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It's just....
Ugh. Sorry. I'll expl8in when I get there.
[ It doesn't take her long to get over there, either. In fact, she's probably a little quicker than usual. And the sight that will greet Duo when he opens his door at her knock will be ... a pretty sorry one. Her eyes are once again their chill, blank white, though right now they're bloodshot blue, tears drying on her face in the cold.
Miserable and small, with grating heartbreak making her voice hoarse: ]
They killed me, Duo. They brought me back just to kill me again.
Ugh. Sorry. I'll expl8in when I get there.
[ It doesn't take her long to get over there, either. In fact, she's probably a little quicker than usual. And the sight that will greet Duo when he opens his door at her knock will be ... a pretty sorry one. Her eyes are once again their chill, blank white, though right now they're bloodshot blue, tears drying on her face in the cold.
Miserable and small, with grating heartbreak making her voice hoarse: ]
They killed me, Duo. They brought me back just to kill me again.
[Oh boy.
He had a feeling something had happened, but he was trying to play like he wasn't immediately worried when she contacted him. That's just how this place is, isn't it?
Chroma really does enjoying twisting the knife...
He opens the door quickly, already waiting by it, and he only hesitates long enough to hear her words before grabbing her arm and pulling her inside both to get out of the cold and to embrace her.
He might tell her about his own trouble earlier in the week later, but right now his focus is on what she's going through.]
He had a feeling something had happened, but he was trying to play like he wasn't immediately worried when she contacted him. That's just how this place is, isn't it?
Chroma really does enjoying twisting the knife...
He opens the door quickly, already waiting by it, and he only hesitates long enough to hear her words before grabbing her arm and pulling her inside both to get out of the cold and to embrace her.
He might tell her about his own trouble earlier in the week later, but right now his focus is on what she's going through.]
[ He's one of the first people she sees, because he's one of the first people she thinks to tell. So she's still -- a mess, shattered in her core, unable to keep in the emotion that overwhelms her when he tugs her into the warmth of the house and into his arms. It's all she can do to just break down crying, and he won't have seen her like this before. Because she's usually happy around him -- he makes her happy.
But heartbreak this deeply felt is not a quick fix.
She's light as air again, and she's cool to the point of being chill as she curls herself against him. And she just ... sobs, quiet and hiccupy, trying to speak but not knowing what to say. ]
Sorry-- I-- fuck--
[ Her arms tighten around him as she tries to suck in a steadying breath. ]
I hate-- I hate this fucking place--
But heartbreak this deeply felt is not a quick fix.
She's light as air again, and she's cool to the point of being chill as she curls herself against him. And she just ... sobs, quiet and hiccupy, trying to speak but not knowing what to say. ]
Sorry-- I-- fuck--
[ Her arms tighten around him as she tries to suck in a steadying breath. ]
I hate-- I hate this fucking place--
[He doesn't really know what to say, either. He's never been good at comforting words, so all he can hope is that his presence is somehow enough. He's warm, and so is the house, so if nothing else he has that to offer.]
Yeah... yeah, I know...
[Whatever good points it had were so easily stripped away by all the nasty things that kept happening. They had no protection against these things, either.]
I'm sorry.
Yeah... yeah, I know...
[Whatever good points it had were so easily stripped away by all the nasty things that kept happening. They had no protection against these things, either.]
I'm sorry.
[ It takes her a while to calm down.
His presence seems to be all she wants; she hardly responds to what he says, anyway, hardly able to between sobs. It's awful to cry like this, she hates it; reminds her too much of how and why she last felt like her heart was broken.
But slow her tears eventually do. Her sobs become simple tears; her grip grows a little less tight. She lets go enough to look at him, biting her lip. ]
Sorry I am such a fucking mess.
[ Vriska leans up into him, nuzzling him gently, her forehead meeting his temple. ]
This is the part where I should probably make some kind of hollow threat to maintain the illusion of bravado, but fuck, who cares.
His presence seems to be all she wants; she hardly responds to what he says, anyway, hardly able to between sobs. It's awful to cry like this, she hates it; reminds her too much of how and why she last felt like her heart was broken.
But slow her tears eventually do. Her sobs become simple tears; her grip grows a little less tight. She lets go enough to look at him, biting her lip. ]
Sorry I am such a fucking mess.
[ Vriska leans up into him, nuzzling him gently, her forehead meeting his temple. ]
This is the part where I should probably make some kind of hollow threat to maintain the illusion of bravado, but fuck, who cares.
