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[energeia]

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ROBIN BECKER

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[dead_tongue]

No worries, I'll come to you. I'm just gonna tidy up and I'll head over.

[energeia]

Okay. See you in a bit, Iggy.

[ Room impeccably tidy, as always, if clearly lived in — she gets a decent amount of gifts from her clients, from clothes to hand-painted household items, sometimes fruit and small cakes. All she needs is to bring the tea back from the common area, place it on the modest coffee table to let it cool off for a bit. ]

[dead_tongue]

[Iggy knows all about client gifts, although his own tend to run towards fancy clothes and jewelry.

He knocks and when let in oohs over the space.]

Oh, this is so nice! And thanks for having me over.

[energeia]

Iggy, [ She welcomes him with a brief hug, gestures for him to take one of the chairs. Robin wouldn't dream of making a guest sit on the bed. ]

Of course — I'm always happy to see you.

[dead_tongue]

Same! Sorry I haven't dropped by in a while. Things have been... awful, actually.

How are you?

[energeia]

They have, haven't they? [ A touch to his shoulder before she sits down. ] Last month wasn't easy for anyone, I think. But I'm doing better now.

[dead_tongue]

Are you? Good. I'm glad to hear it.

[Honest as ever.]

So! You wanted to grill me about my nosiness or something?

[energeia]

Grill you? [ A little bit of disbelief in her smile. She remembers the things she said. ] Not at all. Did you get the answers you were looking for, though?

[dead_tongue]

Well, okay, not grill. That's me being defensive, I suppose. Some people seemed pretty upset with me. Again.

All answers are good answers.

[energeia]

It's a sensitive subject. [ As Iggy very well knows, especially since he's talking to someone who stands by that opinion. ] Why were you curious?

[dead_tongue]

More so than I thought!

Oh, I thought I had mentioned... existential crisis combined with genuine curiosity. I like knowing how people think.

[energeia]

That's fair.

[ She picks up one teacup with the saucer, hands it over to Iggy. ]

I thought there could've been something more specific than that. Like something had happened.

[dead_tongue]

[He accepts it and sets it carefully down.]

Thank you.

Oh. No, no. More like... a bunch of somethings. Mostly bad, a few good. I've not been very good about communicating lately.

[energeia]

[ Tilting her head slightly, ] Why do you think that is?

[dead_tongue]

Cave stuff.

[Simple.]

[energeia]

[ Robin tilts her head, brows knitted with concern. ]

Remember what you just said?

[ I've not been very good about communicating lately. It's a soft nudge. ]

You know you can talk to me.

[dead_tongue]

Oh. Yeah. Uhm.

It's just been... a lot of self destructive behaviour. I'm not proud of it. And I know it's because I'm trying to punish myself for what I did in the caves. I hurt people. I hunted people. It was a bad scene.

[energeia]

[ She listens, always maintaining eye contact, even if Iggy tries to avoid it. It's important to show that she's taking in every word. ]

Why did you hurt them, Iggy?

cw: more cannibalism wahoo

[dead_tongue]

Because I wasn't human, and I was hungry. And I had to feed my...

[He pauses and taps his fingers against his collarbones to calm down.]

My partner was trapped. Too big to get out of one of the caves. I was smaller, so I'd go hunting and bring back the body to feed him after I drank the blood. Whatever he didn't eat, I'd finish.

It was my fault he was down there with me. It never should have happened.

So. I just... wanted to be punished for that most of all.

[energeia]

[ Her expression falls, losing some of the warmth in her eyes. Gaze lowered, the teacup she'd picked up for a sip is placed back on the table, both hands resting on her lap, one over the other. ]

Were you aware of what you were doing the whole time?

[ The seriousness of Iggy's actions is reflected in her tone, like there's a wrong answer. ]

[dead_tongue]

[He has to think about that, cast his mind back to the caves. When he speaks, it's slowly.]

Sort of. I don't not remember any of it, it's not like I blacked out or anything. I definitely was awake and thinking, but not thinking like I am right now. Everything was a lot more simple. It was just like... I can't remember making a conscious decision to do something abhorrent. I just did it, because it felt necessary for survival.

But I remember it all. And I know I was more with it than my partner.

[energeia]

[ She listens, remains quiet for a moment longer. With a deep, careful breath, Robin continues, peaceful, assuaging any possibility of Iggy thinking he's being condemned. It sounds compassionate, in fact, just like she was taught to do with her brothers and sisters. ]

You should atone for your actions, Iggy. But deciding your own punishment isn't the way.

[dead_tongue]

Yeah.

[Honestly he's relieved to be told that he did wrong, that he needs to pay for it.]

Then how?

[energeia]

Have you spoken to them? Their families?

[dead_tongue]

I've spoken to one of them. We ran into each other, uhm. At work.