elnysa | text | un: fairchild

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text | un: fairchild

so i don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it looks like there's a definite trend of people going back into stasis without any warning

a few people i knew from back home woke up and just ended up... disappearing out of nowhere and returning back to their pods on the station

has anyone else had something like that happen to them?
maybe it's just me and i'm cursed with bad luck or something
an explanation for WHY it happens would be nice, too
not that i think it's going to make anyone worry less
i haven't had the chance to talk to darma about it, but maybe someone else has

[ not that clary is entirely certain she would trust darma's reasoning at this point, but... well, it's worth a shot. ]

uh, on a lighter note
i realize we already have a makeshift fight club in the works, but i'm looking for regular sparring partners
preferably someone who can't actually throw me through a wall and doesn't want to repeatedly punch me in the face, but i'm not picky
i figure it can't hurt to add a few new things to my skill set

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then we make quite the sorry pair.
i don't think it's expressly forbidden, so what's stopping us?

[ He's only half-kidding at this point. ]

i might call that busy, but better done in company.
just name the place and i'm there.

[ Someone else is hurting, and he's gotta do whatever he can to make that stop. ]

probably not the best bonding point, huh?
i think that counts as being a bad influence, by the way
but if it's somehow highly illegal, at least i'll have good company in space prison.

[ that's a step toward looking on the bright side of the situation, at least. optimism is, in the end, a difficult thing to stifle. ]

lucky for you, i learned from an early age that sharing is caring.
i'm in house 51. kind of a hike, so let me know if you want me to meet you halfway somewhere.

i could say something really cheesy about the bonds of friendship right now, but i save that until i can embarrass myself in person.

[ He would have been willing to meet her anyway, but since he's in the tipiest-topiest house (#60), 51 is just down the street. ]

actually? that's a hike down for me, so i'll be there in a jiff.
like really, a jiff, so if you need a moment, speak now or forever hold your peace.

i'm glad you're saving the inspirational quotes for later so i can have the honor of embarrassing you in person. that's very generous.

[ saying she needs a moment would be incriminating, vague evidence that she's been wallowing in her own way. it's fortunate that she doesn't, in fact, look worse for wear in spite of the circumstances. no frantic attempts to cover up proof of her discontentment needed, but his offer had still been a wise one.

airing her emotions on her expression that openly, for all that she's an open book, might have been an uncomfortable situation for all involved parties. ]

no moment needed here. i don't have roommates either, so the coast is clear.

[ ...she's living by herself? Maybe she wasn't before, but - in any case, it sounds lonely, and renews his determination to get there as soon as he can. ]

nice. your home, your rules! that's the dream. [ It's not, really. Not for him at least. ] i'll be there in a few, okay?

[ And sure enough, a few minutes later, he's knocking at her door. He did end up giving her a couple of minutes, whether or not she said she needed it. He knows from experience that...yeah, most people do. ]

[ it really, really isn't — not for someone like clary, at least, who thrives on people and warmth — but far be it from her to correct him. that's a more somber outlook on the situation than she wants to deal with, and following that train of thought would only be a slippery slope when she's adamantly been ignoring it the best she can. not the best coping mechanism there is, undoubtedly, but she's more than familiar with the art of putting on a brave face when she feels anything but brave.

in fact, it's that same face that pulls open the door when he does arrive, lips pulling up. faking that isn't necessary; she's too earnest for that and too pleased with the prospect of agreeable company to need to force it. ]

Hey. Glad to see you're still in one piece.

[ she admittedly feels a little guilty that she hadn't checked in on those she'd met to see if they'd survived the trip to olympia, but it's as easy to swallow that feeling as it is to swing her bag over her shoulder and step outside. ]

I would give you the grand tour, but there's not much to see inside. [ putting the 'humble' in 'humble abode' in that regard. more than anything, it's a subtle way of hinting that she'd rather not stay inside a building that isn't really home for her. more of that and she's certain to go stir-crazy. ] So I hope you don't mind a small adventure.