[He lets her go on as long as she feels she needs to. Everyone has their breaking point, and Lord knows he would have wanted someone there with him when it happened in he past. Its ugly and painful and leaves one vulnerable at the worst possible moment but it's also when being alone would be exponentially worse.
At her pulling away and looking at him he offers a tiny, crooked smile of sympathy and shakes his head.]
I'm sorry I don't have any good words for you right now...
[Maybe words are over rated anyway.
Who cares, indeed. Its not like anyone else is home right now. Frankly after all that, he'd rather have this moment than her pretending there's nothing wrong and acting as the status quo.]
I mean, if trying helps you feel better...
At her pulling away and looking at him he offers a tiny, crooked smile of sympathy and shakes his head.]
I'm sorry I don't have any good words for you right now...
[Maybe words are over rated anyway.
Who cares, indeed. Its not like anyone else is home right now. Frankly after all that, he'd rather have this moment than her pretending there's nothing wrong and acting as the status quo.]
I mean, if trying helps you feel better...
It's fine, [ she whispers, lacking the strength to put force into her voice. Otherwise she won't let go; she seems very content to just hang onto him, soak in his warmth. She is, after all, so cold.
His smile will gentle the look on her face. She can't bring herself to smile back, but the furrow in her brow is a little less deep. ]
It's just pointless bluster, [ she adds, bitingly self-critical, too tired to have a filter. ] I think that shit would just make me feel worse right now. You're not going to hold it against me, anyway.
[ Her weakness. Why guard it now? Here she is, in pieces; if he were going to cast her out for it, mock her for it, use it against her, he'd already have done it. ]
His smile will gentle the look on her face. She can't bring herself to smile back, but the furrow in her brow is a little less deep. ]
It's just pointless bluster, [ she adds, bitingly self-critical, too tired to have a filter. ] I think that shit would just make me feel worse right now. You're not going to hold it against me, anyway.
[ Her weakness. Why guard it now? Here she is, in pieces; if he were going to cast her out for it, mock her for it, use it against her, he'd already have done it. ]
[He's the last person to ever do that to someone, especially to her. Exploiting weaknesses was for battle, to take down the enemy, and she is absolutely not that. Quite the opposite, in fact.
A slight shrug, conceding her point. Some people like a punching bag. Others just want touch and a reminder that they're not alone even in their misery.]
Hey, whatever I can do to help...
[Can he even help? He can't exactly bring her back to life...]
A slight shrug, conceding her point. Some people like a punching bag. Others just want touch and a reminder that they're not alone even in their misery.]
Hey, whatever I can do to help...
[Can he even help? He can't exactly bring her back to life...]
[ A mumble, a hum: ]
You're enough.
[ A pause, and she glances around them. Her feet are off the floor: she's been floating this whole time, second nature, letting him hold her up. She mumbles again, and it's a rather different color this time. ]
... can we sit down or something, though? If anything is making me feel kind of lame, it's hanging off you in the middle of the room for no reason.
[ and clearly she's not going to let go, so. ]
You're enough.
[ A pause, and she glances around them. Her feet are off the floor: she's been floating this whole time, second nature, letting him hold her up. She mumbles again, and it's a rather different color this time. ]
... can we sit down or something, though? If anything is making me feel kind of lame, it's hanging off you in the middle of the room for no reason.
[ and clearly she's not going to let go, so. ]
[He hides his snort and laugh with a quick cough. The change in tone triggered it. It wasn't so much humorous as it was amusing that was what she chose to focus on.
But he'd be lying if he said he would rather be sitting, too. Its not exactly the most comfortable way to cuddle with someone.]
Yeah. ... I have no idea when Kohaku is gonna be home, though. Would you rather go upstairs?
[He figures she wouldn't exactly want to be seen by anyone else right now.]
But he'd be lying if he said he would rather be sitting, too. Its not exactly the most comfortable way to cuddle with someone.]
Yeah. ... I have no idea when Kohaku is gonna be home, though. Would you rather go upstairs?
[He figures she wouldn't exactly want to be seen by anyone else right now.]
[ She Sees you, Duo. He'll get a narrow look, but apparently she decides to let it slide, possibly because she had to hide a smile herself. ]
Sure. Carry me! [ with all the imperiousness a snotty sad ghost teen can muster. ] It's my turn to be princess.
Sure. Carry me! [ with all the imperiousness a snotty sad ghost teen can muster. ] It's my turn to be princess.
As you wish, your highness~
[Snotty sad ghost teen is absolutely getting carried up the stairs.]
[Snotty sad ghost teen is absolutely getting carried up the stairs.]
