There's a Problem Here

[saerwen]

Damion noticed that Miriel was starting to have trouble with thinking too much. She really remembered nothing. This was hopeless... Why was this happening? When she had no explanation for her reaction told Damion that she had probably forgotten everything after she turned 14. Why that was true, he had no idea...Something truly horrible must have happened when she was 14 and now her amnesia is a way of forgetting whatever it was. One of these days though, she was going to have to face whatever it was. He hoped that it was a long way away, so that she could at least get her feet back under her.
Damion watched as flashes of emotions rant across her face. Poor thing, she looked completely confused. When she asked scantily about the gambling, he saw that something was bothering her.What ever it was, it was disturbing her slightly, but causing more confusion he guessed. She then rested her hand on the table. Not even thinking, he reached across the table and put his hand around her small, slender ones. He looked at her for a long time, studying her face, then he let out a little breath. “Perhaps remembering should be left till later, it seems to be bothering you.” He paused as he looked out the window, and then shifted quickly to Jaedon’s form. “Maybe we should stay off topics that would lead into memories, and that will give you some time to rest.” He spoke as though he had many thoughts running through his mind, and then he brought his gaze back to her. A gentle smile still played on his face.
Jaedon had not been ignorant of her friends presence while she was in the shop, she had simply been ignoring them. She couldn’t stomach talking to Miriel, not right now, and especially considering the fact that Miriel hardly remembered her. Jaedon let out a long sigh and pulled a book from her purse and started to read, hoping that the story would drown her doubts, fears, and mixed up emotions in its pleasant tales. She had not noticed that the book she had grabbed was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The second that she did notice it, she shut the book with a thud and threw it into her bag. I really am cursed, aren’t I? She took another sip of tea, then leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

[»Míríel«]

The flashes kept coming to her, it sent a burning sensation through her body, then she felt cold creeping over her, it was like taking too hot of a shower and then jumping into cold water. She wanted to shiver, yet it felt too hot to be shivering. All went calm for a moment as Damion placed his hands on top of hers. A soothing cold rushed over her, one that she had felt before, but when? The image of him carrying her came to her mind. It had a sweetness to it, a gentleness. With a slight smile she pressed his hand against her cheek. “You have always been there for me haven’t you?” Her green eyes lifted up to his. “Thank you...” IT was the most honest and sincere thank you she thought she had ever said. Why was it that now with almost every memory there was Damion there, being there for her, caring for her, saving her. Confusion crept back into her mind as she took her hand from Damion and straightened up. “Yes, perhaps I should get some rest... I feel tired...” She smiled brightly at him, “Perhaps I will dream everything in the night...” The smile faded slightly, she knew that probably wouldn’t happen. Then looking at Damion she waved and walked out. Shooting a smile Jaedon’s way she passed through the door frame, and almost bumped into a dark figure that had been standing there. “Oh sorry...” She mumbled as she went out into the sunlight and headed for the dorms.
----
Neron raised an eyebrow as he walked past the cafe to find Miriel resting her cheek against Damion’s hand. “Well then....” His head shook for a moment. “Lucky Damion, at least she still loves him.” With a sigh he stumbled in and found his eyes drifting back toward Jaedon’s brooding figure. She was alone, and very moody it seemed. He knew how she was feeling, or sort of did, at this moment he didn’t feel to much of anything. When Miriel bumped into him there was a reason she didn’t recognize him, he was so thin now and his skin was stretched over him like parchment. It looked like someone coming from a hospital. His eyes were blood shot red but they were hidden by his long black hair that fell into his eyes. “No problem.” He grunted back. His headache had faded a bit, but it was still present enough to cause him to want to loose his stomach if anything entered his mouth.
A smirk tugged at his lips as his feet carried him over to Jaedon. “Ah, This must be the rejection table. I hope you don’t mind me sitting here” Pulling up a chair he sat down without waiting for an answer. “Good.” Leaning back and closing his eyes as if it hadn’t been for a while a long sigh came from him. “Let me guess you want to talk to Miriel but you don’t know what to say and you don’t want to remind her of your little....past.” The smirk grew and he looked at her with an amused gleam to his eye. Holding up a finger before she could talk he leaned forward a bit. “How do I know your little mind? Well... How about I say, because I have the same problem. Though...” He leaned back, “I think you have the worse end of the stick.”

