Breaking Down Walls (Mirien)

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

In any relationship, be it friendly or romantic, communication is important. Especially when a friend or spouse is dealing with a very traumatic event that is shaking them to the core. Even if one believes oneself incapable of offering advice that will make everything better as if one were waving a magic wand, sometimes merely being there for a friend in need can and offering an ear to listen can be help.


However, things got complicated when the aforementioned friend was doing her utmost to avoid having communication with you. Things became even more complicated when said friend had just discovered that before losing her memory she had been a war criminal employed by a cannibalistic cult of religious fanatics who performed human sacrifices and inhumane medical experiments on sentient beings in the name of omnicidal Chaos Gods.



Needless to say, this could be considered terribly traumatic. And so [member="Mirien Valdier"] had not appeared at work and locked herself in her apartment. Presumably this thread takes place after the Kar'zun invasion was repulsed, even though that thread is currently semi on-hold because a certain person went on vacation without asking his betters for permission!


(Un) fortunately for Mirien, she happened to have a Force Bond sister. Who in spite of her remarkable self-absorption, actually cared quite deeply about her fellow brunette. And so it came to pass that Siobhan was standing in front of her friend's apartment. Well, whether merely friend was an accurate description was another question since every scene involving them is overloaded with quasi-romantic shippyness. Anyhow, Siobhan was there and knocking on the door with her usual impatience, feeling fretful with concern. Well, that and she was gripping her cane tight because otherwise her damned body might fail her.


"Mirien, it's me. Sio. Open up!" she exclaimed as she banged against the door, but there was no response because that would be boring. "Look, Miri, I just want to talk. Don't lock yourself away. I'm not leaving when you're hurting."


Well, what was Siobhan to do? She could of course wait, since perhaps Mirien would open up at some point. Or she could just kick the damn door in. So she kicked hard against the door. A simple door was a small price to pray and it's not like it could not be fixed. Subtlety and tact were terribly overrated.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Mirien wasn't interested in talking. Nope, not at all. Reasons why she'd ignored her comlink, her datapad, even Spacebook, and now at her door, Siobhan was beating on it rather loudly. The brunette glanced to the door, to the nearly empty vodka bottle beside her, and back to the door again.

Boy, this is not a time for company. Go away Sio.... Maybe if I just sit here, real quiet she'll go away. At that point, Mirien was feeling every bit of the mess that she currently looked. With a heavy sigh, she took another drink from the bottle. ,She almost felt bad for not answering. Sio, just wanted to help. But talking, when she was hurting, wasn't exactly her strong point. Now, shutting out the galaxy completely, that she was good at doing.

About the time she did that, was the moment Sio had chosen to kick the door. Not just kick it, but kick it in! The door flew from it's hinges with seemingly little effort on Siobhan's part, landing some distance away.

If looks could have killed .... "D-Did you r-really just .. kick down my door?" A hint of fire in the woman's words. Mirien, clearly not in a happy mood. But really who could blame her? It's not every day that you find out once upon a time that you were a most sinister war criminal, a monster by all definitions. On top of that, having your apartment door kicked down, didn't make the unhappy mood any better. And so it was probably a good thing that Mirien had been drinking, though angry, she was less likely to act on that anger than if she'd had a clear mind.

"Pick that up, and put it back where it was, this minute." Mirien demanded from the floor as she pointed to the door. Oh, yes ... Mirien was a might bit cranky.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


Cranky, grumpy Mirien was an improvement compared to self-loathing, drinking Mirien. At least Siobhan thought so as she took in the scene, including the bottle and the clear whiff of alcohol that was invading the nostrils. Through the Force Bond she felt the maelstorm of emotions swirling around.


Much like a storm. They were so vivid that for just a moment she felt confused, for it seemed almost like she was the one feeling them before she regained her composure. Force bonds could be confusing sometimes.


