[she rests her head on his shoulder a little more firmly, not minding the metal.]
Oh - sorry. Didn't quite realize you didn't say it out loud. [because she can't see his mouth, but that makes more sense considering the way it was phrased...
S'all right. I should know better than to try hidin' things from you anyhow.
[ if her eyes worked correctly, she would've been able to read him easily anyway. he carefully collects his words, smoothing out the edges where he'd crammed those thoughts away. ]
I'll spare ya' the gory details and leave in the important bits. That place... It had rust 'n blood stains showin' up all over, just like we got here. I kept hearin' some noise... I can't remember what it was, but I was chasin' it like my life counted on it. That's how we ended up at the morgue in there. Aqua and Lucas had to go chasin' after me.
[ he seems a little frustrated, lost in thought. ]
Why was I doin' that? Feels like it's on the tip of my tongue... All I remember is pullin' out bodies, tryin' to find wherever that noise was comin' from. It stopped makin' sounds when I found it... It was small... And then it just burnt up in my hands. What was darn thing?
there's a pause, as she takes this in. and then she just hugs him a little more tightly. there's some soft dread that curls up in her at this.]
Maybe try not to think about it too hard right this second.
[she's trying not to think about it too hard, herself, because she has some idea of who that could've been, and she doesn't want to upset him. especially because he can't remember. two things lost for her, three things lost for him. fuck.]
he remembers that memory loss can be an effect of dying. but how does that make sense, if he already lost his sense of taste? or maybe smell? or both? he's not sure. ]
Mm.
[ he hates not remembering it, the thought of it still niggling at the back of his subconscious, but there isn't much he can do about it now. he just swallows and keeps going. ]
Anyway, we saw Aerith in there. Not really Aerith, but... it was some kinda zombie thing that looked like her. I had to shoot her before she got to Lucas. After that, we found the key to get out and head to this other big room.
[ here's where the discomfort and sorrow and guilt begin to climb. ]
That paintin' with the triangle helmet thing had some gallows behind it with three people. So when we got to this room, we saw the gallows there too. This time it was Aqua's friend Terra, Lucas's little sister... and then you.
[ah. well. she can see where this might be going. metaphorically.
his feelings grow, and she takes a deep breath. carefully, she calms herself, evens out as best she can, and gives him reassurance. comfort, warmth. this is harder for him to recount, she thinks, than it is for her to hear it.
there's a distant thought - something that sounds like even back then? before, out loud:]
This place really likes to use us against each other. [a flicker of anger.] Were we...
[ he grasps into whatever comfort and warmth she offers. that guilt and unease doesn't entirely dissipate; he just wraps it in her affection and holds it there.
he glances at her when he hears that thought. ]
You were still breathin', though I can't say how. ...And yeah, even then. I told you I hadn't met anyone like you.
[ they're near the apartments now. the doors slide open. ]
Heard all of my dead kin around me too. I tried to get you down... and when I did that, you held me and I didn't wanna move. [ he shakes his head. ] Anyway, this ice spread all over me, changed me to rust. I came to and carried Lucas out. Gave him to Aqua when the rust got so bad, I started fallin' apart.
[ his chest tightens like a spring, remembering this next part. ]
I wasn't facin' him, but... if those gallows were there, I'm thinkin' this guy was there too. I got cut into pieces by somethin' while Aqua and Lucas got outta there. Went black after that.
[it's not fun to hear this. she doesn't regret it, and she doesn't even really seem all that surprised, funnily enough, but that doesn't make her feel any less sad to hear what happened to him.
the words don't pop up on her skin again, but her resolve to protect him crawls up in her chest and settles there. it's fierce.]
So he's come after you twice, then.
[...]
My soldier. [she murmurs, tucking herself closer, as they walk through the doors.] Hate that you went through that. All of that - the rust, seeing things. I'm sorry, I wish I'd been there. Really me.
[ he presses his cheek up against her forehead briefly. up the stairs they go; he avoids the elevator.
her protectiveness is sweet. it melts away from of that tension in him. ]
I know. I wish I was there for ya' then too, when you were goin' through what you did.
[ gives her a little squeeze. ]
The real you is here now, yeah? That's better than anythin' I could've hoped for. I was ready to claw my way back to ya', but who knows what would've happened till then.
[avoiding the elevator is probably a good idea actually, yeah, help.
she's still dizzy and can't see, but she squirms a little when they're on the right floor, pressing her nose up against his jaw, almost sort of bunting him gently. she's mindful of the horns. there's still a sense of something uneasy and angry under the protection vibes, something indignant at the fact that he was toyed with like that. and something vaguely nauseated, because the idea of him rusting and falling apart is something that she can, unfortunately, picture very well.]
That would've been a sight to see. [she says, tail shifting around his waist.] When we got letters - Aerith told me you were still there. I was going to wait for you.
