WHO: Cairngorm and friends! WHERE: bring it around town babey WHEN: throughout april WHAT: quests, forest stuff, whatever else comes up! WARNINGS: none for now!
[ Surprisingly, Cairngorm, despite being a yellow, spends a good amount of time in Bluo because the library is there - they’re one of the people that’s been working to keep it organized since people started showing up here. That also means the sight of the still, gray water is a familiar one, if not a little unsettling. Maybe they just happened to cross paths with Magilou, or maybe she came by the library - either way, the two of them cross one of the many bridges that litter Bluo’s harbor, their path leading up and away to a rocky cliffside. ]
You said you had water magic, didn’t you? [ They distinctly remember her threatening to splash them. ] What about that “water” out there? Is that something you can control?
[ They ask, dryly, mostly just curious because they don’t understand magic very well, and being able to control the water sure would make exploring there easier… ]
[ Magilou actually was by the library, on her quest to occupy herself by being unoccupied. That, and find the lay of the land--it feels like she's been here for only a few days and years all at the same time, and despite the town's relatively small size, there are quite a few places she hasn't even seen yet. The area around the library is one of those places.
She doesn't go inside the library, though, instead turning her attention to the harbor once she gets there. And it's lucky she did, because there's a very familiar face near the bridge, a standout feature against the eerily calm water. ]
I do have water magic, but I use my own energy. I can't just control every bit of water willy-nilly. I could smack it with my water magic, or use a Guardian to fish around in there, but not even the greatest witches are willing to touch that water. It's probably utterly cursed.
[ She's teasing, but her voice is light. With a shrug, she continues: ]
Best to just use the bridge if you'd rather cross. It's less effort on my part!
[ There's a note of complaint underlying their voice as they cross over the bridge, the rickety wood creaking under the pair's weight. But luckily for the both of them, it holds. ]
There are only strange and disgusting things in there - at least as far as I've seen. I thought if you could control it, someone else could research underwater other than me. [ A big sigh. Guess they have to keep pulling the weight on the deep-sea diving front!! ] It isn't that important.
[ Based on their tone, it's almost like they regard the task like an unwanted chore, rather than an urgent need to be looking for a way out of this Chroma. ]
What a heavy burden you have to carry. The horrors you plundered from the water must have been just as welcoming as anything else here. [ Look, there's a bit of sympathy in her voice! It might be a tiny bit sarcastic, though. ] How deep is it? Any way to dive safely, or look out over it to get a bigger picture?
[ She still puts a finger to her chin in contemplation. She could always literally fish things out of the water, but the idea of pulling out something unknown from the unnervingly still, quiet water isn't all that appealing. She'd probably pull up some eldritch horror accidentally.
And the screeching sounds of the protesting wood bridge is only making the conversation sound eerier!! At least it's holding, and they don't have too far left to go--curse the boredom that made her cross it with them. When she was tossed in the water in this town before, the chill stuck around for hours... ]
It's very deep, at least far out. There's a trench that leads even deeper, but I had to walk a few hours to get to it.
[ Luckily, the pair make it across the bridge, though Cairngorm leads them both closer to the cliff's edge as they keep scaling up the hill - if it's a way to look out she wants, they'll try to show her. ]
This is probably the highest point to look out at, but there's not really much to see. [ They point out to the still water; clearly there's no sign of other land on the horizon, nor of any other notable landmarks. Just gray, endless water. ] As for diving, it'd probably take magic for any being that has to breathe to go in there. It takes hours to get to anything of interest.
Hours for anything remotely interesting. Geez, they didn't spare any expense when they made this prison.
[ Especially a trench a few hours out--how far away are they from anything resembling home? Different worlds aside, hours out to find anything means sea travel is virtually impossible. Magilou isn't in a hurry to get back home, necessarily, but the way she was whisked away suddenly still leaves a bad taste in her mouth.
The cliff gives a better view, but it's a better view of virtually nothing. Water as far as the eye can see. It's unnerving how still it is, how cold of an atmosphere it gives off. Like it's a lake frozen in time. She sneaks closer to the cliff's edge unconsciously, attempting to seek out a small hint of something, as unlikely as it seems now. ]
You weren't kidding. [ A flat, even tone. ] Looks like the harbor piers have more color than before, but that's it. Color comes back to things periodically, huh. I wonder if that'd make your little underwater traipses any more interesting.