"You put the bottle away, I fix the door and then we'll talk," she stated with a finality that brokered no contradiction. Mirien would get help from her, whether she wanted or not. Her point made, she leaned heavily on her cane as she reached out with her powers to grip the door and pull it into the air, before it was levitated back to the rather substantial hole that was left of the entrance to Mirien's apartment. Siobhan was no craftswoman, but space magic could do marvellous things and so through her telekinetic will the door was put back in its original position. It would hold for a while at least. Mirien should probably still call someone to properly fix it.


Patch-up job done Siobhan limped over to a couch and sat down, in evident pain as she moved despite her efforts not to let it show. "There, now you and I are gonna talk. Trying to shut the world out and keeping the fact that you're hurting away from is not gonna work. I care about you, Miri," she said feelingly,

 

[Mirien Valdier]

Mirien looked to Siobhan, watching for a moment. Well more of, glaring at her. There was something to be said for knowing when to pick your battles. And really, she wasn't sure it was worth the effort to actually argue with Siobhan over keeping her paws on the bottle for the time being. "Fine." She growled, thoroughly showing her displeasure in that single word. As if her being cranky, unhappy and pissed off, wasn't obvious enough.

For a minute she glanced around her, trying to figure out where exactly she'd laid the cap, but eventually it was found and she screwed it back on. With some clumsy effort, she got back to her feet and stumbled to the kitchen where she set the bottle on the counter before returning to the living room.

Mirien flopped down in a rather plush chair opposite of Siobhan, doing her best to avoid looking her in the eye. Pulling her knees up into the chair, against her chest, she leaned forward, laying her head down upon her knees.

"I know you care, Sio. I kknow." She admitted quietly, doing her best to fight back the tears she knew were bound to come. "I-I..." She started but stopped.

It was a long tense while before Mirien spoke again, "I just don't know anymore.... I don't know." A sigh came, in truth the brunette was combating a whole host of emotions that she didn't have the first clue how to manage. Never in her life had she felt this vulnerable, open and weak. All of it bothered her deeply.

"I ... I ... I don't know, where she ends, and I begin." She whimpered softly, and there was the crux of the problem. She had been this person, or maybe deep inside she still was. That was the part that worried her, frightened her if she was being honest.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


"I know. I'd say I understand what you're going through...but that would fall flat and be an empty platitude. I hated myself for a long time. For collaborating with Sith and getting my sister killed...you know the story. I can't hate you, Mirien. I won't," she said softly as she leaned closer to the brunette, though the motion caused pain to shoot through her back. What were they really? Best friends, lovers, 'bond sisters'...well, the latter was terribly vague despite sounding terribly mushy. Siobhan had long given up on trying to figure it out. They were connected and cared about each other, that was enough for her.


"Make no mistake, you're right to feel guilty. Losing your memory is not a jail-free-card that wipes the slate clean. Much as some Jedi would think it is, but then nine times out of ten their idea of redemption's a complete farce. For the rest of your life, you should not forget. I spent almost a decade fighting the Bando Gora, I know what horrors they unleashed. They were monsters who deserved annihilation, simple as that. But...you're not her. Not anymore. You can choose not to be her. You're a remarkable, brave woman. You're the one who saved my mind and made it whole again, even though you had every reason to fear it would backfire horribly on you. I'm...probably a horribly unsuited person to tell you about redemption and the right thing, but I want to help you and I won't abandon you."


There was a pause as Siobhan fidgeted, feeling slightly awkward. She had not intended to get this speechy. "I just need you to let me....and be honest. No more Atrisias." A measure of sternness entered her tone as she spoke the last three words. Then she leaned forward and kissed Mirien, threading a hand through the woman's hair as she pulled her closer.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Mirien was on the very edge of tears, but still resisting to allow herself to cry. And despite her urge to be alone, to sort through all of this by herself she found herself scooting closer to Siobhan, to rest her head against her. "You won't? I would understand, if you did. Because I certainly hate myself right now." Maybe in time that would change, but right now it was just the way it would be.

