Eh. It's better than the furniture? [ the breakfast eggs are not worth it ] The meatballs are fun... There's better food out there, but it's good enough until we find something that's better.
It better look better than the sorry excuse for furniture here.
[ yeah we're gonna go get cinnamon rolls!! but like. the idea of buying food from a furniture vendor kind of has her on edge? like who is making this food? is it going to be as simplistic and bland looking as the furniture?????????????? ]
What was it that you were eating before? What was it made out of? [ like she understands the concept of a 'meat' ball but what... meat................... ]
[ she considers. maybe she should do a better job of her... job... even though it's not like anyone is around to harangue her about it. ]
Hmm... maybe next time! I want to try a cinnamon roll. This looks good too [ pancakes and lingonberry jam. and she's going to excitedly poke through everything that they have, because like 99% of this is going to be exotic to her. yes, wild and exotic swedish cuisine. ]
Ohhh... maybe I'll try the pancakes too, I've never had lingonberry before. And maybe this juice... it's made of elderflowers? Sounds like it'd be fun to taste.
[ topper squeaks frantically ]
And I guess I can pick up another plate of meatballs for Topper. But only a few more, buddy, or else you're gonna be too big to carry!
[ an easy-going wave. he's giving off pretty relaxed vibes for the moment as he approaches, dressed in a black, high-necked shirt and some high-waisted pale blue trousers. ]
You exploring? There are some pretty neat places just here in the mall alone. [ fuckin finally ]
[ she is, in fact, going to dig around in some of these stations. everything looks neatly packaged and/or futuristic, so her hopes are low, but not non-existent. ]
I can definitely see that. Good choice. [ he nods quickly. ]
You can keep looking if you want, I'll go set us up! Meet me over there?
[ he is not a nail tech, but he can paint nails pretty damn well, so he'll grab what he needs and will head to one of the stations in the far back away from some of the shadow people. ]
Okay, one more second. [ she's probably pissing off some shadow people by nosing around through their things; sadly henna dye is a bit outside of the usual 50s americana wheelhouse, so she turns up empty handed. lame.
she comes trotting over, slightly miffed, slightly bummed about being empty handed. ]
Are you going to pick a color for yourself as well?
Yeah! [ you know that post about the peasants and doritos? that's going to be nahri with the concessions. ]
You'll have to pick for me, since I don't know what anything is. [ except she has a ! moment. ] I did get to try chocolate last week and I liked that, so I know that we could get chocolate.
[ so, first off, she's still feeling pretty down. but when she sees eiden, she walks up to him and takes his hand. it's gentle so he can pull away. she looks at him, but doesn't know what to say. ]
me like let them have a soft minute before we inflict mems (also i have to run to a meeting)
[ oh he's not pulling away at all. he just. immediately starts walking towards her too? they're both walking towards each other and so just. yeah. hands. ]
Nahri... hey...
[ he squeezes her hands gently. ]
Wanna hang out for a bit together? Was gonna go exploring...
Yeah, it's kinda nice. Maybe we can try out some of the food too... anything for a little variety these days.
[ as he begins to walk with her there is suddenly a pig noise on this scene!!!!! and a memory flickers to life right then and there.
it's definitely startling, the amount of anger and loneliness that comes from such a tiny eiden, when the adult one is standing right here and still trying to smile after last weekend. but aren't they all trying to smile? ]
his memory isn't traumatic in the same way that others have, but she feels his pain so keenly. to be wanted, accepted, loved by someone. being a lonely kid that just wants to belong somewhere.
some feelings of unhappiness in life come from being treated unfairly by others
that phrase sticks in her mind while the rest pass through. and when it's all over, she intertwines his fingers with his, like maybe it's a stronger form of support, or like maybe she can press her understanding from her palm to his. ]
Eiden...
[ there was some resolution, in the end, wasn't there? making candies, having the sun on his face.
but now he's here. if he can still smile after all that, well, that makes him a stronger person than her. ]
[ as she says his name and as their fingers twine and palms press, he looks her in the eye. he's tired, they're both tired. everything is happening so much week after week, and considering how nightmarish things were just a few days ago... he's just going to squeeze her hands. ]
Nahri... [ the loss is so palpable, it's ugly, but he clings a little to these hands. ] Hey... it's okay. We've got each other, right? And our teams. We're going to figure this shit out.
[ softer ] I know it's hard... when it feels like you're losing everything.
Yeah. [ the word falls lamely from her tongue. if only she could be better at this. if only she hadn't been so stupid to let herself get to close to anyone. it's easier to go it alone, but
she likes the people here. ]
I guess the only choice we have is to keep living, for them.
[ it's like what shenhe had left in her message on her phone. and it's hard to be out today, it's hard to keep moving forward when the fear of more loss hangs precipitously over them. but what other choice do they have? ]
Exactly. We have to keep fighting, okay, Nahri...?
[ he'll start to just... walk with her. wherever. ]
I know it feels like the worst thing in the world right now, and I'm not saying that's going to go away. [ he looks to her in the sort of way that conveys that he gets it. a death is something to carry with you not just for a single weekend, but for the rest of your life. ]
We're strong as hell. You're strong. Okay? You're still here. Say it with me.
[ she takes a breath in, nodding as he speaks. yeah, that sounds fair. yeah, she's still here. ]
I'm still here.
[ so isn't so sure if strong is the word she'd use, but she's used to surviving. it just so happens to be another thing she has to survive, another thing she has to claw through so she can still be here tomorrow.
there's another pig running about, so! surprise! ]
She’s dressed in fine silk robes, a veil covering the lower half of her face. A handsome man in royal regalia stands next to her, glowering.
She doesn’t look at him.
She doesn’t look at the contract before signing her name.
His hand is forced, literally, onto the contract, leaving a messy scrawl below hers.
He spits at her feet and storms off.
----
[ well, it's short, so it's not like it totally ruins the moment, but it kind of ruins the moments, and she's just looking at her feet. ]
[ so this fucking sucks. there's no way to dress it up: nahri is feeling absolutely abysmal. unlike last friday, she isn't crying (yet) but there's just a sort of. cold nothingness on her features. shock, probably. still trying to cope with big loss in such a short amount of time - god, was it only yesterday she was feeling useless over not being able to help her remaining teammates? wasn't it only a few days ago, when she and eiden were bonding over their losses? it's too much. it's too much, she can't take this anymore if people she cares about are going to be so brutally taken from her. ]
this sucks. he is absolutely withering right now. the results of the night are still not quite settling with him, and he feels like he's walking through a nightmare inside of a nightmare over and over again. they're just sitting somewhere after the results and he just wraps an arm around her and pulls her into his shoulder gently. ]
You are. But you don't have to be strong all the time.
[ you do not. that's what he wants to say, but he'll let it go, because he's been this upset and he's been this angry, and yeah he lives in her fluffy hair now. ]
Yeah...
But we're going to find out who did it this time, Nahri... even if it hurts. We won't let them get away this time. I promise.
[ promises get broken all the time. it's so easy to push away and stay cynical to protect what feelings she has left. but at the time same, as much as she knows not to put stock in a promise, she really wants to. she wants to let herself believe in this - them, all of them! - that they won't make the same mistake. ]
You promise? [ she gives his hand a little squeeze. ]
Just promise me that you won't do anything stupid, okay?
