PC: CALEB

[headmt]

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[katzepaw]

[Seeing her and getting a nice big hug from her. He's relieved that the memory doesn't hurt so much, but then he sees Molly react, and just gets down on the ice, too. Down on his ass.]

Oh. . . I'm sorry. It's alright.

[headmt]

Ah, shite, don't you start apologizing, it's-- Sorry--

[Desperately trying to wave off the apologies? He seems maybe a little shocked it rocked him that hard, voice just a little bit wavery in a way it never is. Even when he was hit with the Lucien revelation.]

I just ... I'm glad. It's good. You'd said she was doing well and all.

[katzepaw]

[Ah. Sad. He sort of looks like he's trying to decide whether to reach out to him or not, kind of awkward with his arms like he might try to hold him, but doesn't.]

. . . She had some hard times, too, but she is, uhm, happy, I think. Her wings grew back, with feathers.

[headmt]

Yeah?

[He doesn't seem very shocked by this. Just happy, mostly, rubbing at his face a bit.]

... Always thought that was a little funny. Angel and a devil [gesturing to himself] being friends and all. Good joke.

[katzepaw]

Well, you make quite a pair.

[But smiling a little at him, fond.]

[headmt]

[He's sort of laughing for a bit, apparently cheering up after the moment of gut-dropping sadness, but after a few minutes of just sitting on his butt on this ice it fades off again.]

World sort of ... moves on, doesn't it? [...] Not saying that's a bad thing.

[katzepaw]

It does and doesn't. Maybe not grief all the time, but she didn't forget you. None of us did.

[headmt]

Yeah. Last thing I want is to give any of you more grief, though.

[A pause. Then he sort of shakes it off.]

My ass is cold.

[katzepaw]

[Starting to get up, a little wobbly, and then extending a hand to him.]

[headmt]

[Reaching up to take it, getting up a little wobbly himself - easy smile back on.]

You're rather impressive, you know.

[katzepaw]

What, as a skater? Not particularly.

[He's not sure what he means, exactly, but the smile makes him feel a little strange.]

[headmt]

[Just skating backwards in front of Caleb at this point. Show-off. Seems he is kind of good at it actually. Could be he was lying about never having done it before.]

Yeah, I see a spot for you on the Dwendalian Empire skating team at the next Wildemount games.

[Obviously he meant in that sweet memory.]

Just. In general.

[katzepaw]

[Stop. Kind of looking away from him a little, like he's just distracted. What the fuck is this, what is any of this.]

[headmt]

[ He stops, looking him over. ]

Well not everything changes at least.

[katzepaw]

I don't understand what you're saying.

[Why are they even here, on a date, ice skating around. Sure, it's a task, but. What are they doing.]

[headmt]

[What are they doing here. Molly just slowly circles over to the edge of the rink, leaning against the sides of it.]

I'm ... saying that you're an interesting person. Just-- Good at talking to people. Know you don't think so and all, but least every time I see it, you're running circles around me. Making the kids laugh and telling Yasha all the right things.

[katzepaw]

I don't think so, Mollymauk.

[Folding his arms awkwardly across his chest, obviously uncomfortable but more than that just confused.]

[headmt]

[He doesn't really know where he fucked up here, so he's equally confused at this point? Also crossing his arms.]

It's a good thing. I'm saying it's fucking good to see. You're all-- everything I see in these memories from the both of you, it's good. I'm proud of you.

[katzepaw]

[He didn't fuck up exactly, but he's saying these nice things about him, very nice, and he - at a certain point, it's too much. He can hear something like that sometimes, maybe even listen occasionally. He knows he's improved, he knows he's a lot better a person than he used to be.

But Molly has been. . . saying these things, and in general acting as though he finds something very appealing about him. Being better than a hollow shell of a person, selfish and cowardly, being someone his closest friends can care for, is not quite the same as being likable and good at talking to people.]

. . . Okay.

[He seems like he is very obviously just saying 'okay' to get him to stop.]

[headmt]

[This is why Molly doesn't date? He feels like he put his foot straight through something and fucked something perfectly nice.]

Okay.

[Hm.]

[katzepaw]

. . . Sorry.

[Molly didn't fuck something nice? Obviously he did? But yeah, it is a little bit fucked.]

[headmt]

[...]

Yeah yeah. It's fine.

[Hopping over the barrier and wobbling over to change back into his boots.]

Come on. Final stop.

[katzepaw]

. . . Alright.

[Skating over to the side of the rink, following him over the side.

[headmt]

[From where he's sitting and changing into his boots again, just yeeting a fucking snowball at his sadsack head.]

[katzepaw]

[While he's putting on his own boots, a little easier to get on than Molly's, smacked in the head with a snowball.]

Ah. You will regret that.

[Rolling up a snowball himself and tossing it right back at him.]