[ boothill understands it. he was the same way when he heard of everything karlach had been through in the hotel and in arpechele. it's his turn for that unease and anxiety to begin to drift off again into the present, where karlach is blind and dizzy and needs care. he shares that worry with her—the knowledge that she will get better soon and he'll be there to ensure she has what she needs.
now on the right floor, boothill walks them to his apartment and manages to work open the doorknob in some unspecified way! anyway. ]
I gotta thank her for that. I'm always gonna wish I sent you somethin' right when I could.
[ he toes the door closed, walks them to their bedside to carefully deposit her. ]
I had no forkin' clue how I was gonna do it, but after I did my mopin', I was gettin' out to you one way or another.
[she settles on the bed when he puts her down, and frowns - this really is the worst, she is so disoriented. being blind is bad enough, but she thinks she might have managed fine with stumbling around. she can't even do that, because every time she tries to stand she tips over!!
there's a bit of grouchy frustration that she's emanating, but it's soothed by the fact that he's insistent that he'll be here. he's really the only one she's okay with being like this with - the rest of the people here she loves and trusts, but even now karlach has a hard time letting herself be vulnerable or less than a hundred percent confident in front of them.
she reaches for boothill, trying to find his hand.]
Now we can figure out how to get out together. [she says, using her free hand to brace herself up.] Think we're doing okay on that front, and - we've got the machine, right, I think we settled that much at least.
-- Have you been learning? With the writing and everything.
[ KARLACH... cries... unfortunately for her, boothill can see all of this pouting and grouchiness, and she'll feel the fond and endeared vibes coming off of him. she's so huffy when she's debuffed and he thinks it's adorable.
when she reaches, he immediately sets his hand in hers and squeezes. ]
We got it. We'll be just fine s'long as he have some way of usin' that machine wherever we are. [ me, nat, sweating and hoping our radioshack phones will work for this somehow. he leans down and kisses her forehead. ] Now lie down while I get these shoes off of you.
[ they'll cuddle in a second, but boothill is going to spoil her first. he lets her hand go and goes to slide off their shoes. ]
I been learnin' from Nehan, yeah. A few days ago, Karma gave me this note 'n said I should find him once I could read it. I figured it out on Sunday.
[the endeared vibes also mollify her a bit. it makes her feel a little less useless.
but she does flop back when he asks her to, and closes her eyes again, since there's not much point in them being open. right now she's wearing laced up combat boots, so she'll let him struggle with those, her tail being a nuisance where it's swishing in agitation. being spoiled is nice though, really. she could get used to it.]
Oh, damn - that's good! [genuinely!! she's very proud, and there's not a condescending bone in her body about this.] You're a quick leaner.
[ SHE IS NOT USELESS!!! blasts her with vibes of loving his cute pouty wife ]
Think so, wouldn't ya'? It was actually kinda sweet. He hated me sayin' that, but it's the truth. Kid hurt his hands a while back [ smashed all the windows in the school since he was upset that daan and karlach arrived ] but I promised to teach him guitar one day. The paper was—
[ yoink! one of the boots comes off. he sets it on the ground. but before he gets started on the next one: ]
Now you hold still.
[ he reaches and drops his hand on karlach's angry swishy tail, pinning it to the bed. ]
[HIS WIFEGUY BEAMS it's impossible to stay mad when he keeps blasting her with this, really]
I love that little snot, but I can never tell if he's going to be nice or —
[she says, and then he pounces on her tail and she squeaks in surprise!! and then starts laughing, because she can't see this but she can absolutely imagine him grabbing it like trying to grab a fish in a pond. she doesn't protest, but she does try and give him a hard time. instinctively, her tail does the wacky inflatable tube man motions, gently slapping at his hands as she giggles.]
[ HELP now they are doing this stupid cute thing. boothill sets on knee on the bed and tries to catch her wacky inflatable arm flailing tail man again. ]
'Ey! Why, you li'l forkin' troublemaker... Don't you slap me! I said hold still, dadgummit!
[ PAT PAT KEEPS TRYING TO PAT HER TAIL DOWN but eventually he gives up, climbs on the bed, and tries to grab her hips. ]
[HELP the stupid censored cursing just gets her to laugh harder, so she's completely caught off guard when he climbs on the bed properly. the grip on her hips is such a pavlov response for her, which means her tail wraps around his leg and stays there, as she makes a humming almost-purr sound.
still grinning, she looks in the direction she thinks he might be. it's... pretty close. she can't sit up because she'll fall back over, so instead she just wriggling under his hands instead.]
I've been a perfect angel. [she says innocently. like, sure, okay.] Not sure what you mean!
