pc catchall for lup.

[agleam]

Comments

[agleam]

[his voice is a little more intent than he means for it to be, almost growing desperate like it did in the end of that memory.]

How? The bonds - was it just the shield spell, or did you do something else to beat it?

[evocationary]

[she takes his hand and holds it to calm him down a little.]

I think it was a combination of things. I wasn't up there when everything went down, but my brother and the crew had to hold off the figurehead until Davenport could get close enough.

Lucretia used her shield spell to bubble it, basically. It's a big, um, it's a plane-eating monster, so they got right up in its face and then trapped it in a magical box.

[agleam]

Sorry - sorry.

[he takes a breath, trying to aid in that effort to calm himself down.]

Okay, I can - I can try to figure out a way to do something like that. I can try that, if it worked for you.

[evocationary]

For sure. For sure, I don't blame you - it's scary.

[...] I'll help you best I can, okay? I know the spell, so... I can give you the basics, and if we can go wherever, at the end? I'll help you fight whatever that is. Hunger or not.

[agleam]

No, that's...

[he shakes his head, taking a breath as he runs a hand over his face.]

You can't come. What if it's not the same, what if it takes you too?

[evocationary]

It won't. You have no idea how powerful I actually am when I'm not nerfed as hell, boo, don't worry about it.

[agleam]

[it isn't that he doesn't trust her, but - even so, he hesitates.]

I don't want to risk that.

[evocationary]

[she gives him a look, and it's like she's going to scold him, but she gets interrupted!

i'm sorry it's so long but you get the entire thing from 1:36 to the end! don't ask me how this memory works, it's a montage.]

[agleam]

[it's - overwhelming, even if it isn't his. the recollection of years upon years of solitude, of desperation, of trying to be heard or seen—

it takes him a few long moments to recover, breathing out slowly, and there's nothing but a mix of horror and sympathy in his expression as he looks towards her. it comes forth into his voice, too.]

Lup...

[evocationary]

[this one always fucks her up a little, and she bites her lip, taking a deep breath and holding it. when she exhales, she smiles at him.]

I'm very hard to kill.

[agleam]

[he's still focused on her despite that smile, despite the casual way she's trying to speak. the concern doesn't leave as he continues.]

I can see that, but - I'm so sorry.

[that she had to go through something like that.]

[evocationary]

[she has to look away, because genuine apologies make something hot press against the back of her eyes.]

I'm out now, if it helps. [she says, softer.] But - thanks. It wasn't, uh, what I'd call a fun experience.

[agleam]

I mean, I'm really glad you made it out, but... It never should have happened in the first place.

[he might not know what to say to remedy those lonely, helpless feelings she went through - but he can at least let her know he cares.]

[evocationary]

Ah, yeah. [she sighs.] It shouldn't have. I made a dumb move! I should've told them where I was going, but... well, you know. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and all that.

[a pause, and she looks back at him, brushing his hair out of his face to kiss his forehead.]

I'm okay. And you're a sweetheart.

[agleam]

No, that's - that's not what I meant. This wasn't your fault. Sometimes... Things happen, and they're horrible and they shouldn't, but - that doesn't mean it's on you.

[that's sincere and concerned at the same time, though he does give her a small, grateful smile at the forehead kiss.]

[evocationary]

[BIG SIGH, but she smiles, at least.]

I know. People are really uh, kicking my butt with that one, so if I didn't believe it, I'd be kind of a brat.

[agleam]

[he snorts.]

Yes, well, consider your butt even more kicked now.

[evocationary]

Considered! [she says, and this time she pinches his nose.] Come on, let's at least look at one of the rooms before we get glitterbombed again.

[agleam]

[he wrinkles his nose again with a smile, before he nods, reaching to take her arm. joking, in that same accent he used for her dare at the party:]

Where to, milady?

[evocationary]

[pffffft, she laughs at the accent, hooking her arm through his.]

Man, I don't know. Someone was going on about uh, a weed room? So admittedly, I am curious, but also, like, the spa seems fun.

[agleam]

[looks into the middle distance]

Weed...

[his enemy

anyways!]

Maybe we could start with the spa?

[evocationary]

[I'M CRYING]

Oh, that's right. Aikawa mentioned the weed debacle. Spa works for me, come on.

[agleam]

Spa it is!

[off they goooo]

[evocationary]

[off they gooooo

but like, as she's leading him through the spa - she makes some joke, ruffling his hair, and the stardust explodes over them again. i'm sorry you have to read this whole thing it's important]

[agleam]

[ah... hm. there are a few things to focus on here, a few things he notices - but the most pressing one is this.]

Wait... When he talked about being angry and mentioned people not seeing how they're important and volunteering to die, why it did seem like he was talking about you? Weren't you kind of one of the people in charge? And - Clementine wasn't from the space station...