[ This isn't going to be easy on either of them - it never is. But Clary is the one he's focusing on tonight, not himself, even if the loss of Noct is still a fresh, open wound. So when she opens the door, he immediately searches her face for the same telltale signs of weariness that he's fighting to keep off of his. She's smiling, and he smiles back, but they both know there's a lot more too it than that. ]

Hey. You, too. Though I'm not surprised, Spider-Distintegrator.

[ He casts a quick look around her "humble abode" before his eyes settle back onto her. All these houses are pretty much the same on the inside, and once you've seen one of them...yeah, you've seen them all. Still, it's not hard to miss the melancholy in the air, and he can't blame her for wanting to be anywhere but here. Empty homes are just that: a place that has no real meaning. ]

Me? I'm a pro at adventures. I'm, like, an adventure savant! [ Honestly, she could ask him to go hang out in a graveyard with her and he probably would. ] What did you have in mind?

That's me. Spider-Disintegrator Extraordinaire.

[ her quiet laughter is a little raw, a little tight and a little tired, but what matters most is that it's there at all. she can't take that credit for that herself; prompto has an energy about him that's contagiously bright, an aura that invites light-heartedness. wallowing in the face of that — and isabelle's memory, for that matter, confident that izzy would be less than pleased to see any of them moping over her sudden coma — would be a difficult feat to manage. ]

And you're a savant at boomerangs, if I remember right. Jack of all trades, huh? [ rolling with humor is an easy distraction to occupy her mind, as aware as she is that it isn't healthy to bottle any of it. there's time for that later, considering the ear he offered her; for now, she clicks the door closed behind her and — tactile as always — loops her fingers around his wrist and tugs him to fall into step with her. ]

Finding somewhere quiet would be a good start. [ finding somewhere relatively secluded for the sake of privacy is at least half of the adventure, even if she inherently knows most wouldn't care to eavesdrop on her conversations about home or anyone she cares for. it's a matter of comfort, and maybe just a smidgen of pride. ] Maybe then I'll unveil your mystery prize.

[ her free hand pats the bag at her hip for emphasis, though it should be clear by mystery prize clary means token of appreciation for offering to keep her company at all. ]

And master of none. Yeah, that's me, pretty much.

[ His tone is light but thoughtful, like he doesn't want to come off blase about their shared reason for needing company tonight, but unwilling to bring the conversation into uncomfortable acknowledgement of that reason so soon after their meeting up. He might jump a little at her taking hold of his wrist, but it's only because it's usually him that's the tactile one. It's a little strange to be on the receiving end, but not unwelcome, and he follow behind her easily. He's always been good at being led, like it's in his DNA. ]

Mystery prize? Man! You didn't have to go to any trouble like that. [ But there's a playful laugh in his voice. He can't guess at what she might be carrying in her bag, and really, it's probably for the best that he doesn't guess. Buuut he's not always so good at doing what's best and as long as they need to pass the time while they search for somewhere to park it for a more serious chat...

His free hand goes in his pocket, shoulders back and posture relaxed. ] Let me guess...inflatable baseball bat? Stuffed animal with a giant novelty head? Ooh - a bubble wand, maybe?

[ What other tried and true amusement park prizes are there? ]

I didn't have to.

[ but the implication there, with just the emphasis of that single syllable, is that she wanted to. never let it be said that clary fray has done anything without wanting to do it. in fact, a boulder may be more malleable in comparison. ]

None of the above. [ her lips twitch, the only hint that she's attempting to stave off a smile before it inevitably does appear, as nostalgic as it is. on the list of things to miss from home, amusement park prizes seem inconsequential, but the sudden mention of them only drives home how different olympia is from what she's come to know. ] But if the carnival ever comes to town in Olympia, I'll make up for it.

[ she only pauses mid-thought to take a small detour, veering away from the beginning of the market district to claim a strip of land on its outskirts. there's something about the distant chatter that reminds her of brooklyn, however vaguely, in the same way current company and a nearby crowd reminds her she isn't completely alone. she releases his wrist to settle onto the grass, patting the space next to her as she starts to unzip that messenger bag in question. he doesn't need the invitation, all things considered, but she gives it anyway before returning to her line of thought. ]

Not to brag, but I am killer at the ring toss, and I'm sure Promptwo and his giant head would go to a good home. [ yeah, she's already named that imagined stuffed animal. promptwo is superior to something like prompto junior, in her humble opinion. ] I can't say I ever thought I would miss blowing all of my money on carnival games, though.