[a little squawky noise escapes her, half a laugh and half a protest. it seems Dangerous at the moment to try and grab at him because with her lack of balance she's pretty sure she'd send them off the side of the bed.
not that this stops her, because she stops squirming, but only just enough to get her legs around him to yank him down onto the bed with her, cackling. the second he's down, she presses her face against the side of his head... and then bites his ear? okay?? sure. it's all she can reach.]
Dastardly, punishing me for innocence! [the DRAMA of it all, with a big exaggerated and doofy sigh.]
[ DOWN HE GOES, just barely catching himself on his hands before he can pancake her. he's laughing, his ear buzzing as her lips nuzzle against the side of his head, and THEN. SHE BITES HIM? ]
Ack! [ NOT HIS EAR AGAIN!!! he squeezes his ear and feels little shark-toothed bite marks, scoffing. ] You call that innocent, ya' little forker? It's payback time!
[ maybe! he shouldn't roughhouse with her while she's blind and unbalanced, but she started it. whether or not she fights him, he's craning his neck to bite her ear back too!! ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Oh - sorry. Didn't quite realize you didn't say it out loud. [because she can't see his mouth, but that makes more sense considering the way it was phrased...
in any case, she listens, frowning.]
So it was awful, then. [more unease.]
no subject
[ if her eyes worked correctly, she would've been able to read him easily anyway. he carefully collects his words, smoothing out the edges where he'd crammed those thoughts away. ]
I'll spare ya' the gory details and leave in the important bits. That place... It had rust 'n blood stains showin' up all over, just like we got here. I kept hearin' some noise... I can't remember what it was, but I was chasin' it like my life counted on it. That's how we ended up at the morgue in there. Aqua and Lucas had to go chasin' after me.
[ he seems a little frustrated, lost in thought. ]
Why was I doin' that? Feels like it's on the tip of my tongue... All I remember is pullin' out bodies, tryin' to find wherever that noise was comin' from. It stopped makin' sounds when I found it... It was small... And then it just burnt up in my hands. What was darn thing?
no subject
there's a pause, as she takes this in. and then she just hugs him a little more tightly. there's some soft dread that curls up in her at this.]
Maybe try not to think about it too hard right this second.
[she's trying not to think about it too hard, herself, because she has some idea of who that could've been, and she doesn't want to upset him. especially because he can't remember. two things lost for her, three things lost for him. fuck.]
no subject
he remembers that memory loss can be an effect of dying. but how does that make sense, if he already lost his sense of taste? or maybe smell? or both? he's not sure. ]
Mm.
[ he hates not remembering it, the thought of it still niggling at the back of his subconscious, but there isn't much he can do about it now. he just swallows and keeps going. ]
Anyway, we saw Aerith in there. Not really Aerith, but... it was some kinda zombie thing that looked like her. I had to shoot her before she got to Lucas. After that, we found the key to get out and head to this other big room.
[ here's where the discomfort and sorrow and guilt begin to climb. ]
That paintin' with the triangle helmet thing had some gallows behind it with three people. So when we got to this room, we saw the gallows there too. This time it was Aqua's friend Terra, Lucas's little sister... and then you.
no subject
his feelings grow, and she takes a deep breath. carefully, she calms herself, evens out as best she can, and gives him reassurance. comfort, warmth. this is harder for him to recount, she thinks, than it is for her to hear it.
there's a distant thought - something that sounds like even back then? before, out loud:]
This place really likes to use us against each other. [a flicker of anger.] Were we...
[y'know.]
no subject
he glances at her when he hears that thought. ]
You were still breathin', though I can't say how. ...And yeah, even then. I told you I hadn't met anyone like you.
[ they're near the apartments now. the doors slide open. ]
Heard all of my dead kin around me too. I tried to get you down... and when I did that, you held me and I didn't wanna move. [ he shakes his head. ] Anyway, this ice spread all over me, changed me to rust. I came to and carried Lucas out. Gave him to Aqua when the rust got so bad, I started fallin' apart.
[ his chest tightens like a spring, remembering this next part. ]
I wasn't facin' him, but... if those gallows were there, I'm thinkin' this guy was there too. I got cut into pieces by somethin' while Aqua and Lucas got outta there. Went black after that.
no subject
the words don't pop up on her skin again, but her resolve to protect him crawls up in her chest and settles there. it's fierce.]
So he's come after you twice, then.
[...]
My soldier. [she murmurs, tucking herself closer, as they walk through the doors.] Hate that you went through that. All of that - the rust, seeing things. I'm sorry, I wish I'd been there. Really me.
no subject
her protectiveness is sweet. it melts away from of that tension in him. ]
I know. I wish I was there for ya' then too, when you were goin' through what you did.