"It's horrible..." The brunette whispered quietly as she finally gave up on holding back her tears and let them fall. "So many people have died along the way because of what I've done, and things I've thought up. I can't help but feel responsible for it all, and I am or she was.. It's confusing, too.... How could I have been her? What possibly broke me that much?"

Sio did make a good point, she wasn't her anymore. "I don't want to be her. I don't ever want to be that monster. Reading her words are bad enough. That woman, frightens me with her cruelty, her lack of morality, of caring. All she cared about was creating more horrors. A freaking monster." Mirien managed to nod as she tried to wipe away a few of her tears, "If I'm honest, when I did that I expected it to backfire on me. I expected to be pushed out, if not worse." She shrugged, "I just couldn't let you be trapped in the same state that I am, with your memories lost forever. I care about you too much for that. You took a chance on me that no one else would, or ever has."

Mirien was quiet for a few moments, unsure what to say. No one had ever offered her such. She seemed a bit stunned as Siobhan kissed her, "No." She said quietly after the kiss, "There won't be anymore Atrisia's. I promise." Another sigh, "I'm done with that. I'm done being that person, but not just that I'd be stupid to risk everything I have, here with you to do something like that again."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


There was a part of Siobhan, though deeply buried, that did in fact believe Mirien deserved death for her crimes. But...she could not bring herself to hate her or cast her out. There had been moments when she wondered whether this not be because of the bond they shared. After all, what Mirien felt, she ended up feeling as well. She felt how much the guilt about her crimes tormented Mirien, how she hated herself for what she had done.


Siobhan was not in the mood to question what was the decisive influence. Suffice to say she would not let her Mirien go. "Yes, you were a monster. You did horrible things...but it's not you anymore. And unlike many a Jedi who prattle about their light side halo, you actually recognise it and want to make amends. And I know it's not just an act. That's enough for me."


There was a pause in her words as she reached out to wipe what tears might still be on Mirien's cheeks away. "So...if you need time, I'll give you that, but I'm here. You're not evil. Even the alchemy you used to be dabble in doesn't have to be. We're both 'darksiders'...but dark's not automatically evil."


You see, Siobhan happened to be a fan of a site called holo tropes. Visit the site at your own risk, for tropes are addictive. You can get lost on it for days!

 

[Mirien Valdier]

Mirien sighed and shifted to look up at Siobhan. As much as it hurt to hear Sio say she was a monster, she knew she was right. Somehow though, it was just easier to say it herself than to hear it from another. "I don't even know where to start...." She whispered softly. "I want to fix it, do something to make it better, but I don't think I can." Reaching up, she brushed back the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ears. "Are you certain, it's enough for you? Are you sure?" She had to know.

Closing her eyes, she let Siobhan wipe the tears away. "I don't have a clue what I need exactly. I've never had to deal with something like this. Akio did say that it was better to leave my past alone, and just start over. Maybe he was right..." She managed before the tears came flooding back. The idea of never getting those memories back, hurt more than she wanted to admit. But at the same time, knowing even a little bit, hurt just as much if not more.

"I mean ... look at this...." Reaching down, she scooped the datapad off the floor that she'd been reading and handed it over to Siobhan. "Who in their right mind would want to know if they did these kinds of horrors?"

Another sigh, "I need help. And I don't even have a clue how I can be helped, where to start... or what the hells will even get me out of this mess of guilt and self-loathing...." Admitting that she even needed help at all, was perhaps one of the hardest things for her to do. It felt far too much like admitting weakness, admitting this was a problem she couldn't solve. Never before had she been in a situation this rough, or this hard. Mirien couldn't help but glance back to the bottle sitting on the counter and wondering maybe if she drank enough, got drunk enough that all of this would go away. Just forgetting for a while, seemed like a good idea to her.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


"I wish I knew all the right, wise things to say...or had some quick-fix recipe to offer to help. But there isn't one," Siobhan said in response, feeling rather awkward, though she stayed where she was. However, there was no hesitation in her voice when Mirien directly asked her. "Yes, it is enough for me. It is," she said firmly, repeating herself just to make Mirien understand. "Akio had no fething clue. He was a power-hungry, wannabe dictator who wanted to use you as a tool and ended up a massive failure who sold his country out to Sith," she spoke, with clear disdain in her voice. No, she did not like Atrisia. Good riddance to the so-called 'Galactic Emperor', as far as she was concerned. However, she turned her mind away from that and reached out to wipe away the tears that came dripping down Mirien's cheeks.