[ As she ventures closer to the cliff's edge, they hum, trailing behind her a step or two. ]
Maybe. When objects regain color around here, they're usually returned to their "original" state, so I wouldn't know what to expect from the w—
[ Water, is what they want to say, but they're interrupted from the cliff's edge being less stable than they originally had thought. As both of them got closer to the edge, the foundation clearly weakened below them without their noticing on the account of their combined weight - a large crack forms beneath them, cutting deeply into the earth.
What's worse is that because Magilou is closer to the edge, her footing is even less stable, and even begins to crumble away, which only would lead to a plummet to the rocky shores below. For all of Cairngorm's posturing and distant attitude (and the fact that their own footing isn't too stable, either), it doesn't take them more than half a second after the ground starts to tremble to reach out their hand to her, acting more on pure instinct than on anything else. If they grab onto her, will their footing get even worse? They don't know, they just don't want her to fall. ]
[ It all happens so fast--the crack of the earth, the subtle and sudden change in elevation. Magilou is normally more attentive than this, and the sounds of protesting and buckling ground should have been the first sign, but together they're both a lot heavier than she assumed.
The panic sets in when her footing starts to crumble beneath her. She knew she was playing with uncertain ground by getting closer to the edge of the cliff, but to see it be this literal is... more than anything, frustrating. She shrieks in a voice that hardly sounds like her own as gravity beings to pull her closer to certain death hundreds of feet below. Underneath it all is a single thought running through her mind, in quiet resignation: Well, this is it, huh. How annoying.
Before she truly starts to tumble, she manages to reach out far enough that her hand finds Cairngorm's, and soon enough she's dangling precariously over the crumbling edge of the cliff, protected by a single tenuous connection. If the shock manages to drag them both down, they really will go falling together. ]
[ As soon as their fingers brush, they clasp onto her hand tightly, letting themself tumble to the remaining ground of the cliff on their chest, trying to distribute their weight evenly so less of the ground crumbles away. Their arm dangles off the side to hold onto her, probably holding her hand uncomfortably tight considering the rigidness of their crystalline skin. ]
Magilou? [ They call out, sounding more genuinely concerned than they usually might, just as her shriek out had been uncharacteristic of her. ] I'll pull you up - but you have to tell me if it will hurt your arm...
[ The strain of holding all her weight on one arm - is that something that humans can endure without their bones breaking? They're honestly not sure, nor are they sure what the correct strength to grip her hand is at, and their fear of her slipping from their grip overrides the usual gentleness they try to have when coming into contact with humans. Their hand is like a stony vice, the embrace likely almost more painful than it is reassuring. ]
[ For a moment, Magilou's legs writhe in the air, desperately searching for solid ground to catch herself on. When she realizes it's a futile effort, she stops moving, letting her body sway left and right as the aftershocks of the fall move through her. It's a distraction that keeps her from noticing how strong the hand holding hers is, how tight the grip is--her fingers are protesting under the strain, a dull, throbbing ache shooting through her arm--but when it's her only possible means of escape, she can't find it in herself to care about whether it hurts or not.
They're doing their best to soften their tone, and when they're her only lifeline in this situation, she might as well reciprocate. Even through the underlying surprise and panic, she doesn't sound offended or angered, like the entire situation is rolling off her back. ]
Yes! Go ahead! Try it! A hurt arm is better than being impaled on the rocks down there! I kind of like not being a colorful smear.
[ Gritting her teeth, she fights against gravity to bring up her other hand and rest it on top of theirs, their hand caught between both of hers. At least this way, the weight of their grip can be distributed evenly between them, even if the bones in both of her arms plan on letting her know how bad of an idea that might be. ]
[ Well, at least they don't feel any bones breaking or anything. That's a good sign, as is her response to their question - you know, aside from the graphic description of what will happen if she falls. They're just going to try not to think about that.
