Anastazie Dolohov

[letzternachtzug]

Angela Sarafyan, by Rene & Radka.

[notrodolphus]

dummy in distress ||

There are a lot of things in life that Rabastan runs from, actually. Responsibilities, negative thoughts, unsavory experiences. Oh, and spiders too — creepy fucks. There are a lot, so much so that he is neither unused to or ashamed of doing so by now, but he did have to admit that dodging corners to keep away from an out of breath, very balding middle-aged man was new.

“Rab…as..tan…!” Professor Slughorn huffed, really at this point waddling after him rather than chasing. As he has been doing so for the past fifteen minutes (on top of the past couple months) Rabastan feigned deafness. Simply proceeded down another corridor, one very much in the away direction from the History of Magic lesson he should have been heading to. What he really needed was some stairs — the wheezing potions master certainly wouldn’t be able to take another one of those — but all he came upon was yet another assembly of metal knights. Starting to run out of breath as well, he decided to duck and crouch behind some but not before spotting another student appearing at the other end of the hall.

As Slughorn’s footfalls began schlepping towards them, he had just enough time to catch the newcomer’s eyes. Just enough time for them to surely see his panic. 

“Ex….cuse…..me…” the professor’s voice appeared somewhere to the right of Rabastan. Desperately, he put a finger to his now pouting lips, summoning the best performance of ‘please don’t rat me out’ that he could silently muster as Slughorn asked, “Did you happen to see Rabastan Lestrange come through here?”

[tazie-whoisleft]

Going to school at Hogwarts, there are plenty of strange things one must get used to seeing. Especially as a prefect, patrolling the halls at night and catching the most unruly of the students in the midst of all kinds of acts, Anastazie has become rather desensitized. So, seeing Rabastan sprinting around a corner and tucking himself in between some knights was actually one of the more normal things she had witnessed that week. 

Slughorn followed behind soon enough, and Tazie kept her face neutral as her eyes shifted over to the professor. They remained fixed even as she saw Rabastan’s silent plea out of her peripheral, not wanting to give it away his hiding place just yet. 

Did she have a reason to protect Rabastan Lestrange right now? It would be pretty easy thing to do. If she sent him off in another direction, Slughorn would soon think he just lost the trail and not have any reason to suspect she played a part in that. But then, the lack of repercussions was never a compelling enough reason, and the threat of an upset classmate didn’t scare her. 

The promise of being owed a favor, though, opened up possibilities. 

Her mind moving underneath the surface, she put on her Perfectly Pleasant face as she said, “Hello, Professor. I saw him running that way like there was a fire. Do you need any help tracking him down?”

Brushing her off with a simple, “No, thank you, Ms. Dolohov,” he continued on his way. Tazie waited until his padding footsteps have faded before finally turning her attention back to the crouching boy. “I certainly hope I didn’t just assist in too serious of a crime. If I did, I don’t want to hear about it, plausible deniability and all. But, if not, you can tell me what your misdemeanor was as we head down to the Slytherin Common Room. I need you to let me in.”

[justcallmesatanstrashcan]

[lena-luthor]

Talent isn’t genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. 

[benjy-whoisleft]

i will never understand you || tazie & benjy

[tazie-whoisleft]

benjy-whoisleft‌:

Benjy left it with a smirk, surprising himself with how he did find it entertaining. That, and he was afraid that if he pushed it a bit further, he’d find out if it was a joke or a promise. It could too easily become the latter with them, and he didn’t doubt for a moment that her family had lawyers on retainer.

“Well, that’s a relief. I wouldn’t want anyone spreading half-truths and damaging my anarchist reputation,” Benjy said dryly. He did raise an eyebrow at her note about working together, curious if she would have rejected the offer as well or simply understood as well as anyone should that he would not sell out so easily on his convictions. Especially when there were those other offers waiting in the wings.

“Ideology is actually the most important of those three, in my opinion. Would you sell your convictions just like that?” He knew it was an extreme route to take, but he liked to hear what people had to say when he approached it that way. “What’s your price to sell out? So I know when I’m hiring in the future.” 

Benjy tilted his head to the side, not trying particularly hard to pretend he was oblivious with the grin on his face and challenge in his eyes. “Other offers? You’ll have to refresh my memory seeing as you apparently know as much about them as I do.”

