[Amelia's sitting at McDonald's with a cup of tea and some pancakes when she sees Gerard, possibly getting something himself? She stands up and politely gestures in greeting.]
But I thought, as good a time as any to start making a change! I mean, the world is most likely ending, and there is the possibility of being completely erased from existence, but they do say that working out gives you, ah. Endorphins, or whatnot.
The times of shadow and all that-- but. Well, I won't say don't worry, because we're attempting to stop it, but I would worry a little. Considering at least two of us are dead now. But some very competent people! Still alive! Hopefully!
You shouldn't count yourself out just yet! To stand against an evil great enough to threaten the world... the light of Justice must shine brightly in your heart! And those who side with Justice don't fall so easily!
I don't really know for sure, but it looks like she was definitely the culprit, right? The important thing is that we arrived at the right answer in the end.
... I think... if we don't keep believing that we can work together, then that lapse in faith, the moment we start to really doubt each other and let fear take hold... that's what will tear us apart.
I don't want that to happen, so for now, I want to keep believing in everyone.
I always liked stories about heroes that fight against evil! Noble knights who battle bloodthirsty demons, and always show up just in the nick of time to defend the weak!
ou see Princess Elody turns to Snow White - cold, and slim and frightening as always, eyes dark and glimmering, and to the Beast, huge, - and says, “May I speak with Prince Gerard privately?”
She’s awkward. You’re awkward. There’s a long silence between you two. But she’s always been braver than you, so she begins first.
“So you're traveling... Okay. I'm very glad to see you. It's been explained to me how this all sort of works, that…” She has to pause. Catch a breath in her throat. ”I found your body in the other world.”
“Oh.”
You can’t do anything but stare in response to that. Huge frog eyes, looking almost either direction.
“ … And I was very... I was destroyed. I was destroyed to see it. I am glad that you are, in some way, still here, still alive.”
It takes you another long moment to find the words.
“I’ve been hearing of your exploits, and I've... That's sort of why all my friends are putting on an act. I think they really were excited for us to meet again, because I've really wanted to say some things to you. I'm just, I'm sorry. I know that you've been dealing with all of this for much longer than I've been dealing with it, and I'm sorry that I made you do that alone, and that my desire and that my desire to sort of keep our happy ending to sort of keep our happy ending meant that I was pretending that bad times weren't here, and that meant that I wasn't there for you in the bad times. So, you know, I don't expect anything of you, and... I don't know exactly where we left off, but if you've moved on, which I would understand if you have, that's all right, and if you haven't, we can figure it out after all of this, maybe.
I'm rambling, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry.”
“I appreciate it. I don't know that you've done anything so horrifying that it warrants forgiveness, but I accept the apology.”
“Well, I think as your partner, the trouble you were taking on should've been my trouble as well, but it was something you had to face alone.”
“I can't blame you, Gerard.
You were a prince. You were cursed, and you escaped, miraculously. A condition was met that never should've been met, and you should have been swallowed by a heron in a lake outside the castle.
And you weren't, and maybe you were just aware that no matter what you did for the rest of your life, the story people were going to tell about you was that there was a period of years where you were a frog. If you'd become amazing at statecraft or signed some important treaty, well, that's just what princes do. That's not the kind of thing they tell stories about, and I never faulted you for believing that it had ended. And I think I carry a lot of anger, because I think the way I was brought up by my mother and father led me to believe that at the end of extraordinary and unprecedented things, you just sort of float like a lily pad on a pond. But it never really stops, and the truth is, the adventures I had falling in love with a frog were one of the simplest, most straightforward of my life, and all of the things they don't tell stories about were infinitely harder. And I guess I assumed you would come with me, and I had a lot of anger and resentment that you weren't.
But when I saw your body in Elegy, I don't know, a lot of that anger left. So I appreciate you saying what you needed to say.”
“Yes, I don't blame you for being angry. I think that the story that's happening now, I've come to learn, will maybe lead to something better. Because you're right, stories don't just end.”
“There's a whole lot left in that ever after. If you had never found me, if I hadn't been able to come here, what would you be doing now?”
