tushanshu | Voxophone II -- PSA

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Voxophone II -- PSA

[Elizabeth is not in the suite she was last seen at. Nor is she nearly as happy looking. Oh, no, the young woman that appears on the screen right now is extremely cross, her bright blue eyes ringed with red and dark circles. Her mouth is set in a fine line and her jaw tight.]

Do not trust Booker DeWitt. He's a liar and a thug.

Don't make the same mistake I did.

[Without any further explanation, she cuts the feed.]

----
[major spoilers likely for bioshock infinite in the comments, if you're worried about that sort of thing]

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[A sharp intake of breath. He feels cold all over. This is surreal-- Elizabeth was sold and tortured and lied to. Chekov's at a loss. What do you say to any of this?]

I'm sorry. [He squeezes her tighter.] I'm so sorry, Elizabeth.

[She shakes her head, letting him hold her. She's been cold for the past day, trembling, cold and numb. Perhaps it was for the best. Hide away all the pain so they couldn't hurt her.]

Why would... Why would he do that to me? After- my mother died giving birth to me. Why would he get rid of all that? Even he would have been a better father than- than that man who imprisoned me! He sold me and forgot. And now he'll forget again. [A laugh bubbles inside her.] he can carve E C on his other hand, now.

Booker.

[He'd suspected it was either Booker withholding this information or Booker being this despicable father. Somehow having it confirmed makes anger boil within him. Oh, he'll make sure Booker doesn't forget. Chekov's not inclined to starting fights, but he'll make an exception for Booker.]

I don't know why he did it. I don't know how he could forget his own child. But I will have a... conversation with him. I will make sure he will not forget.

No! Pavel, you can't! He'll hurt you. I can't bare for him to do that to you- I've seen him kill men in cold blood without a second thought. He's- he used to work for the Pinkertons. He was there at Wounded Knee.

[She pulls back, looking at him with wild eyes.]

I can't let men who call themselves my father hurt people on my behalf. Not anymore.

[He looks at her quite seriously.]

He won't. I have training too.

[Okay, so 'Fleet training isn't quite on par with old U.S. military training.]

Someone needs to hold him accountable for his actions.

Pavel. No. [She's dead serious.] this is my fight. And I don't want him responsible for hurting another person I love.

[He reaches out to brush away her tears, though stops partway there.]

... love?

[Okay, he's a touch startled.]

I-- I think.

[Maybe that isn't the right word. But it seemed right. She cares about him so much. More than anyone else.]

I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

No, no it's okay.

[He reaches forward and brushes away her tears.]

This is not the time to answer those questions.

It's not? [It's times like this that it's easy for Elizabeth to remember how young and naive she is. How small she is. She knows so much from books, but actually being out in the world, experiencing it? It's still all so new to her, and it shows.

She hates it, for the first time.

Maybe, maybe if she weren't like this... None of this would have turned out this way.]

You're right. I should- just- I don't know. I don't know what to do, Pavel.

You have had a very bad shock. I would not want you to burden yourself worrying about it.

[He's genuinely concerned with her well-being. And, well, then he'd have to answer the question too.]

I don't know. I wish I knew. [He hates not having the answer.] But I am here for you. No matter what. I will do my best to help you find the answer.

[She nods, pulling herself against him, nestling her head against his chest.]

I'm cold. I'm cold and I'm scared, Pavel. I'm so scared. He was my best friend. My- I- [She grimaces with a small noise somewhere between a shriek and a whimper.] my first kiss! [You asked. A month ago, sure, but you asked.]

I'm disgusting.

[Okay that... is a bit of a surprise. Finding out that you kissed your dad? Yeah.]

No. No, no, you're not.

Why are you scared? What can I do for you?

Yes, yes I am.

[She groans.] Because- Pavel, all my life I've been alone. He was the first person I can remember seeing. And now I'm alone again.

[Okay, that hurt his feelings a bit, but he tries not to let it show.]

You are not alone. I know nobody can replace him, but you have friends now too.

[She didn't mean it.]

I know. But... What if you all leave me, too?

[He wants to say that he never will, but that's out of his hands. He doesn't want to make promises to her that he can't keep.]

I-- [He takes a deep breath.] People come and go in everyone's lives. Their relationship might be damaged or it may be something out of both of their control. But the universe is full of more intelligent life than I can even fathom. There are always others. There are always possible friends, possible connections to make.

[There's something in his voice that suggests that this is what he's had to tell himself before. And that it might actually be someone else's advice told to him a long time ago.]

I know, [she says, her voice hardly above a whisper.] But right now it doesn't feel that way.

[He holds her tighter.]

I know. Sadness is very good at making you feel all alone.

Pavel? I want the sadness to go away.

I want the sadness and the pain and the cold, all of it, to leave. I'd rather be back in my tower than this. Back at Comstock House with their doctors. Anything is better than this.

I know. [He sounds so sad.] I know, and I am so sorry.

I would bear all of your sadness for you, if I could.

[He feels so small and weak and useless. He could help her with physical pain, but...]

[But this is mental pain. And it hurts so much worse.]

I wouldn't let you do that.

[She reaches up to take his hand.] Has this ever happened to you?

[He squeezes her hand.]

Have I ever been very sad?

[He nods slowly.] Yes, a few times. My mother died when I was young, and I felt so empty and alone for so long.

I'm sorry.

[Her tears have slowed for now, and she leans against him, her eyelids heavy.] So it... it stops, eventually? The pain?

Yes. It comes back sometimes. I will smell something that reminds me of her and I will miss her with all of my heart. But it does not last as long as it used to.

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screw it. action for forever.

cw: vaguely incest-y kissing talk

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