[ she wants to get to the bottom of things as much as he does, but rash decisions are not the best ones to make - she knows, because she can also act rashly. ]
Okay, but only a little. [ she gives him another little squeeze, ehehe.
at least they're already nestled together, so they just need to do a quarter turn scoot and they're in perfect braiding position. she takes her headscarf off so he doesn't have to feel weird about asking. ]
[ because why not. everything's a mess right now! he just carefully braids some of the pieces near her face into a little crown that ties carefully in the back. ]
Let me do your nails for trial tomorrow? We deserve to go in there looking like we're ready to kick ass.
[ it's the small comforts. he starts to work the rest of it into a very pretty braid, careful when parting her hair. and he will probably do it again tomorrow for her if she wants. ]
Blue's good. I have to touch up my nails anyways so we'll go together.
[ god he just hugs her so tightly but he's shaking, dare say, trembling like a leaf. maybe it's the force of the hug, or maybe it's the aftershocks of adrenaline, but he's just clutching her. ]
[ god yeah he just... breathes out slowly as he eventually lets his hold go a little more slack. ]
Something had to give... I'm glad Wenzhou pressed. I'm so glad...
The letters Shenhe left behind were the first clue, then the lack of cooperation, turning the trial around in their favor at the eleventh hour... and we got that all back. [ he lets out a trembling breath ] Doesn't bring Shenhe or Yakumo or Fei Du back... but it shows people what we can't allow them to get away with.
He's a sly one, that Fei Du. [ like, she's sad? she's sad that he's gone but this just feels so him, and she can't help but smile a little at their victory - being helped beyond the grave, by him. ]
[ he just... squeezes her hands now and will just start to walk them. anywhere. just a meandering walk. ]
I get why Wolfwood was trying to calm you down... people voted us when Gyuhyuk was acting up but...
[ he bumps her shoulder. ]
Thank you... after checking Shen Qingqiu's body, I just... [ couldn't get angry anymore. it's why he didn't tell her to stop. because she could be angry enough for both of them. ]
[ she kinda leans into him, affectionate and gentle. she does start to feel bad now, throwing his team under the bus like she did during her outburst. especially with sqq laying on a table not that far away.
she tries not to dwell on that. ]
You shouldn't be thanking me. I nearly screwed everything up. [ her tone is only a gentle chastisement of her own behavior. she doesn't think what she said was wrong, but she really did almost screw her team. ]
...Are you going to be okay, tonight?
[ it's kind of a lame question, in the grand scheme of things. things are not going to be okay in the wake of more loss. ]
[ she still feels a little weird about the whole exchange. not her anger. not for the right team getting voted for this time. but knowing how people feel about that team, and knowing they have to make that choice - it's not that she's gleeful, but she still feels shenhe's loss so acutely. they were just playing the game, she tells herself. but so is she, and that means voting the right way. fei du had left them the clues to lead them to that conclusion, it'd be an insult to his memory to let them get away with it again. how many people have to be hurt each week? who would have had to be hurt this week, if another innocent team was voted for? she keeps coming back to that.
she was too much of a coward to attend that execution. she didn't get yakumo and eiden's last moments together, how that all ended. it shouldn't have ended that way. and she knows she should stop being so selfish and thinking about her own feelings, when eiden is right here, and he has already lost so much more than her in the short period of time they've been here. just in one week alone he's lost two teammates. that has to hurt. that has to cut deep, and he's still here, strong and gentle and kind.
she wishes she could be more like that, instead of obsessing over the few connections she'd made, when she'd always been alone before this. ]
...I think you should stay with Gyuhyuk. You two need each other, now more than ever. If anything, I don't think you should be alone.
[ there's another layer under that. in a more general sense. eiden is a sweet boy, and he shouldn't have to endure this. ]
[ someone is going to ruin our hot springs, kelsey, it happens every damn time. but they don't know that! instead, as they come up to the hot springs area, eiden just blinks a little surprised. ]
Wow, I didn't actually think they'd be this prepared... it looks amazing... I haven't been to a hot spring in forever.
[ it looks so nice! she's somewhat surprised - she was expecting little dank pools they were trying to pass off as hot springs. ]
We don't have anything like this where I'm from. We have bath houses, but those have a more specific purpose. [ they actually have multiple, being a good center of gossip on the ladies' side anyway, in addition to being a clean, safe place to do whatever complicated grooming ritual you want. ]
Oh yeah, Solaria had bath houses... those were really nice, actually.
[ he just chuckles a little and looks at the huts. ]
I think first we have to undress, at least that's how it worked where I was from. Let's look inside the building over there and see if there are some towels.
Okay. [ bless alpha week it doesn't matter that she's here with a man. not that she particularly cares about being appropriate at the best of times, but there is that tiny little voice in her head that points out that it is a little odd to be naked in front of men when she is supposed to be pure until marriage. so you know.
but it's alpha week so that doesn't matter!! she is happily pulling him to the building. ]
Yeah, we store our clothes here and we can probably just grab a towel for later and just hop right in.
[ help alpha week rly said "go to the hot springs with your friend and say fuck it to clothes! eiden just allows her to tug him she's the boss (she's younger) she's the boss today. you can be alpha in the way you follow along too. in any case, he's already shucking off his shirt, revealing three long, furrowed scars along his back.
he's pretty easy-going about undressing, already tossing a towel her way and turning around easily to take care of his clothes. ]
[ it's funnier this way. what's a little dip in the hot springs between friends?? she knows where eiden's tastes lie, and it ain't her, so she doesn't care. thanks alpha week.
she catches the towel and gets to work taking off her few layers to neatly store them for later. she may be more confident but she still has manners, so she wraps the towel around herself until she can get into the water. ]
Eiden, what are those scars from?
[ ok maybe she could stand to be a littld more polite. ]
[ exactly. go into the hot springs with a guy who isn't even interested?!?! he wraps the towel around his waist too and as she asks, he subconsciously reaches back to brush the base of his neck before he laughs, a little awkwardly. ]
The monsters in the Dead Zone get a little overwhelming... I got separated from my clan members during a fight.
I... [ he looks torn ] Yeah, it's how I met one of my clan members. He pulled me out of the fight just before it killed me, but he didn't know the others, so he ran off with me.
[ a laugh because man! robots sometimes... he does take her hand so they can go slink into one of the pools though! ]
We met back up eventually though... but he took care of me for a while, until my essence was back up and running properly.
[ he is so lucky she can't break into their warehouse right now. he's gonna just be curled up on a chair with his shoulder sort of wrapped in like some strips of ikea bedsheet tbh.
also he looks a little flushed, but it's wearing off finally? so. ]
[ it was kind of a gusher but it's not like. an insane wound. very clean in terms of a gunshot wound. he just kinda sways in his chair and lets her do her thing and look. ]
[ she touches his arm and heals him so he stops bleeding lol. it's not a full heal - just enough to ease any soreness and keep it from oozing all over the place. it is a baby heal.