She might as well have set a watch when she approached him. Ten seconds in, she was trying to just get a straight answer from him. Thirty seconds, they were bantering. Fifty seconds, she could almost mistake the conversation as a little fun. And then the clock struck one minute and he managed to suck out any enjoyment there might have been. At least Tazie could say she appreciated consistency.

“Cute,” she said, allowing a little of her annoyance to crash onto the surface before retreating back to the tumultuous ocean of her mind. Her smile stayed on her face, but cold and distant. “Well, I can’t say I have a price tag. But if you’re ever that much in need of my expertise, we can negotiate. What’s a favor to an old school friend, hm?” A term he surely wore as well as she did. Which is to say, not at all.

As good as he was at poking her buttons, she wouldn’t show it again and give him the satisfaction. Steadying herself, she played right along. “I would hope not, since I’ve only heard of things here and there. I would hate to have ruined the surprise for you.”

“Well, I thought maybe you would want to take a moment to brag.” What decent Ravenclaw wouldn’t want to show off their accomplishments, after all? That much hard work deserved a little praise. “But, if I’m to be kept in the dark as well, so be it. I will certainly here the announcement when you finally make a decision after all. If you make one, that is.”

[yennefahs]

fuck off, I’ll do this myself

[letzternachtzug]

Angela Sarafyan, via. Instagram. 01-03-20

[bellatrix-whoisleft]

(you can’t) change my mind ||

[tazie-whoisleft]

bellatrix-whoisleft‌:

“Therein lies the problem with the whole situation. I am not remotely surprised that you see it, too,” Bellatrix replied, referring to the voting structure. “They have turned this into a runoff election, functionally. I understand the importance of these seats, but they very well could have taken a temporary recess—or tabled the most controversial measures—until the seats were filled to do this properly.”

She sighed to let out a hair of her frustration. She might know that Moonfall was all but locked in, that they would have another member of the Wizengamot representing their interests as a result of powerful people pulling strings as they always did, but she had always been one to demand more. A seat was not enough to satiate her.

“I absolutely understand that frustration. At least, you are allowed to be here instead of having to listen on the radio, but I sympathize with the lack of true freedom that comes with still being in the castle. I wish I had something better to say that your time will come, and you will be a dominant force when it does, but both are true.” It was an incredibly generous compliment coming from her, but this was a harmless enough endorsement to offer for now.

“Don’t let them in on the secret,” Bellatrix said, quirking an eyebrow and joking lightly. “Let them have their silly protests if it keeps them too busy to create a cohesive force to get someone like St. Culpo elected, or worse yet, have even more of them running for seats. That is the last thing we need.”

Anastazie looked at Bellatrix with a mix of appreciation and curiosity. It didn’t altogether surprise her that Bellatrix was well spoken on the subject, as she was well spoken on most subjects. And she seemed to hold an interest in it that surpassed the basic talking points everyone was bringing up that day in an attempt to sound invested and educated.

If anything, what surprised Tazie was the fact that Bellatrix wasn’t more involved in politics. An intelligent and powerful woman like her must have any door open to her, and yet she hadn’t walked through. Did she not feel the same desire Tazie felt burning in her gut to take this world in her grasp? Hold it in place and admire how nice it looks when it’s kept just so?

“Well that is true,” she said with a sly smile, modesty be damned. “It’s a good thing to keep in mind, especially when it’s so hard to be patient. But, I intend to fully enjoy the time I have left at Hogwarts, with whatever freedom I can hold in that time.” She stopped herself short of mentioning the coveted Head Girl position that felt just around the corner from her. As much as she appreciated Bellatrix’s support, she was sure it would be hollow in comparison to what she gave to Narcissa.

“My lips are sealed,” she teased back. “Not that I think they would listen to any outside advice anyway. Headstrong, the lot of them. I can only be thankful that the foundation is strong enough to withstand a few shakes. As long as, as you say, the more radical faction doesn’t get too much traction.”

[lunastar92]

Rami Malek & Angela Sarafyan!

Photoshoot!

[tazie-whoisleft]

[tazie-whoisleft]

help (not) wanted // tazie & benjy

[tazie-whoisleft]

benjy-whoisleft‌:

“I’m nosy,” Benjy said, which was first and foremost the reason. It was almost an afterthought that he added, unfazed by her snapping, “Plus, it helps to decide I’m going to go get Madame Pomfrey if you won’t just go to the hospital wing which I know you know, but here we are anyway. I have a pesky vested interest in keeping you alive to argue with.” 