[saerwen]

Her hands were warm, so warm. Sometimes Damion thought that he would melt from her holding or touching any part of him, and on occasions that could have been true. He thought about what Neron had said to him about falling love with his worst enemy. It was true, Damion was still having trouble getting over it, but he knew that no matter how hot she got, he would still love her. She was a phoenix, it was true, but she was the kindest, most gentle person that he had ever met in his whole life, and she was not like the other phoenix’s that he had known in his life. It was good to know this, because it gave him hope that he would never be scared of her. As long as she loved him, he wouldn’t care what she did, he would love her just the same, and he felt like he could shout it to all of creation. When she said that she was leaving, Damion felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach like I rock from the top of a wall. It was rattling on the bottom as he bid her farewell, “Sleep, and sleep well.” He forced a smile and then stared at the table, and at his hand, that had held hers. It was still warm, but growing cold very quickly. He missed her already, and she had only been gone for a few seconds. He shook his head, his white hair shaking too, giving it an even more frazzled look that the wind had. He leaned back in his chair and started to sip the rest of his tea, thinking about how to get Miriels memories back. He had not noticed that one of their usual company had entered as another had left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jaedon heard footsteps coming from the general direction of the door. Who could that be coming to see her? No one. she hoped. Just keep walking on your merry little way... When she heard Neron start talking she just gave up. ...Crap. “Oh, look who is stalking now.” She wanted to scream at him to go away, but instead she didn’t say much. She cracked her eyes open and glared at him. “You look fantastic. What have you been smoking, crack?” she was being sarcastic. They both knew that Neron was having problems, and she really didn’t want to know what exactly they were. She just figured that he would get over it soon enough. She was in no shape to be giving anyone therapy. She had gone on a fresh meat fast because she was trying to stop killing. Her veggie diet was keeping her cranky, and breads were a total no, they made her mouth water, it was gross.
When he started guessing why she was here, she sat up rather quickly, jarring her still healing ribs. A grimace came over her face after the fact, and once she had finished righting herself with jerky, aggravated movements, she spoke venomously. “No, I am not.” She lied. She had come here with the hopes and fears of meeting Miriel, but she was never going to willingly admit that to anyone. She still had a little pride left, though around Neron, that was a very tiny bit of pride left. He was getting better at snooping into what she was thinking. “If you have that problem, it is your own. I just came for a nice warm cup of tea,” she pulled her navy blue sweater tighter around her as she realized how cold she was, “and a quiet place to read.” Her green glare turned to her purse, where Jekyll and Hyde was slightly hanging out. “It just turns out that my book is not to my liking at the moment.” Suddenly she felt tired. She was changing her feelings rather quickly. First it was relaxed, then nervous, then angry, then sleepy, then angry again, and now it was sleepy again. Just make up your freakin’ mind already Jaedon! Gosh.

[»Míríel«]

Neron’s face brightened slightly as JAedon said, “Oh look whose stalking now.”, so he continued and answered her little statment. “Yes, a wonderful pursuit, though I don’t think I have the hang of it as you do.” His eyes widened slightly, “But I might as well try.” When she mentioned the crack his face turned sour, “No...worse.” His eyes grew distant and cold, “Memories.” To many it might have been a repeated thing, memories, memories, memories, it seemed that was all he thought about. But to be fair, Neron was going through what many soldiers do after a war, he was re living the moments, his worst ones. He hated these memories and he wished they never would have happened. Ever since he had been hanging around Jaedon it was almost like seeing a picture of himself and seeing how he interacted with people. It was creepy at first, sure, but because of it he had come to face what he had done. He saw Damion and Miriel and how much they cared for each other and how innocent they were. Sure they each probably had the dark spots on their pasts, but they had been able to gain the innocence back. That fact had plagued him for a long time, and now with Miriel loosing her memory, it hurt even more.
“So you don’t fess up to it.” He closed his eyes again for a moment. “Coward.” He leaned his head back against the wall that was behind him. “Though I believe I am more of one.” It was true, he was running away from his memories. Now he was tired of running and they were slowly whisking him away. As she mentioned the book his form came to life and all of a sudden with a quickness that seemed impossible to be coming from such a thin looking soul, he snatched the purse. Digging out the book he slid the purse back over to her and smirked at the cover. “Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Then his face grew very still and stoic. It seemed as though time for him paused for a moment and the world spun on. “How...fitting.” Neron was talking more about himself then he was of Jaedon. “Perhaps the Mr.Hyde will die in us Jaedon...though...” He looked up at her before tossing the book on the table, it spun towards her lackadaisically. “hopefully it will mean a happier ending.”
-----
Cecily turned her attention to another couple, they seemed to be shadows in themselves. A smile curled on her face. “My type of people.” But they didn’t seem to be searching for anyone, so she might as well be sitting where she was. Luckily her hearing was very sharp and she caught almost every single word. But this concentration caused her to loose some motor skills. If you looked at her it seemed that she was reviewing her journal but if you noticed she didn’t move her head, eyes, or even hand to turn the page, instead she just stared at the paper as if she was expecting it to speak to her. “A most interesting couple..” She smirked. “Though the tall black male doesn’t seem to healthy...wonder if he had one of my little teas...