"I will help you..Miri. I...can't promise quick fixes...but I'm not leaving you. Don't ever think that!" Sio's words were fierce, perhaps more fiercer than she had intended, but she had a point to bring across if she wanted to help Mirien crawl out of the pit of guilt and self-loathing. "You're not the woman you used to be...you don't have to be her." She hesitated for a moment, then took the proferred datapad. She would be lying if she claimed that she wanted to hear about the horrors and atrocities Mirien had perpetrated. But in order to help her and be there for her, she could not turn away from that. Even if that would be more comfortable.


You love her, don't you? I...yeah, I kind of do. And you're madly in love with Tegs. Your wife. Yes...always. Always will be. Let's not overthink it. This is not messed up at all. Can you shut up? No, your writer likes annoying you. When she's not moping about the way she's writing you. Err...what? You did not just hear that.


With the issues in her head temporarily sorted out, Siobhan gently took Mirien's hand into hers. "That's not gonna help you," she said, meaning the bottle. "You can't hide here and hope the past will go away. But...you'll get through this...we will."

 

[Mirien Valdier]

For a moment, all Mirien could do was sit there and cry. Everything hurt, her mind, her body, her heart, all of it ached. "I know.." Managing to speak as she sniffled. "I know, there's no easy way out. I just wish there was. I want the hurt to stop, but I'm not sure that I ever will. This isn't the kind of pain that just goes away. It's the kind that stays with you forever." She said quietly. Turning, she gently wrapped her arms around Siobhan. "As long as it's enough for you, that is what matters. If it's enough for you, it will be enough for me. Thank you, for believing in me."

Mirien sighed, "While that is all true, he did have it right that I'd committed a capital offense... Granted I committed far more than just one... But he had that much right. I wonder how much he really knew." She did wonder how much of her life the Emperor had really known about when she'd been taken into custody.

With care, Miri shifted to lay her head against Sio's shoulder. "I'm trying Sio, it's really hard to trust. Been a spook for far too long. It doesn't make it any easier. But hearing you say it, gives me hope for a better future." The tears were showing no sign of stopping, "No, I'm not. If I was any bit of that woman, now, I'd not even care about what is in that journal. I'd jump to use it all to advance myself, to get a foothold over someone else." She gave a shrug, "But I, me .. this Mirien, can't stomach the things that the old me did."

Exhaling slowly, she looked to Siobhan, "I'm never going to be here. Never. I've come so far, I can't go back to being that monster. I won't."

She glanced back to the bottle. "I just want to forget for a while. I know I can't. But I'd like to. Perhaps that's the irony in all of this, I can take away another's memories, help to restore them, but I can do neither for myself." Something that actually pained her more than she ever wanted to admit to. She could freely play with the memories of another, both give and take, but never would she be able to do it for herself. Mirien was trapped with her memories just as they were. If they came back, as a few had, it would be as her mind slowly, year by year, decade by decade pieced them back together.

Another sigh, as she squeezed Sio's hand gently. "As much as I want to be alone, to not be around anyone... I think ... I think that might be the worst thing for me." Her eyes moved to the bottle, as she raised a hand. A telekinetic hand reached out and took hold of the vodka bottle, and unscrewed the cap while it was still on the counter. Slowly she lifted the bottle, and poured it into the sink, emptying it. "Do you think I could come and stay with you and Tegs for a while? I know I'm not the best company right now, but I don't think I should be alone. It's too easy for me to be tempted just to get drunk off my ass, and push the world away."