Perhaps Anastazie had more reason to be edgy than Benjy did—fine, there was no “perhaps” to it, she absolutely did. If he just took it, though, where would they be? No, he was going to be a pain about this because it did look bad, and his distaste didn’t extend far enough to hope that she lost a hand.

Benjy took a couple steps towards her, unable to help the gross fascination on his face and the muttered, “Nice.” 

A second later, he settled into something more serious because it didn’t take more than a look to reach the conclusion he was sure Anastazie had already reached. He was ever reluctant to admit their similarities, but he had a feeling that she was going to be as stubborn as he would be to actually get it looked at. “Okay, yeah. That’s definitely ‘in need of professional help’ bad. But…” he was nothing if not an enabler of bad decisions, “if you wanted to keep going, I have a couple tricks that could stabilize it long enough. Probably. Makes for a fun bonus experiment.”

Her face wrinkled in confused disgust at his fascination, and she pulled her hand back a little. Anastazie understood morbid Ravenclaw fascination as much as the next eagle, but it was not the reaction she expected from the angry red skin that was already blistering in some areas. Looking at it made it hurt more. Her willpower only worked so well when faced with the reality she was trying to ignore.

“It’s not-” she started, ready with some sharp words about the state of her hand that was going to be all obvious lies. The last thing she needed though was him running off and getting Pomfrey right now. She had been so close, so damn close to solving it for herself. Admitting defeat now and running off to the nearest authority figure was too bitter a pill to swallow.

But, as he kept going, it sounded, dare she say, like he wasn’t fighting her. Not many things could stop Tazie in her tracks, but that was not something that came along every day. Cradling her hand and tapping her foot on the floor, she considered the offer very carefully.

“What tricks?” she asked, short and clipped. She wasn’t going to let him wave any wand near here with no information. “Because this batch is completely destroyed now. I would need it stable enough to start from scratch. Anything less is going to be pretty pointless.”

[antonin-whoisleft]

i’m gone | antonin & tazie | august 1981

[tazie-whoisleft]

antonin-whoisleft‌:

“I am hungry,” he agreed, as if needing the prodding from his little sister to make a final call on something so baseline. With a snap of his fingers Lolly - their house elf, surely nearing her final years and desperate to serve her young master and mistress as many times as she could before the end - had appeared, then disappeared quickly once a vague order was given. No longer could Antonin fire off a desire and a want in split-second’s time: he asked Lolly to “bring us something to eat, please, and the whiskey from upstairs.”

Their father’s whiskey; not that they had to stockpile it. But it felt right to indulge in the special stuff when it was just him and Tazie. The ghost of his father would not come to call tonight, not if his sister was home; they could drink to him instead.

“And what do they say about the Wizengamot seat?” Antonin asked her, settling down slowly in the chair at the head of the table. Casual, yet formal given the setting; but they’d spent too many days playing around the grand table for it to seem too grandiose for their quiet chitchat. Antonin studied Tazie’s face curiously, forcing himself to stay present even as his mind started to wander. Toward the blood on his hands, toward what the Dark Lord was asking him to do in the coming week. That he was happy to do.

There would have been a time that he’d feel a twinge of jealousy that Tazie was already eyeing her potential seat in the wizarding world’s powerful court. But a seat was no place for Antonin, not at this time; too obvious and out in the open for the careful work he was doing elsewhere. So instead he felt only pride in his little sister, and perhaps that was something of a blessing.

Anastazie had asked him a question - he’d gotten lost, it seemed, despite the effort. No worries. He blinked at her, smiled slowly, and shrugged.

“Reading, mostly.” Not really a lie, even. Plenty of letters to pore over, including a few intercepted pieces from their enemies themselves. Though it was getting harder to tell what was planted to be found and what was properly intercepted. “Enjoying the peace and quiet. I know Emma told me where she was taking the kids tonight, but of course work has me so damned frazzled I’ve forgotten. I was in the middle of writing a letter when she told me, I expect I’ll have to bribe Gus into telling me before she finds out I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

Antonin only assumed Emma had told him what her plans for the evening were, but that was certainly not a guarantee these days.

