![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[ they can sit by the pyre sorry MORE FIRE!! ]
What...? How is that even possible?
What...? How is that even possible?
[It's different this is the fire at home. Comfort....]
I don't know. We couldn't see what started it. The place was pure smoke by the time we left.
Maybe other people weren't locked in half as tight as we were.
I don't know. We couldn't see what started it. The place was pure smoke by the time we left.
Maybe other people weren't locked in half as tight as we were.
Yeah, not everyone was if there are fires around the place.
[ frowning ]
But I heard Aventurine was locked in the cabin the same as everyone else so... He could've only gotten out later.
[ frowning ]
But I heard Aventurine was locked in the cabin the same as everyone else so... He could've only gotten out later.
[Are they really family? They're playing at it, in spite of her advanced years. She's using them as a crutch, a pound of cement to fill a mile-deep cave in. It's helping, yes, but the years she needed the attention for are long past her.]
...I hope you're not speaking from experience.
[She doesn't say thanks. The shame is clouding over. Laying all her woes on this kid. She knows his name and little else about him. Profile scraps, hand-to-hand combat, curses, bringing a "worm" from home. Nothing that warrants her shoveling bullshit on his head.]
Don't worry about it.
...I hope you're not speaking from experience.
[She doesn't say thanks. The shame is clouding over. Laying all her woes on this kid. She knows his name and little else about him. Profile scraps, hand-to-hand combat, curses, bringing a "worm" from home. Nothing that warrants her shoveling bullshit on his head.]
Don't worry about it.
[ He blinks, looking over at her. ]
Oh, no. My parents are pretty normal. [ Hm. He's pretty reticent, but... ] But it's hard when you're in a shitty situation, to have the drive to get out of it. Especially if you're alone.
So I was curious how you did it.
Oh, no. My parents are pretty normal. [ Hm. He's pretty reticent, but... ] But it's hard when you're in a shitty situation, to have the drive to get out of it. Especially if you're alone.
So I was curious how you did it.
Good. That's good to hear. [She smiles, catching his eye again.]
Everyone's going to get knee deep in it at some point. Most of us will find our way out.
[There's a beat.]
I can't imagine it's all peaches and cream on your end either, given what you're dealing with.
[She hasn't forgotten his own ink, too.]
Everyone's going to get knee deep in it at some point. Most of us will find our way out.
[There's a beat.]
I can't imagine it's all peaches and cream on your end either, given what you're dealing with.
[She hasn't forgotten his own ink, too.]
[ He's holding the inflatable t-rex costume. ]
... All right.
... All right.
[ He looks down at the writing, expression relatively unchanging. ]
... A lot of people I know have died lately. Sometimes it feels like soon, no one will be left.
[ He shrugs, looking back at the water. ]
But I don't know how to change anything either.
... A lot of people I know have died lately. Sometimes it feels like soon, no one will be left.
[ He shrugs, looking back at the water. ]
But I don't know how to change anything either.
You gonna try it on?
[She is holding a tanuki costume.]<?small
[She is holding a tanuki costume.]<?small
[Yeah. She figured it might be something like that.
His age gnaws at her too. What's the count at now, that he's calling it a serial and not a few raw deals?]
...Is it related to your curse stuff? Or incidental?
His age gnaws at her too. What's the count at now, that he's calling it a serial and not a few raw deals?]
...Is it related to your curse stuff? Or incidental?
Yeah, fighting curses is pretty dangerous.
[ Closes his eyes. ]
But they'll kill people if we don't, so there's no choice.
[ Closes his eyes. ]
But they'll kill people if we don't, so there's no choice.
[Looks at him.
Unzips the back, full eye contact.]
Unzips the back, full eye contact.]
Yeah.
[She nods, lips pulling in. Camille takes a chance and rests her palm at his shoulder. Her experience with teenage boys comes from a thin scope of being a teenager herself. She can't read them so well any more.]
There's no getting away from it when you're in the line of fire.
[She holds a moment.]
Do you think there'll be an end to it?
[She nods, lips pulling in. Camille takes a chance and rests her palm at his shoulder. Her experience with teenage boys comes from a thin scope of being a teenager herself. She can't read them so well any more.]
There's no getting away from it when you're in the line of fire.
[She holds a moment.]
Do you think there'll be an end to it?
[ He's not really used to the gesture. He's not used to adults—or anyone—thinking that their lives are anything to mourn. They do what they have to, and if they die, then they died doing what was right.
That's all.
But he doesn't flinch away, looking at her. ]
Probably once I'm dead. [ ... ] Which isn't as bad as it sounds. Some sorcerers do make it to old age.
That's all.
But he doesn't flinch away, looking at her. ]
Probably once I'm dead. [ ... ] Which isn't as bad as it sounds. Some sorcerers do make it to old age.
[how tf are we at 90+ they have nothing in common
Anyway she left him for a while to get his throat treated but she comes back as soon as she's able, pale and fretting. Doing a very bad job of not letting it show, taking a seat at his side.]
Hey, kid.
Anyway she left him for a while to get his throat treated but she comes back as soon as she's able, pale and fretting. Doing a very bad job of not letting it show, taking a seat at his side.]
Hey, kid.
[ I tried to make a joke, but I honestly don't even know.
He also looks pale! Almost grey, but he's patched up, with bandages around his arm and neck. ]
Hey.
He also looks pale! Almost grey, but he's patched up, with bandages around his arm and neck. ]
Hey.
[Buddy...she smiles a little, though strained.
It's affection week so she's brushing the stray hairs off his greige forehead.]
You got it in you to do do a mini interview?
It's affection week so she's brushing the stray hairs off his greige forehead.]
You got it in you to do do a mini interview?
[ NOT THE GREIGE
He answers without much hesitation. ]
Sure. I think we all died.
He answers without much hesitation. ]
Sure. I think we all died.
And people call me a pessimist.
[Piss poor joke for a hopeless situation. There's not much she can say to the contrary though, and that's what guts her. The only tools she has to tinker with are forged by her own miseries. She knows what it is to feel there's no peace, to drift down miles of tepid tragedies until you hit the dropoff and plummet.
She doesn't know how to get off that road, really. She's doing better, but there's no such thing as being fixed. Not her brain, and not his circumstances.
Camille sighs. She could use a drink.]
You got dealt a rotten hand. I'm sorry. No one should have to bear that kind of weight. Much less a guy straight out of high school.
[Piss poor joke for a hopeless situation. There's not much she can say to the contrary though, and that's what guts her. The only tools she has to tinker with are forged by her own miseries. She knows what it is to feel there's no peace, to drift down miles of tepid tragedies until you hit the dropoff and plummet.
She doesn't know how to get off that road, really. She's doing better, but there's no such thing as being fixed. Not her brain, and not his circumstances.
Camille sighs. She could use a drink.]
You got dealt a rotten hand. I'm sorry. No one should have to bear that kind of weight. Much less a guy straight out of high school.
Or at least... I did. When I woke up, the others were gone, but I was a... zombie, or something like it.
[ touches his chest with a frown ]
[ touches his chest with a frown ]
[ He's silent for a moment. ]
Actually, I'm not done high school.
Actually, I'm not done high school.
Page 4 of 11