Ever so carefully, they start to pull her up from over the edge, scooting back on the cliff as they do so. They try to keep as flat to the ground as they can, too, not wanting any sudden change in weight to cause the cliff to crumble more - after an excruciatingly slow thirty or forty seconds, she's been pulled up enough to grasp at the edge of the cliff, but they don't let go quite yet. They'll continue the slow method of bringing her all the way up if they can... ]
[ Napping over at Lupin’s place during the day is a habit that’s hard to quit. Lupin doesn’t seem to mind that they sometimes sleep the entire time that they’re supposed to be hanging out - and even if he did, they’d probably still do it anyway. As comical as their consistent drowsiness probably is to other people, they both know Cairngorm isn’t that way because they’re lazy; it’s because they really are that tired. If they want to function normally, like a gem that has been hibernating on schedule, it’s just the way things need to be, since this place won't let them sleep for more than a few days at a time.
Today is another one of these days where they’ve taken to napping in his bed while he sits doing something else nearby - though it doesn’t seem like they’re sleeping all too peacefully today. Even while asleep, their face is pinched and tense, and they rustle around every few minutes or so. Maybe they’re having a bad dream? They eventually roll onto their back with their arm strewn across their chest, an unintelligible but stressed sounding mumble falling from their lips. Why don’t you come a bit closer to investigate, Lupin - surely nothing bad will come of it… ]
[ he's perfectly fine with them sleeping, honestly. He's high-energy, they're not; he's talkative and social and they're not. Just having them around makes him happy, though - in a way, he's like Cairngorm, wanting to spend as much time together as possible before they're torn apart, even if he rarely vocalizes the idea due to his positive outlook. Lupin's laying beside them, though his head and shoulders are propped up on his shoulders as he reads through the message board on his laptop, and the simple fact that they have to feel as comfortable around him as he does around them to sleep so soundly with him right there makes him as content as he ever is in Chroma.
Or, well, "soundly," in this case. It's not exactly unusual for them to have restless sleeps, considering how much their natural rhythm has been thrown off (and what he has to imagine are hundreds of years of frightening memories), but it seems particularly bad today... ]
Cairn? [ he ventures, quietly, brows furrowed a little bit; when they don't respond with more than a groan, he carefully sets the laptop aside, then props himself up on one elbow and extends a hand to gently smooth out their bangs. ] ... Are you okay?
[ They flinch when they feel his hand brushing through their hair, their nose wrinkling a little more. It's sort of cute, since they're still asleep, and so is the quiet and confused mumble that follows his question.
He has about six or seven seconds to be endeared by their sleepy behavior, before suddenly, unprompted, that arm that had been thrown across their chest flings out, wildly and blindly. It doesn't seem like it was an intentionally violent motion on the account of dream-Cairngorm, but more like more of their restless rustling - with his proximity, he'll only have half a second to do something, if anything, about their very hard elbow coming into contact with his throat.
It doesn't stop there, either, since it seems like the sleeping Cairngorm would like to leave their arm stretched out after lashing out like that. They straighten out their elbow fully, letting their arm lay flat perpendicularly to their body, effectively trapping his chest and neck under it. At least some of the weight of their arm is supported by the bed - but only some of it. ]
[ it is indeed cute, and he absolutely spends all of those six or seven seconds being endeared by it; he can't help it! They don't usually let their guard down, even around him. It's a shame they're still looking grumpy instead of relaxed or happy, but Lupin will take what he can get. In other words, he's definitely sitting there admiring them when Cairngorm suddenly crushes his windpipe. ]
Ggk--
[ and before he has time to react to that, he's getting pinned to the bed. Turns out that having what essentially amounts to a solid log of quartz dropped on your neck hurts like hell. This is going to bruise for sure. The pain is something he's actually able to put on the backburner, on account of the fact that he can only barely breathe at the moment; he realizes quite quickly that this is going to be a lot more serious than a big bruise if he can't get Cairngorm to wake up. Trying not to panic (he allows himself a few strangled choking noises), he starts smacking his hand against their shoulder from his prone position as hard as he can. ]
[ Despite the unluckiness of this situation, it would seem that luck is on Lupin's side, like usual, at least in one regard. And that's that Cairngorm is actually a pretty light sleeper when being bothered or watched. It takes a few long moments (probably the longest moments of Lupin's life), but him smacking them eventually draws one of their eyes open, peering at the source of the taps on their shoulder groggily. ]
Ah!