[ my naaaaahri, the minute he hears she came back from one of those shitty adventures he's gonna come find her even if he's in pretty shit shape. topper is trotting at his heels, though he leans to pick him up in his good hand so he can be the one to give some cute little scrabbles on nahri's warehouse door. ]
[ so. since she passed out she's been taking a lil nap but she's up by the time he comes a-knockin'. she cracks open the door, hesitant. cautious. she doesn't even open the door with much gusto and she slowly steps outside.
maybe her reaction should be more extreme than it is: just staring, looking him over. processing.
until she reaches up and grabs both sides of his face - not very hard, just. is this real? is he real? ]
she touches his face and he blinks a little bit, but doesn't pull away. he looks... so tired. unusually tired, and there are small puncture wounds, like spider bites, along his jaw and neck. they don't seem to hurt much though since he just presses into her hands immediately like a sad dog. ]
You'd better freaking remember me, I died like twenty million times to come back to you.
[ there's a little bit of uncertainty in her face. she wants to laugh - this feeling is familiar too. this dynamic, too, she remembers.
her hands don't leave his face. the cuts on them mostly healed over with help. she just can't stop looking at him, and what's happened to him, because this doesn't quite match what she remembers before.
but she knows him. ]
I... yeah, I don't think a hug is a very good idea right now.
[ she isn't pleased with having to deny him. the pull of comfott and warmth is so tempting.]
[ it feels like he hasn't seen nahri in weeks, maybe months. he holds her hands gently, his heart racing as he looks her in the eyes and then kind of also glances down at himself too. ]
That's okay... I... had a hole in my chest like a few hours ago, so. Maybe I shouldn't either...
[ it's hard, he could fix this himself otherwise, but they're in a stupid game where powers don't work except what they've been granted. so he just settles for holding her hands, nodding. he eventually lifts one of his own hands between them and just makes a soft little prismatic light between the both of them. something small. optimistic. ]
[ it's a sweet gesture. it helps alleviate tension she didn't realize what was building - that sense of something being not quite right, a threat to a moment where someone is being kind to her. ]
I- I kind of... remember this place. But it was a long, long time ago.
[ she has to pause. not for dramatic effect, she's just trying to sort through everything in her head. ]
I've been wandering in the desert with Jonas and Mizuki for over 100 years. [ we're just getting this out of the way. but she launches into her next sentence before he can say anything. ] Longer than that, I suppose, but it's so real. I know it was real. Everything we went through, everything that happened was for real. We- we didn't start in No Man's Land. We were on a ship at first, and we lived there with Vash and Knives and Rem. But I remember-- I remember us talking back then about it, that we knew it was Vash's memory. So we went along with it and time kept passing, and passing, and the next thing we knew decades had passed. So it stopped feeling like a mission inside a memory and feeling real. And- [ her emotions are starting to break, here, as she rehashes everything and the memories come flooding back ] -and, people like you and Wenzhou, I remember, but it wasn't as clear as it once was because it's been so long.
[ she has to take a breath, now that the feelings are coming back to her too. ] And then, and then we had to go to this city called July for information, and these people who wanted to capture us were there, but it was people from the game. Wenzhou was there. I knew I recognized him but I thought he was just a passing face in some other distant memory. Except that he knew what to say to get through to me and I remembered him.
And now it's 150 years later and, and [ she's starting to cry at this point. ] - and I'm being told I've only been gone a few days? [ one day, but, that's just her confusing information ] But I haven't! I've been gone for over a century! I don't remember half the people here or not... not clearly, and I'm so confused because how can it have been so long but so short at the same time? I know it's real! I didn't wander around in the desert for that long to just-- just to say it was all in my head!
[ this is... it's a lot to take in, but if he focuses on nahri, he doesn't have to waver. he listens to her quietly, and when she breaks, he holds her hands with fingers laced, keeps her steady. he breathes with her, steady, slow. he wants to help, but how do you help someone who's lived through 150 years of life just to be told it means nothing?
150 years for what?
he shakes his head slowly. ]
Nahri... no... [ softer ] I get it... because I'm pretty sure I can't parse out the same thing either.
[ he lifts up a hand very carefully to push a little bit of her hair back. ] but I can listen, I'll always listen, if you need something to hang onto, to anchor you back, I'll be here, okay? Telling you it's all in your head isn't going to help anything. We were in the facility for loops and loops of time... I lost count...
I'm still waiting to wake up and be told that I'm supposed to go back to those abnormalities. So I get it. It sticks with you... doesn't it...
[ there's some tears starting to fall, but she manages a nod. they all know these missions are brutal, but she had no idea the passage of time would this difficult to reorient herself within. she wants to remember - and it's not that she can't, it's just. such a long stretch that has to be decompiled and indexed, and after the shock of what happened, that's going to take a little more time. ]
I just... I just don't know why we had to go through that. Why Vash-- why anyone has to go through that. How... How many loops did you have to do? How many times did you have to get hurt?
[ because everyone comes back hurt. Even she did, when that shouldn't have been possible. ]
When we came out of that black hole, my old wounds opened up again like everything was being undone... But the memories stayed, so, I don't know.
[ she can't really keep hold of their conversation, trying to get everything out, messy as it is. ]
I lost count... between the... Singing Machine and the spider that...
[ he frowns softly and just looks down at his hands. ]
We weren't supposed to remember, apparently. Most people that die there are brought back without any memories of how they died, but Alex and Kaveh and I... we remembered it. I remembered every minute. Being eaten alive, getting stabbed, I...
[ he slowly leans back a little on his hands now, has to try and take a breath. ]
[ immediately snuggles into the coat like a frightened rabbit. ]
Please. I'm not going to make to Tuesday at this rate.
[ this isn't like the underground where she doesn't like it and will avoid it (aside from hot springs) - she thinks the snow is interesting?? but it is just. cold. ]
The snow makes it way prettier than when it's just cold. [ there's a beat and then a little, startling oh! i know! that pops into her head bc it's thought share week. ]
Yeah! And instead of deserts, they're built for cold climates. A lot of times people will have them pull sleighs across the snow. They're really strong...
[ he'll tug her along towards the stables. it'll be warm in there, too, so they can get out of the cold for a bit. inside are some reindeer! they are very cute and having a good time eating their oats and poking their cute heads out of the stalls to see their company. ]
[ HE SLAMS INTO HER IMMEDIATELY AND HUGS HER TIGHTLY. NO THOUGHTS, ONLY NAHRI. his hands clutch a little at whatever she's wearing as he ducks his face into her for a few moments. ]
[ yeah we're hugging this one out for a while. since she isn't fucked up from her own cyoa she's more alert and in the moment, and the moment is hugs. ]
[ he doesn't really care much about any of the irritation to his burns that the hug is giving, but thankfully he's been healed enough that it isn't that bad to begin with. he just sways a little with her in his arms. ]
We visited Fukuzawa's world, I'm pretty sure. We worked at his office... the ADA and we had all of these powers. Kyoko was able to heal people, but only if they were at least half dead... and I had a notebook I could use to write down different things and make them real, but they had to be about as big as the page... we couldn't use our psychs, so that's what we had to work with.
[ he is frigid, like he's got fresh snow in his hair. he just hugs her tightly, like he's afraid she's going to disappear in an instant somehow. like he's going to lose her too.
but even more, softer: ] It's bad... it's really bad, I'm... Nahri... the announcement.
I-- [ she's being squeezed, though it's not unpleasant, and she leans into him and lets herself just be here and not lost in her thoughts. just for a moment. ]
I knew this was going to happen. [ wolfwood or vash or me. it has to be one of us.
there's a little hitch in her breath, because that's not all, is there? ]
Wenzhou. Why-- he didn't have to go. What's going to happen to Kyoko?
