PC: BEAU + CALEB

[headmt]

Comments

[katzepaw]

[Glancing at Beau, trying to give her a significant look, but it's in no way conveying the information he's trying to convey, so he gives up.]

. . . Dimitri and Mollymauk both went a little crazy and started attacking Sagihara and I. And it took us a minute, to understand it was those screaming heads, so we didn't do very much that was useful about it.

[Just putting a hand gently on his shoulder.]

That sort of thing just happens on these.

[headmt]

[He's mostly just staring at the bruises around Caleb's throat.]

I could-- hear it. It wasn't as if you didn't do anything useful.

[His grip around his own knees tightens.]

Lucien.

[disreguarded]

[she glances at the bruises around caleb's throat, and then frowns.]

That's not you. That shit happens in these things. [she moves a little closer, if he'll let her. wraps an arm around him.]

This place is just fucking with you.

[katzepaw]

[A little nod to Beau, like. Yep, that's basically what you're assuming. Anyway, he knows he did fine in there considering he was out of spells, he was just trying to sound casual about it for Molly's sake.]

It's all okay now.

[headmt]

[He doesn't really look like believes the assurances so much. But he doesn't object to being touched.]

It is me, though. It's-- what I do.

[disreguarded]

[instantly, a tad angry:] It's fucking not. What do you mean, it's what you do?

[katzepaw]

[Less angry, more sad.]

Of course what happened is similar to something that happened before. That's what this place does.

[headmt]

[She knows what he means. She showed up here with similar marks on herself. Now he's added nearly another Caleb-murder to his scoreboard. He's just pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes for a second, until he sees white.]

I'm just-- If it's going to keep happening, then it's not as if I can pretend I'm bloodless in all of this. There's something fucked in me, and it hates you for some reason.

[There is going to be a point, sometime, when chasing him is too much to ask anymore.]

[disreguarded]

[deep breath. try to not answer angrily, she tells herself.]

This place has done nothing but try to drag out the worst parts of all of us and put them on display, and you think that's your fault? Like you're responsible for something some other bastard did.

[katzepaw]

[Well, he's listening, too, but he does answer a little angrily.]

Yes, well, join the club. You know that I also have blood on my hands. Aren't we all trying to be something other than the worst of what we are?

[headmt]

[Well maybe getting them to be angry at him is sort the point here. He wants a little anger about it instead of just instant forgiveness for constantly attempting to murder them.]

... I'll have to go back to Spring.

[disreguarded]

[anger, sure, but not for the reason he wants, maybe.

she doesn't say anything this time, just tightens her grip on molly. that's the worst part of this. being split up again.]

[katzepaw]

But not just yet.

[Sorry, but he's still more worried than anything else.]

[headmt]

[He is grappled, so he isn't exactly going anywhere. Not that he really wants to anyway. He just sits there, sort of sulky silence. He knows that they're right, but it's turned into a stubborn-off that he knows he'll probably lose.

He also doesn't really want to fight more when it could turn out so badly leaving it that way.]

[disreguarded]

[after a second, beau just reaches across to hold onto caleb's sleeve, as well.

she also doesn't want to fight - she doesn't want to make it a trend, to say something stupid and then wake up with one of them gone. just in case. it's easier to just stay silent, or change the subject.

she opens her mouth - and then closes it. she can't take the risk.]

[katzepaw]

[He'll take the cue with his sleeve tugged on and just kind of tug Molly into an awkward hug so they can all just be grappled together.]

One night, and then we will all stay together.

[Things can go wrong in the meantime but . . . maybe they won't? Maybe they won't.]