[ Then, as if they were burned, they jolt away from him, backing further away on the bed. They put it all together pretty quickly - they'd always feared something like this happening, which is why they've had such a resistance to getting close to him, especially when asleep. It looks like they were right to try to avoid this kind of intimacy for so long. Their shock and worry overrides their expression, dismay showing plain on their face - but they don't reach out to him, no, they keep every part of their body as far away from him as possible. The quickly onsetting crushing feeling of guilt keeps them from saying anything to him, either, but they do watch him with a hawk's eye, horrified and stressed out all the same. ]
[ the second he can, he takes in a big gulp of air - then proceeds to start coughing as he sits upright, one hand rubbing gingerly at his sore throat. Even with their leaden limb out of the way, his skin is still stinging and aching. That's going to bruise, no doubt about it.
He'll live. He's been through worse. Although it does take him a solid ten seconds to catch his breath again. ]
You certainly pack a punch. Even asleep.
[ poor Lupin sounds mildly croaky after that. But now he's got another worry on his mind. He doesn't even need to see Cairngorm to know exactly how they're going to react to what just happened, and that feels like a much more serious issue than a bruised windpipe. His heart sinks when he meets their eyes and sees distress openly written across their usually-neutral expression, the frightened distance put between them. He gives them his best rueful smile, waving a hand dismissively. ]
Don't look so worried - I'll be all right. I'm not mad at you, either, if that's what you're thinking.
[ He can try to comfort them all he wants, but every little wheezing breath he takes or little cough feels like an extra weight on their shoulders. This was their fault, even if is he isn't holding it against them. It wouldn't be such a big deal if he wasn't mortal, but he is, so they completely ignore his request for them to stop looking so worried, looking more high strung as each second passes. ]
Stop smiling. [ They reprimand him, visibly upset that he's writing this off with his casual jokes. ] If I hadn't woken up...
[ He could die. Their awareness of his mortality is always in the back of their mind, but to brush with what they understand as death makes them feel especially distressed, the reminder somehow more palpable with his ragged breathing in front of them. They feel awful. ]
This is why I told you being this close was a bad idea.
[ It speaks to his character that he's instantly more concerned about Cairngorm never getting close to him again than about the fact he probably could have died a few seconds ago - the part of his character in question being reckless romanticism, probably. When they get annoyed with him, his first instinct is to get defensive, but considering they're in this state because of a genuine fear for his life, all he can do is drop the smile. ]
Cairngorm...
[ his tone is simultaneously tired and apologetic. On one hand, he wishes they wouldn't worry so much about him, as always. On the other, they have a good reason this time - and he feels guilty being the one to cause them this much stress. Lupin sighs. He already knows he could spend the rest of the day trying to convince them he won't die so easily to no avail - he's spent most of their relationship doing just that. The resolution to this situation lies elsewhere. ]
... You looked like you were having a bad dream. I was worried, so I got in closer. Sorry.
[ They want to be mad at him for doing something so thoughtless, but... they can't totally be, if he was just trying to take care of them. Truthfully, they don't even remember what they were dreaming about since their focus was so abruptly shifted to worried-that-Lupin-might-die mode. Cairngorm can multitask; they can be frustrated with themself and with him, too. ]
You shouldn't have done that.
[ Their tone loses some of it's edge; his concern for them disarms them, but only slightly. There's still a little bite there. Even if they were having a bad dream - so what? It's a dream. They'd wake up. It's not worth getting hit by them for, not in their view. Now that this has happened, they're already thinking that they won't let even the potential for it to happen again - they just won't sleep near him if they can help it... ]
We've gone over this so many times - and I don't want to keep having to.
