2019-02-02: A Grandfather's Sins
- Cutscene: A Grandfather's Sins
- Cast: Xantia, Jolen Crann (NPC)
- Where: Ethos facility, Dazil City
- Date: February 02, 2019
- Summary: Upon the conclusion of the ritual to delve into Xantia's mind, an enraged Xantia assails the man who betrayed her trust, in the worst way possible.
"It was YOU!!"
Roaring in anger, Xantia leaps from the bed that she'd been resting in for the past week, straight for the man standing at its foot. Jolen Crann, the man who saved her life. The man who took care of her when she needed it most. The man she'd come to call Grandpa.
And the man who stole her memories.
Flames bursting from her body, she grabs the much larger man by the collar, not stopping until she slams him into the wall at the far end of the room. "You knew! All this time, you KNEW! Why?! Why did you do it? Why did you never tell me?!"
The old shaman doesn't even begin to struggle. Just from looking in his eyes, Xantia sees another truth. He also knew that this was going to happen. He performed the ritual knowing this would result. He could have chosen not to do anything. To leave her memories in their damaged state, keep her from ever finding out.
This would be so much easier if he showed no signs of remorse.
Xantia's fiery aura dies down, and she releases Jolen, leaving only her handprints burned into the collar of his robes. She looks down, asking once again, in a softer voice, "Why...?"
Jolen remains where he is, letting out a breath before he starts to respond. Even now, he still manages to sound as calm as he usually does.
"...Xantia. When I and my traveling companions came across you in the desert... you attacked us. You were frantic, in a panic. I could tell you were afraid of us. But with your strength, you posed a very real danger to our well-being. I tried what I could to calm you, but whatever trauma caused you to behave this way was too great. My words did not reach you. My treatments had no effect. So for our own safety, and yours..."
Xantia stamps her foot, a gout of fire briefly appearing at the point of impact as she looks Jolen in the eye once more. "You had no right to do that! I won't ever be able to deal with what happened if I don't even remember it! This is going to keep bothering me forever! Don't you understand that?"
Holding up his hands defensively, Jolen urges, "Please, Xantia, listen to me. I had always meant to remove the mental block I put in place--"
"Then do it now!" Xantia snaps back. Seeing Jolen's hesitance in responding, she continues, "Don't you dare say no to me now, not after all this! If you want to fix your mistake, then do it! I don't care what happens! I want my memory back!"
Jolen remains silent a moment longer. For the first time, Xantia sees the normally calm and emotionless mask crack, to betray the sadness that lies beneath. "...I am sorry, Xantia. By now, your current memories have asserted themselves to the point where I can't undo what I did without doing irreparable damage to who you are now. You may forget the things that matter most to you... those who are closest to you."
Wordlessly, Xantia turns her head. Seated next to her bed are the very people Jolen was referring to. Fei, Elly, Lily and Rosaline. They went so far as to enter her mind, just to get her back. The her that she is now, the her that she has become after two years' worth of memories. She could never abandon her feelings for them, any more than they were able to abandon their feelings for her.
Her eyes drift to the tattered Baskar traveling cloak, hanging by her bedside. Grandpa-- no, Jolen was the one who gave that to her. She treasured it, felt empowered by the constant connection to the man she thought to be her savior.
Now... now she can't stand to even look at it.
Meanwhile, Jolen continues speaking. "I had always meant to undo what I'd done. It was never meant to be permanent. I reasoned that, with some good memories to offset the bad, you would be better able to handle what happened in the past. But before I could do that, you ran away from the Colony..."
Xantia's head jerks back to Jolen. "What, so this is MY fault, is that what you're saying?" "That's not what I--"
Xantia doesn't let Jolen finish. "Enough!! ...I'm leaving. Don't follow me. If you really care about me, even a little bit... stay here, and make sure that all they wake up safely."
Opening the door leading out into the hallway, Xantia only pauses long enough to say one more thing, without looking back at the man she used to think of as a grandparent.
"I don't ever want to see you again."
The door slams shut behind her.