Past Honor

No one would see them. No one but the Outsider and the Past.

The Smell of the Ocean filled Effie's Nostrils.

Effie and Delilah lay deep in the bowels of a whaleship. Whalers were the only ones still alive in this world of iron and whale oil. Killers who were venerated. Jessop had no issue finding a new voyage. The city would fall away quickly. As soon as the ship were loaded and ready.

Sinking below the horizon. 

Sinking away from Effie and Delilah. 

Like a nightmare after one wakes up. 

That, however, would take three days.

Delilah was curled up. She was sleeping. She looked gorgeous.

Effie glanced down at her sketchbook and shook her head. Somehow the sketch wasn't capturing Delilah's visage. She took a moment to breath.

And that was when she felt it.

A soft drumming on her hip.

She bit her lip.

The drumming paid no heed.

She looked out at the city.

The city still hiding the woman she had come to take her revenge on.

The city dangling her only hope. To actually do something for once. To make the decision to do something. Accomplish something. Instead of letting it be plucked away. As everything was.

As Regina had been. 

As her reason to be had been. 

As Douglas had been. 

As... her life had been. 

She shook her head and tried to lay her hand on Delilah's shoulder.

But she watched Delilah shift uncomfortably under the drumming fingers.

So, back to her hip came those fingers.

Drumming.

Drumming.

Drumming.

Dunwall was calling her.

Revenge was calling her.

Something was calling her.

Effie wanted to cry.

She wanted to stay.

She wanted to go.

"I'm just sitting here...doing nothing... again." She accused herself.

The Outsider was somewhere far off watching. He knew what her decision would be. He'd seen people try to run, try to leave Dunwall behind before. The decision was not what he was waiting for – he was waiting to see when the inevitable happened.

Effie felt the drumming.

It was louder to her.

She stood up.

Gently she kissed Delilah's forehead.

She left tears behind as she did.