[ he hears that hitch and just loosens himself a little bit, but he pretty much refuses to let go just yet. he knows how much she cares about her teammates, it's the same for him, for everyone around them.
it feels surreal. ]
She's still around. I went to check on her... I was afraid...
[ the tears haven't made their arrival, but she's working her way up to it. ]
I texted her. I didn't know if she wanted company. [ she looks at her phone, still gripped tightly in her hand. she remembers how unresponsive she was when shenhe died. and how wolfwood and vash did their damnedest to make her feel better even though they had no idea what to do. there's a pang of guilt - kyoko doesn't have anyone like that anymore. her team is gone.
[ her team is gone, but she has the people around her. at least for now, at least until... until. it doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel real. he just holds her shoulders gently.
yeah.
because i want to use it tomorrow. to make sure that we don't leave any stone unturned.
[ the response gets her to jolt, like she accidentally got shocked. it sort of slid through her thoughts without meaning to. she wiggles out of eiden's embrace. ]
No, Eiden, look, there's-- there's something else.
[ she shows him her phone. there is a message on the screen: ]
from user ca$hmoney: Would you choose to keep this grief, even knowing you could no longer see the reason for your grief? Do you think it's better to feel grief than not?
Probably not... but I can see if I can do some digging maybe. At the library. Or I don't know, maybe she'll be okay with talking a little about it. Especially if it's something from the weird adventure we went on yesterday.
[ he's walking up to her with a huge napkin bulging and sits down beside her.
the napkin is full of cookies. all kinds. the kinds she had at curfew, pistachio, date, and all different types of christmas cookies too. he sets a to-go cup between them both, the biggest size, hot chocolate.
It's... It is what it is. I'm sorry I couldn't push her more.
I think she was lying to me, but it was so late I didn't try hard enough to push her. I'm sorry. [ her breath hitches again. she hasn't cried yet, and everything is threatening to burst through.
Nahri, you did everything you could have to be fair to her. The time was against us... if anything, I should have tried to call you in sooner, but then we were caught up with Wenzhou's head, which... we needed.
I wanted to go back there first. I wish we went back there first. Solved this from the head down instead of the ass up...
[ he drops his head softly on her shoulder. ]
We worked hard. We have to just rest now. This is the last week... the week before we get them back.
[ she leans her head against his, and despite herself, she starts to cry. this sucks. this sucks so much. everyone could come back tomorrow and it doesn't take back the pain and loss they have suffered.
they will get the erased back. they have to. but it's getting more and more lonely each week as their friends keep dying. ]
What is the point of all of this?
[ she wants to scream. no one can answer her. they're already dead - why do they have to struggle and kill for another chance? ]
[ she cries and he wraps an arm around her, holding her to his side as he slowly shifts his legs and then begins to let his own tears fall. his stomach hurts, his heart hurts, his head hurts.
aquamarine, opal, carmine, rock crystal, sapphire, obsidian, topaz... ]
I wish I had that answer... but even I can't answer that. I've asked myself every night.
[ he wraps his other arm around her, letting her bury her face if she wants to. ]
Just us now... stay close, okay? I don't trust anyone not to get stupid in the last week. [ maybe it doesn't help, maybe it won't ever help, but for now he can feel like a shield against everything else for her. ] We're almost at the finish line...
[ she should be stronger than this. she should be able to look towards tomorrow with her head held high, even though her tears would still fall. it's funny, the bonds she's made have been a source of strength for her, new connections she could never have fathomed back home. before, when she was alone, of course she only had herself to rely on. her connections weren't really bonds - they were marks. sometimes they were patients. but she couldn't say for certain that she had any friends. her strength laid in her survival; her ability to con and outwit and run.
it's different here. she's made friends here. there are people like eiden who inexplicably care about her and comfort her. and she knows she can trust him, she does trust him, and not having to second guess that still surprises her all these weeks later. she knows she can rely on him, and that together they have to do their best to keep moving forward. he's right: they're almost at the end.
she just wishes she could do more to protect him too. ]
I wish we could merge our teams. It'd be easier to keep an eye on you.
[ yeah, because, he's the one who needs to be looked after. ]
[ eiden is at the park walking around some of the crosses after execution, and from his feet there are just. dozens upon dozens of wildflowers springing up with his every step. he'll text nahri to meet him there for a walk when she's free, just to shake off a bit of the stress from the execution, since he's sure she'll want to make her own rounds with her team.
when he sees her, though, he'll hold out his hand. ]
[ of course she agreed; she has a certain schedule she likes to manage on sundays, and spending time with those she cares about takes priority.
there's a weak smile when she sees the flowers. she remembers him mentioning it earlier in the week. it's a sweet gesture. although she's careful when she approaches - remember how she said she'd heal herself? she may have fibbed about that, and there's a slight limp in her gait. ]
[ he sees this fucking limp and just shuts his eyes. you are such a stubborn jerk! jerk (affectionate) ]
Thanks, I'm tired. Let's sit for a little bit.
[ he'll pull her to go find somewhere to sit among some roots of a nearby tree, flowers growing strong at their ankles. he will flop down first and pull her with him carefully. ]
[ she hums in acknowledgement; third place doesn't feel too bad. as much as she wanted to win, surviving has always been priority #1. justice and froggystyle can bear the responsibility of being first, whatever that means. ]
If it takes points, then those two teams have their work cut out for them. That's a lot of people to bring back.
...They can see us, so I think they'll be able to guide us when it's time. I know Fei Du and Shenhe want to come back, and if anyone can, it's them. [ naturally, wenzhou would follow fei du, and yakumo would come with. a strange realization hits her then, about their widow club, about how they found each other in grief after losing their teammates in the same week. it was poignant then, but it was a little detail that she had forgotten until now. ]
I think Yakumo will want to see you again too, so they'll be sure he gets returned to you. [ this is a poor attempt at a joke - the first part, anyway. she's certain about them being reunited. ]
Nope, just me. I'm the only one. I have an assistant, but she doesn't have healing magic. So you can imagine the kind of backlog I have. People always getting sick or cursed or what have you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wknd 0, saturday
Man... I guess if I had to haunt somewhere, an Ikea isn't bad.
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Looks cheap. We could do better.
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You think? Have you had a look around?
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Yeah, I'm more into the food than the actual furniture at this point.
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[ deadass just asking if he has taste, sorry eidan. ]
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[ one cannot subsist on mcdonald's alone rip ]
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[ she says this like she's still getting used to the concept. cinnamon she knows, but a 'cinnamon roll' is still an entirely novel idea. ]
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[ topper chirrups because he is just purely food motivated. ]
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[ yeah we're gonna go get cinnamon rolls!! but like. the idea of buying food from a furniture vendor kind of has her on edge? like who is making this food? is it going to be as simplistic and bland looking as the furniture?????????????? ]
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[ he does poke his head around until finally, idk how they layout ikea anymore, but we're saying all the good stuff is here, hot and tasty. ]
... Looks pretty good to me. Whoa.
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There's so much here!
We can take anything?
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You bet. I mean, it's the only way we're gonna eat. And I don't know about you, but for a dead person, I'm kinda hungry.
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[ it's pork and i'm gonna pretend the ingredients are listed where they're hanging out on the menu so he's looking at them. ]
Hmmm, looks like it's pork.