[ That his worry or care for them shouldn't override common sense and caution when it comes to getting close, that is. When he fished their leg out of the well, that first dance they shared, when he'd taken their hand at the ice palace, the list goes on. They only want to allow forms of intimacy they know will be safe - and this event only proves that this isn't one of them. ]
[ he wasn't expecting his words to placate them; he was merely explaining himself. Really, he doesn't need a reason to get closer to them, in his mind; just wanting to is enough. But they aren't a free spirit like he is; they're full of worries, and they're shy, and hearing a little logic might at least make them more open to listening to him.
It's not like Cairngorm is wrong. It's dangerous. He knows it's dangerous to be with them. He's known that since the start - before the start, really. It's just that he doesn't care so much. He doesn't believe that he'll die from something so silly; more than that, he's fully willing to risk it for them. ]
Really...? I think I could hear you talk about it more. A hundred times, if I have to.
[ there's a chance being cheeky will piss them off more (a guarantee, really) but he's simultaneously serious about this, very serious, as he drops his hand from his neck to rest it on the bed, leaning in just a little. ]
I told you before that some things are worth hurting for. You're number one on that list, my dear.
[ He's right, they would have undoubtedly gotten more pissed off if he'd said that with anything less than a serious tone. Instead, they just breathe out through their nose, aggravated and tense. ]
And I told you that you should care more. [ Their frown deepens. ] Almost dying because I was having a bad dream? It's stupid.
[ When he leans in, they lean back a little more unconsciously, glaring at the mark on his neck. The feeling of guilt is sinking in heavily, even if they still think this is his fault for venturing closer to them knowing the consequences. ]
If you were like me, and I was like you, you would get it. But you don't.
[ If he was the one always running the risk of harming them, they're sure he'd be at least a little more apprehensive. Right? ]
[ Gem Haus may only have two residents now, but the fact that it is in fact still Gem Haus can’t be mistaken whenever Cairngorm’s heavy footsteps sound through their shared home. Even louder when it’s on the tile of one of the bathrooms in their home - not that they seem that courteous or caring about it. It’s not like there’s anything they can do about the sound, after all!
Anyway, they are very clearly going somewhere, given how they’re already dressed all proper in their black uniform. There’s a few books set on the bathroom counter in front of them, as well as a jar of that white powder, and the brush Lupin had hand crafted for them next to it. Like they’re applying makeup, they gently run the brush through the powder so they can touch up the layer of it on their skin - they’re still in recovery from their wounds from the dragons, so the cracks show more easily - not bothering to glance away from their reflection when they hear Lottie’s footsteps approaching. To be honest, they hadn’t talked to her much about how injured they’d gotten, even if she must have seen at least some of the variety of their body parts in bowls around the house while they were still being rebuilt, mostly because they just didn’t want her to flip out. Humans tend to get horrified by the way gem bodies break apart, it’s nothing personal.
And they’re definitely not telling her that they’re off to see Lupin today, because that too is not her business. It's actually a little surprising how little the topic comes up - but hey, they've never been the type to share too much of what's going on in their personal life anyhow, so they don't mind. She probably doesn’t care much what they’re up to anyway - why would she? So, again, when they notice she’s coming near, not knowing if she’s just going to pass the door way or try to initiate conversation, they just continue buffing powder over the fractures in their face, muttering nothing more than a non-committal: ]
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QUEST 54 | near death experience
MAGILOU
You said you had water magic, didn’t you? [ They distinctly remember her threatening to splash them. ] What about that “water” out there? Is that something you can control?
[ They ask, dryly, mostly just curious because they don’t understand magic very well, and being able to control the water sure would make exploring there easier… ]
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She doesn't go inside the library, though, instead turning her attention to the harbor once she gets there. And it's lucky she did, because there's a very familiar face near the bridge, a standout feature against the eerily calm water. ]
I do have water magic, but I use my own energy. I can't just control every bit of water willy-nilly. I could smack it with my water magic, or use a Guardian to fish around in there, but not even the greatest witches are willing to touch that water. It's probably utterly cursed.
[ She's teasing, but her voice is light. With a shrug, she continues: ]
Best to just use the bridge if you'd rather cross. It's less effort on my part!
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[ There's a note of complaint underlying their voice as they cross over the bridge, the rickety wood creaking under the pair's weight. But luckily for the both of them, it holds. ]
There are only strange and disgusting things in there - at least as far as I've seen. I thought if you could control it, someone else could research underwater other than me. [ A big sigh. Guess they have to keep pulling the weight on the deep-sea diving front!! ] It isn't that important.