[saerwen]

“Yeah, you’ll have to keep practicing in order to get it. I would start with stalking someone else, if you stalk me then it will be no fun for either of us. I would stalk you, you would stalk me, and in the end, we both become easy targets.” her voice was lacadasic. She was sleepy, she wanted her nice warm bed, not this freezing cold cafe. It was bloody awful. She chuckled at his sour expression. She like it when he was sour, it made her feel better, as mean as that was, it was true. She nodded when he said memories and finished up her tea in a large gulp. She had no desire to remember, she knew what pain it caused. Every day when she woke up, the memories that she had arose in her mind, and then were shoved back down her throat so that she wouldn’t go insane. She didn’t have the strength to tackle what she had done like Neron did, or at least, she hoped that he did. He would have to finish fighting it off soon, because he was starting to get really bad.
“I am not a coward. I told you the truth.” Lying was second nature to her, but for some reason she didn’t like doing it to Neron. She shook her head as that thought passed by. Why should Neron be any different from everyone else? She had not noticed that he had livened at the mention of the book until he jumped up and snatched her purse. As he did she reached out for it, trying to get to it before he did, but she failed. “HEY!” She raised her voice slightly, but it was hardly worthy of being a yell. She cursed her sleepy bones and their unwillingness to move quickly. She folded her arms across her chest sourly, glaring at the floor with fiery green eyes. When he pushed her purse back towards her, she grabbed it quickly and set the handle over her knee, letting it dangle there against her leg as her hand ensured that it stayed where it was. Without really thinking about it she listened to him, and drifted away at the same time, her hand reaching into her purse slowly, so that he wouldn’t notice it. Around the time that he talked about the Hyde in them dying she wrapped her hand around a switchblade knife. She had already replaced the one that she had lost, and now fingered it, the smooth handle inviting her to open the knife the rest of the way. She jerked it off when he mentioned a happier ending. She smirked, and then got stoic. “Maybe for you there will be a happier ending.” There was more than one meaning behind that statement. She looked at Neron, green eyes studying him, wishing that he did finally overcome his problem, it was ripping him apart, but there was a cure, and he was almost there. She had yet to start, and probably wouldn’t. He was right, she was a coward. She would rather kill herself than try and fight her inner hatred. She smirked again, “You’re right actually, I am a coward.” she shook her head, black curls falling all over, a grim smile caressed her face. She stared at the table for a while and then pulled her head back up... “Looks like Damion just can’t stand to be alone...” His white form was slowly making its way towards them. “Just my luck...” She put her head down on the table, hands on top of her head, as though holding it down. she ran a hand through her hair. I really need to stop hanging around Neron, he is rubbing off on me.

[»Míríel«]

Neron studied Jaedon while she talked, he didn’t like how she was acting, he knew what she was going through all to well. If he could make it out of this...perhaps he could help her. It was then that he knew he must, he had to, especially when she mentioned how he would have a happier ending. Reaching across the table his eyes turned a serious deep green. It was like gazing into an emerald. “No...not just me, we.” There was concern in his eyes it surfaced perhaps for one of the first times in his life. It seemed that a new part of him was showing, a gentler part. But it didn’t last long. The hand that had been reaching for her face to tilt it towards him more.. He flinched and quickly withdrew, “We are all cowards, but some of us are strong enough to admit it. Which proves that you aren’t a coward.” His gaze was still directed toward her, though pain now filled his gaze. His jaw clenched against the memories, hands drew down to his lap and balled into fists, and his gaze fell from her. It didn’t take long until his sarcastic demeanor came back once more.
Casting his eyes back to Damion he scowled slightly. “ Of course not, he’s such a wanting creature, so weak.” The change of moods that circulated between Neron’s now frail form was astonishing, one moment he was a gentlemen, the next he was a cocky know-it-all.

