Nobody's Side

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:32 pm

Samantha hadn't spoken since she'd returned from London Bridge Tower this latest. She hadn't ventured out of her quarters, either.

However, the door wasn't locked.

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:37 pm

Who knows how long Nailah has been standing in front of her door before she knocks and carefully pushes it open.

"Are you okay?"

You idiot. Does she look like she's okay?

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:39 pm

"It... it doesn't matter if I'm okay."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:43 pm

"It does to me... I'm the one responsible for... this."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:46 pm

"No, you're not. If I hadn't sent you off alone..."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:48 pm

"Don't!" she interrupts her, catching herself and going on a bit more softly. "Don't do this. Don't try to find the one thing you could have done differently."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:50 pm

"How am I not supposed to second-guess myself?"

"And... and... I've been so awful to you..."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:57 pm

"It's not like I didn't deserve it."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:59 pm

"I... I don't know that yet."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:03 pm

"For what I did? I deserve everything that happened..." she says, actually stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, leaning against it with her hands behind her back.

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:04 pm

"I'm... you don't need to tell me, Nailah. Any of it. Not if you don't want to."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:08 pm

"Do you want to hear it?"

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:11 pm

"...I don't know. There's so much I don't know..."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:16 pm

"Most of it isn't pretty. But you probably figured that..."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:17 pm

"...wasn't pretty the last time I failed you, either."

"...or the time before."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:23 pm

"This is different..."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:24 pm

"Yes, this time I threatened to murder you, so there's that..."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:26 pm

"At least you didn't actually kill anyone."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:27 pm

"Not for lack of trying. When I saw the blade in your hand..."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:34 pm

"Hers... isn't the only blood on my hands. When I saw Legion and the others make their demands my first thought was that I had to get rid of them because the teams would only arrest them..."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:37 pm

"And... God help me, right now I don't know if you're wrong for thinking that..."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:43 pm

"I wish you didn't. I feel like I defiled... something by bringing you here."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:47 pm

"I made you bring me here. You know that."

by **Atropha** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:53 pm

"I should have known better. I did know better."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:12 pm

"I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:57 am

"Don't do this to yourself..." she almost pleads. This all felt much too familiar and she almost wishes Sam would just be angry at her. At least that she could handle.

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:12 pm

"You think it would be easier if I hated you? Maybe it would, but I don't know if I can."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:15 pm

"I lied to you. I led you on a pointless chase and then tried to convince you to give up only because I couldn't bear telling you the truth. I... slept with Harbinger."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:17 pm

"I... I don't even know how long you were gone, whether you even knew you would see me again..."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:21 pm

"Over a year..." she says quietly.

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:25 pm

She stood, turning to face Nailah.

"This... it's selfish of me, but it's more for me than for you..."

She reached out her arms and tried just to hold the sphinx.

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:29 pm

She doesn't resist the embrace but she doesn't reciprocate either. She lets it go on long enough to fight back the tears so Sam won't notice when she eventually frees herself from the hug.

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:31 pm

"...I'm sorry. That... it wasn't fair to you."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:35 pm

"Not like I was fair to you... I can't expect you to just... get over this and I shouldn't have before."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:36 pm

"I don't want to let you go. I was willing to see this bloody world burn around me to get you back, and God help me I still am..."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:40 pm

"It won't change anything..." she says, though she doesn't exactly sound opposed to the idea.

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:43 pm

"I know. I can't erase anything that was done, no matter how much I wish I could."

"But I don't hate you. I hate this world for doing this to you."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:46 pm

"I... I can't do this." She wants to take a step back but quickly realizes she stopped right in front of the door to start with. "I'm only going to disappoint and hurt you. Again."

by **Samantha McManus** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:49 pm

She sighed and turned away again.

"...I don't know which hurts worse."

by **Atropha** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:56 pm

"I wish I could. I just want to see you smile again." she says, reaching out for Sam's shoulder before stopping herself. "But you deserve better. Someone who won't be a painful reminder of what you lost..."

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