[ Based on their tone, it's almost like they regard the task like an unwanted chore, rather than an urgent need to be looking for a way out of this Chroma. ]
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[ She still puts a finger to her chin in contemplation. She could always literally fish things out of the water, but the idea of pulling out something unknown from the unnervingly still, quiet water isn't all that appealing. She'd probably pull up some eldritch horror accidentally.
And the screeching sounds of the protesting wood bridge is only making the conversation sound eerier!! At least it's holding, and they don't have too far left to go--curse the boredom that made her cross it with them. When she was tossed in the water in this town before, the chill stuck around for hours... ]
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[ Luckily, the pair make it across the bridge, though Cairngorm leads them both closer to the cliff's edge as they keep scaling up the hill - if it's a way to look out she wants, they'll try to show her. ]
This is probably the highest point to look out at, but there's not really much to see. [ They point out to the still water; clearly there's no sign of other land on the horizon, nor of any other notable landmarks. Just gray, endless water. ] As for diving, it'd probably take magic for any being that has to breathe to go in there. It takes hours to get to anything of interest.
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[ Especially a trench a few hours out--how far away are they from anything resembling home? Different worlds aside, hours out to find anything means sea travel is virtually impossible. Magilou isn't in a hurry to get back home, necessarily, but the way she was whisked away suddenly still leaves a bad taste in her mouth.
The cliff gives a better view, but it's a better view of virtually nothing. Water as far as the eye can see. It's unnerving how still it is, how cold of an atmosphere it gives off. Like it's a lake frozen in time. She sneaks closer to the cliff's edge unconsciously, attempting to seek out a small hint of something, as unlikely as it seems now. ]
You weren't kidding. [ A flat, even tone. ] Looks like the harbor piers have more color than before, but that's it. Color comes back to things periodically, huh. I wonder if that'd make your little underwater traipses any more interesting.
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Maybe. When objects regain color around here, they're usually returned to their "original" state, so I wouldn't know what to expect from the w—
[ Water, is what they want to say, but they're interrupted from the cliff's edge being less stable than they originally had thought. As both of them got closer to the edge, the foundation clearly weakened below them without their noticing on the account of their combined weight - a large crack forms beneath them, cutting deeply into the earth.
What's worse is that because Magilou is closer to the edge, her footing is even less stable, and even begins to crumble away, which only would lead to a plummet to the rocky shores below. For all of Cairngorm's posturing and distant attitude (and the fact that their own footing isn't too stable, either), it doesn't take them more than half a second after the ground starts to tremble to reach out their hand to her, acting more on pure instinct than on anything else. If they grab onto her, will their footing get even worse? They don't know, they just don't want her to fall. ]
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The panic sets in when her footing starts to crumble beneath her. She knew she was playing with uncertain ground by getting closer to the edge of the cliff, but to see it be this literal is... more than anything, frustrating. She shrieks in a voice that hardly sounds like her own as gravity beings to pull her closer to certain death hundreds of feet below. Underneath it all is a single thought running through her mind, in quiet resignation: Well, this is it, huh. How annoying.
Before she truly starts to tumble, she manages to reach out far enough that her hand finds Cairngorm's, and soon enough she's dangling precariously over the crumbling edge of the cliff, protected by a single tenuous connection. If the shock manages to drag them both down, they really will go falling together. ]
OOF I MARKED THIS AS READ IM SORRY
Magilou? [ They call out, sounding more genuinely concerned than they usually might, just as her shriek out had been uncharacteristic of her. ] I'll pull you up - but you have to tell me if it will hurt your arm...
[ The strain of holding all her weight on one arm - is that something that humans can endure without their bones breaking? They're honestly not sure, nor are they sure what the correct strength to grip her hand is at, and their fear of her slipping from their grip overrides the usual gentleness they try to have when coming into contact with humans. Their hand is like a stony vice, the embrace likely almost more painful than it is reassuring. ]
IT'S OK!!
