inside the labyrinth walls, there lies a tiny child... [open]

[projectsfate.livejournal.com]

This was an illusion. Precia knew that; she herself had been the one to program the parameters for this particular place. Still, as she sat with the (false; she knew it was false, even if it felt real) sun at her back, a warm breeze blowing through the grass, it was all too easy to let herself believe it.

She smiled, picking daisies and braiding them together. "Alicia? Here you go." A small girl with blonde hair came over to her, and Precia crowned her with those daisies. "My pretty princess."

This couldn't last forever, she knew that perfectly well. But...as it was, she could stay a while longer.

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[projectsfate.livejournal.com]

So it was going to be like that? Of course, Precia wouldn't do a thing in front of her precious daughter, illusion or not. No, not at all. It would upset the girl.

"Play here for a minute, Alicia? Mama will be right back, she's just going to talk to the nice lady over there."

With that, she stood, brushing herself off, and walked over. "Are you here to tell me I should be playing with Fate? She's a grown woman now."

[wontendlikethis.livejournal.com]

"No, that's not..." Arf trailed off.

Of course, in a sense, that was what she wanted to say. But when it was put to her like that, she came to realize just how ridiculous it sounded. What was it that Arf wanted, really? She was just as confused as Fate, if not as optimistic.

"How you spend your free time is your own business," she said, glancing at the illusion. "But I don't think this is good for you..."

[projectsfate.livejournal.com]

"Can I not steal a moment's happiness? This isn't reality. I'm well aware of that."

There was an odd note of sadness in the mage's voice as she spoke. An unspoken wish, in its way. It would be far easier to just walk away and go back to the girl, lose herself in the illusion again.

"I'm hurting no one but myself, after all."

[wontendlikethis.livejournal.com]

Arf's ears drooped a bit, unable to really protest the other woman's statements. But she still felt that this was wrong somehow. This escapism. She could of course just leave Precia to her devices. That's what she'd always done when she was younger, wasn't it? There was no need to pay her any mind. If she wanted to hurt herself, fine. So be it.

But her talk with Fate earlier sprang back to mind. Fate's hope that perhaps Precia could be healed, somehow. And Arf had agreed to do whatever it took to help.

"Why would you knowingly and willingly hurt yourself?"

[projectsfate.livejournal.com]

"..."

That wasn't a question Precia had expected. A storm of emotions moved across her face - anger, disappointment, a flicker of sadness, rage. Why did she care? Why was she letting this woman, this failure, affect her? She didn't know.

"...I don't have to explain that."

[wontendlikethis.livejournal.com]

She hadn't expected an answer, not really. This almost felt like the longest conversation she had ever had with this woman; at least, one that didn't involve blows. So what could she say? She wanted to help Fate. She wanted to help her get through to her mother. She would do anything to facilitate that. So why was it so hard?

"Fate's worried about you," she finally said, unable to come up with anything more eloquent.

[projectsfate.livejournal.com]

"Is she now?"

There wouldn't be blows in this conversation. If it had been anywhere else, there might have been, but...not now. Even if this was an illusion of Alicia, and not the real girl, she could control her fury.

"She has nothing to worry about. I do not intend to ruin her life here. She's been making her own decisions for some time now, hasn't she?"

[wontendlikethis.livejournal.com]

"I know that... that's not what I'm worried about!" Arf replied, before realizing her own verbal slip up. "I mean, what she's worried about..." she corrected, though the meaning of the slip was obvious. It would have been clear as day to anyone just how worried about the situation Arf was. Which was why she had to tread with caution.

"Fate's never cared about her own well-being when it comes to you. She wants to help you, that's why she's worried."