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Hmm... maybe next time! I want to try a cinnamon roll. This looks good too [ pancakes and lingonberry jam. and she's going to excitedly poke through everything that they have, because like 99% of this is going to be exotic to her. yes, wild and exotic swedish cuisine. ]
What are you getting?
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Ohhh... maybe I'll try the pancakes too, I've never had lingonberry before. And maybe this juice... it's made of elderflowers? Sounds like it'd be fun to taste.
[ topper squeaks frantically ]
And I guess I can pick up another plate of meatballs for Topper. But only a few more, buddy, or else you're gonna be too big to carry!
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[ she glances over when topper makes his demands known. ]
He's cute, what's his name?
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[ meanwhile, topper just squeaks at nahri, tail wagging ]
And he's Master Twilight Star-Show Max Lucifer Topper III! ... But just Topper's fine.
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she can't help but reach out to topper to see if he'll sniff her hand. that's what the street cats did back home. ]
Hello there, Topper. I'm Nahri.
[ EIDAN IS RIGHT THERE?? her manners aren't though ]
wk 2, monday
[ an easy-going wave. he's giving off pretty relaxed vibes for the moment as he approaches, dressed in a black, high-necked shirt and some high-waisted pale blue trousers. ]
You exploring? There are some pretty neat places just here in the mall alone. [ fuckin finally ]
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Yeah, I thought this was going to be like a bigger Ikea... This is even more like an indoor bazaar.
[ she's wearing her same fit as last week - leggings and tshirt dress. her money :( ]
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I was gonna go have a look at the pet store, or maybe that cool salon place to see what they have. Wanna come with?
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I wouldn't mind taking a look...
[ maybe she can get a comb girl help her curls are insane ]
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[ he laughs, ]
But that's a yes. He'd get jealous, probably.
[ coinflip says salon, clearly they heard your prayers about nahri needing a comb. it's pretty nice in here, damn. ]
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but the salon is truly a blessing. if 'wonderment' is an emotion, that is what nahri is feeling right now. ]
...Okay, looks like we're finally starting to get decent places to explore this week.
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[ hehehehehehe
but man as nahri feels that wonderment, eiden's eyes go wide and he nods furiously. ]
Nailpolish, scissors, brushes... you could really treat yourself. Where do you even start?
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Maybe they have henna?
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[ eiden has a look at the wall of nailpolish a few moments: ]
Got a favorite color?
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[ she is, in fact, going to dig around in some of these stations. everything looks neatly packaged and/or futuristic, so her hopes are low, but not non-existent. ]
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eiden hovers in the blue section of the nail polish for a moment before picking out a few colors and returning to show her some options! ]
Any of these look good to you?
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actually. she really likes all of them. ]
This one. [ the first one! ] It makes me think of a river when the sunlight hits it.
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You can keep looking if you want, I'll go set us up! Meet me over there?
[ he is not a nail tech, but he can paint nails pretty damn well, so he'll grab what he needs and will head to one of the stations in the far back away from some of the shadow people. ]
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she comes trotting over, slightly miffed, slightly bummed about being empty handed. ]
Are you going to pick a color for yourself as well?
w3, tuesday
Watch a movie with me.
[ yeah this isn't a question. like, at least she's seen one by now, but the experience still kind of freaked her out. ]
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Let's do it!
[ glancing at the list of available movies... ]
Any preference? Like, an action movie? Or maybe a comedy...
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[ a beat ]
Preferably something I could follow along with, I suppose...
[ she's a little embarrassed. ]
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[ he's going through the list. ]
Doesn't sound too out of pocket. The little guy looks cute too...
[ slides stuart little across the table. ]
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Sure, let's see a movie about a cute little mouse. That sounds nice.
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Wanna grab a snack before we go in?
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You'll have to pick for me, since I don't know what anything is. [ except she has a ! moment. ] I did get to try chocolate last week and I liked that, so I know that we could get chocolate.
w4, monday
me like let them have a soft minute before we inflict mems (also i have to run to a meeting)
Nahri... hey...
[ he squeezes her hands gently. ]
Wanna hang out for a bit together? Was gonna go exploring...
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I'd like that.
It's brighter, out here.
[ it's helping her mood somewhat, but not entirely. though anything would be better than staying in botham ]
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[ as he begins to walk with her there is suddenly a pig noise on this scene!!!!! and a memory flickers to life right then and there.
it's definitely startling, the amount of anger and loneliness that comes from such a tiny eiden, when the adult one is standing right here and still trying to smile after last weekend. but aren't they all trying to smile? ]
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his memory isn't traumatic in the same way that others have, but she feels his pain so keenly. to be wanted, accepted, loved by someone. being a lonely kid that just wants to belong somewhere.
some feelings of unhappiness in life come from being treated unfairly by others
that phrase sticks in her mind while the rest pass through. and when it's all over, she intertwines his fingers with his, like maybe it's a stronger form of support, or like maybe she can press her understanding from her palm to his. ]
Eiden...
[ there was some resolution, in the end, wasn't there? making candies, having the sun on his face.
but now he's here. if he can still smile after all that, well, that makes him a stronger person than her. ]
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Nahri... [ the loss is so palpable, it's ugly, but he clings a little to these hands. ] Hey... it's okay. We've got each other, right? And our teams. We're going to figure this shit out.
[ softer ] I know it's hard... when it feels like you're losing everything.
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she likes the people here. ]
I guess the only choice we have is to keep living, for them.
[ it's like what shenhe had left in her message on her phone. and it's hard to be out today, it's hard to keep moving forward when the fear of more loss hangs precipitously over them. but what other choice do they have? ]
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Exactly. We have to keep fighting, okay, Nahri...?
[ he'll start to just... walk with her. wherever. ]
I know it feels like the worst thing in the world right now, and I'm not saying that's going to go away. [ he looks to her in the sort of way that conveys that he gets it. a death is something to carry with you not just for a single weekend, but for the rest of your life. ]
We're strong as hell. You're strong. Okay? You're still here. Say it with me.
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I'm still here.
[ so isn't so sure if strong is the word she'd use, but she's used to surviving. it just so happens to be another thing she has to survive, another thing she has to claw through so she can still be here tomorrow.
there's another pig running about, so! surprise! ]
----
[ well, it's short, so it's not like it totally ruins the moment, but it kind of ruins the moments, and she's just looking at her feet. ]
w4, friday
I don't think I'm strong anymore.
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this sucks. he is absolutely withering right now. the results of the night are still not quite settling with him, and he feels like he's walking through a nightmare inside of a nightmare over and over again. they're just sitting somewhere after the results and he just wraps an arm around her and pulls her into his shoulder gently. ]
You are. But you don't have to be strong all the time.
It's okay not to be, too.
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Maybe we've never been okay, and the good times are just there to make it hurt more.
[ she doesn't really believe that, but. it's her own way of lashing out. ]
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You don't really mean that.
[ because he used to be the same way. he just buries his face in her hair for a minute. ]
I don't regret a second. And neither do you. No matter how much it hurts...
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Yes I do. [ no she doesn't. ] Everyone I love dies.
[ and the fact that fire has been involved every single time does not help ]
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Yeah...
But we're going to find out who did it this time, Nahri... even if it hurts. We won't let them get away this time. I promise.