“If I could be honest, Elody, if I didn't know you were out there fighting, I wouldn't have done it. I would have done nothing. But you inspire me.”
She looks stricken. Not frightened, but. Terrified in a different way. Heartbroken again. “I’m going to... I just need a minute.”
And she excuses herself from the hall.
You sit down.
You aren’t really a prince right now.
You just sit to have a moment, because the conversation with Elody, she didn't yell at you. There was no anger, but it also didn't resolve. It wasn't like a joyful reunion, and I think partway through sitting in this empty room, because I think your friends have gone off to the library, part of the way through this moment, you realize that you are sitting with your legs fully folded to either side of you, perfect frog pose. Your musculature and skeleton has changed so much that you're able to perfectly do that sit.
[ don't worry amelia it basically IS a really dramatic soap opera. wait until the part where he quite literally runs away and has to leave her behind again without time to warn her! ]
Oh, I don't know ... you just don't let her fight all the wars and don't help, and then run away with the women and children and eventually die in a desperate battle against a fairy and then leave her behind for another alternate world, and I think you'll be alright.
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Weekend 0, Sunday
Oh, hello! I don't believe we've met yet.
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Ah, yes, hello - I was just stopping in here before heading to that gym. It's-- You know. The carbs! For energy.
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But I thought, as good a time as any to start making a change! I mean, the world is most likely ending, and there is the possibility of being completely erased from existence, but they do say that working out gives you, ah. Endorphins, or whatnot.
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... Um, wait, what's that about the world?? [Ending????]
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[ well, ]
Mine, at least! I don't know about yours. Possibly yours next, however. From what I understand, it's spreading.
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[spreading???]
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W0 - SATURDAY
[ HE.
RIBBITS. ]
Do you think she really did hit him with that Pipa?
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I don't really know for sure, but it looks like she was definitely the culprit, right? The important thing is that we arrived at the right answer in the end.
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You are-- a big fan of justice and all that, right?
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... You think it will stay like that? I can't imagine that it won't start, you know. Crumbling a bit as the pressure is on.
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... I think... if we don't keep believing that we can work together, then that lapse in faith, the moment we start to really doubt each other and let fear take hold... that's what will tear us apart.
I don't want that to happen, so for now, I want to keep believing in everyone.
W1 - SATURDAY
I ... didn't think it would be so simple.
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She looks over with a weak smile.]
I don't know if it was simple, but... it seems we were on the right track after all.
... O-of course, I wasn't worried at all! Justice always wins in the end.
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[ he'll just go sit down on a bench somewhere. it's fine being outside for a bit. ]
Still, feels like a bit of a hollow victory. It doesn't help him anyway. He is still gone.
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[...]
I wish we could do more to prevent these tragedies...
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[ but he realizes that's a depressing thought. he can't really drag himself out of it tonight. ]
Do you think it counts as justice? When someone has been caught?
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If those who do evil are found and punished swiftly... yes.
It's the best we can do, for a victim who can't be helped anymore.
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[ he has to consider it. ]
That is an admirable thing to believe. You would fit in, at home. Stories are often about that kind of thing.
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[Not even really in a bad way. She kind of tries to stand out.]
But I always wanted to be the kind of person you read about in stories... Um, if we have the same kinds of stories to begin with, that is...
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[ gestures. frog. ]
Probably we do? There are all kinds of stories. What are the kinds you have?
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I always liked stories about heroes that fight against evil! Noble knights who battle bloodthirsty demons, and always show up just in the nick of time to defend the weak!
W4 - MONDAY
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[Amelia looks at him with pity, like she wasn't just absolutely glued to this memory like it's a dramatic soap opera.]
Love is... really complicated, isn't it...
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Oh, I don't know ... you just don't let her fight all the wars and don't help, and then run away with the women and children and eventually die in a desperate battle against a fairy and then leave her behind for another alternate world, and I think you'll be alright.
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I... I'll remember that.
Um, so... you died? Like, before all of this?
[She talked about seeing his body...]