“It is a rarity, though,” he sighed, easing against the stiff back of the chair. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“Well, I thought I would give it a little bit more time. That had been the plan, as you know.” If he remembered. Anastazie liked to think that he couldn’t possibly forget, not after the many nights she had spent detailing to him her timeline and goals, glowing with the excitement of her own possibility. But, she wasn’t sure where his mind was anymore. Maybe she had been pushed out for whatever was haunting his thoughts now.

“Now, though, they think I could take one of the seats in ‘84. Which means we need to start preparing now, make sure everything is in place before we launch a campaign.” She hated to admit the part that played in her coming here tonight. If she was going to really do this -- and there was no other way -- it meant opening up every aspect of her life to scrutiny. There had to be nothing for her enemies to find.

It wasn’t the entire reason, though. She had truly missed her brother, on top of her concern for him as of late. Especially since their father’s death, she wanted to make sure she was keeping close the family she still had.

“I don’t think I’ve seen this house so still. Certainly not since the kids came along. It’s starting to sound like mine,” she said with a small smile. They had gone along some different paths, the two siblings. Anastazie had thought she would have gotten around to the marriage-and-kids thing by now, as many of her peers had. But when it came to priorities, that one just kept getting pushed off the agenda to the point where it didn’t really make it on in the first place anymore.

“But you have seemed pretty frazzled lately,” she said as gently as her voice allowed. The delicate approach wasn’t her favorite one to take, but this seemed like an issue that needed the right amount of tact. If he was giving her an opening of some sort, she would take it. “Have they been working you that hard? Do you need me to put on my stern voice and give them a talking-to?” She purposefully did not specify who they were.

“I know, I have been an awful sister. I don’t deserve it, but please show me some forgiveness by pouring me a glass of that whiskey.”

[tazie-whoisleft]

antonin-whoisleft‌:

don’t want to be left behind // tazie & ant // august 31, 1970

Tazie’s declaration that she couldn’t sleep either was, somehow, no surprise to Antonin. The two of them had always been close; the gaps between their ages were small, and they’d almost always gotten along despite the normal tussles siblings were bound to have. He was fiercely protective of her, a stance that had always been there but had - not that he would admit it - solidified fully once he finally showed his magic. If it had gone on for too much longer, Antonin’s jealousy and rage that Tazie had shown her magic first would have consumed him, hardened him against his sister.

She had no control over it, he had always known that. Logical thought had won out, but it didn’t always with Antonin Dolohov. Not when his brain was so wonderfully adept at making its own logic when it suited him.

“Aw. Are you sad I’m leaving?” He sing-songed, only gently teasing her, because that was what older brothers did. He saw the way she couldn’t match his smile and waved it off; probably sleepiness, despite her insistence on staying awake. He busied himself with finding a few more treasured trinkets to place in his trunk, otherwise almost entirely packed. 

“Two years isn’t so bad,” Antonin said, matter-of-factly with the cadence of someone who only believed that because he would be at Hogwarts the next day. “I think it’s going to be super. I’ll get to see Rodolphus all the time instead of just when our parents say so, mum said some of her favorite memories ever are from Hogwarts.” He paused in the middle of skeptically looking over a shirt he’d suddenly decided might not be a Top Choice for his wardrobe, looking up at Tazie with a far gentler smile on his face now. “’course I’ll write to you. Why wouldn’t I?”

Her face pulled into an over-dramatic frown like her secret was so well-guarded that she couldn’t believe how he saw through her. She let her braid drop out of her hands, even if it wasn’t properly tied off yet. It started to come undone at the edges but she made no move to fix it as she watched him hurry around the room.

There was no use denying it. “Well, it’s just going to be so much more boring without you here,” she settled for because it was at least true. What was more true was that she was unaccustomed to change. Her life had been steady for all nine years of it and Antonin leaving would alter a big portion of that. Not enough to offer her a new adventure, no that wouldn’t come for her yet. Just enough to leave a hole behind.

“I guess not,” she mumbled as she kicked her legs against the side of his bed. But it was difficult for her to remain so sullen in the face of his excitement. She also thought of all the stories she had heard about the friends made and the things learned and the duels won at Hogwarts, stories that had her counting down her own days until she boarded the Howarts express. By the time her brother looked at her again, Tazie was able to more genuinely match his smile.