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You promise? [ she gives his hand a little squeeze. ]
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[ he squeezes her hand back without hesitation. ]
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[ she wants to get to the bottom of things as much as he does, but rash decisions are not the best ones to make - she knows, because she can also act rashly. ]
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[ ehe ] And if someone doesn't like the direction I'm headed in enough to get violent, there'd be witnesses.
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[ but he will just full on hug her at this point. just a very tight warm hug for her. ]
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she gives him a snug hug back. he might choke a little on her hair, sorry. ]
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It's never gonna be easy, but if I can ever help, I'm here okay?—Ack!
[ he does sputter a little bc he's choking on— ]
So much hair...
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Mouth closed next time, Eiden.
[ at least this seems to have lifted her spirits. ]
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at least they're already nestled together, so they just need to do a quarter turn scoot and they're in perfect braiding position. she takes her headscarf off so he doesn't have to feel weird about asking. ]
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[ because why not. everything's a mess right now! he just carefully braids some of the pieces near her face into a little crown that ties carefully in the back. ]
Let me do your nails for trial tomorrow? We deserve to go in there looking like we're ready to kick ass.
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I want blue again.
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[ it's the small comforts. he starts to work the rest of it into a very pretty braid, careful when parting her hair. and he will probably do it again tomorrow for her if she wants. ]
Blue's good. I have to touch up my nails anyways so we'll go together.
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... Heh. I hope she and Yakumo can both see us. Especially tomorrow.
wk 4, saturday post-trial
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We did it, Eiden-- we did it. We did it!
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We did it... it took so much... but we did it...
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I know I should be sad, I know-- but. We did it for them. We didn't fail this time. Shenhe, Yakumo, Fei Du... we did it for them.
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Something had to give... I'm glad Wenzhou pressed. I'm so glad...
The letters Shenhe left behind were the first clue, then the lack of cooperation, turning the trial around in their favor at the eleventh hour... and we got that all back. [ he lets out a trembling breath ] Doesn't bring Shenhe or Yakumo or Fei Du back... but it shows people what we can't allow them to get away with.
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I know they're watching. I know they saw. I hope that counts for something.
...And I hope Fei Du knows how grateful I am that he left his wine out.
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He really set us up for success... didn't he.
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[ he just... squeezes her hands now and will just start to walk them. anywhere. just a meandering walk. ]
I get why Wolfwood was trying to calm you down... people voted us when Gyuhyuk was acting up but...
[ he bumps her shoulder. ]
Thank you... after checking Shen Qingqiu's body, I just... [ couldn't get angry anymore. it's why he didn't tell her to stop. because she could be angry enough for both of them. ]
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she tries not to dwell on that. ]
You shouldn't be thanking me. I nearly screwed everything up. [ her tone is only a gentle chastisement of her own behavior. she doesn't think what she said was wrong, but she really did almost screw her team. ]
...Are you going to be okay, tonight?
[ it's kind of a lame question, in the grand scheme of things. things are not going to be okay in the wake of more loss. ]
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[ at the question, he tilts his head back and forth a bit. ]
Pfft, no clue actually. I thought about sleeping in the park, but I don't want to leave Gyuhyuk alone. So we'll probably hunker down in the warehouse.
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she was too much of a coward to attend that execution. she didn't get yakumo and eiden's last moments together, how that all ended. it shouldn't have ended that way. and she knows she should stop being so selfish and thinking about her own feelings, when eiden is right here, and he has already lost so much more than her in the short period of time they've been here. just in one week alone he's lost two teammates. that has to hurt. that has to cut deep, and he's still here, strong and gentle and kind.
she wishes she could be more like that, instead of obsessing over the few connections she'd made, when she'd always been alone before this. ]
...I think you should stay with Gyuhyuk. You two need each other, now more than ever. If anything, I don't think you should be alone.
[ there's another layer under that. in a more general sense. eiden is a sweet boy, and he shouldn't have to endure this. ]
w5, monday
[ gestures around to the fucking CAVE SYSTEM we're in. ]
I liked the clouds more.
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Me too, this is definitely the complete opposite of where we were last.
[ the first thing nahri can notice is that
eiden's hair is bleached white ]
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Well, at least your hair makes you easier to see in the dark.
[ she likes it, because she likes him, but look. ]
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[ he grins. ]
I guess we could go exploring? I heard from some people there's a hot spring around here somewhere?
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I definitely want to check out the hot springs. It'll almost be like a real bath!
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[ offering his hand! let's go look! ]
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I have a feeling they're going to get a lot of use this week if they're that relaxing.
[ and if someone sullies that by dying there she is going to be very upset ]
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Wow, I didn't actually think they'd be this prepared... it looks amazing... I haven't been to a hot spring in forever.
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We don't have anything like this where I'm from. We have bath houses, but those have a more specific purpose. [ they actually have multiple, being a good center of gossip on the ladies' side anyway, in addition to being a clean, safe place to do whatever complicated grooming ritual you want. ]
--We just jump in?
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[ he just chuckles a little and looks at the huts. ]
I think first we have to undress, at least that's how it worked where I was from. Let's look inside the building over there and see if there are some towels.
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but it's alpha week so that doesn't matter!! she is happily pulling him to the building. ]
--I guess this is where we'd put our clothes?
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[ help alpha week rly said "go to the hot springs with your friend and say fuck it to clothes! eiden just allows her to tug him she's the boss (she's younger) she's the boss today. you can be alpha in the way you follow along too. in any case, he's already shucking off his shirt, revealing three long, furrowed scars along his back.
he's pretty easy-going about undressing, already tossing a towel her way and turning around easily to take care of his clothes. ]
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she catches the towel and gets to work taking off her few layers to neatly store them for later. she may be more confident but she still has manners, so she wraps the towel around herself until she can get into the water. ]
Eiden, what are those scars from?
[ ok maybe she could stand to be a littld more polite. ]
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The monsters in the Dead Zone get a little overwhelming... I got separated from my clan members during a fight.
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I hope you had someone to take care of you.
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[ a laugh because man! robots sometimes... he does take her hand so they can go slink into one of the pools though! ]
We met back up eventually though... but he took care of me for a while, until my essence was back up and running properly.
w5, wednesday
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got setsu back to t bd
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I'm glad Setsu is alright.
Do you need anything?
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its not that bad, i thigm its mostlyeq done bleedinh dont wawte your psych
gpmna probably need it tmrow
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Let me at least look at it? Did you wrap it correctly? Clean it?
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thags avout kt
ill let you see it if youre really worried nahri
but i thnk its okay
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Yes I'm a little worried.
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i can surviebe germs
[ but he will open the warehouse door a bit and scoot a couple of chairs out to sit upon! ]
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[ hey wait--
aw man her fake indignant rage :( ]
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also he looks a little flushed, but it's wearing off finally? so. ]
Hey, Nahri. Sit, sit.
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Arm, please.
[ puts her paws OUT ]
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You can look, but save your healing... okay?
[ it was kind of a gusher but it's not like. an insane wound. very clean in terms of a gunshot wound. he just kinda sways in his chair and lets her do her thing and look. ]
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she's smiling like a smug asshole about it. ]
Oops.
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[ he grumbles, giving her chair a few little bunny kicks before scooting his a little closer. it is nice that the soreness is dialed back, so... ]
Fine, fine... Thank you. [ holds paws with now. ]
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My hand slipped.
[ she deliberately put her hand on him.
but that's ok because they can handhold now. ]
Don't worry, I'll have plenty of healing left over for tomorrow. I promise.
