Self Sentenced To Stone

## Content Information

Arsling sat in the middle of the clearing she had used to train with her sword just a few weeks ago, she stared at the sky it’s blue washing over her vision, she wanted to be a peace but thought she didn’t deserve it, she didn’t deserve the air going into her lungs, she didn’t deserve to have this second chance, this ‘fresh start’ after all none of the people she hurt did

Although she believed she had the solution to all of this, someone who would deliver her sentence, she had texted Iva in her twitly DMs in order to meet up, Iva knew nothing of Arsling’s intentions.

It was probably thirty or so minutes after DMs before a crunch of leaves gave away the presence of the young mid-brown skinned woman approaching among the trees. It was a mystery to Iva why she was called here. The first thought was there was something scary enough that can’t be discussed on campus, after Iva’s initial failed attempt to suggest meeting at a coffee shop or sweet shops.

She was in her outdoor vest and pants, since Night Falls was graced with a last bit of Easter chill. It was almost poetic that she was here, in the same place where she had confronted this person before over the monster hunting concern.

“Arsling?” Iva greeted with uncertainty. Her snakes smelled wolf back at the theater, so she was aware of the woman’s change. A dark humoring voice whispered that she might be getting retribution for threatening to maul the woman in snakes or making her into a forest decor.  Regardless of this, Iva looked at the woman, in order to read their intentions in case she needs to be ready.

Arsling sighed deep letting out a miserable, “hay Iva.” They rubbed their face, guilt plain and visible. “So, how's things going with SGA?” Arsling said unexpectedly as Arsling herself despite in her mind earning the punishment she had in mind for herself not knowing how to express it or just say it, after all this wasn’t a discussion over coffee

Arsling herself looked a wreck, not obviously though, just stuff a keen eye would pick up, her tie hanging low and her shirt undone, her ponytail even looser than normal, small hints that showed Arsling wasn’t taking care of herself

“Yeah, never mind SGA. You look like shit. Kinda like my friend after dealing with a messy breakup,” For a brief moment, she thought back to Sebastian in the dorm hallway after his breakup with Tobias or during having a bad trip. The passing memory was vague, but she remembered never asking for her comb back.

“What was so important to call me in in the middle of nowhere?” Iva asked, reading the tell-tale signs of Arsling’s stress with deep concern.

Arsling swallowed “You were right...about my past...about the last 5 years” Arsling turned away silently as she was consumed with guilt and self loathing “i was a selfish bitch who killed people to protect something that didn’t matter...i didn’t change beyond cosmetics” Arsling says her yellow eyes tracing over a gash in the dirt where she had planted Mighty Brid those weeks back

“I was a monster, no...i am a monster,” She sniffled weakly, hugging herself gently.

Iva gave a deep sigh at the words around Arsling’s revelation. She wasn’t on the mind to celebrate this admission. Doing so would invalidate the point of Iva’s words to Arsling back then.

The leaves crunched weakly as Iva began her approach closer, “Well, we’re both monsters now. No point dwel--”

“No, no no no” Arsling cut off Iva “Jack The Ripper killed five people and he’s one of histories greatest evils, and he got away with his crimes, i refuse to be allowed to get away with mine” Arsling weakly drags herself to her feet staring Iva in the eyes their golden glow barely containing the inner turmoil of Arsling “That's why i called you here Iva, Didi and the pack they’ve forgiven me, i had every intention of killing the pack in cold blood I don't deserve to be forgiven for that.” Arsling lowered her head, “You couldn’t have defended the people I  hurt in my past, but you can at least grant them justice.”

“Justice? What the hell are you talking about?” Iva said curtly, stopping her approach. However, there was a tension of dread and fear she felt and sense from the mood carried by the conversation.

“You should know, you promised that if i hurt anyone close to you or me, you’d kill me” Arsling says breathing heavily tears welling up in her face “i-i must’ve put so many people through hell, i-i-i hurt Xander, i slapped him thinking it would help him because i’m an idiot” Arsling’s hands and legs began to shake.

“Wait, are you asking me to--” Iva stopped herself abruptly. The mention of Xander came up, but Iva had her thoughts on that on mute. Everything was focused on that careless promise she made out of anger and protectiveness. The thought that it was used on something like this...she could not finish her statement.

“Y-yes” Arsling tried to step forward before her legs fell out from under her. Arsling doing her best to keep eye contact “p-please, l-let's just get this over with”  Arsling takes a deep breath accepting what she thinks she deserves.

There was a silence. An unnerving silence between them both. She would have forgiven her over Xander once she knew what really happened, but the fact that the event she was unaware of took the terms of the promise. “...I want to say no, but a promise is a promise. I wish I was more careful with my words back then.” The woman spoke with such disbelief and guilt that it ate her from the inside. Something long and regrettable. Something Arsling doesn’t know about, but something that would be done differently.

