Quoted By:
>Yes I did singlehandedly rescue your ex-boyfriend you're welcome *dab* *dab* *dab*
You scan the people remaining. Madrigal looks busy. Pat looks peeved (though that might be her normal face, you're not sure). Horse Face looks like Horse Face. Okay, there definitely is somebody with multiple faces on them, which you refuse to address right now. Casey is as blank as ever. Ellery... Ellery also looks peeved. He's being talked to by Anthea.
Anthea! Gil's right that you haven't talked to her much. Does she know you're responsible for exposing Ellery's dark secrets? Is Ellery telling her you just saved his life? The last time you spoke to her properly, she was mad at you for spying on them, but surely she'll have forgiven you by now. Since it was for a good cause and all. Also, since she's so nice. You'd normally be skeptical of anybody claiming to be that nice, but Gil says it's true, and you trust his judgment.
You clear your throat. "Er, if Anthea was so helpful to you, I better go bestoweth upon her my... esteemed regards. Yes. Additionally, I must inform her that I did in fact rescue Ellery, since he's probably lying to her right now about that. Since he's such a liar. Why are you making a face?"
"I'm not making a face," Gil says, even though he clearly was. He was smiling in a weird way. "That sounds great. Lead on?"
"Yes!"
You lead on. Once or twice you have to catch yourself on Gil's arm, but only so he feels useful.
Ellery spots you first. He's significantly more messed up than he was when you left him: there's little holes burned into his skin everywhere, and he's missing big patches of his arms, neck, and face, plus a couple fingers. It's like he got splattered by acid. You guess you shouldn't be surprised that he doesn't seem to care. "And there she is."
"Charlotte!!" Anthea breaks away and rushes up to you. "Oh my goodness! You did it! You didn't need me or anybody at all! And you evacuated— I didn't realize— you've ended <span class="mu-i">so</span> much suffering, and saved so, so many lives, and it's— I can't believe it's <span class="mu-i">over!</span> It's really over! Oh, and Gil, I'm so glad— it was so <span class="mu-i">brave</span> of you to go and get her, and it looks like it worked perfectly, and, and, and I— and—"
She wobbles and goes glassy. "Thea?" Ellery says, and comes over. "Shit. Here."
He waves a sachet of something under her nose. She inhales, reflexively, and her smoke goes white. Ellery withdraws the sachet. "Strong emotion," he tells you neutrally.
Anthea wipes her upper lip. "Thank you," she says, equally neutrally. "Thank you, Charlotte. Gil. You did a really amazing thing. And thank you for stopping Ellery from doing something stupid."
"Not stupid," he says. "Charlotte, can we chat?"
"You're not <span class="mu-i">chatting.</span> You and her talking alone is what <span class="mu-i">led</span> to this mess." A flicker of red in Anthea's white smoke. "If I have to stay around to stop you from hurting yourself, I'll stay around."
(1/2)