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Yeah, okay, I'll believe that one. [ about her hand slipping before topper comes climbing up to just curl up in nahri's lap if allowed. ]
Week's going by so quickly.
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Yeah... it almost feels like normal.
[ and there's a little scoff, because nothing about this is normal. EIDEN JUST GOT SHOT BY A PONY IN A CAVE ]
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Almost, yeah. I get you there. We're gonna make tomorrow really fun though, okay?
[ with a chuckle ] We've going to have so many milkshakes. We should bring every flavor to try.
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Tell me yours and I'll pick it up too. And I'll ask Wenzhou tomorrow.
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This'll be a good one. We'll have to take lots of pictures too.
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[ she takes out her phone and gets a pictures of topper in her lap first. ]
So you know what that means.
w5, thursday pre-curfew!
Re: w5, thursday pre-curfew!
maybe her reaction should be more extreme than it is: just staring, looking him over. processing.
until she reaches up and grabs both sides of his face - not very hard, just. is this real? is he real? ]
I remember you.
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she touches his face and he blinks a little bit, but doesn't pull away. he looks... so tired. unusually tired, and there are small puncture wounds, like spider bites, along his jaw and neck. they don't seem to hurt much though since he just presses into her hands immediately like a sad dog. ]
You'd better freaking remember me, I died like twenty million times to come back to you.
[ softer ]
Can I hug you? Are you hurt anywhere...
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her hands don't leave his face. the cuts on them mostly healed over with help. she just can't stop looking at him, and what's happened to him, because this doesn't quite match what she remembers before.
but she knows him. ]
I... yeah, I don't think a hug is a very good idea right now.
[ she isn't pleased with having to deny him. the pull of comfott and warmth is so tempting.]
I might bleed all over you.
[ she won't, she's too healed up to do so. ]
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That's okay... I... had a hole in my chest like a few hours ago, so. Maybe I shouldn't either...
[ it's hard, he could fix this himself otherwise, but they're in a stupid game where powers don't work except what they've been granted. so he just settles for holding her hands, nodding. he eventually lifts one of his own hands between them and just makes a soft little prismatic light between the both of them. something small. optimistic. ]
Wanna sit and talk a little...?
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How much time do you have?
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[ he means it. he's got nowhere to be. ]
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This is going to sound mad-- I'm going to sound mad, but you have to believe me, okay?
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... Of course. I promise. I'll believe you.
[ these adventures suck so! ]
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[ she has to pause. not for dramatic effect, she's just trying to sort through everything in her head. ]
I've been wandering in the desert with Jonas and Mizuki for over 100 years. [ we're just getting this out of the way. but she launches into her next sentence before he can say anything. ] Longer than that, I suppose, but it's so real. I know it was real. Everything we went through, everything that happened was for real. We- we didn't start in No Man's Land. We were on a ship at first, and we lived there with Vash and Knives and Rem. But I remember-- I remember us talking back then about it, that we knew it was Vash's memory. So we went along with it and time kept passing, and passing, and the next thing we knew decades had passed. So it stopped feeling like a mission inside a memory and feeling real. And- [ her emotions are starting to break, here, as she rehashes everything and the memories come flooding back ] -and, people like you and Wenzhou, I remember, but it wasn't as clear as it once was because it's been so long.
[ she has to take a breath, now that the feelings are coming back to her too. ] And then, and then we had to go to this city called July for information, and these people who wanted to capture us were there, but it was people from the game. Wenzhou was there. I knew I recognized him but I thought he was just a passing face in some other distant memory. Except that he knew what to say to get through to me and I remembered him.
And now it's 150 years later and, and [ she's starting to cry at this point. ] - and I'm being told I've only been gone a few days? [ one day, but, that's just her confusing information ] But I haven't! I've been gone for over a century! I don't remember half the people here or not... not clearly, and I'm so confused because how can it have been so long but so short at the same time? I know it's real! I didn't wander around in the desert for that long to just-- just to say it was all in my head!
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150 years for what?
he shakes his head slowly. ]
Nahri... no... [ softer ] I get it... because I'm pretty sure I can't parse out the same thing either.
[ he lifts up a hand very carefully to push a little bit of her hair back. ] but I can listen, I'll always listen, if you need something to hang onto, to anchor you back, I'll be here, okay? Telling you it's all in your head isn't going to help anything. We were in the facility for loops and loops of time... I lost count...
I'm still waiting to wake up and be told that I'm supposed to go back to those abnormalities. So I get it. It sticks with you... doesn't it...
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I just... I just don't know why we had to go through that. Why Vash-- why anyone has to go through that. How... How many loops did you have to do? How many times did you have to get hurt?
[ because everyone comes back hurt. Even she did, when that shouldn't have been possible. ]
When we came out of that black hole, my old wounds opened up again like everything was being undone... But the memories stayed, so, I don't know.
[ she can't really keep hold of their conversation, trying to get everything out, messy as it is. ]
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[ he frowns softly and just looks down at his hands. ]
We weren't supposed to remember, apparently. Most people that die there are brought back without any memories of how they died, but Alex and Kaveh and I... we remembered it. I remembered every minute. Being eaten alive, getting stabbed, I...
[ he slowly leans back a little on his hands now, has to try and take a breath. ]
w6, monday
Eidennn...
[ thought: it's so cold.]
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Come here... [ bundles!!! ] this place is really chilly, huh. We should find you some better clothes for this.
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Please. I'm not going to make to Tuesday at this rate.
[ this isn't like the underground where she doesn't like it and will avoid it (aside from hot springs) - she thinks the snow is interesting?? but it is just. cold. ]
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[ eiden there are holes in this sweater at the shoulders? ]
Is this your first time seeing real snow? Besides the Weather Factory. Must be really different now, huh.
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Yeah, I've never seen a whole area covered in snow like this. It's been cold in the mountains, but it was just... cold.
[ and it was an awful time. ]
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The snow makes it way prettier than when it's just cold. [ there's a beat and then a little, startling oh! i know! that pops into her head bc it's thought share week. ]
Hey... you ever seen a reindeer before?
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No...
[ and her own thoughts helpfully add: eiden, what are you planning? ]
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Wanna go see one in person? Or two or three? There's a whole stable full of them. They're super cute!
[ i'm not planning anything! it's fun! ]
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They're kind of like... camels? But without the hump? Right?
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[ he'll tug her along towards the stables. it'll be warm in there, too, so they can get out of the cold for a bit. inside are some reindeer! they are very cute and having a good time eating their oats and poking their cute heads out of the stalls to see their company. ]
Ta-da~
w6, thursday
[ HUG HUG HUG HUG HUG THIS ISN'T A THOUGHT IT IS WHAT MUST HAPPEN GIVE HER THE BOOYYYYY ]
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[ HE SLAMS INTO HER IMMEDIATELY AND HUGS HER TIGHTLY. NO THOUGHTS, ONLY NAHRI. his hands clutch a little at whatever she's wearing as he ducks his face into her for a few moments. ]
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Eiden, what happened?
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We visited Fukuzawa's world, I'm pretty sure. We worked at his office... the ADA and we had all of these powers. Kyoko was able to heal people, but only if they were at least half dead... and I had a notebook I could use to write down different things and make them real, but they had to be about as big as the page... we couldn't use our psychs, so that's what we had to work with.
w6, friday post-investigation
Nahri! Nahri!
