I Will Give My Life For Love, For I Am Winter Born

[eeeonetwothree]

Omega is quiet on the first Monday after Snow White’s execution. He keeps to himself mostly, patrolling dutifully, keeping to his thoughts to himself.

It’s after the sun goes down that he decides to act on those thoughts, sliding a poorly scrawled note under Ferdinand’s door. The writing is barely legible, but it reads: “MEET ME AT THE ARENA.”

It’s there that he waits for his friend, staring up at the moon, nervousness and guilt weighing on his mechanical heart.

Comments

[eeeonetwothree]

”I NEED YOUR HANDS. I KNOW YOU SCARCELY COMPREHEND WHAT I EVEN AM, BUT TO INSTALL NEW EQUIPMENT, I NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, DEFTLY USE THEIR FINGERS, AND KEEP A TERRIBLE SECRET. YOU MEET ALL THOSE QUALIFICATIONS, ASTARION.”

There’s a pause before he continues.

”THAT, AND…I NEED SOMEONE TO PASS ON MY INSTRUCTIONS AFTER I AM GONE. I WILL HAVE MESSAGES FOR YOU TO GIVE AWAY AFTER MY BODY IS LEFT INERT.”

[pariunt]

Astarion dips his head. "Very well."

He's quiet for a long, long moment. "I'm quite dexterous. I'll need you to give me instructions, of course, but I can follow them. Add whatever delightful modifications you need in order to make things extremely painful for Typhon."

Astarion doesn't think he's the sort who should be giving final messages, but after an even longer moment he sighs. "...and I'll pass on your words. Tell Ferdinand I can do the same for him."

[eeeonetwothree]

"VERY WELL. I WILL BEGIN BURNING BRIDGES TOMORROW WHEN TYPHON DELIVERS HIS SO-CALLED MOTIVE. THEN OUR WORK CAN BEGIN. WE WILL MAKE OUR MOVE IN TWO WEEKS. AFTER MY WORK IS DONE...IT WILL BE YOUR JOB TO DELIVER FERDINAND AND I'S MESSAGES TO OUR COMRADES."

He thinks for a moment. Would a simple message absolve him of everything? Make them forgive him? Likely not. But at least...they may come to understand.

"THANK YOU, ASTARION. FOR DOING THIS. YOU HAVE MY GRATITUDE."

[pariunt]

Astarion's expression wavers before collapsing completely.

All of that bravado, all of that arrogance he has— it's not real. An act a slave put on to give himself some modicum of control. He looks away, his teeth gritted. "What if you miss? What if you do no damage at all?"

His voice breaks. "Then Ferdinand will have died for nothing. You will have done all of this for nothing."

And yet, he'll still do this.

[eeeonetwothree]

Omega is quiet for a long time, before finally answering:

”I WILL SIMPLY HAVE TO DO MY BEST.”

He hates it…but that’s the best he can offer. And yet he knows he can’t let this chance slip through their fingers.

[pariunt]

"For everyone's sake— for those still alive and those now dead, do not miss, when the time comes." Certainly, he can make the modifications needed, but Astarion's role in all of this is a small one.

...He hopes.