Nothing. I just don't trust anything with this amount of power to keep its end of the bargain in a way that isn't - y'know, monkey's paw. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
actually because she's following she might see a pair of shadowy wings coming from their back; they're off the ground a bit that way. ]
Mm. [ a thoughtful noise. ] Never want to follow the track of an overturned cart. What kind of information have you gathered on something or someone so powerful so far?
Almost nothing, actually. I know that something powerful exists and that he coerced me into a contract. [she says, with an annoyed little ear flick.]
It doesn't sit well with me to go in and get what's mine and then get out. You know that. [... that being said.] But I can't fight anything if I don't know what I'm fighting against.
Not that that's what I'm doing. [covering her ass here...]
[she rubs at her face.] I have to be entertaining. But that doesn't mean I'm safe, and it doesn't mean Taako is safe, either. There's no guarantee I'm going to be able to be in the lobby by the end of all of this. So maybe I just won't ever get to leave.
Nothing in the contract says I have to kill someone, but it sure does imply that it'd be better for me to do it. And that's - not even accounting for the people who got killed without killing, themselves. They're just screwed, under this contract.
... There's a lot to unpack, with the contract. Might be a good idea to do that with the others. [ she'll feel like aquila glances at her again, out of the corner of their eye. ] Not us.
[ they're not necessarily surprised by the reaction, if it helps, though there's a pause.
... ]
...No, you.... you don't have to apologize. I - [ they stop themselves, for a moment, bite back on something, shake their head. a little frustrated. ] ... you know how this goes.
[ the whole. npc thing.
they sigh, too, reaching up under their veil to scrub their face. ] I'm sorry.
[she says, firmly. maybe a bit sharp, in the way she gets when she's feeling a lot and she doesn't quite know how to express it.] You're not going to get in trouble because of me. So don't.
[ weh. well. there's a moment when he might want to argue back - i don't really care if i get in trouble or not - but, well. he doesn't, closing his mouth. this feels like the reversal of another conversation, a long time ago.
the sharp doesn't bother them any, recognizing, so, when they round the corner - it's still affection week. aquila reaches down, and his hand slips into hers, cold as ever. ]
... Alright. [ a little squeeze. ] I'll try to stay out of trouble. Best that I can, anyway. [ known troublemaker aquila lastname ] Apology accepted.
[... she lets them take her hand, and holds it in return, but she can't quite look at them yet because the frustration is practically coming out of her like steam.]
... Okay. [bluh. she takes a deep breath to try and expel the anxiety.]
[ this is the worst, actually, but aquila will take it for what it is - he squeezes her hand, and shadows engulf them, taking them to... the simulation room.
they let go, for a moment, and then lean back against the wall, finding the panel that changes the simulation. a few clicks and beeps, and it transforms into... a fairly simple landscape. just an open field, a clear, bright blue sky. there are sounds in the distance - chirping birds, the sounds of nature, but not much else.
aquila comes over with a simulated bag of something.
they sit down on a log that appears right under their uniform clad butt. ]
I heard you were really good at magic. Right? Show me one of your spells. Big one.
[she blinks, a little, at the sudden change in scenery. even just the fact that there's nature seems to help a little. not being able to go out into the sun gives her hives.
she takes a couple of steps into the field, and stops when aquila grabs her attention again.
... huh. okay. it's not the same, but... she can try.
big one, they say. her hands catch fire, and she waves them in front of her, watching the simulation do it's thing for a moment.
and then she just goes ahead and casts sunbeam.
she just remembers how good it felt to destroy the things that were keeping her in that excursion, is all.]
aquila throws something up in the air in the middle of the sunbeam and it gets fucking incinerated.
when she turns, she'll see them lightly tossing one of these up and down in their gloved hand. and they nod their head, then gesture a little at her hands. another one?
she can't see their face, but.
well, she might be able to picture it as they rear back and fling the next little monstrosity into the air to get roasted. ]
she stares at the furby as they toss it up and down, and then just. laughs. it's weak, but it's something.
... sure. sure, she'll roast them. she'll incinerate furby after furby until she's too tired to do it anymore. fireballs, sunbeams, immolation, wall of fire. all gone.]
[ they keep it up - pulling them out of an infinite bag of terrible furbies. making color commentary on them, occasionally, giving them awful names, making pointed remarks about their inherent flammability - anything to coax out some of that weak laughter, to stoke the embers they know so well back to a flame. (or - at least something close to it.)
by the time she’s tired herself out, instead of a landscape torched and destroyed, the simulation room has sprouted trees. lots of them, now - with the last spell, they burst into bloom, into pink petals as far as the eye can see.
Aquila glances down at the bag of furbies, now thankfully empty, and then says, softly, voice back to it’s fine wine smoothness and familiarity:] Wow.
aquila comes over and sits beside her. close, this time, shoulder to shoulder. they don't say anything at first, but after a moment, lift their arm. come here. :c ]
the air in the simulation room is sweet and fragrant, like flowers and something peachy; a gentle breeze blows through the little simulated paradise, rippling the surface of a pond in the distance, curling through lup's hair, the veil on aquila's face. as lup settles in, his arm comes to curl around her, holding her close, gloved fingers loosely curling in the fabric of her clothes.
at least - at least this time, at least like this, he can help. an indulgence of being exorbitantly kind shows itself in a manner of ways, and sometimes, some are sneakier than others. he tilts his head, resting it gently against the top of hers, and takes a deep breath. inhale, exhale. steady as iron. ]
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guestservices) wrote2022-06-09 12:18 pm
no subject
she follows them, and then, waving a hand.]