[saerwen]

Jaedon had not really thought much of anything when Neron started to reach across the table. It was only when he spoke that she looked up at him. There was an emotion in his eyes that she had never seen there. What was causing such a thing? It looked like the way Miriel would look at her when she was hurt, except, Neron seemed to have a more heartfelt, fiery side. It was so strange, but so inviting at the same time. Could it possibly be that Neron was truly learning how to care? And is he showing care towards me? Jaedon was entranced, loving that look. She had never had a look like that from anyone other than Miriel or Damion, but they both had it simply because they were wishing that she had not gone and done something stupid. Then, reality hit her, along with the memories of Fische. “You are a witch, no one can care for you.” And another, “Assassins feel nothing!” “You are a cold heartless wicked girl, seeking only your gold, causing others pain to get it.” “You will never be beautiful to anyone. How could anyone see a wretched demon as beautiful. There is nothing for you, but to continue being what you are...a cold blooded killer.” Tears shot into her eyes as those words that he had spoken to her that day made their full impact. No, Neron is not caring for you. He is pitying you...Just like Miriel and Damion do, Oh why do I have to know what love is?! All of the things that Miriel, Damion, and Neron had ever done for her stung like a freshly opened wound. It reminded her of all that she had lost when she had taken a forbidden path. She would never return from that place, especially now that one of her friends couldn’t even remember her anymore. She tried to push the tears back when he said “we”, and then her tears came back full force. They had not started to fall, but they were close to brimming over. Her eyes fell from Neron’s to try and hide the tears. That was when she noticed his hand, so thin, but now it seemed gentle. Neron was changing, and it made her happy to see it. She gave a weak smile, trying still with valiance to stifle her tears. Jaedon was practically begging Neron’s hand to come closer. Maybe that would mean that he was caring. Her hopes soared for a few moments, and then, crashed down without hope into the dust as he jerked away.
“Is it wrong to long for something?” she whispered in reply to his comments about Damion. She turned away for a few moments, as though placing her purse behind her chair, but really she was hiding the tears that fell relentlessly from her face. She wiped them away quickly and recovered herself, pushing everything that had been broken down into the very depths of her dark soul, hoping that they wouldn’t resurface any time soon.
“So, what are you two doing?” Damion asked with a sullen demeanor, but not too sullen, he was still chipper, and all politeness. He had seen Neron moving his hand towards Jaedon, and he could also see that she was having trouble swallowing something. If Neron broke her heart, Damion really would kill him. Then, he quieted those thoughts, knowing where they had led last time. He pulled a chair over to the table where the two sat, and plopped down contentedly as he ordered another cup of tea from the stewardess. “I gather that you have some sort of interesting conversation going on right about now.” He looked pointedly at Neron and then turned to scan Jaedon. She was fine, no tears, that he could see, and nothing unusual, other than the fact that she was a little pale, but she was so fair that being slightly more pale than not was unexpected. “I have some questions for the both of you.”

[»Míríel«]

Neron had edged to the back of his seat and folded his hands in his lap, hiding them under the table. If Jaedon could have seen them she would have noticed how clenched they are, how tightly they were gripping onto each other. His gaze had dropped down at the table and had grown painfully distant. He would overcome this, he had to show Jaedon it was possible. If not for his hair that hung into his eyes you might have seen them flipping between dragon and human, but after a while they turned fully human.
Raising his head at the sound of Damion’s voice he didn’t look in his direction, but in Jaedon. She was turning to put her purse behind her. He shook his head, did anything enter into that heart of hers? “Why do you care Neron. Why?” That was an answer that had been plaguing him but it was one he couldn’t answer. “Just talking Damion, just talking.” The voice was exhausted and Neron turned his attention to Damion. Questions...great. “What sort of questions Damion, though I suppose I shouldn’t even ask, you will fire away anyways won’t you.” The remark was surprisingly docile to his usual ones. “So then, fire away.” Neron’s eyes drifted to a half-closed position and he leaned against the back of his chair.
-----
Cecily frowned at the threesome that were now together. “So they know each other....” Her eyes narrowed and she looked at them for a bit. “Interesting...” Quickly turning her attention back to her journal she tried not to gaze at them. If she was detected it could make them nervous or self conscious about what they were speaking and then all would be lost.

