[right][h2][color=lavender]A [/color][color=FF4500]Distant[/color][color=lavender] Memory[/color][/h2][@Tlazolteotl][/right]

[color=lavender]An indeterminate time ago, in the darkened interior of the Tipsy Chambers sat a child on the bar counter. Her hair was dark and unruly, spilling over her shoulders and interrupted by a pair of folded, broad wings sticking out from her back. Patterned red and tipped in black, they towered a full head over the girl as she popped open a bottle of sherry. She lifted it up.

A hand closed over her own on the neck of the bottle and knocked it back down onto the table.

‘[b]What did we say about drinking?[/b]’ said Teresa, flatly.

‘[/color][color=FF4500][b]Suck my dick.[/b][/color][color=lavender]’

Teresa held out a hand. Erised rolled her eyes and slapped the cork into her palm, the corkscrew still wedged into it.

‘[/color][color=FF4500][b]I’m not an actual kid[/b][/color][color=lavender],’ complained Erised.

‘[b]That doesn’t give you license to destroy the body of one.[/b]’ Teresa wrenched the cork out of the corkscrew. ‘[b]Wait. It’s not that hard.[/b]’

Silence followed as Teresa squeezed the cork back into the bottle. Geryll wasn’t going to be happy with the opened bottle – it looked like one of his good ones. Then again, considering the broken lock on his establishment, he wasn’t going to be happy with anything Erised had done tonight.

‘[/color][color=FF4500][b]You don’t even know what it’s like.[/b][/color][color=lavender]’

Erised wasn’t looking at her as she spoke. She was playing with the sleeve of her woollen sweater, tugging on fraying threads.

‘[/color][color=FF4500][b]“It’s not that hard.” [i]Pff.[/i] You fucking heroes.[/b][/color][color=lavender]’ Erised looked at her, then. Her eyes blazed an accusatory crimson. ‘[/color][color=FF4500][b]Always assuming what everyone needs, huh?[/b][/color][color=lavender]’[/color]

[center][color=808080]━━━━━━ ◈ ━━━━━━[/color][/center][right][h2][color=lavender]Teresa’s Catharsis[/color][/h2][@Tlazolteotl][@silver21][@JJ Doe][/right]

[color=lavender]‘[/color][b]Have a nice day.[/b][color=lavender]’

The pragmatic part of Teresa considered letting them go. [i]She[/i] was trying to leave, after all. If Jay could leave, no muss, no fuss, then maybe Teresa could finally figure out what she was meant to do to get this place to let her go. This place wouldn’t hold another captive too. It made perfect sense.

[i]‘[/i][/color][color=FF4500][b][i]Always assuming what everyone needs, huh?[/i][/b][/color][color=lavender][i]’[/i]

Maybe it was the expression Jay wore as they walked past. Maybe it was the lingering echoes of Westbound’s haunted scream. Whatever it was that brought Eri’s words to the forefront of her mind, Teresa would never quite pin it down. All she knew was that letting Jay walk out that door wasn’t [i]right[/i]. She rose from her seat.

‘[b]You misunderstand. It isn’t a matter of qualification.[/b]’

Because this wasn’t Arts’ doing, was it? None of this was. Something had brought her here, for a reason she had never asked or wanted for. And maybe it was that odd screen that Jay had flashed that clicked the pieces together that led Teresa to realise:

‘[b]It’s a matter of need.[/b]’

God knew what the hell [i]Teresa[/i] needed to figure out, but it was clear Jay knew what they wanted to untangle. She offered a hand, palm open.

‘[b]We weren’t brought here under ideal circumstances, but if this place showed itself to you, then clearly it is open to you. I... apologise for making you feel unwelcome.[/b]’ Her hand pulled back, hesitant. ‘[b]I’ve been told I can be overly blunt at times.[/b]’[/color]