Nothing. I just don't trust anything with this amount of power to keep its end of the bargain in a way that isn't - y'know, monkey's paw. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
no subject
actually because she's following she might see a pair of shadowy wings coming from their back; they're off the ground a bit that way. ]
Mm. [ a thoughtful noise. ] Never want to follow the track of an overturned cart. What kind of information have you gathered on something or someone so powerful so far?
no subject
It doesn't sit well with me to go in and get what's mine and then get out. You know that. [... that being said.] But I can't fight anything if I don't know what I'm fighting against.
Not that that's what I'm doing. [covering her ass here...]
no subject
they huff a little. ] Mm. Well... is fighting whatever it is the only option? Know that sounds kinda dumb, coming from me.
no subject
The only other option is to just do what I'm told.
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Clarify - uh. [ great acting ] - Make it a little clearer for me. What do you mean by what you're told?
no subject
[she rubs at her face.] I have to be entertaining. But that doesn't mean I'm safe, and it doesn't mean Taako is safe, either. There's no guarantee I'm going to be able to be in the lobby by the end of all of this. So maybe I just won't ever get to leave.
Nothing in the contract says I have to kill someone, but it sure does imply that it'd be better for me to do it. And that's - not even accounting for the people who got killed without killing, themselves. They're just screwed, under this contract.
no subject
... There's a lot to unpack, with the contract. Might be a good idea to do that with the others. [ she'll feel like aquila glances at her again, out of the corner of their eye. ] Not us.
1/2
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pause, and she rubs her face, and then:] Sorry. I didn't - mean it like that.
no subject
... ]
...No, you.... you don't have to apologize. I - [ they stop themselves, for a moment, bite back on something, shake their head. a little frustrated. ] ... you know how this goes.
[ the whole. npc thing.
they sigh, too, reaching up under their veil to scrub their face. ] I'm sorry.
no subject
[she says, firmly. maybe a bit sharp, in the way she gets when she's feeling a lot and she doesn't quite know how to express it.] You're not going to get in trouble because of me. So don't.
no subject
the sharp doesn't bother them any, recognizing, so, when they round the corner - it's still affection week. aquila reaches down, and his hand slips into hers, cold as ever. ]
... Alright. [ a little squeeze. ] I'll try to stay out of trouble. Best that I can, anyway. [ known troublemaker aquila lastname ] Apology accepted.
no subject
... Okay. [bluh. she takes a deep breath to try and expel the anxiety.]
no subject
... ]
I know we were gonna go pick out some clothes. You wanna go blow off some steam? I think I've got an idea.
no subject
[that's fine, she'll do whatever.]
no subject
they let go, for a moment, and then lean back against the wall, finding the panel that changes the simulation. a few clicks and beeps, and it transforms into... a fairly simple landscape. just an open field, a clear, bright blue sky. there are sounds in the distance - chirping birds, the sounds of nature, but not much else.
aquila comes over with a simulated bag of something.
they sit down on a log that appears right under their uniform clad butt. ]
I heard you were really good at magic. Right? Show me one of your spells. Big one.
[ it's not reality, but. hey. it's something. ]
no subject
she takes a couple of steps into the field, and stops when aquila grabs her attention again.
... huh. okay. it's not the same, but... she can try.
big one, they say. her hands catch fire, and she waves them in front of her, watching the simulation do it's thing for a moment.
and then she just goes ahead and casts sunbeam.
she just remembers how good it felt to destroy the things that were keeping her in that excursion, is all.]
no subject
aquila throws something up in the air in the middle of the sunbeam and it gets fucking incinerated.
when she turns, she'll see them lightly tossing one of these up and down in their gloved hand. and they nod their head, then gesture a little at her hands. another one?
she can't see their face, but.
well, she might be able to picture it as they rear back and fling the next little monstrosity into the air to get roasted. ]
no subject
she stares at the furby as they toss it up and down, and then just. laughs. it's weak, but it's something.
... sure. sure, she'll roast them. she'll incinerate furby after furby until she's too tired to do it anymore. fireballs, sunbeams, immolation, wall of fire. all gone.]
no subject
by the time she’s tired herself out, instead of a landscape torched and destroyed, the simulation room has sprouted trees. lots of them, now - with the last spell, they burst into bloom, into pink petals as far as the eye can see.
Aquila glances down at the bag of furbies, now thankfully empty, and then says, softly, voice back to it’s fine wine smoothness and familiarity:] Wow.
no subject
there's not much else she can do. she just sits down, right in the middle of them, and reaches up to rub at her face.]
no subject
aquila comes over and sits beside her. close, this time, shoulder to shoulder. they don't say anything at first, but after a moment, lift their arm. come here. :c ]
no subject
and then she settles against them, resting her head on their shoulder and staring out over the trees.
this can be fine for a while.]
no subject
the air in the simulation room is sweet and fragrant, like flowers and something peachy; a gentle breeze blows through the little simulated paradise, rippling the surface of a pond in the distance, curling through lup's hair, the veil on aquila's face. as lup settles in, his arm comes to curl around her, holding her close, gloved fingers loosely curling in the fabric of her clothes.
at least - at least this time, at least like this, he can help. an indulgence of being exorbitantly kind shows itself in a manner of ways, and sometimes, some are sneakier than others. he tilts his head, resting it gently against the top of hers, and takes a deep breath. inhale, exhale. steady as iron. ]