As much as she might not like it, she knew in her heart the only way to get past this would be to face it. "I've got to deal with reality, not hide from it. Even though it hurts so damn much. That much you are right on. And I'm going to need you there to help me get through this, somehow, someway."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


"You're welcome, dear. But there's nothing to thank...still, I'm here," Siobhan said warmly as she melted into the embrace. Her thoughts of the Atrisian Emperor - she consistently refused to refer to him as Galactic Emperor because that was absolutely absurd. "By Atrisia's laws he was committing capital offences," she said flatly. Like allying with Sith and stuff. That was against the hallowed code of Bushido, by which the Yoshvin lived and died. And it was sort of his fault Atrisia ended up as the dominion of a Sithy nation.


But enough about imperial delusions of grandeur, Mirien was far more interesting. And a hell of a lot cuter. Well, that's obvious. Siobhan pressed her body against Mirien's, not in a sexual way, but merely out of a desire to offer her what comfort she could by showing her that, yes, she was there and would stay. "I was going to suggest that," Siobhan spoke when Mirien queried whether she could stay with her and Tegaea. "You'd be welcome. Don't think you're a burden, ever," she emphasied the last word. "You're not alone in this."


This is not going to be awkward at all. On the bright side, Galina gets to meet Auntie Miri...or is she her third mummy? Don't you ever shut up? No, unless the plot dictates. "It hurts, I know. We'll just take everything step by step. Baby steps. I know you can do it, Miri," at that Siobhan gave Mirien a soft kiss on the cheek before slowly getting up. "Have you eaten anything? Don't answer, I know you haven't. I'll make you something. Err...you have something I can put in the microwave?" she asked, for while Siobhan had many skills, unlike her wife she was little good at cooking.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Sio. I really don't." Mirien said rather lovingly. "You've saved me once already from a terrible life of loneliness and constantly being on the run. For that I owe you a lot, I do. And it means everything to me, that you believe in me enough, to know I'm not that woman. I'm not." It still probably was going to take a bit of convincing herself that she was not that woman, but it was definitely helping to have Siobhan's support in the matter.

"No kidding...." She shook her head. He'd more than done his fair share of capital offenses. Probably far more than she ever did.

"Thank you," She said quietly as she gently squeezed Sio a little tighter. "Thank you.." The brunette repeated. "It might do me some good to be around other people. Even if I may not want it, it just may be good for me." A slow nod followed, "I'll try not to think of myself that way. I'm just glad I don't have to be alone. I've had to deal with so much on my own. It's really the only way I know how to deal with things. But, there's nothing healthy about that method."

Taking in a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, she nodded, "I'll do my best, I promise." That was a promise, she fully intended to keep. Siobhan was the one person Mirien couldn't bear the idea of letting down again. Atrisia was a mess, and she didn't want to put her through something like that ever again.

She managed a weak smile as Sio kissed her, and got up, heading towards her kitchen. "You know me far too well." For Miri had a bad habit of not taking proper care of herself when she was hurting. Eating was usually last on the list. "Uh, there should be some ready meals in the freezer... Just have to toss it in and it's good to go." Mirien mostly kept such dinners on hand for the nights she came home, too tired to actually cook a real meal.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


"I know, dear. And you've done a lot for me as well. Let's not play the who owes whom game. You...belong with us." The last four words Siobhan had spoken would cause flame wars to break out between the fangirls on the 'net. One faction of fanatical, diehard shippers would claim she had actually meant 'me' rather than 'us', another that she was simply using the royal we, whatever that was supposed to mean, another that she simply meant with the Order while the last claimed she wanted a three-way marriage.


You see, Void Spirits have nothing to do and so they spend most of their time watching the living in the multiversal cinema. In the process they form character fanclubs, which for some reason are mostly about shipping this person with that one. Somehow this is terribly important to them.