[ gives her a little squeeze. ]
The real you is here now, yeah? That's better than anythin' I could've hoped for. I was ready to claw my way back to ya', but who knows what would've happened till then.
no subject
she's still dizzy and can't see, but she squirms a little when they're on the right floor, pressing her nose up against his jaw, almost sort of bunting him gently. she's mindful of the horns. there's still a sense of something uneasy and angry under the protection vibes, something indignant at the fact that he was toyed with like that. and something vaguely nauseated, because the idea of him rusting and falling apart is something that she can, unfortunately, picture very well.]
That would've been a sight to see. [she says, tail shifting around his waist.] When we got letters - Aerith told me you were still there. I was going to wait for you.
I'm here now, but I would've.
no subject
now on the right floor, boothill walks them to his apartment and manages to work open the doorknob in some unspecified way! anyway. ]
I gotta thank her for that. I'm always gonna wish I sent you somethin' right when I could.
[ he toes the door closed, walks them to their bedside to carefully deposit her. ]
I had no forkin' clue how I was gonna do it, but after I did my mopin', I was gettin' out to you one way or another.
no subject
there's a bit of grouchy frustration that she's emanating, but it's soothed by the fact that he's insistent that he'll be here. he's really the only one she's okay with being like this with - the rest of the people here she loves and trusts, but even now karlach has a hard time letting herself be vulnerable or less than a hundred percent confident in front of them.
she reaches for boothill, trying to find his hand.]
Now we can figure out how to get out together. [she says, using her free hand to brace herself up.] Think we're doing okay on that front, and - we've got the machine, right, I think we settled that much at least.
-- Have you been learning? With the writing and everything.
no subject
when she reaches, he immediately sets his hand in hers and squeezes. ]
We got it. We'll be just fine s'long as he have some way of usin' that machine wherever we are. [ me, nat, sweating and hoping our radioshack phones will work for this somehow. he leans down and kisses her forehead. ] Now lie down while I get these shoes off of you.
[ they'll cuddle in a second, but boothill is going to spoil her first. he lets her hand go and goes to slide off their shoes. ]
I been learnin' from Nehan, yeah. A few days ago, Karma gave me this note 'n said I should find him once I could read it. I figured it out on Sunday.
no subject
but she does flop back when he asks her to, and closes her eyes again, since there's not much point in them being open. right now she's wearing laced up combat boots, so she'll let him struggle with those, her tail being a nuisance where it's swishing in agitation. being spoiled is nice though, really. she could get used to it.]
Oh, damn - that's good! [genuinely!! she's very proud, and there's not a condescending bone in her body about this.] You're a quick leaner.
Wait, what did the note say? Was it rude.
no subject
Think so, wouldn't ya'? It was actually kinda sweet. He hated me sayin' that, but it's the truth. Kid hurt his hands a while back [ smashed all the windows in the school since he was upset that daan and karlach arrived ] but I promised to teach him guitar one day. The paper was—
[ yoink! one of the boots comes off. he sets it on the ground. but before he gets started on the next one: ]
Now you hold still.
[ he reaches and drops his hand on karlach's angry swishy tail, pinning it to the bed. ]
Gotcha!
no subject
I love that little snot, but I can never tell if he's going to be nice or —
[she says, and then he pounces on her tail and she squeaks in surprise!! and then starts laughing, because she can't see this but she can absolutely imagine him grabbing it like trying to grab a fish in a pond. she doesn't protest, but she does try and give him a hard time. instinctively, her tail does the wacky inflatable tube man motions, gently slapping at his hands as she giggles.]
no subject
'Ey! Why, you li'l forkin' troublemaker... Don't you slap me! I said hold still, dadgummit!
[ PAT PAT KEEPS TRYING TO PAT HER TAIL DOWN but eventually he gives up, climbs on the bed, and tries to grab her hips. ]
All right, you asked for it.
no subject
still grinning, she looks in the direction she thinks he might be. it's... pretty close. she can't sit up because she'll fall back over, so instead she just wriggling under his hands instead.]
I've been a perfect angel. [she says innocently. like, sure, okay.] Not sure what you mean!
no subject
Oh, har-dee-har. A perfect angel.
[ psh. he tilts her hips and smacks her ass. ]
That's what I think about that!
no subject
not that this stops her, because she stops squirming, but only just enough to get her legs around him to yank him down onto the bed with her, cackling. the second he's down, she presses her face against the side of his head... and then bites his ear? okay?? sure. it's all she can reach.]
Dastardly, punishing me for innocence! [the DRAMA of it all, with a big exaggerated and doofy sigh.]
no subject
Ack! [ NOT HIS EAR AGAIN!!! he squeezes his ear and feels little shark-toothed bite marks, scoffing. ] You call that innocent, ya' little forker? It's payback time!
[ maybe! he shouldn't roughhouse with her while she's blind and unbalanced, but she started it. whether or not she fights him, he's craning his neck to bite her ear back too!! ]