[saerwen]

“Questions...What if we don’t have the answers?” Jaedon knew what Damion was going to ask before he even asked them. He was brainstorming on how to bring Miriel out of her fuzzy memories. “What then?”
Damion’s eyes turned cold for a moment, and then returned to their normal warmth. “That is okay. I don’t want direct answers on this necessarily, although they are welcome.” He paused as he took the tea that the stewardess brought him. He then started to speak, and Jaedon, mocking him the whole time quoted him word for word silently. She had a dull look in her green eyes as she did so. “What are we gonna do about Miriel?” Damion had not noticed Jaedon mimicking him, which was probably best. “I think that there is a chance for her to still remember, but what do you think?”
Jaedon didn’t really listen to him very well after his first question. She was dreading this subject. She purposely withdrew most of her thoughts from the table and moved to the rest of the shop. It was a relaxing place. As much as she hated coffee, she liked the smell of it, if it wasn’t overpowering. She surveyed the people in the shop until her eyes fell on a young lady who was studying something in a journal. She had silvery long hair and amber eyes. A creature, like us. Jaedon thought. She was dainty looking, as though from a type of royalty, at least, to Jaedon’s unaccustomed eyes that was how she looked. Not like a murderer at all. Ah, but even the most innocent people can kill. You are the perfect example...Who would’ve thought they meet their end at the hands of an angry and sadistic 12 year old. She continued to study the girl with the journal, thinking about something very hard. This girl was familiar to her. She didn’t remember where from, but she had met this girl before. This certainty filled her mind to the fullest, there was no way that she couldn’t have met the girl at some point in time, but the only problems were the always asked questions: when, where, why, and how. She pulled her eyes away from the girl as her mind actively rushed around trying to find the memory that would tell her what she was forgetting. If this is how Miriel is feeling 24/7 right now, I think I would have gone mad already...

[»Míríel«]

Neron rocked back in his chair for a moment. “Why don’t you enlighten me Damion. What are we going to do about Miriel?” He smirked slightly as his eyes blazed even hotter. “You, of all of us, should be able to give us some ideas, after all you seem to know her the best. You were quite the couple over there.” A haunted look came over his eyes. “Why don’t you tell us how to solve this. You know the new Miriel better then all of us.” Drawing a hand over his face the blaze of his eyes had died. “Forgive me Damion... I don’t know what to do, everything is such a mess. The world is a blur now.” His eyes closed for a moment. “But we need to come up with something, but nothing...nothing is coming up to my memory. Right now I’m just glad that I can still stay in the present.” Running his hands though his hair he shook his head. It was all lost to him, how this could ever be up righted he didn’t know.
----
Cecily noticed the girl studying her, but it only brought a smirk to her face. When she heard Neron finish talking she brought her hand behind the front cover of the journal and slammed it shut. The noise echoed in the cafe. Sliding out of the high bar stool she hopped to the ground and walked over to the group. Her silver hair swung side to side as her bright amber eyes grew large, innocent. Walking in front of the group she smiled, clutching her journal to her chest. “Seems like you guys are in quite a predicament. Forgive me for listening on, but I believe I have an answer. Your friend only seems to remember good memories. Which means that.” Her eyes focused on Jaedon and the smile twisted in a mischievous way. “that her mind is trying to block out all the the bad ones. So I would suggest....” Her eyes shifted to Neron.”Seeding her mind with the bad ones. Something that her mind couldn’t force to the back quickly. Something...” Her eyes now rested on Damion.”that was devastating and life changing.” Her eyes were burning with a strange light. “I’m sure you can come up with something.” With that she curtsied slightly and walked out of the cafe.

