week 2; tuesday ( stephanie )

[axilium]

[there's no escape, steph. literally. steph can't escape unless her leg has been magically healed between then and now.

belph is not happy.]

What.

Are you doing?

Comments

[vigilantics]

[ she almost says "nothing" but then she doesn't. there's a moment of silence as she just... deliberates.

and then she's on a tangent. ]

Do you ever decide that there is one thing you want to do? But then everyone and their butler tell you that, no, you're terrible at it and you need to quit and go away forever? But you're like, "No way! You're not the boss of me!" and keep doing it but then you mess up sometimes, and those mess ups range from "eh, that's not that bad" to "whoops I'm dead," and then when you finally figure things out and people start to respect you, you end up in a murder castle and just screw up all over again?

[ she... started wheezing towards the end there, because that is too many words said in such rapid succession while she is in a lot of pain. ]

[axilium]

[belph cannot, in fact, say he knows what that's like. he waits for a few moments, before—]

Whoa there. Try not to suffocate yourself.

[...]

That... sounds like a lot?

[vigilantics]

I'm such an idiot.

[ it's said more to herself than to him. she sounds mad. ]

You should probably smack me.

[axilium]

Considering how hard your head probably is, I'd just hurt my hand.

[vigilantics]

Oh no. Not your hand.

[ she rubs at her eyes. ]

Sorry. This is getting into tragic backstory territory.

[axilium]

It's fine.

... For what it's worth, regardless of whether or not you suck at it, I think it's good to have something you want to do. Life's pretty dull without dreams.

[vigilantics]

You can say nice things.

[ it's said with a small laugh. ]

I want... to give hope. That even when things seem grim, and impossible, that there's a chance that it'll change. Like when you feel like you're suffocating, but one small thing makes you smile despite it? And that thing helps you get up and keep moving. I want to help spread that.

[axilium]

I have my moments.

[...

something flickers across his face. pain? it disappears too quickly to say for certain. again, there are so many things he could say. something that might make her feel better. in the end, though, it's too personal.

so, he settles for,]

Just keep on being your cheerful idiot self, then—preferably without any more broken bones.

[vigilantics]

I, apparently, cannot make any promises there.

[ as she has proven today.

but then she holds her hand out. ]

Give me your hand.

[axilium]

... Uh, what for?

[vigilantics]

I'm going to break it.

[ she's still waiting expectantly. ]

[axilium]

Ouch!

[but sure, he'll give it.]

[vigilantics]

[ she'll take his hand and... make him gently smack her own hand. ]

There. You smacked me.

[axilium]

[a beat.]

I have no words to express how utterly unnecessary that was, but okay.

[vigilantics]

Please humor me. My leg is broken and I got stabbed with my own grappling hook.

[ whoops. ]

[axilium]

... Um?

[vigilantics]

... anyway.

[ sometimes... it happens? ]

[axilium]

... You seriously had an adventure, I see.

[vigilantics]

It was...

[ kind of terrifying. she's still holding onto belph's hand, but she's doing it more absentmindedly than on purpose. ]

Well. It's over now.

[axilium]

No, you're actually just hallucinating right now. You're still in the woods.

[vigilantics]

Don't say things like that when you know I can't chase you.

[axilium]

This is exactly when I get to make fun of you.

[vigilantics]

I'm dying and you're being mean to me.

[ she's not dying, she just feels like it. ]

[axilium]

Please, I think it'd take more than that to kill you.

[vigilantics]

[ there's a pause, and then she shrugs. ]

Yeah. I've had worse.