[ He won't argue the point that she didn't need to get him anything, because he knows that point too well from being on the other side of arguments just like this. Looks like he's not the only person who isn't going to put themselves first tonight, but...he'd had more time to deal with Noct being gone than it sounds like she has with her friends. He'll find a way to do more for her than she can for him if it's the last thing he does, dammit!

(What a sad game of one-upmanship.)

He has an idea of the area they might be heading towards as they head past the market district. He's become pretty familiar since his patrols, but the market district proper is hardly conducive to the kind of chats he's used to having by a fireside. But as this isn't the best place to build a fire, this spot on the outskirts will do.

Humming out a sigh that can roughly be translated to "this is the spot", Prompto drops down next to her unceremoniously. ]

Promptwo? Ha! [ He guffaws. It's a good one, okay, and he slaps his knee. ] Just don't let him get any ideas about replacing Prompto Prime, no matter how cute he is. Can't be a-any cuter than the real deal!

[ Then he leans back on the palms of his hands. ]

- Yeah, this place? Kind of has a knack for making you miss things you never thought you would.

[ His words can be parsed two ways. If she wants lighthearted banter or a more serious segue, this is it. ]

[ a sad game of one-upmanship indeed, but that seems to be the common theme of their interactions... which is a depressing detail itself.

his appreciation of her shamelessly cheesy pun is a little less upsetting, a little less gloomy. smiling in the face of unabashed laughter isn't an arduous feat, even if maintaining that level of mirth will be especially challenging with all that could be said. all that needs to be said, more aptly, unless she makes the mistake of bottling it up. ]

You can't beat vintage. [ in this scenario, prompto is the vintage, and daring to poke him in the cheek is only highlighting that meaning for him. promptwo will have to put forth some effort if he wants to tackle that task of recreating the movie single white female. it detracts from retrieving the mystery contents of her bag, but it's worth it — and she hasn't even accidentally smeared dirt across his face with that one action. amazing achievements.

his next comment isn't met with the same quick wit, though. her fingers fall to play idly with blades of grass as she muses, opening her mouth to speak before any words manage to come out. ]

Please talk sense into me if I start missing the subway. [ there's only a beat between that and her next sentence, and one in which her gaze flits from him to the green between her fingers. ] I lost my home once, and then I lost it again. Being separated from almost everyone I knew, on top of knowing it could happen to anyone I meet here, just makes it feel like it's happening for a third time.

[ because what makes a home if it isn't the people someone loves most? it's a lesson she's been forced to learn more than once, and clary has no fondness for the idea of repeating it here. ]

[ He draws one knee up to his chest and props an elbow on it, a bay of laughter bellowing out of him as she pokes his cheek. He settles back on his other hand, glancing at the city surrounding them, listening to the chirping of crickets. Sometimes, in the little details, it reminds him so much of home that he can almost feel like he's there again. It never lasts, though - not really, and that's for the best. This place was somewhere new, and they didn't need to pretend otherwise. And for as lucky as they were to even be alive, it...sometimes really sucks, too.

His expression calms from amusement to reflection, and it's a moment before he finally speaks up. ]

...Yeah, tell me about it. [ Those words ring so close to home it brings a fresh wave of heartache to his chest, a cold squeezing there at the memory of just how happy he'd been when he'd found Noct here, alive and well and awake. And now, knowing how fleeting it was, makes it hard not to feel like he'd been naive.

But would he act any differently if Noct woke up again? Would he be guarded and careful instead of overjoyed and open?

Of course not. ]

Believe it or not, I'm...kinda in the same boat. Things were...pretty bad back home, even before the Storm came. I just feel...helpless. Like we should be able to do something to keep people awake, and wake more of them up, but there's...not.

[ And so they're only left waiting for now. He'd wait forever for his friends, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear. ]

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