Diverging Futures at Ednas

[Anatole]

A smile flashed through his effusive curls as he laid down his cup.

"Why? Simple answer is, of course, because they want them back. They want what was taken returned. There is a strong element of that in myself. And it takes time - a long time, sometimes - to accept that we are no longer what we were; we've been twisted and moulded into something else, something that might not fit."

"But that does not take into account our desire for revenge. We can't avenge ourselves on the Gentry. But we can avenge ourselves on our Fetch should we find ours. Now throw in temptation - kill the Fetch... and you slot right back into your old life; albeit a life refashioned by your Fetch and one where you must needs deal with their legacy."

"There is Fear there, too. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what one has become. Fear of being... Lost. Sometimes trying to reclaim a place in the past is less daunting than beginning all over again some one... something... entirely different."

He paused again to lift his cup back to his face, letting the aroma sit just beneath his nose.

"Lavender... Magnificent. Have you ever found any of our Courtiers would rather live in the past, as you say?"

Genuine curiosity now.

[Seraphina]

Eyes have a warm glow as she watches and listens over her cup, spearing deep in thought over his words. “Interesting, it makes sense, in a way. To want your past life back, especially if you had been successful.” Then eyes shift to look at the cup for a moment, “I suppose I was the opposite; I didn’t want that life back.” Frowning, “I do remember that feeling, feeling like what I was made into didn’t fit. It was a struggle to learn who I now was and find pieces of myself among what had been torn out and replaced.” It had been, as he put it, a process.

Then came the smile, it was a cold one, not one usually, if ever, worn by the Treasured, “Oh, that I understand.” But again, she didn’t want her old life, was that weird?

“Fear is something we cannot escape, no matter what we do, it’s always there.” It was a difficult emotion to deal with, Fear. But she had learned to face it and overcome it. Though there were still parts she couldn’t face.

“Have I?” thinking over the question, “There have been a few who seemed desperate to reclaim and live in their past life. I was never sure how to help them with it, or if I even should. Because on one hand, I cannot tell someone else how to live their lives, but on the other hand, not moving forward is a whole other problem in itself. I always try and offer support whenever I can, but it’s one of those things where I just don’t know what to do.” Another sip, “And you?”