"I have it under good authority that I know you extremely well," Siobhan said cornily because she had to make lame innuendo once in a while. "Ok. Ready meals in the freezer. I can handle that without burning your kitchen." So she headed to the kitchen and after rummaging a bit in the freezer came across a ready meal that satisfied her. If anyone is interested, it was a nerf steak with some potatoes. Well, as fine as a ready meal can be. On the positive side, it would have lots of calories because as everyone knows Eldorai had a very fast metabolism and were hungry a lot. There was probably no planet in the Galaxy that had more twenty-four hour takeaways than Kaeshana. So she put the meal in the microwave, or whatever equivalent this Galaxy of hightech and space magic has, and switched the machine on. Then since Siobhan was feeling terribly motherly and Mirien needed something to drink that was not liquor, she put the kettle on to make her a cup of tea, and went to look for some milk and sugar.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

Mirien sniffled a few times as she reached over and grabbed a small box of tissues and started to dry away her tears, and blew her nose. It was lovely to know she was wanted, and belonged somewhere. "I've never actually had a place where I truly felt I belonged before. But, I've only felt that here. And hearing you say it, is a most wonderful feeling." Mirien was starting to feel rather mushy in that moment.

The brunette calmly pulled her knees up onto the couch, and leaned back on the couch, relaxing a little. Somehow things just felt safer, better with Siobhan there. "Yes, you do.... Maybe a little too well." She managed a grin, and a little wink in return. Her mood was at least improving a little. Even if beneath the temporary happiness was harsh undercurrent of guilt and self-hatred, but it was a step in the right direction.

"I'm certain if we gave you enough time, you'd figure out how to burn the kitchen down with even just a ready meal." She couldn't help but tease Sio a little, in the most friendly loving way possible!

Shifting on the couch, she finally managed to get comfortable and closed her eyes. Weariness was setting in, and she truly didn't feel all that great. Considering all she really hadn't eaten for the day, only drank... It wasn't much of a surprise. It probably was a very good thing that Sio was making tea as well! It was bound to help to settle her stomach.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


"Oh, come on, I'm not that horrible in the kitchen! There's no truth to the rumour that I burnt popcorn once. That's just Tegs being a troll," Siobhan retorted, mock-grumbling though it was all in good humour. Anyhow, since Siobhan had decided to be all motherly she made Mirien tea after the water had boiled enough in the kettle. Presumably she knew just how strong Mirien liked it, not to mention how much milk and sugar she wanted. Thank you, Force Bond, even though all that yammering about bonds got annoying in TSL. Well, there were many annoying things there!


Oh, and mushy Mirien was totally adorable. In any case, within a few moments Siobhan brought a steaming cup of tea with a biscuit over and placed it on the table before Mirien. "There you go. Drink up. Not too fast, it's still hot," she said, trolling just a little bit. Yes, Mummy Sio, whatever you say. Because the plot and Mirien's stomach demanded it, a few minutes later her ready meal was finished and Siobhan took it out of the microwave, likewise placing it before the brunette before she put her own ready meal in to heat up since by now she was feeling hungry as well. In her case it was pasta with some meat balls. "Eat up, dear."

 

[Mirien Valdier]

"I don't know about that... I was pretty sure I smelled burnt popcorn when I came over last week." Still teasing, all in good fun. The beauty of having a force bond, and sharing one another's memories. Sio would naturally know exactly how she enjoyed her tea, and so many other things. Mirien's mood certainly was improving. Siobhan being here, getting her mind off the horrors of her past, was a good distraction from those dark, dark thoughts.

As Sio returned to her, Mirien slowly sat up and seemed mostly alright though a little wobbly. Given how much she'd drank that wasn't too surprising. "Thank you, Mummy." She said softly, very much in the mood to troll Sio in return. As she took the cup, Mirien carefully took a small sip from it, savoring the flavor for a moment.