[ Vriska huffs a barely-there laugh, and that's all. Otherwise she just lets him carry her, tucked against him. She's still trying to calm down, and it's nice to have a moment to retreat inside herself.
Unprompted, she'll eventually pipe up: ]
I'll be okay. I'm just so tired of this fucking town.
Unprompted, she'll eventually pipe up: ]
I'll be okay. I'm just so tired of this fucking town.
I get it...
[He can't fully agree. His home wasn't awful, especially now that peace had actually been attained and things were being fixed one day at a time. But there were people he had met here that he wouldn't have otherwise. It was nice to not have to be constantly diligent every time he walked outside his house because, while he didn't trust everyone here, no one was going to attempt taking him out because of his past as a pilot.
He kept those thoughts to himself, though. This was her moment, and he wasn't going to invalidate her feelings like that.]
[He can't fully agree. His home wasn't awful, especially now that peace had actually been attained and things were being fixed one day at a time. But there were people he had met here that he wouldn't have otherwise. It was nice to not have to be constantly diligent every time he walked outside his house because, while he didn't trust everyone here, no one was going to attempt taking him out because of his past as a pilot.
He kept those thoughts to himself, though. This was her moment, and he wasn't going to invalidate her feelings like that.]
[Late one afternoon, Akira storms home in a mixture of grief and frustration. Ryo is nowhere to be seen, having been left behind at the lake, and Akira has no idea if Duo is around, but right now, he doesn't care. He storms up to his room and slams the door shut, and for a solid fifteen minutes, there are sounds from his room like an inhuman roar and that he's throwing things, hitting something, and generally trashing the place.
Once he's done, he can be found downstairs just laying listlessly on the couch, an arm over his eyes and Tako curled up on his stomach. He's not sure if he feels better or worse for having given into his instincts, so maybe he should just stay put before he ruins anything else.]
Once he's done, he can be found downstairs just laying listlessly on the couch, an arm over his eyes and Tako curled up on his stomach. He's not sure if he feels better or worse for having given into his instincts, so maybe he should just stay put before he ruins anything else.]
[As luck would have it, Duo did indeed miss the well deserved tantrum and returned home none the wiser. Someone laying on a couch with a cat curled up on them wasn't anything new here, so he gave it little thought until he bounced up to the bedroom humming a tuneless song to himself.
A song that was cut short upon seeing the absolute mess that had been left in his absence.
Yup.
That was a thing.
A thing that gave a lot more context as to who was on the couch and why Akira hadn't even bothered with a hello at Duo's passing.
Ohboy.
Quietly he returned back down the stairs, settling in behind the couch and resting his arms on the back of it.]
Alright, buddy. What's eating you?
A song that was cut short upon seeing the absolute mess that had been left in his absence.
Yup.
That was a thing.
A thing that gave a lot more context as to who was on the couch and why Akira hadn't even bothered with a hello at Duo's passing.
Ohboy.
Quietly he returned back down the stairs, settling in behind the couch and resting his arms on the back of it.]
Alright, buddy. What's eating you?
[The black cat is the first to look up at Duo with large green eyes, giving a soft meow and hopping down onto the floor. Akira grumbles at being disturbed, like he'd been just lying there in a daze the whole time. After a few seconds he lowers his arm and sits up, blinking at the other teen with a frown.]
Duo...? It's nothing.
[Worse lie ever.]
Duo...? It's nothing.
[Worse lie ever.]
Uhuh. And I'm a purple elephant.
[Your bullshit is showing, Akira.]
C'mon. You don't trash a room like that over "nothing".
[Your bullshit is showing, Akira.]
C'mon. You don't trash a room like that over "nothing".
[Duo moves slightly, draping his arms over the empty space so he can look properly at Akira.]
That bad? The state of that room makes me think it was pretty close to nuclear.
That bad? The state of that room makes me think it was pretty close to nuclear.
It... I...
[They've had worse arguments. Arguments about Ryo wanting to kill people, or animals, or starting wars. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't so bad, but on a personal level, it stings just as much.]
I asked him something personal, something I'd been thinking about for a while. [God, he can't even be vague about this, or Duo won't understand why he's upset. He finally looks over his shoulder at Duo.] I told him I like him.
[They've had worse arguments. Arguments about Ryo wanting to kill people, or animals, or starting wars. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't so bad, but on a personal level, it stings just as much.]
I asked him something personal, something I'd been thinking about for a while. [God, he can't even be vague about this, or Duo won't understand why he's upset. He finally looks over his shoulder at Duo.] I told him I like him.
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