[Filter: Private]

I can't --

I can't.

I should. Should try and put all of this together, figure out what I think, what I feel, I should try and make this all make sense in a way that I can -- make sense of. Hah. Fucking circle-talking, Leigh would --

But Leigh is gone, and that's what -- that's the fucking kicker, isn't it? Leigh is -- gone. Gone, gone, and gone, and I don't know what happened, I can't know what happened, it doesn't make any sense, fuck, who was there? Who could have been there. Elyiethe and all her cast were here. If not for that -- but it's true, and --

Leigh.

Dammit, Leigh. Fuck -- fuck you, you couldn't have just ... asked, just asked for help, just told me where you were going, it would have taken two fucking seconds to write down some damn words but you didn't, you couldn't be bothered, you had to do everything by yourself, and why?

Catch --

Catch myself thinking.

Thinking --

Is this what you wanted, Leigh?

You said we'd talk. Would we have? Or would you have run away again. Or could you have run away again. Did I change everything too much for that. Is that selfish to wonder. Could you have just faded back into your -- could you have? Or was this the only way out. But no, you were a survivor, you were

I need to know, I need to -- make this --

Leigh.

I'd -- I'd be ... without you, I would be dead. My father would be dead. Kelita would be Queen, but she'd be Erana's puppet, and I'd never ... I'd have died that shitty spoiled little boy who thought he should be able to just do whatever was fun because it was, who didn't understand anything about anything, and you changed all of that. You changed me. Or where you took me, what you did was -- but that doesn't matter the specifics it doesn't matter because you were the only one who was there. As far as anyone else knows I went into that forest a short little kid and came out strong and tall and a man and you were the link between it all, and now you're gone.

And what am I?

Who am I ...




I can't

I can't just let this go.

You'd -- want me too, I know you would. Who cares about what fucking rangy old hunter, right? Doesn't matter, focus on the living. Keep making life better for the people who don't waste their own breath. Don't destroy other people for revenge.

But I can't not, Leigh.

Fuck

How can I not.

[there is a pause]

[Filter: Autumn]

... Autumn.

Autumn, please. I know -- I know you're in a state, I can't even imagine, I can't begin to understand what you went through and what you had to see, but I need to talk to you. This is so important, Autumn.

Please, will you just talk to me? You're the only one who knows what happened there. The only one.

... come on. Please.

Where the fuck is my fucking wife?!

[Filter: Autumn]

Hey ... listen, last night, it wasn't -- I wasn't ignoring you, or I wasn't trying to, anyways, I just ... I had some really important work to do, you know? It's not that I didn't want to spend time with you, and you really did look beautiful, but ... it really was ...

Anyway, I'm sorry. ... and still busy, actually, so ...

[Filter: Private]

She's going to like this even less, soon ...

[Filter: Leigh]

... I found something.

[Filter: Autumn]

... Autumn? Where did you go? I swear you were just right here. Um, if you see this, write me back, okay ...?

[there is a five minute delay here]

Dammit, Autumn!

You know, I'm not even mad that you obviously told April we got married, I'm just mad that you didn't talk to me first about it. Whatever, it would make sense if you did, but you seem to forget that the reason we did all of that was to take care of you! I am trying to take care of you, Autumn! And now you just wander off, and --

[Filter: Leigh]

I don't know what I'm going to do with her!

[Filter: Autumn]

You did it! And you were amazing! At first, I thought you were going to five up before you even started, but ... that was incredible!

It's fun, isn't it? There's something about being out here, back amongst the common folk ... everything is a simple pleasure for them, everything! And they work so hard every day, so Festivals like that are a treat for them, and they just let it all loose ...

You looked amazing, out there. Like, uh, a zinnia flower amongst a bunch of daisies and dandelions. With your curls bouncing and your skirts hitched up and your eyes shining and your cheeks all flushed ...

I don't think you've ever looked so beautiful.

I love you, my princess.

[Filter: Daisy]

-- okay, this is a great big huge secret and you can't tell anyone but I feel like I just scaled a mountain right now and I want to tell somebody, so --

I got married!

[Filter: Autumn]


... hey.

Do you have a sec to, uh, talk?

[Filter: Autu

[Filt

[Filter: Kelit

[Filter: Autum

[Filter: Pri

[Filter: Aut

[Filter: Leigh]

Sometimes I really wish I could run away like you always do.

[Filter: Aut

[pen taps]

[Filter: Autumn]

Hey, you weren't at court the last couple

[a long pause]

[Filter: Private]

... I don't get it.

Everything was going so well, and now, all of a sudden, she's just ... like a complete stranger to me! She hasn't been to court, she doesn't answer my missives personally and they just say she's "unwell," but if she were really unwell, she'd come here to be with me, and --

Did I do something wrong?

Ugh.

I really thought I was doing good, here, now. What happened?

[Filter: Autumn]

Hey ...

I heard you're awake, finally. Did you get a good sleep? I had a really really big breakfast sent for you with all your favourites when I heard, did you get it? There's eggy toast! Lots of it! You love eggy toast, right? And marmalade?

... um ... how are you feeling?

[Filter: Private]

Ugh, if I don't get this all totally perfect, she's going to kill me, I just know it. And then we'll spend another couple of months fighting again until I do what I should have done the first time, and --

... sometimes I miss what it was like before all of this. I -- I admit, the people here are starting to grow on me, but I miss being ... one of them. The normal people. The people I really want to fight for. I never realized how close I was to what I wanted down there until it was too late, and --

... right. Autumn.

I definitely need help.

[Filter: Miss Ebony]

Um, hi!