Scooting over on the couch, the brunette set the tea aside as she accepted the meal from Sio. A sigh came, as she settled herself down and started to cut at the nerf steak. "I ... I'm sorry I shut you out. I shouldn't have...." Mirien's voice took on a rather sorrowful tone, upset with herself for shutting her best friend .. or was it lover, out. "I just, I do that, when I don't know how to deal with what's happening to me. It was a matter of survival in the Inquisition. I had to hide when I was hurt or hurting inside. I'm sorry Sio. I really am."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


"Hey. Keep up the sass and I won't be kissing you in ways a mum definitely doesn't!" Siobhan joked. Apparently all the significant women in her life sooner or later turned into terrible trolls. But nonetheless she sat down and likewise bega digging into her meal, swallowing one of her meatballs and cutting at her pasta.


As Mirien spoke she turned silent. Truth be told, Mirien's secrecy had annoyed and upset her. Well, it had made her angry for a while. She understood Mirien's reasons for it and could empathise with them, but that did not make it hurt any less, though it made her actions understandable. "I'm not gonna lie, that hurt me a lot. And I was worried about you. But...I get why you did it. Not like I have a history of being open and trusting all the time." Well, that was understatement of the year.


"But I accept your apology. It means a lot that you trust me like this now," she briefly reached out to cover one of Mirien's hands with her own and give it a squeeze. "Let's just move forward, take things step by step. I can stay over for the night and we'll go to the villa tomorrow. I'll message Tegs."

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"Yes, but then you'd miss out on the beauty of crochet." She said with a wink, wondering idly how long Sio could last without such lovely fun times.

It was the silence that bothered her more than anything else. Being yelled at, sure, beaten on, yup that too... But silence was painful. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Truly." The remorse quiet evident in her voice. "It was far from my intention. I just ... I didn't know how to face you after that." A heavy sigh came as she nibbled at her food.

"Thank you.." Mirien whispered as she shifted, and grabbed Sio's hand to give it a gentle squeeze in return. "I'm just glad I have you. And I do trust you, with my life." A slow nod followed, "I think I can manage that, one step at a time."

The idea of her staying the night was comforting, and something the woman needed dearly. "I'd like that. I just really don't want to be alone right now. Not at all." The last thing Mirien needed was to be alone in her guilt, and misery.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


It was probably unlikely that Siobhan would be able to resist long. Mirien just knew her too well. Besides...there was that thing she did...and that other one. Stupid kiddies prevent this writer from being more specific. Apparently the kiddies having nothing else to do in their lives. Maybe it's because their schoolwork is not demanding enough!



"Good. Because I trust you as well. Never doubt that," Siobhan said warmly and meant it. Mirien would just have to stop hanging out with creepy blonde chicks. Well...she'd be free to hang with a certain loony one after mindwiping her! Anyway, Siobhan got out a mini device that looked like whatever this Galaxy's equivalent of an i-pad is, and sent a quick message to [member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Mirien's in a bad way because of her past. Staying the night with her. Can she come over tomorrow to stay with us for a bit? Love you lots, Sio. (heart) Yes, there was an actual heart because Siobhan was terribly corny and mushy like that."You won't be alone, Miri."

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Mirien managed a smile. In all her life, her job, she'd never experienced what it felt like to be trusted, truly, fully, willingly, and without bribes, or something desired in return. Siobhan trusted her, truly and all that was really expected in return was honesty. The feeling generated a warm within. Miri was content in such, feeling perhaps the first true sense of safety she'd ever really known.

Finally finished with her food, the brunette set it off to the side, and shifted to lean gently against Sio. "That means the worlds to me. It helps to know I won't face this mess alone. It's bad enough knowing..." She paused and shook her head, pushing the thoughts away, not finishing what she was going to say.

"I'm just glad I have you here. Even if you did break my door down. Suppose I needed it, though. Wasn't like I'd have answered otherwise." Nope, Mirien had entirely planned to ignore the knocking at her door, and the com calls, and Spacebook messages, at least until things hurt less.