Marco's Heart

[peccatore]

You find yourself in a bright white, circular room. It's nearly empty; too bare, almost clinically so. But the bareness of it means that what is visible here stands out:

A podium in the center, where a familiar figure sits, head buried in his hands. Three paths running from the podium to three different spots near the edges of the room - not corners; circles don't have corners - where three doors leading seemingly nowhere stand with no regard for their complete lack of structural support.

It doesn't take you long to figure out where you are, does it? You only have to decide where to start.

Comments

[turntoash]

[Then she's on the floor! Suddenly, there's a wind whipping up from somewhere... Ashwyn's hair is falling over her eyes. If Marco looks down towards her, he won't be able to see her face.]

Afraid of what?

[peccatore]

"You've... seen a lot."

[turntoash]

"Yeah. I have."

Ashwyn stands, and Marco is finally able to see her face. Her eyes are glowing - not with their usual gold, but with a pure white, so bright that it's strange that it doesn't burn.

"I've seen what happened to you. Beginning to end. I've seen your friends, your family, your foes, your victims. I've seen what you've done, and how you torment yourself over it."

She holds out a hand towards him.

"C'mon, Marco. You've got judgment to face."

[peccatore]

"Wha... What...?"

Well, now he definitely looks scared.

[turntoash]

Ashwyn takes his hand and pulls Marco to his feet. It's a gentle motion, despite everything.

"Do you truly want to repent?" she asks, her eyes still shining.

[peccatore]

He lets this happen.

"I... Yes. Yes, of course."

[turntoash]

Ashwyn nods almost imperceptibly. "And you acknowledge your crimes?"

[peccatore]

"Of course I do."

[turntoash]

Ashwyn leads him by the hand away from the pedestal to a fourth path that he hadn't noticed up until now. It's leading away from the doors, away from his specters.

"And you'd do anything to take it back?"

[peccatore]

"I-- I, uh..."

What in the actual god damn is going on.

"Y... Yes?"

[turntoash]

"Then..."

Ashwyn stops in her tracks. There's nothing around them - no doors, no podium, no unwelcome guests.

"I know what my judgment is."

[peccatore]

He waits silently.

[turntoash]

Ashwyn looks up at him. The wind fades. Her eyes return to normal. There's even a tear or two.

"You have to live, Marco. And you gotta do it without these guys in your head beating you up. Sacrificing yourself doesn't atone for anything. You gotta be alive so you can help as many people as you can. You gotta."

Ashwyn sniffs and wipes the corners of her eyes.

"Please, Marco."

[peccatore]

"A-- Ashwyn?"

It could not be clearer that this is the last thing he expected.

"Don't... Don't cry. Please don't cry?"

[turntoash]

"I'm being serious!" Ashwyn snaps. "It's- it's a lot to wrap my head around. But the way you're gonna be able to atone for what you did is gonna be through your good works. Through your care for others. Not -" here, Ashwyn gets up on her tiptoes to get in Marco's face - "because you took yourself out of the world too early! You understand me, Marco?"

[peccatore]

"I know. I-- I know you're serious."

He's not only caught off-guard, he's... overwhelmed, in a sense. He really isn't sure what he thought Ashwyn was going to say, but this... this is...

"I... understand. I-I do."

[turntoash]

Ashwyn keeps her face close to his, close enough that he can see the tears - not her strange magic ones. They're in a dream, after all.

"Then when you wake up, you gotta make things right. No more feeling sorry for yourself. No more agonizing. You need to atone."

And then, in a quieter voice, Ashwyn continues. "I need you to atone."

She collapses into his chest, crying - a mirror of the beginning of the day for both of them.

[peccatore]

"I-I-I... I'll try, Ashwyn. I'll try..."

He has no idea what he's going to do yet. How he's going to do it.

Right now, all he knows he can do is hold Ashwyn close again, and breathe. For the sake of it.

[turntoash]

You don't have to have it all figured out now, Marco. It's okay.

When you wake up, just remember: there's someone who always has your back. Who cares about you very much.