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“So, I've got a crazy story for you,” you begin, “Have you ever heard of Albershot Lodge?”
“I can't say that I have,” Elle replies after a moment's thought, “It sounds... nice?”
“I suppose it was, once. We visited there, but... well, I might as well say it straight,” you decide, pressing on with your story, “We were there with Juno. A little spot of Tomoe business that we got dragged into. But if it makes any difference to you, we didn't exactly help them. If anything, it worked out the complete opposite.”
Elle doesn't seem especially displeased to hear that you've been working with Juno, or even particularly surprised. “I think you're telling your story all out of order,” she points out delicately, “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”
“Right. That's probably wise. We were sent to Albershot Lodge to look for a missing Tomoe agent, a young man named Leigh. The lodge was abandoned when we got there, save for Leigh himself locked up in the basement. We ended up staying the night, but the next morning we found that we couldn't leave,” you recall, finding some perverse pleasure in recounting your experiences, “Whenever we tried, some force caused us to turn back.”
“There was something buried near the lodge, buried deep under a great tree. It could make you see things, see exactly what you wanted to see,” you continue, “Like me, I saw Gratia.”
“What did Miss Tomoe see?” Elle asks, leaning forwards a little before drawing back, “No, excuse me. I shouldn't ask such things – not about such a private matter.”
“Really? You don't want to know?” you remark, raising an eyebrow, “Well, suit yourself. Whatever she saw, Ariel was able to break the illusion. She wasn't affected nearly as badly as either of us, and managed to shoot the monster. That bought us just enough time to get out, and then we burned it. The tree, the monster, all of it.”
Elle shudders a little as she considers your story. “To think such things could exist in this world!” she whispers, “Ugh...”
“You believe me, then?”
“Why wouldn't I?” she asks, looking you in the eye, “Or rather, why would you lie to me?”
Something about her simple, easy trust strikes you very deeply. “Can I ask you a question?” you ask, “The way you asked about Juno, before... did you know her, in the Choir? At first, I assumed you were just wary about the Tomoe family, but now I'm wondering if it's something about her in particular...”
Elle bites her lip nervously. “I... did meet her,” she admits eventually, “It feels like a very long time ago, of course. But yes, I suppose you could say that we were friends. Or rather, I thought we were friends. But then she left, or was thrown out, and we lost contact. I assumed she forgot all about me after the Choir.”
There's a history here, a painful one. For now, at least, you're content to leave it buried.
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