[ venus starts. surprise slices through her anger enough to stop her where she stands. her hand, now empty, rises to her chest. artemis looks over at her, perplexed, but she can only return the sentiment. whatever she expected, this was not it.
as she looks over the stranger with new eyes, it hits her suddenly. he cannot be that much older than she is. he looks younger still slumped in the grass like a marionette with its strings cut. he looks like she felt when she saw usagi turn the sword on herself. she looks down at the burned man. had she borne witness, she might agree that they deserved this and worse. she might have helped. ]
That's awful. [ her eyes are wide and very, very blue. sorrow furrows her brow. ] I'm so sorry. Are—
[ an explosion swallows the end of her question. venus whirls to see the side of the compound has blown out. the fire licks greedily at the grass, and stretches scarlet fingers to leaves and trees. the sigils on that side of the compound are scattered—by the explosion, by her feet, by artemis. with a sense of horror, she realizes what they were probably for. ]
Oh, no.
[ the fire stretches east. the inn. the houses she passed on the drive. her parents. no, no, no— ]
no subject
as she looks over the stranger with new eyes, it hits her suddenly. he cannot be that much older than she is. he looks younger still slumped in the grass like a marionette with its strings cut. he looks like she felt when she saw usagi turn the sword on herself. she looks down at the burned man. had she borne witness, she might agree that they deserved this and worse. she might have helped. ]
That's awful. [ her eyes are wide and very, very blue. sorrow furrows her brow. ] I'm so sorry. Are—
[ an explosion swallows the end of her question. venus whirls to see the side of the compound has blown out. the fire licks greedily at the grass, and stretches scarlet fingers to leaves and trees. the sigils on that side of the compound are scattered—by the explosion, by her feet, by artemis. with a sense of horror, she realizes what they were probably for. ]
Oh, no.
[ the fire stretches east. the inn. the houses she passed on the drive. her parents. no, no, no— ]