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she manages to tear her eyes away to look at eiden as he charges at her. she braces for impact. ]
Eiden.
[ there's a slight quiver in her voice. ]
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but even more, softer: ] It's bad... it's really bad, I'm... Nahri... the announcement.
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I knew this was going to happen. [ wolfwood or vash or me. it has to be one of us.
there's a little hitch in her breath, because that's not all, is there? ]
Wenzhou. Why-- he didn't have to go. What's going to happen to Kyoko?
[ they both know. ]
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it feels surreal. ]
She's still around. I went to check on her... I was afraid...
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I texted her. I didn't know if she wanted company. [ she looks at her phone, still gripped tightly in her hand. she remembers how unresponsive she was when shenhe died. and how wolfwood and vash did their damnedest to make her feel better even though they had no idea what to do. there's a pang of guilt - kyoko doesn't have anyone like that anymore. her team is gone.
would you choose to keep this grief? ]
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yeah.
because i want to use it tomorrow. to make sure that we don't leave any stone unturned.
we have to use it tomorrow, nahri. ]
... I would. I have to.
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No, Eiden, look, there's-- there's something else.
[ she shows him her phone. there is a message on the screen: ]
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... What the...? When did you get this? Just now?
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Right as you ran up to me.
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[ and he shows her: ]
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...Guess this isn't the best time to ask Kyoko what this means, huh?
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[ it better not be about pigs again. ]
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We could—I don't see why not. Maybe it'll have something even though it's a little dated.
[ he looks just a little brighter at that. at the hope. ]
w6, saturday post trial
the napkin is full of cookies. all kinds. the kinds she had at curfew, pistachio, date, and all different types of christmas cookies too. he sets a to-go cup between them both, the biggest size, hot chocolate.
and he sits and just starts to eat. ]
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Do you really think it was Mizuki?
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She was so damn avoidant, she didn't bring her pipe to trial, she wouldn't let anyone check her until you pushed her in the end.
... I'm sorry.
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It's... It is what it is. I'm sorry I couldn't push her more.
I think she was lying to me, but it was so late I didn't try hard enough to push her. I'm sorry. [ her breath hitches again. she hasn't cried yet, and everything is threatening to burst through.
why do i always fail them? ]
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I wanted to go back there first. I wish we went back there first. Solved this from the head down instead of the ass up...
[ he drops his head softly on her shoulder. ]
We worked hard. We have to just rest now. This is the last week... the week before we get them back.
[ we will get them back. ]
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they will get the erased back. they have to. but it's getting more and more lonely each week as their friends keep dying. ]
What is the point of all of this?
[ she wants to scream. no one can answer her. they're already dead - why do they have to struggle and kill for another chance? ]
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aquamarine, opal, carmine, rock crystal, sapphire, obsidian, topaz... ]
I wish I had that answer... but even I can't answer that. I've asked myself every night.
[ he wraps his other arm around her, letting her bury her face if she wants to. ]
Just us now... stay close, okay? I don't trust anyone not to get stupid in the last week. [ maybe it doesn't help, maybe it won't ever help, but for now he can feel like a shield against everything else for her. ] We're almost at the finish line...
[ we won't trip. we won't fall. ]
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it's different here. she's made friends here. there are people like eiden who inexplicably care about her and comfort her. and she knows she can trust him, she does trust him, and not having to second guess that still surprises her all these weeks later. she knows she can rely on him, and that together they have to do their best to keep moving forward. he's right: they're almost at the end.
she just wishes she could do more to protect him too. ]
I wish we could merge our teams. It'd be easier to keep an eye on you.
[ yeah, because, he's the one who needs to be looked after. ]
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[ he laughs a little. ]
Heh. A Mess or Hot Peace, you think?
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A Mess.
[ after everything we've been through i think it's warranted. ]
w6, sunday
when he sees her, though, he'll hold out his hand. ]
Hi.
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there's a weak smile when she sees the flowers. she remembers him mentioning it earlier in the week. it's a sweet gesture. although she's careful when she approaches - remember how she said she'd heal herself? she may have fibbed about that, and there's a slight limp in her gait. ]
Hi. [ she takes his hand. ] Nice work.
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Thanks, I'm tired. Let's sit for a little bit.
[ he'll pull her to go find somewhere to sit among some roots of a nearby tree, flowers growing strong at their ankles. he will flop down first and pull her with him carefully. ]
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there's no protest as theu find someplace to sit, and she flops down with him, leaning against his side. ]
We're all pretty tired, I think.
...What do you think is next?
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[ he shifts to hold her hand, thumb stroking against hers gently as he laces their fingers together. ]
It's all about points now... I think at this point Justice!!!!! and Froggystyle might be neck and neck for the lead... so we're in good hands.
As for what we might have to do... I don't know. Find our friends somehow. Find Wenzhou... Shenhe... Fei Du... Yakumo.
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If it takes points, then those two teams have their work cut out for them. That's a lot of people to bring back.
...They can see us, so I think they'll be able to guide us when it's time. I know Fei Du and Shenhe want to come back, and if anyone can, it's them. [ naturally, wenzhou would follow fei du, and yakumo would come with. a strange realization hits her then, about their widow club, about how they found each other in grief after losing their teammates in the same week. it was poignant then, but it was a little detail that she had forgotten until now. ]
I think Yakumo will want to see you again too, so they'll be sure he gets returned to you. [ this is a poor attempt at a joke - the first part, anyway. she's certain about them being reunited. ]
w7, wednesday
i hope there's a slumber party confession circle and this can be after that because i think it would be funny ]
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Man, this suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.
[ turns head to yell into a pillow. ]
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she rubs his back. ]
It could be worse. We could be really dead for real this time.
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Yeah. I mean, hey... my talk with Nightingale was promising. We all got a lot of good information about what's to come.
[ not enough, but quite a bit to jump off of. ]
Tell me... what's the first thing you're gonna do when we see them again?
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He's going to deserve it. [ she props herself up on one of her arms. proper gossip mode engaged. ]
What about you?
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[ very firmly. ]
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...You know, I'm not surprised in the slightest that this is your answer.
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[ granted, he did not anticipate this whatsoever and neither did i. ]
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Someone in this family has to be. I trust that you can carry this burden responsibly.
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[ laughing right into her hair. ]
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[ she is also giggling ]
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what a fucking pc this is ]
Okay, I am going to imagine that you are a pure innocent maiden for real, so then we can change the topic.
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That yes, of course, I have not fucked in this place at all. I am... very pure.
God I'm excited to see everyone... that's keeping me going.
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but it fades, and she thinking more seriously on the topic at hand (not her slutty brother). ]
I am too. It feels... I don't know. It feels kind of too far away to be real.
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Yeah. I keep thinking I'll wake up... or that we'll keep looping again. Kinda nervous about this too.
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It's hard, yeah? We don't have to be strong right now... we just need to rest.
[ squeezing her gently. ]
It's almost over, Nahri...
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I'd like to be strong at least once. It'd make this a whole lot easier.
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You're strong when you need to be strong. And when you aren't, that's okay.
[ them's the facts. hesitantly: ]
What'll you do... when you get home...? What's waiting?
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Just work.
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What's work?
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she makes no further attempt to escape. ]
Healing people.
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That something you wanna keep doing...?
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What's it like? Do you work with other healers?
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