the kitchen.
01:04   Trimangle   Alex accepts Hazard's unstated directive, dropping onto the couch. "Water's fine, thank you."
01:08   Hazard  The sound of water tinkling into a wooden cup lilts out of the kitchen. "How have you been doing, Alex? Well?"
01:08   Trimangle   Alex shakes her head. "Not...really," she admits.
01:10   Hazard  A little, brunette head pops out from the kitchen door. "Wut? What's happened?" She steps out, holding two wooden cups. She seems to have abandoned the khaki-green apron she was wearing, dirt and all. Now plainly visible are her tee and jeans, and ever present gold bands.
01:11   Trimangle   "I told you about Indra, right? The Beacon girl I....that I've....been seeing?"
01:13   Hazard  "She didn't break up with you, did she? If she's a cheater I'll..." She stops in her tracks, handing the cup over. Her eyes go distant for a solid minute. "I'll tell Ea to go hurt her."
01:17   Trimangle   "She was murdered about three weeks ago." Alex holds her hand up to forestall Hazard's outburst. "Two and a half weeks ago, I...came into possession of her soul. An...associate of mine had found her soul haunting her murderer and bound it, then was searching for me. Mirabelle, an associate of hers, and I are working to reincarnate her."
01:18   Hazard  "Oh! That's... That's a relief!" She sighs, and plops onto the couch by her friend. "I'd offer to help but..."
01:19   Trimangle   "Yeah, a relief..." Alex grimaces. "Agnes disowned me as a result."
01:22   Hazard  That pause is so pregnant, you're pretty sure its water broke. "Oh my... Oh, I'm so sorry, Alex! Why would she do that?"
01:26   Trimangle   Alex glances away, a cord bunching in her cheek. "She says I'm playing God," Alex says bitterly. "That what I'm doing is unforgivable, that it violates the sanctity of the cycle of life and death." Her tone turned half-mocking partway through that. "But what the hell else could I have done?!" she asks, turning her head back to face Hazard, a grim determination in her expression. "Indra was murdered unjustly, and someone took the time and
01:26   Trimangle   the expended the energy to bring her soul to me, and I have a contact who can help put it right. What moral choice do I have but to try to reincarnate her? She wants to come back, I want her back, I'm making things right." She runs her fingers through her hair. "I have the ability to set this right; therefore, I must."
01:29   Hazard  "Wow. That... Sucks. I understand her position, but..." She grits her teeth. "I can't agree. The soul hadn't passed on yet. It was still here, with us living."
01:32   Trimangle   "Right?" Alex asks, her expression easing. "It was still on this side. It hadn't crossed the barrier of actual death. It'd be like...like...after the heart stops, there's a period of time where you can restart it and it's almost like nothing happened. The barrier isn't so impermeable. I tried to tell her that...but she refused to listen."
01:35   Hazard  "I'm really sorry. Are you okay? What... What are you feeling right now?"
01:37   Trimangle   "I..." Alex shakes her head. "Lost. I know I'm doing the right thing. But Agnes says it's wrong, and disowned me. Carter says it's wrong, but he understands what I'm doing and why." She shakes her head, groaning. "If that weren't enough....the portals to Agnes' plane have all shut."
01:39   Hazard  "Can she do that herself? Or is that a bigger problem than it sounds?"
01:44   Trimangle   "Bigger problem," Alex responds. "She doesn't have the ability to close a portal, I don't think anyone does. I'd be incredibly surprised if anyone did."
01:46   Hazard  "So, We may have to go rescue her, then? I mean, if Vix knew where to go, he probably could get her. But..." She takes a couple swallows from her cup. "I don't think he's ever been there."
01:49   Trimangle   "...I don't know," Alex says. "She said she never wanted to see me again, that I wasn't her sister anymore. If I tried to pursue her, and she's gotten her powers back, I'm sure she'd drive me off with force."
01:55   Hazard  The little girl slips her arm around the older (looking) girl's neck. "That's terrible. She's making a terrible mistake."
01:58   Trimangle   Alex leans into the little girl's touch. "Thanks for this," she says, smiling softly. "I...may not be questioning myself, but this...schism has me in a bad way."
01:59   Hazard  "That's normal." She grins, her dark-rimmed eyes focused hard. "I don't know anyone that would take this kinda thing well."
02:01   Trimangle   Alex grins as well. "It'd be pretty strange if you could."
02:07   Hazard  "You're doing a good thing. You are undoing a murder." She grimaces. "If she disowns you for that... I'm not sure she's good to be around anyways. Not that she's a bad person... More that your beliefs clash, and that makes getting along tough."
02:11   Trimangle   "Undoing a murder...what everyone wishes they could do. I'm in a position to do it, and so I have a moral obligation." Alex nods once, then again, bobbing her head. "...And yeah, I guess that's the case. I wish it weren't, though. She and I got along so well."
02:13   Hazard  "You're a good person, Alex. One day, she's going to come around to that. Hopefully stubbornness won't keep her in the dark." Hazard rests her head on Alex's shoulder. "She'd be missing out on a great big sister."
02:15   Trimangle   Alex smiles, running her fingers through her hair. "...Thanks, Hazard. I-I try my best. And...if she does, well...that's her loss."