They're doing their best to soften their tone, and when they're her only lifeline in this situation, she might as well reciprocate. Even through the underlying surprise and panic, she doesn't sound offended or angered, like the entire situation is rolling off her back. ]
Yes! Go ahead! Try it! A hurt arm is better than being impaled on the rocks down there! I kind of like not being a colorful smear.
[ Gritting her teeth, she fights against gravity to bring up her other hand and rest it on top of theirs, their hand caught between both of hers. At least this way, the weight of their grip can be distributed evenly between them, even if the bones in both of her arms plan on letting her know how bad of an idea that might be. ]
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Ever so carefully, they start to pull her up from over the edge, scooting back on the cliff as they do so. They try to keep as flat to the ground as they can, too, not wanting any sudden change in weight to cause the cliff to crumble more - after an excruciatingly slow thirty or forty seconds, she's been pulled up enough to grasp at the edge of the cliff, but they don't let go quite yet. They'll continue the slow method of bringing her all the way up if they can... ]
Don't climb up too fast— it's still fragile...
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LUPIN
Today is another one of these days where they’ve taken to napping in his bed while he sits doing something else nearby - though it doesn’t seem like they’re sleeping all too peacefully today. Even while asleep, their face is pinched and tense, and they rustle around every few minutes or so. Maybe they’re having a bad dream? They eventually roll onto their back with their arm strewn across their chest, an unintelligible but stressed sounding mumble falling from their lips. Why don’t you come a bit closer to investigate, Lupin - surely nothing bad will come of it… ]
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Or, well, "soundly," in this case. It's not exactly unusual for them to have restless sleeps, considering how much their natural rhythm has been thrown off (and what he has to imagine are hundreds of years of frightening memories), but it seems particularly bad today... ]
Cairn? [ he ventures, quietly, brows furrowed a little bit; when they don't respond with more than a groan, he carefully sets the laptop aside, then props himself up on one elbow and extends a hand to gently smooth out their bangs. ] ... Are you okay?
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He has about six or seven seconds to be endeared by their sleepy behavior, before suddenly, unprompted, that arm that had been thrown across their chest flings out, wildly and blindly. It doesn't seem like it was an intentionally violent motion on the account of dream-Cairngorm, but more like more of their restless rustling - with his proximity, he'll only have half a second to do something, if anything, about their very hard elbow coming into contact with his throat.
It doesn't stop there, either, since it seems like the sleeping Cairngorm would like to leave their arm stretched out after lashing out like that. They straighten out their elbow fully, letting their arm lay flat perpendicularly to their body, effectively trapping his chest and neck under it. At least some of the weight of their arm is supported by the bed - but only some of it. ]
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Ggk--
[ and before he has time to react to that, he's getting pinned to the bed. Turns out that having what essentially amounts to a solid log of quartz dropped on your neck hurts like hell. This is going to bruise for sure. The pain is something he's actually able to put on the backburner, on account of the fact that he can only barely breathe at the moment; he realizes quite quickly that this is going to be a lot more serious than a big bruise if he can't get Cairngorm to wake up. Trying not to panic (he allows himself a few strangled choking noises), he starts smacking his hand against their shoulder from his prone position as hard as he can. ]
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Ah!
[ Then, as if they were burned, they jolt away from him, backing further away on the bed. They put it all together pretty quickly - they'd always feared something like this happening, which is why they've had such a resistance to getting close to him, especially when asleep. It looks like they were right to try to avoid this kind of intimacy for so long. Their shock and worry overrides their expression, dismay showing plain on their face - but they don't reach out to him, no, they keep every part of their body as far away from him as possible. The quickly onsetting crushing feeling of guilt keeps them from saying anything to him, either, but they do watch him with a hawk's eye, horrified and stressed out all the same. ]
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He'll live. He's been through worse. Although it does take him a solid ten seconds to catch his breath again. ]
You certainly pack a punch. Even asleep.
[ poor Lupin sounds mildly croaky after that. But now he's got another worry on his mind. He doesn't even need to see Cairngorm to know exactly how they're going to react to what just happened, and that feels like a much more serious issue than a bruised windpipe. His heart sinks when he meets their eyes and sees distress openly written across their usually-neutral expression, the frightened distance put between them. He gives them his best rueful smile, waving a hand dismissively. ]
Don't look so worried - I'll be all right. I'm not mad at you, either, if that's what you're thinking.
