SCAWWY ⇢ KARLACH (FLURRY)

[shirtbag]

Comments

[ablazement]

[the thing is, she believes him! she believes him. maybe some people would be more cautious or suspicious, but not her. it gets her into trouble sometimes.

karlach sighs, and then stretches her arms out. moves, just - tries to make herself move.]

I haven't got very long. I don't know if I'll even last the whole way through this thing.

[shirtbag]

[ that's a huge blow, and it show on his face. give him a second. ]

What'd you say?

[ he heard it, but he needs to hear it again to believe it. ]

[ablazement]

[she glances at him, almost guiltily.]

I'm... [say it. just say it out loud.] I'm going to die.

[shirtbag]

[ boothill searches her face, dumbstruck. his mouth opens and closes and opens again. ]

Karlach... [ his voice is strained. ] What's happenin' with ya?

[ablazement]

[she rubs at her chest - where the glow is.]

I told you about this, the engine. It's not made to work outside of the Hells. It runs too hot, and it's going to blow eventually. Maybe sooner than later.

S'alright. I've made my peace with it.

[shirtbag]

So that's why...

[ she was always very warm.

he takes a step forward. what does he even say about something he can't understand? ]

You sure about this? You mapped out every possibility? There ain't no way of coolin' ya off?

[ablazement]

[got it in one!

deep breath.]

If I go back to the Hells, it'll work. But I won't. I'm never going back.

[and - the tattoos kick in, full force. it's the same word plastered over and over, layered, like a repeated slash of a sword across her chest over and over: AVERNUS AVERNUS AVERNUS AVERNUS AVERNUS AVERNUS. she's hot - the temperature rises just a little.]

I won't.

[shirtbag]

[ boothill listens intently until the tattoos run their rampage. he leans back, eyes darting, processing the same word appearing as though on the attack. he can almost hear the crackle of fire under her body. ]

Hey, hey, hey-!

[ he reaches and, if she lets him, he holds onto her arm, engine be damned. he's a cyborg with no skin. he's not immune to heat, but he can take it better than a human can. ]

Whoa there. You take a deep breath, all right?

[ablazement]

[it doesn't hurt to touch her, thankfully, and she's glad that it won't. before, it would catch whoever was close. it'd leave nasty burns behind, wither flesh. boothill's a cyborg, but she doesn't want to see what infernal heat does to metal.

here, she's not capable of that. here, it's just like touching a stove that isn't fully on yet, not enough to burn or melt, but enough to be uncomfortable. here, it's just little flickers of harmless flame that settles in her hair, before fizzling out.

karlach lets him hold her arm, even if she stiffens up. it's the easiest way to calm her down, to make the rage ease. she sucks in a sharp breath when he tells her to, and closes her eyes.

her voice is a little bit of a growl. her free hand comes up to rest on her chest, clutching it like it hurts.]

Sorry - sorry. Trying.

[shirtbag]

[ it hurts to see. he watches a bit of cinders fly and catch in her hair and dust over her mottled shoulder. she's struggling, obviously, though he can't tell if she's in pain. if it's not that, it's close enough to it.

if she lets him, he lowers his hand to hers and squeezes there instead. he feels completely powerless. ]

You're okay. You take as long as you need. Y'think water would help?

[ablazement]

[it - actually makes her laugh? it's strained, but she laughs. maybe she holds his hand a little too tight.]

Hah, it - it might. [a beat.] I had Wyll do that, once.

[if she talks about something stupid, maybe she can make it ease up. it's already calming down.]

Threw a whole barrel. Water evaporated before it hit me.

[another deep breath, and this one she holds for a bit.]

[shirtbag]

[ no nerves. she can crush his hand into a different shape if she wants. his hand will be super busted until they find a mechanic, but that's something future boothill can worry about.

or he would. whatever wave of heat and stress came up on her seems to be dissolving. it feels more dangerous to let go of her grip to search for some water.

laughing seems to help. he does give her a smile at her little vignette, but it's obviously muted. ]

Yeah? Who's Wyll?

[ablazement]

[she exhales slowly, and the flames in her hair stop crackling and popping.]

One of my - my best mates. [...] Like Gale. Astarion.

[gale, astarion. she can't be out here burning up. who else will look after them if she does that? nobody. and then they'll get into something they can't get back out of again, and she can't have that. the temperature lowers a touch.]

One of the best men I've ever met.

[shirtbag]

[ he nods slowly. good. this is better. ]

Yeah? How'd ya meet 'im?

[ablazement]

[bit by bit, she cools down.]

Hah, would you believe he was hunting me?

[shirtbag]

Huntin'?

[ that gets him to smile. like PSH. ]

Guessin' you showed him what's what.

[ablazement]

Something like that. He got misled, you know? He thought I was something else.

But we talked, and he realized I wasn't some mass-murdering fuckhead. So we're good now.

[a pause, and then:]

... Thank you.

[shirtbag]

Yeah? Glad he grew himself some sense right quick.

[ mass-murdering fuckhead, huh. he sobers again, looking her over. ]

...You keep talkin' if ya want. No need to stop on my 'ccount.

[ablazement]

[she manages a smile.]

No, I'm okay. I'll be okay. [her tail finally uncoils from around her ankle.] Gods. That - used to be worse.

[sigh.]

[shirtbag]

[ he's not going to ask how much worse. he'll just return her smile. ]

Yeah? Well, let's count our blessin's. [ he lifts her hand and pats it with his other one. ] Sounds like somethin' musta' changed between now and then.

[ he can take a guess as to what, but. ]

[ablazement]

[after a moment - carefully, because she's still afraid she's going to hurt him - she squeezes the hand he's holding her's with.]

I had a mechanic who made it so I could touch people at all. That was a fucking relief.

[shirtbag]

[ he squeezes back. ]

How long you live like that for? 'Fore it got fixed.

[ablazement]

[sweats]

... Ten years.

[so maybe it is not a surprise that she really likes that she gets to touch people, now.]

[shirtbag]

Fudge.

[ bad timing but. fudge! ]

That's a long forkin' time ta' live that way. 'Specially for a softie like you.

[ablazement]

[that makes her laugh a bit.]

Softie like me, huh. [...] Yeah. It was torture, really. But like I said. I'm out. So...