02:16   Hazard  "How long until Indra comes back?"
02:24   Trimangle   "Not sure," Alex responds, shaking her head. "Depends on Mira and her associate. This is her associate's area of expertise, so he gets to tell me when he's ready."
02:31   Hazard  "What are you doing with her in the meantime?" She asks, slipping back against the couch. "I mean... Where is she?"
02:34   Trimangle   Alex fishes inside her outfit, and pulls out a small mirror on a lanyard. It's a single piece of dark crystal, and in its surface is a ghostly bust of Indra set against a misty background. "She's here. Her soul is in this mirror...she can hear everything that goes on around her, and I can speak to her if I cast my mind into it."
02:35   Hazard  "Hi, Indra!" She waves into the mirror, though the sluggish movement betrays a lack of energy. "We're gonna get you out as soon as possible. You hang on!"
02:38   Trimangle   Alex tucks the mirror back into her outfit, resting her hand on it. "...We will. And we'll put her back in a body. ...And then Pascale will burn."
02:41   Hazard  "Pascale, huh? She's the one that did this?"
02:42   Trimangle   Alex nods. "That monster who's been dogging Kali and Indra's heels since they came from whatever world they were stationed to before here."
02:48   Hazard  "That's scary. How are the Beacon responding?"
02:49   Trimangle   "I haven't spoken to Beacon command, but I'm almost sure Kali has. I'm sure they're intensifying their search, but I couldn't say for certain."
02:52   Hazard  "I wish I could help. A monster that tough should have everyone banding together to beat it." She beats her fist against her knee.
02:58   Trimangle   Alex nods. "Knowing that I have your moral support is plenty enough," Alex assures the girl.
03:00   Hazard  "Has anyone ever given you amoral support? What would that even be?"
03:02   Trimangle   "That is a good question. I...I'm not sure I know."
03:04   Hazard  A wolfish grin spreads over the little girl's face. "Be sure to ask Indra for some when she gets back. Eh? Eh?"
03:05       *** Carmine quit (Quit: GOTTA GO FAST *DELELELELELELE*)
03:06   Trimangle   "I--wha--Hey!" It takes Alex a moment to process the innuendo, but she bats at the girl after she does.
03:09   Hazard  "Just saying! That's what girlfriends are for!" She chuckles at the smacking. "Besides, I doubt she'd say no..."
03:11   Trimangle   Alex blushes furiously. "I-I don't think she would either."
03:20   Hazard  "It's all going to be all right, Alex. I'm gonna be fine one day, too. I just hope my destiny is still waiting for me."
03:27   Trimangle   Alex nods. "I'm sure of it, Hazard," she says, her face cooling. "You'll be fine, I'll help you get to 'fine,' and your destiny's either waiting for you or you'll seize a new one."
03:29   Hazard  "Yeah, but if you seize a new destiny, was the old one really yours to begin with?"
03:32   Trimangle   "I don't see why not," Alex says. "Yours, but the time or the place was wrong. Like...consider me," she says, growing reflective. "If I had waited one more day, or went another city block...I might not be here."
03:33   Hazard  "But it was your destiny to be here, so you didn't do that, and you are here."
03:35   Trimangle   "Are you looking at it back to front, I wonder?" Alex asks, tilting her head. That would assume...predestination, I think. A denial of free will."
03:36   Hazard  "True, but if you fail at your destiny, why would you get another?"
03:38   Trimangle   "I don't see why you necessarily wouldn't," Alex responds. "Besides, if it is your destiny, by your logic of course it will be waiting for you."
03:40   Hazard  "So, you're saying more like..." She squints as she tries to put words together. "I do not belong to my destiny, my destiny belongs to me."
03:44   Trimangle   Alex considers that for a moment, then nods. "Exactly. It's what you choose it to be."
03:46   Hazard  She smiles, color barely making it back into her face. "I needed to hear that."
03:48   Trimangle   Alex puts her arm around the girl's shoulders. "You're welcome, Hazard. I'll tell it to you as many times as you need to hear it."
03:49   Hazard  "And I'll remind you of who you are whenever you need it." Her mouth suddenly opens, as she sucks in air like a Kirby cosplay. "Oh, wow. Sorry."
03:51   Trimangle   Alex turns her head. "Sorry? Why're you apologizing?"
03:51   Hazard  "The yawn."
03:52   Trimangle   "Oh. Oh. Right." She laughs. "Who am I, then?" she asks, tilting her head curiously.
03:54   Hazard  "You are made of love, and you are worthy of love. No matter how someone treats you."
03:56   Trimangle   Alex nods. "Thank you, Hazard. I need to hear that, too."
03:58   Hazard  "I know how what happened with Agnes hurt you, and it might have made you doubt it. But you are." She frowns. "Some people just can't understand love."
04:01   Trimangle   Alex nods. "I had thought..." She runs her fingers through her hair, as if familiarizing herself with it again. "I had thought she would understand. That even though she didn't try to bring her own mother back when offered...but who knows what had happened to her soul. It could have been a different circumstance. She glances down.
04:03   Hazard  "Fundamentalism rarely has room for gray areas and choice." She shakes her head. "Sad thing is, love is a choice."