[saerwen]

Jaedon listened to Neron with a smirk on her face. He had turned quite taciturn in a matter of 2 seconds... What a fickle person, but considering what he is dealing with in his own head...I can hardly blame him. She had to hold in a laugh when he mentioned being ‘quite the couple’. Damion was not trying to hide how much he thought of Miriel, even Neron could see it. Jaedon however, didn’t expect to hear an apology come out of Neron. She looked at him with widened eyes, brows furrowed, completely quizzical look on her face. Poor Neron...He is torn so many different ways right now. Trying to fight himself, recover from a serious beating by Damion which I know isn’t nice, and losing Miriel. She lowered her eyes to the table.
When Neron apologized for the words that cut rather deeply, Damion nodded. “It’s alright Neron... I suppose that I am partially to blame for it.” He was thinking solely of the fight, something he was fully ashamed of. It should never have happened. “I don’t suppose that I can say I’m sorry enough times for my foolishness, so why apologize for such a small slight.”
Jaedon’s eyes had traveled back to the girl with the journal, her identity still bugging Jaedon out of her mind. The girl had suddenly closed her journal and started walking towards them. Was that little prick pulling a Professor Higgins on us?! Jaedon questioned in her mind, referring to the famous character who liked to record speech. When she started talking, Jaedon narrowed her eyes. She could see her face clearly now...Where had they met before? She started at the girl with rock hard eyes that hardened as she continued to display just how long she had been listening. She was listening to every bloody word that Damion and Miriel had. She listened to what the girl had to say with apathy until it got to the part about filling her mind with bad memories. A sickening feeling filled her stomach...she was going to throw up. She knew of a thing that had changed Miriel’s life forever...and no amount of lost memory would erase it. She started to hug herself and give the floor a cold scrutiny. She knew that pretty soon, Damion and Neron were going to start thinking of things that had happened to Miriel that would have changed her, and they would both come to her...Please let there be something worse than what I did, and let them remember it first. Oh please don’t let them think of what I did!
Damion took in what the girl said, hardly paying attention to the fact that she had been listening for quite a while. When she mentioned something life changing he noticed that Jaedon suddenly got a deathly pale appearance, she looked like she was going to pass out. What is she thinking of?

[»Míríel«]

Neron listened with shock as the girl just waltzed out after saying that she was listening to everything. What type of person was she? He did know one thing, he didn’t like her. What she had said resonated with him. What was she talking about? Memories that Miriel couldn’t have forgotten or couldn’t be pushed back when brought to the surface. His eyes grew distant. Memories, they wanted to flood over him, but he couldn’t think of them, it would be suicide. Turning to Damion he asked, “What do you -” His eye then gazed at Jaedon and he froze in the middle of his sentence. Jaedon’s face was pale white and her arms were wrapped around her. “Jaedon?” He stood up suddenly and reached for her. But he couldn’t touch her, he just couldn’t. So letting his hands drop to his side he turned his head away. “Why don’t you take her to the dorms Damion. She doesn’t look well.”
With that he turned on his heel and trudged away. He couldn’t stand it, why was his reaction to comfort Jaedon? Why did he get this strange sensation around her. After all, she didn’t care for him, she couldn’t. A flash of her smiling face went before him mind’s eye. “I would do anything to get that back again...anything.” And so Neron was slowly changing to a different person, the person he was destined to be.

[saerwen]

Jaedon did not hear Neron calling for her. She stared at the table with a blank expression, her mind racing. There were only a few things that consumed her so entirely, and this point was the worst. If she told Miriel that she had killed her father, what would Miriel do? She would have to come to terms with the idea first, and there was no way that she could do that...
Damion heard Neron though. His cocked his head to the side and looked at Neron with curiousity. Could it be that Neron really did...?No-there was no way in the world that was true. Damion shook his head. When Neron walked out, Damion looked at Jaedon. She knew something. She remembered something that would pull Miriel back, and that was what was hurting. Damion had thought about it for a while until it hit him... Jaedon had murdered Miriel’s father, and Miriel thought that her father was still alive. He looked at Jaedon for a while and then he stood up, picked her purse up off the floor behind her, and then offered her a hand. She took like a blind person who had been offered a cane. As she stood up, she looked at Damion, and in his eyes she saw it... She shook her head as they started to walk out of the cafe. “Please Jaedon, for Miriel, please.” he could do nothing more than plead with her. He was not going to force her, but he was going to keep asking until she had no other choice left.