“‘Cuz you’ll get so busy causing trouble with Roduophus that you won’t have time to, probably. But you have to because what’s the point of having a big brother if he can’t tell you all the secrets ahead of time,” she said with a shrug. Then, she was hopping off the bed with a renewed energy. “Just in case you forget, you should probably leave me something to remember you by. Something like... this,” she said, pulling books off of a shelf.

[letzternachtzug]

Angela Sarafyan, photographed by Michael Tighe.

[tazie-whoisleft]

a friend of a friend of a friend // anastazie & lucinda // september ‘85

[tazie-whoisleft]

lucinda-whoisleft‌:

“Everyone is looking for consistency and balance,” Lucinda agreed, doing what she did best: reciting someone else’s words. It rarely offended, at least in her direct circles, and it kept her exactly where she wanted to be. By some definitions. She wanted to walk that middle road of endorsing things that directly benefited her with little regard to where they fell on the political scale, and for the rest, she was still happy being told what to do.

Tazie didn’t need to know any of that. She did have strong ideas. She was one to work hard. Lucinda respected it, and while she was happy to let someone like Tazie run the government for those exact reasons, the last thing she wanted was to get roped too far into her personal politics. She didn’t know why anyone needed to know what they were.

“Time passes so quickly once you get into a routine,” Lucinda said with a wistful sigh. Oh, how those violent years had dragged on, but now, she did have Emma and the kids and a life that she never envisioned but was impossibly happy in. She had no idea why she couldn’t linger in those moments longer.

“They’re the best kids. Growing up remarkably well adjusted, all things considered.” There was the characteristic foot in her mouth, the reason she would have preferred to say nothing to Tazie at all. “I just mean—Gus, he’s so sweet. Emmett means the world to me—they all do, Hana included. I don’t think she likes me much. But she’s five! Most kids don’t, so that really makes the other two abnormal—oh, yes, please!” She interrupted herself to take a glass from a waiter who had not made eye contact so much as she grabbed him as he passed by. She took a deep drink, giving herself a reset and looking on the bright side: she hadn’t gone as far as inviting Tazie over.

“They’re great, and no one better than Emma. They’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Your—nope. Nothing else. That’s it. I’m done.” She didn’t care how it looked that she put a hand over her mouth. The drink wasn’t cutting it, and immature habit be damned; she would start doing cartwheels if that kept the thought about her brother’s arrest being the best thing that ever happened to her inside.

It didn’t slip past Anastazie that her words were just being reworked and thrown back at her, but she had more tact than to point it out. After all, that was pretty much the name of the game at networking events like this. Agree with a smile, throw out exaggerated compliments, make empty promises. She couldn’t fault others for it when she had done it all herself at some time or another. She wouldn’t be where she was if she hadn’t.

“All things considered,” she repeated back, a wry smile on her face. Well, that hadn’t taken too long. Tazie hadn’t come out and made expansive public statements on the matter, but there were things that spoke louder than words. The stoic expression she held as she impassively watched his trial, the name change that took effect right after the news broke, the distancing from his former wife. (No, not former. Still technically married.)

Tactical decisions were easy. Ones that could be decided based on reasoning and judged based on outcomes. Who could argue with something that just made sens?. Emotions were harder. She didn’t have the time to process all of them, so she just chose not to.

“Five already. Wow.” She waved a hand to the server to indicate she didn’t need a drink for herself. Though she considered having one in hand just to offer it to Lucinda in all of two minutes when she finished her current glass. “It has been even more time then I thought. Perhaps I should plan a visit. Any time soon that works for you all?”

She didn’t actually want to make a plan, but boy would it be worth it to see Lucinda get more flustered.

“Well, it all sounds rather perfect, doesn’t it? Sounds like they’re lucky to have you. And you, them. Even with the unusual circumstances leading up to it. Not that everyone got the same deal coming out of it. Oh, but where is Emma off to? I thought she would be by your side here.”

[benjy-whoisleft]

au: political rivals | the world’s gonna know your name | anastazie & benjy

AU: Benjy Fenwick and Anastazie Dolohov are two of the political minds of the generation, and no one knows who they are. Working far more hours than they’re paid for moderate, freshman Representative Alec Connelly was a prefect early career move. They both know they’re going places, but neither of them knows exactly where or just how long this will keep them tangled together.

“It could be worse,” Benjy said from his spot at the window. He stared down at the interns sprinting across the concrete in their full business attire instead of at the stack of newspapers and files sitting on his desk. “We could be running.”

