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Verso: You’re okay.
Clea: Alicia?
Alicia: …
Clea: Good, you’re awake. Come downstairs.
Clea: Come along now, I’m in Renoir’s atelier. Alicia, quit dawdling. End of the corridor, you know where it is. Finally. Our little shadow is awake. Our parents are quite the stubborn pair. They’re still fighting each other inside the Canvas. He has her imprisoned at the top of her Monolith and she has him trapped beneath. It’s a stalemate.
Alicia: (I’m worried. They’ve been inside the Canvas for so long.)
Clea: They’ve spent longer than this in other Canvases. It’s not that dire.
Alicia: …
Clea: Yes, I know. Maman’s been in there for quite a while already. And Renoir is wasting time in there, trying to help someone who doesn’t want his help. We have more urgent matters to attend to.
Alicia: (Did you see… Verso?)
Clea: You’re as bad as Aline. He’s not Verso. He’s a painted copy, built from our mother’s memories. You’d do well to remember that.
Alicia: (I know that, I’m not a child.)
Clea: Don’t roll your eyes at me, sister dear. I know you’re not a child, but you’re not grown either. And too many in our family have lost all caution and sense of late.
Alicia: (Can you help Maman?)
Clea: Help her do what? Run away and hide? She’s already succeeded there. Honestly, if Aline wants to numb herself in the Canvas, then let her.
Alicia: …
Clea: Grief is no excuse. We’re all grieving. She’s a grown woman and she was the head of the Painter’s Council. She failed her responsibilities. I don’t have time to coddle her. And before Verso died, she would have said the same.
Alicia: (Can you help Papa?)
Clea: I already have. Aline is more skilled than Renoir, but I’ve tipped the scales in his favour. I have my pets in place. “She who controls chromas, controls the Canvas.” I can’t take her chroma, but I can keep it from returning to her.
Alicia: …
Clea: Yes, it’s enough. It’s just a matter of time. As she weakens, Renoir is able to erase her oldest creations. With the exception of her obscene fake family. She’s made them immortal, but luckily, they’re also quite useless. I need you to take care of yourself while I’m gone.
Alicia: (You’re leaving?)
Clea: Don’t be naive. The world doesn’t stop simply because our family is in mourning. The conflict is spreading and there are things I must do if we Painters are to survive.
Alicia: (I… I want to help.)
Clea: You will do nothing. You’re too weak to do anything useful, you’d be a liability. The Writers used you against us once before, they won’t hesitate to use you again. And I can’t promise that I’ll make the same choice Verso made. Verso traded his life for yours. I both love and hate him for that. The damn fool. Although… If you really want to be useful, then enter the Canvas and help Renoir. I need him back here sooner rather than later. I’ll fight this war alone if I have to, but I’d really rather not. Can you handle that?
Alicia: …
Clea: Lest you forget, the only reason those two are in there is because your naivety cost Verso his life.
Alicia: …
Clea: Good. Go to the Canvas when you’re ready. And repaint your throat when you’re in there, before you completely forget how to have a conversation.
Alicia: (Verso’s childhood canvas. Where we used to play… Where he painted Esquie and Monoco. And where Maman and Papa now fight… Clea’s right. It’s my fault. I should help fix this. And I do want to fix this. I do. If I can… Verso would have. And… it would be nice.. to talk and breathe again, without pain. Without my face being… Not that that’s the reason to do this, no, it’s…It’s the right thing to do. After everything I’ve caused…)
Alicia: If we bring Maman out of the Canvas, she’ll try to return. We must hide the Canvas…
Clea: Well-reasoned. And such a… clever hiding spot you’ve chosen. She’ll still find it, but… I’m impressed. This only truly ends if you destroy the Canvas. And that means stopping the final sliver of Verso’s soul from painting. See, that wasn’t so hard. Wait- that’s Aline’s chroma. Stay calm, don’t let it take control of you. Calm, Alicia, or it’ll paint over you- What an auspicious start. Well. You’re about to be reborn in this world as one of Aline’s creations. Have fun. At least this will keep you out of trouble until I get back.
Man from Lumière: Oh, she’s a girl… She’s a girl! She’s beautiful. What… What a lovely voice. My love, did you decide on a name?
Woman from Lumière: Yes. Oh, my darling girl. We have precious little time together. You’ll never know us… but I want you to know that you are loved. I want you to know… you’re not alone. You will always be the beautiful child I held in my arms. You will smile the brightest smile. You will cry iridescent tears. You will know love and you will know pain. You will know loss all too well. Because we live in an unforgiving world. But you are strong and you will survive. You will struggle… And you will learn. You’ll find people to call your own. And you’ll shine as their guiding light. For you will change the world and the people around you. You’ll forever be our princess. I have decided on her name. And her name will be… Maelle.