=== Hortensia & Veyle ===
--- C ---


[Hortensia]
...
[Veyle]
Hortensia, I wanted to tell you that I... I'd like us
to be friends.
[Veyle]
So...I wonder if we could talk?
[Hortensia]
I have nothing to say to you.
[Veyle]
Oh...
[Hortensia]
My father is dead because of you. Why would
I want to be friends?
[Hortensia]
It doesn't matter to me if you were controlled
or whatever and now you're back to normal.
[Hortensia]
I'll never forget the sight of you laughing as you
watched my father die.
[Hortensia]
So please, just...leave me alone.
[Veyle]
I... I've wanted so badly to apologize for that.
[Hortensia]
Elusia should never have allowed worship of
the Fell Dragon.
[Hortensia]
His power, though... Much as I hate to admit it,
I do envy that.
[Hortensia]
If I'd been born with what he has─what you
have─my father would still be alive.
[Veyle]
Be glad you weren't born a Fell Dragon. It's a
life full of fear, pain, and persecution.
[Veyle]
I wish I had been born human. To me, that life
seems so much more...bearable.
[Hortensia]
Hm-hm, yeah. I'm sure it's terrible. Poor thing.
[Hortensia]
We'll never be friends, Veyle. Goodbye.
--- B ---


[Hortensia]
Ugh...
[Veyle]
Um, Hortensia?
[Hortensia]
I'm not sure I can be any clearer about how
little I want to see or talk to you.
[Veyle]
Please, let me say one more thing. There's a
story I want to tell you.
[Veyle]
It's about my mother. You see, she was just a
regular dragon, but...
[Veyle]
She was also the Fell Dragon's mate. Humans
hated her for it and persecuted her. She died.
[Hortensia]
...
[Veyle]
When I didn't age, the humans knew what I was,
and they persecuted me too. It was...terrible.
[Veyle]
So, being a Fell Dragon has given me nothing,
and it has taken everything.
[Hortensia]
...
[Hortensia]
I get it. You've lost family too. Is that all you
had to say to me?
[Veyle]
Yes.
[Veyle]
I'm sorry I tried to force our friendship. I did a
horrible thing to you. It was too much to ask.
[Veyle]
Goodbye, Hortensia.
[Hortensia]
...
[Hortensia]
Wait.
[Veyle]
...
[Hortensia]
I'm sorry for being so harsh to you. I didn't
know about all that. I was inconsiderate.
[Hortensia]
That's all. You can go.
[Veyle]
OK...and thank you for listening to my story.
[Hortensia]
...
--- A ---


[Hortensia]
Lady Veyle...can we talk?
[Veyle]
Oh, Hortensia. Yes, of course.
[Hortensia]
I have something to say to you now.
[Veyle]
Please.
[Hortensia]
It was ignorant of me to judge you without even
trying to get to know you.
[Hortensia]
It's easy to reject someone out of hand that
way. But that doesn't make it right.
[Hortensia]
So, I've decided I would like to try being friends.
[Veyle]
You would?!
[Hortensia]
I still don't know if I can ever really forgive you.
[Hortensia]
And maybe once we do get to know each other,
I'll decide I actually can't stand you after all.
[Hortensia]
But I owe you a chance at least. So, what do
you say? Is that OK with you?
[Veyle]
Yes! I will happily accept that.
[Hortensia]
Good. Then, as a token of our friendship...please
accept these sweets.
[Hortensia]
These are your favorites, right?
[Veyle]
Oh, um...
[Hortensia]
I was sure Father said you loved these...
Am I misremembering?
[Veyle]
Sorry, Hortensia. I don't like sweet food at all.
[Hortensia]
You don't?
[Veyle]
The...other me...might have liked sweets.
But the real me loves spicy food.
[Hortensia]
Oh, wow.
[Hortensia]
Hm-hm, you really are a completely different
person from before.
[Hortensia]
OK. I'll treat you to something spicy next time.
[Veyle]
I... I'd love that.
[Hortensia]
In return, I'll ask you to tell me everything you
can about yourself.
[Hortensia]
I want to know so much about the real you that
I don't ever think about the other one.
[Veyle]
That sounds wonderful. And you have to tell me
about yourself too. I want to know everything.
[Hortensia]
Yeah. I think if we can understand each other...
this wound of mine might actually heal.
[Hortensia]
So let's get to healing, Lady Veyle.
--- S ---