Normally, he didn’t mind pulling the relevant articles and putting together briefings. He had a good idea of what he was looking for before he came in every morning, but today, it was hot enough to make even him restless. Even a breeze would’ve helped, but all the open window was giving was a momentary reprieve from his work.

He watched the last couple make it to the line of cameras, knowing he would have been one of them before returning to his desk in the too small, too hot room. He settled in with a sigh, skipping from the papers to the files underneath, looking for something captivating to launch him back in. A bit of momentum could carry him for an hour, and if he was lucky, his periodic commentary would draw Anastazie into something.

Even a few months in, he wasn’t sure what to think of his coworker. She was whip smart, there was no denying that when she gave him a run for his money, and it made her fun to talk to both in the office and when all the staffers who weren’t important enough for their boss to name went out after work. To call them friends or even friendly, well… that might be a stretch.

She was still the first one he turned to when he stumbled across something unusual in his pile.

“Hey,” Benjy said, fingers stopping on the dark blue folder. It was made heavier by the humidity, logically, not the weight of the information it contained. “What committees is Connelly on?” He looked up at her after the question, not daring to open the cover. 

He could recite the committees in his sleep, but he needed to make sure there wasn’t a new one. He needed to rope someone else in if he was really holding an unredacted intelligence documents. He didn’t doubt they would be helpful to the Representative on Foreign Affairs. What he wasn’t sure of was if he was supposed to happen, especially considering Benjy knew he wasn’t supposed to have them.

@tazie-whoisleft​

[tazie-whoisleft]

Anastazie just hummed in response to his talking. Somewhere in the back of her mind she acknowledged what he was saying and also was thankful to be working in the shade at the moment. The summer humidity did terrible things to her hair on a good day, and a good day involved minimal moving around in the sun.

Not that she relayed any of this out loud, choosing instead to continue pacing around the room and calmly page through the files in her hands. It didn’t matter much since, if she knew Benjy at all, she knew another attempt at conversation would be coming along at any minute. He always seemed to do this when they were working in close proximity. Tazie didn’t usually mind. He was a smart coworker and a good ally to have in her back pocket. But some of his attempts landed better than others.

She finally stopped pacing because his question was so weird. It was the kind of thing he certainly would know. Her head snapped up to check the look on his face, trying to determine if this was a joke of some sort. Even if it was, though, it wouldn’t have stopped her from snapping off an answer. She could never leave a question like that hanging. 


“VA and Armed Services. Though, he’s been trying to work his way onto Intelligence,” she said evenly and obviously. “Why?” 


Her eyes quickly flickered down to the folder sitting in Benjy’s hands then back to his face. With a snap, she closed her own folder and threw it onto the desk next to her with uncharacteristically little care for the papers it ruffled on its way down. “What is that? What do you have?” 


She was already on her way over to him, so if he chose to not answer she would find out for herself soon enough.

[tazie-whoisleft]

au: political rivals // the world is wide enough // tazie & benjy

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect you to show.” The sentiment had trouble ringing true when there was an elaborate charcuterie and cheese spread set up in the sitting room. Tazie just wanted to stay on the safe side in case the invitation had been accepted. She wasn’t so self absorbed as to ignore the punches she had pulled in the past. Things that couldn’t be waved away that simply. But a nice imported cheddar could be a good start.

Anastazie lingered in the doorway, watching Benjy and noting how strange he looked in her home. Had he ever been here? No. She had gotten this town home after the fallout that had hapened between them. A move that had cost her the remains of any friendship they may have once had, but had won her a seat in the Senate that she had been holding onto with an iron grip ever since.

A seat that was now, for the first time, in danger.

She wasn’t sure where to turn to, but she knew it couldn’t be any of her peers. God knows how they would use the information against her the next time they went toe to toe. And she wouldn’t be able to fault them. It was a page from her very own playbook.

But there were some people who, miraculously, had managed to stay out of that game. Benjy was one of those people. So, when Tazie had no where else to turn for help, she had reached out to him right away. It had only been a question of if he would answer.

“I trust you still know me well enough to know how rare it is for me to do something like this,” she said, finally stepping over the threshold and into the room. “I hope, because of that knowledge, you will grant me an opportunity to explain myself.”

@benjy-whoisleft​