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...
[A pause. Prickly, right...]
You know his occupation, yes?
[A pause. Prickly, right...]
You know his occupation, yes?
Yeah, he told me right off the bat. When he told me he wasn't someone I should be friends with.
And yet you went right past that, huh.
[Not judging, but just a little surprised.]
You're okay with it?
[Not judging, but just a little surprised.]
You're okay with it?
I didn't go right past it, but I thought before anything, I should try to understand him first. Make a choice from there.
And so far...has he met your expectations?
[As far as her choice, goes.]
[As far as her choice, goes.]
He's surprised me a lot and upset me a lot, but...
... I think we've come out of it stronger.
... I think we've come out of it stronger.
[ ... she's probably still the last person he wants to talk to right now, but with the attacks suspended (one dead, one missing) malkuth thinks this
might be better than something face to face, anyway, even if she'd like to see that grumpy expression of his at her bedside. she breathes in, and exhales. okay. normal. just a little check up. ]
Just checking in! Any cool new scars in the making, Vergilius?
might be better than something face to face, anyway, even if she'd like to see that grumpy expression of his at her bedside. she breathes in, and exhales. okay. normal. just a little check up. ]
Just checking in! Any cool new scars in the making, Vergilius?
[...He doesn't answer for a few hours, a little surprised (but paradoxically not surprised at all) by her reaching out.]
[It's just a check-in, huh.]
if there are some i haven't noticed
is something the matter?
[It's just a check-in, huh.]
if there are some i haven't noticed
is something the matter?
[ those few hours are spent... very much putting her mind from anything related to the cautious step towards him, at a careful distance but more than a lingering glance that darts away, and malkuth would be lying if her heart didn't jump into her throat when he finally replies. ]
Nope! I've just... been checking in on the people I know who went to Busan, that's all.
Sorry about your lost mark, by the way. If it helps any, I'm pretty sure ours would've escaped too if it hadn't fallen into the city the way it did.
[ ... they aren't even in the same room and she feels like she's suffocating, a little. should she have let him decide when it's enough time? she should have. but she had wanted to make sure he was alright, too. ]
Nope! I've just... been checking in on the people I know who went to Busan, that's all.
Sorry about your lost mark, by the way. If it helps any, I'm pretty sure ours would've escaped too if it hadn't fallen into the city the way it did.
[ ... they aren't even in the same room and she feels like she's suffocating, a little. should she have let him decide when it's enough time? she should have. but she had wanted to make sure he was alright, too. ]
[It sounds...nice, in a way he thinks he'll never know.]
Stronger? Hrm. In what way?
Stronger? Hrm. In what way?
at least you got yours down, regardless of the damage. its annoying is what it is for us here
[.....]
[He misses her, he does, and its hard. It so hard to do this over text, and not see her, and not reach over for her hand, and-]
[He has to bite back on it. He can't have such things.]
are you alright?
[.....]
[He misses her, he does, and its hard. It so hard to do this over text, and not see her, and not reach over for her hand, and-]
[He has to bite back on it. He can't have such things.]
are you alright?
[ ... ]
Not really, but also kind of? I pushed myself too hard and ended up losing control for a bit, hurt some people who did and didn't deserve it, and also I broke my arm unrelated to that. That's the "kind of" part, because I'm pretty excited to experience a broken arm.
[ the only person in all the world who'd see a brightside to it. she squeezes her good hand tight. would it be too much to she say misses him, actually? right now, maybe, it would be. patience. patience, so hard to come by. ]
Not really, but also kind of? I pushed myself too hard and ended up losing control for a bit, hurt some people who did and didn't deserve it, and also I broke my arm unrelated to that. That's the "kind of" part, because I'm pretty excited to experience a broken arm.
[ the only person in all the world who'd see a brightside to it. she squeezes her good hand tight. would it be too much to she say misses him, actually? right now, maybe, it would be. patience. patience, so hard to come by. ]
[Roiling in feeling, trying to avoid feeling, and then reading what comes next and
that goes all straight out the window as he rushes to text back, furious.]
you WHAT
that goes all straight out the window as he rushes to text back, furious.]
you WHAT
Okay, well, first off the broken arm was not
entirely my fault I wasn't paying attention and some rubble caught me! And I just wasn't managing myself right with the losing control thing -- I came down from one of my more dangerous Abnormalities and just sort of, well, tipped over from there. I'm okay now. A friend calmed me down.
entirely my fault I wasn't paying attention and some rubble caught me! And I just wasn't managing myself right with the losing control thing -- I came down from one of my more dangerous Abnormalities and just sort of, well, tipped over from there. I'm okay now. A friend calmed me down.
[He is pinching his nose give him. A good moment. Jesus Carmen Christ.]
[(Part of him wonders if this is partially his fault, irrationally, before he supplies logic and understanding that this would've happened regardless if he was around. Malkuth is Like That.)]
why do you do this to yourself
are you being treated. did you get treated
[(Part of him wonders if this is partially his fault, irrationally, before he supplies logic and understanding that this would've happened regardless if he was around. Malkuth is Like That.)]
why do you do this to yourself
are you being treated. did you get treated
[Another long pause on his end.]
[He wants to.]
[But should he? Is it worth it? He wanted his distance. He imposed it on himself, another shackle to wear. He didn't push himself to go see the children, after everything.]
[He didn't think he deserved that.]
[He types one answer. Deletes it. Types another. And another. He struggles a bit, biting into his lip, before he just settles on:]
i don't know, malkuth
[He wants to.]
[But should he? Is it worth it? He wanted his distance. He imposed it on himself, another shackle to wear. He didn't push himself to go see the children, after everything.]
[He didn't think he deserved that.]
[He types one answer. Deletes it. Types another. And another. He struggles a bit, biting into his lip, before he just settles on:]
i don't know, malkuth
[He doesn't answer for a while.]
[And then, finally, with some mite of reluctance, he replies:]
i'll drop something off later. maybe. but i won't stay long
[And then, finally, with some mite of reluctance, he replies:]
i'll drop something off later. maybe. but i won't stay long
[ she really shouldn't have asked him. she feels like shrinking into her cot and disappearing. how to get someone to hate you in three texts or less. she tries not to reply immediately when she gets it, waiting half an hour before it comes. ]
You can drop it off with March if that's easier. She's been hovering over me a lot lately anyway, since she wants to make sure I rest. I know she won't mind.
You can drop it off with March if that's easier. She's been hovering over me a lot lately anyway, since she wants to make sure I rest. I know she won't mind.
[You can practically hear the sigh from the text. He offers, she pulls back.]
[Then again, he wasn't completely on board, either.]
[He's still weak for her, even now.]
if you say so.
please rest
[Then again, he wasn't completely on board, either.]
[He's still weak for her, even now.]
if you say so.
please rest
[ ... wings, if she doesn't wish he'd come himself anyway length of time be damned. but she knows she'd ask him for a moment longer, and they
can't have that, like picking at a scab. this was, too. her chest aches and she forces herself to exhale. ]
Take care, Vergilius.
[ the rest unspoken. ]
can't have that, like picking at a scab. this was, too. her chest aches and she forces herself to exhale. ]
Take care, Vergilius.
[ the rest unspoken. ]
[So much to say, so much he can't say. He lets himself bleed a little, as he always tends to do with most things. He's a creature made for it.]
[He wishes he could hear her say it. But that's just hypocrisy speaking, right?]
take care, miss malkuth
[He wishes he could hear her say it. But that's just hypocrisy speaking, right?]
take care, miss malkuth
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