“Don’t close your eyes.” Iva spoke darkly as her gorgon features emerged from her face. A deep breath heaved in her chest as she unleashed her full power to anyone looking at her. It was gradual at first, but the body and mind started to freeze into one single form.

Arsling stared into Iva’s eyes feeling everything start to slow, the shaking stopped as jittery digits turning to cold solid stone, as the process drawn to a close there was a last bit of panic inside an internal flail to try to close her eyes from the blinding petrificating glare of Iva and escape, her being consumed with fear until everything just, stopped

Iva sighed, starting at a statue of Arsling and giving the woman the time like this that they need. Her face turned away, using her phone as a new source of attention as the time ticked away.

Her mind was tired from the moment she had forcefully reduced the power of her curse and made it temporary. She found a rotten log and sat down...*five more minutes*, Iva muttered while keeping a vigilant watch.

Soon enough the five minutes passed, stone returned to flesh, the first thing Arsling did was take in a gasp of breath as she felt sensation again, she had not noticed that time had passed just that Iva was somehow out of her view and she was alive when she thought she was being executed “wha-what?” Arsling managed to breath out shocked that she was still alive and emotionally petrified from the near death she encountered

“Are you finished now?” Iva said coldly. She was keeping her anger to a low kindle.

“W-why am i alive? Y-you, you know what i d-deserve” she says before throwing up onto the floor sick from her own nerves and what she just put herself though

“Yes, and according to the promise, I did kill you. Your blood was cold, you couldn’t breathe or think. You were basically in a dark eternal abyss with only all the memories you left behind. That’s a qualification of death if I have seen it.” Iva answered curtly, nearing her loss of patience. She didn’t have the gentleness to reveal that she just skirted the qualification of the death to throw the promise out of the discussion they were about to have. “Again, I ask. Are... you... finished?” The gorgon got up from her rather dirty sitting space, making a slow approach.

“I-i don’t...why?” Arsling asked distress in her eyes and confusion in her voice as she looked back up at Iva who was towering over her, the cold in their voice sending a chill down Arsling’s spine

Those words were answered with a sharp painful stinging feeling across Arsling’s cheek. The  loud slap echoed in the forest.  The time the forest was quiet again, Iva was standing over her, “How dare you…” were the first words that Iva muttered, softly with all the building frustration…

“How *fuckin dare* you! How dare you ask me to take a fucking shit on my own kindess! My heart! Not just mine, but Didi, the pack and many others that I don’t even know enough to count! Again, how dare you...for this horrid idea of self-justice?”

Iva let those words linger. Her rage was evident in her body. Her eyes glowed sharply. Her snakes hissed menacingly. It was sharp as a knife that she quickly cut Arsling off trying to get a word in, “Don’t give me that preaching about self-righteous bullshit either! Their forgiveness, my forgiveness, your mother’s forgiveness is not something you should be throwing aside so easily like it meant nothing to you, especially on something like that you asshole!”

The gorgon woman crumbled to the ground with her hands supporting her descent, feeling defeated but irritated. She looked at the ground, taking into a moment to calm down and fought the urge to slap her again, even punch her.  She knew the werewolf could take it but,  “Forgiveness ...is nothing that should be taken for granted or thrown away it meant nothing...if you want to make amends, then do it while alive. Don’t sully me or anyone else with the idea of a complete cowardice ever again.”

There was a pain evident in Iva’s words. Something dark, long occurred, but painful enough that a drop fell from Iva’s face. The words felt like she was living that mantra.

Arsling fell lower the longer Iva spoke, she was right, *again*

Like the night were she slapped Xander her emotional volatility made her act rash and do something stupid, something that would only hurt people “i-i-” Arsling was lost for words kneeling in the woods  beside the gorgon eventually bawling into tears and hugging Iva tears flowing down her face as she practically screamed “im sorry” ugly crying into Iva’s shoulder

Eventually she let go not recomposing herself but managed to ask Iva “wh-what do i do?” She sniffled before rubbing her sore face “h-how do i make amends?”

The fire in Iva’s anger had dimmed as Arsling cried into her shoulder. Iva remained quiet as she hugged the new werewolf close and tightly, warmly.  She didn’t answer the question yet, just pushed Arsling’s head closer to her chest.  The snakes had moved tentatively along Arsling. One particular one fussed with her ginger hair, trying to groom it and keep it out of the woman’s eyes.

“I will…” Iva speaks after a moment, “..not be able to answer for you. However, you were given a chance to learn. A chance to love. A chance to live freely for their sake. A chance to laugh and smile. A chance to explore that answer and a chance to act . . .We, including myself, would probably be happier the fact that you’re free to do those things now. If you ask me, I think you would make amends if you move forward, regardless.”