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Stop smiling. [ They reprimand him, visibly upset that he's writing this off with his casual jokes. ] If I hadn't woken up...
[ He could die. Their awareness of his mortality is always in the back of their mind, but to brush with what they understand as death makes them feel especially distressed, the reminder somehow more palpable with his ragged breathing in front of them. They feel awful. ]
This is why I told you being this close was a bad idea.
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Cairngorm...
[ his tone is simultaneously tired and apologetic. On one hand, he wishes they wouldn't worry so much about him, as always. On the other, they have a good reason this time - and he feels guilty being the one to cause them this much stress. Lupin sighs. He already knows he could spend the rest of the day trying to convince them he won't die so easily to no avail - he's spent most of their relationship doing just that. The resolution to this situation lies elsewhere. ]
... You looked like you were having a bad dream. I was worried, so I got in closer. Sorry.
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You shouldn't have done that.
[ Their tone loses some of it's edge; his concern for them disarms them, but only slightly. There's still a little bite there. Even if they were having a bad dream - so what? It's a dream. They'd wake up. It's not worth getting hit by them for, not in their view. Now that this has happened, they're already thinking that they won't let even the potential for it to happen again - they just won't sleep near him if they can help it... ]
We've gone over this so many times - and I don't want to keep having to.
[ That his worry or care for them shouldn't override common sense and caution when it comes to getting close, that is. When he fished their leg out of the well, that first dance they shared, when he'd taken their hand at the ice palace, the list goes on. They only want to allow forms of intimacy they know will be safe - and this event only proves that this isn't one of them. ]
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It's not like Cairngorm is wrong. It's dangerous. He knows it's dangerous to be with them. He's known that since the start - before the start, really. It's just that he doesn't care so much. He doesn't believe that he'll die from something so silly; more than that, he's fully willing to risk it for them. ]
Really...? I think I could hear you talk about it more. A hundred times, if I have to.
[ there's a chance being cheeky will piss them off more (a guarantee, really) but he's simultaneously serious about this, very serious, as he drops his hand from his neck to rest it on the bed, leaning in just a little. ]
I told you before that some things are worth hurting for. You're number one on that list, my dear.
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And I told you that you should care more. [ Their frown deepens. ] Almost dying because I was having a bad dream? It's stupid.
[ When he leans in, they lean back a little more unconsciously, glaring at the mark on his neck. The feeling of guilt is sinking in heavily, even if they still think this is his fault for venturing closer to them knowing the consequences. ]
If you were like me, and I was like you, you would get it. But you don't.
[ If he was the one always running the risk of harming them, they're sure he'd be at least a little more apprehensive. Right? ]
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QUEST 55 | crying emoji
LOTTIE
Anyway, they are very clearly going somewhere, given how they’re already dressed all proper in their black uniform. There’s a few books set on the bathroom counter in front of them, as well as a jar of that white powder, and the brush Lupin had hand crafted for them next to it. Like they’re applying makeup, they gently run the brush through the powder so they can touch up the layer of it on their skin - they’re still in recovery from their wounds from the dragons, so the cracks show more easily - not bothering to glance away from their reflection when they hear Lottie’s footsteps approaching. To be honest, they hadn’t talked to her much about how injured they’d gotten, even if she must have seen at least some of the variety of their body parts in bowls around the house while they were still being rebuilt, mostly because they just didn’t want her to flip out. Humans tend to get horrified by the way gem bodies break apart, it’s nothing personal.
And they’re definitely not telling her that they’re off to see Lupin today, because that too is not her business. It's actually a little surprising how little the topic comes up - but hey, they've never been the type to share too much of what's going on in their personal life anyhow, so they don't mind. She probably doesn’t care much what they’re up to anyway - why would she? So, again, when they notice she’s coming near, not knowing if she’s just going to pass the door way or try to initiate conversation, they just continue buffing powder over the fractures in their face, muttering nothing more than a non-committal: ]
Hey.