“B-but i need to do something” Arsling says weakly as she leans into the hug “i-i can’t just move on, i’m too fucking pathetic” Arsling shakes in Iva’s arms “i-i’ve been fighting for so long i-i don’t think i know how to stop” she says silently again asking how? She sounds lost and directionless she had been fighting for so long, then all of a sudden with being turned and realising that she wouldn’t disappear she had nothing to fight anymore, just to be happy

“Shhhhh..” Iva made a shushing noise, hugging tighter, “You’re so hasty for a clear answer when there is no time limit. Sometimes, the best solution is to stop and slow down for a moment. . .” Iva gave a sigh, “If you want to fight, then keep in mind to look for a good cause that you would be proud of yourself to fight for...don’t be in such a rush for it. ” Iva said softly, not quite trusting if she is saying enough to get through.

“...Selene said that there was something going down, they didn’t want me involved because i had just turned...i could help” Arsling says desperately wanting something to fight against “i-i don’t what the issue is but i-im sure i could be useful for once” Arsling says still shaking, rejecting the advice to slow down.

“Just be quiet for now, we’ll talk about that later.” Iva said with further insistence. Nothing felt right about taking advantage of someone’s emotional state here, so she won’t. She refused. “Sometimes, the hardest fight you have right now is knowing when not to since this is not the time to pick targets . . .”

Arsling rests her head down onto Iva’s shoulder “o-okay” she says reluctantly, not trusting herself to act, falling silent against Iva

With mode of calmness put back into Iva, she opened her mouth with a gentle suggestion, “How about we go somewhere less depressing?” Iva bent her knees upward as she was getting ready to urge the woman upright and walked with her.

Arsling stood, legs shaking “w-where should we go?” Arsling says holding onto Iva as if she’d collapse if she didn’t which is entirely possible considering the state she's looking down at her suit “i-i should get changed”

“That would be a start,” Iva nods as she carried Arsling up, urging her to her feet. “Come on, my car isn’t far from the path here. This look you have right now is not suitable for a fine lady and fighter like you,”

“Y-yeah...wh-what do you have in mind?” Arsling smiles willing to just let Iva take her somewhere and treat her nicely as well as help her through her current state.

“Well, we could do something about that suit, since you kinda died in it. Actually no, you didn’t since it was more figurative.” Iva shakes her head over what just happened, “Maybe a place to get yourself cleaned up and refreshed, for starters. I doubt you want to head back to the dorm right now, so we’ll have to improvise.”

“Y-yeah that would be nice” she goes to pull her tie out, accidentally knotting it by grabbing the wrong part “oh fuck me”

Iva looked over at Arsling and knotted tie, “Geez, you’re a handful.”  She commented as the car gave a view from the dip in the forest floor.  While letting her into the passenger side, “Hmm, I think there is a place for a quick shower, but first, I guess we need to get you some clean clothes. Maybe something nice?”  She quipped, knowing full well of the quip of Arsling and suits. It was all on twity.   “Don’t worry. I know the gist. Just don’t taunt me to suggest otherwise.”

“Y-yeah, m-maybe i could use a little bit of a change? Maybe a bowtie? Bowties are cool” Arsling says trying to relieve her own tension as she sits down in Iva’s car slumping back against the seat and taking deep breaths

“If it works, otherwise you might get a veto out of me and we’ll try something else.” Iva answers with a cheerful chirp at her side joke as possible future SGA president. Her tone shifted in an effort to try to get the pup to loosen up, “Just pick up whatever you think makes you shine better than before.”

Iva drove off, still noticing Arsling’s tension from the corner of her eye, “If you don’t straight up, perk up to the fact that you have a fresh start, better outlook of yourself and the fact that your good friends have forgiven you, I’ll shove you into the nicest pink suit I can find and send pictures for your pop idol♪”

Arslings eyes lit up defensively “hay she’s not my idol okay i don’t even like twentyfive percent of her music” She says giggling slightly while being mildly serious, like anybody with pretensions of hipsterism she’d do anything to not be caught dead liking Selenes music, which considering Iva walking in on Arsling listening to Selenes music, Xander buying Arsling front row tickets and literally having sex with Selene is probably a lost cause by this point.

“Ah, that means you like at least 24 percent. You’re considered at least fan-adjacent by that number, depending on the artist” Iva gave a devilish grin on this jest, striking the right area to break whatever happened in the forest. Luci and the other snakes handled the wheel, as Iva laughed and continued the jesting assault,  “Maybe she'll compose that one moon-eccentric song that would tip right into that 25 percent mark, and then you’re screwed.”

Arsling giggles “yeah, guess i’ll have to hate on her music even more” Arsling relaxes rubbing her sore eyes as she fluffs up her hair, deciding to take out her hair tie after all if the point of the hair tie was to make her hair more presentable it was only making her look rougher at this point “lets go get a makeover”

“Kinda strange request coming from you, so I’ll take it as some progress. Very well.” Iva smiled as she drove towards the shopping area of Night Falls, and helped a wet nose pup get relaxed. Maybe there was an unspoken mutual vow never to visit that clearing ever again. Who knows?

What we do know is that Iva might have bought a pink suit that might have been not her size while Arsling wasn’t paying attention. Might be useful later.