[he listens carefully even as his fingers comb through her hair gently, holding onto her words and letting his attention drift from the stars down to her]
An excellent, reliable younger brother.
[ . . . ]
It's not the same as knowing your truth with your own head and heart, no?
[he thinks he can understand the sentiment. even now, he thinks he's forgetting something larger, and it nags at him. he wonders if the words will escape his throat.
maybe later.
for now he'll let his aim to soothe where he can, keeping his voice soft and gentle]
Mm. It won't. We'll get everything back.
[he'll shift so he can hover over her a bit though, so they're face to face (if upside down)]
I'll keep it a secret that you're scared. But for now I'm right here with you, so you don't have to worry.
[he laughs a bit in return when she pushes him away - and only briefly presses his face back into her touch before pulling away]
I'm not particularly one for just talk either.
Once we determine what our next steps are, I intend on putting things into motion. Apparently we'll learn a bit more about the nova in a few days' time, according to the masked guides.
Talked to my NPC. They said in a day or two we'll be getting something nova related too. Oh - and we can tell like, uh - one other person what team we're on, apparently. More than that and we might explode, or the Realm might explode. One of the two.
[ she leans back against him, just really settling. look, she's craving contact and if she has to practically sit in his lap to do it, she will.
[hm! generally seems terrible for anything to explode in this case - also please don't sit in his lap he'll panic. for now he can accept the leaning though, letting his hands continue to comb through her hair]
Ah, I hope that you and Taako got good news about your teams then.
[it'd be an unfair advantage if the two of them were on the same team probably but
[ . . . . it's a sweet sentiment, he thinks. his expression softens - but the piece that seems to be missing is a sense of understanding. like the concept is foreign to him.
still, he seems fond of it.]
... nothing that I'd want to attain by these means.
The goals that I have... I'd like to accomplish them by my own two hands.
Yeah, I get that. It's like cheating, right? If you just get what you want from a wish, it feels cheap. If you're gonna wish for something it should be something you like, can't attain otherwise.
Oh, I intend on even pulling down the heavens to get whatever it is I desire.
[he doesn't believe in impossible!!!!! especially now that he's here but - ]
You're right, though. I think that I am simply someone who would like to pull from my own power, as a human, than rely on anything else in the universe to make things happen for me. [a beat] Though that makes it sound so serious...
[ she says, lifting an eyebrow. ] I'm all for breaking the game and spitting in the face of the gods or whatever, but I also know there's always a price for it.
The sass! [ anyway. ] There was this guy. I forgot his name. John something. He was a public speaker and he just up and decided one day that reality sucked and that he could do better. And the thing is? Everybody believed him. Everybody in his entire world believed what he said.
[ she pauses. absently rubs at her ear. ] Everybody believed him enough that they... became something more. Something terrifying.
Just - I guess, be careful of how much of the heavens you pull down.
[ . . . he hums thoughtfully at that, and he strokes her hair in thought as his gaze moves up to the stars]
... I don't think people need to become more than they are.
I think they only need to have enough food and shelter to survive, and the knowledge that they don't need to be afraid of pursuing the life they want to.
[he lets his gaze fall to her, soft and gently amused]
Nah, of course not, Bougie. [ she drawls, staring up at the ceiling. ]
I agree with you. Nobody should have to lose out on living their best life because they don't have food or a place to stay. [ that, she's firm on. almost determined. ] It's just easy to fly too close to the sun when you wanna fix that sort of thing.
You build up this story and the story gets out of control and it - it takes over. And then bit by bit, there's nothing left.
... for what it's worth, I have no interest in creating a story. In manifesting any idea that I'm anyone's savior.
[he's not. he's just one person, who's made choices that he has to live with. the same as anyone else. those choices can hurt people just as much as they can heal them.
but at the same time - ]
I'll be careful... but I think I'd just like to accomplish what I need to do - only enough that others don't have to worry about their happiness being infringed upon by forces they can't control, but those with a little more sway can.
I sound like I'm lecturing - I don't mean to. [ she shifts to look at him a little better. ] I just don't want to see that happen to you. I don't think it was really voluntary in the end anymore, what happened to this guy.
There's - uh, there's magic, in words. Words are powerful. I believe you when you say you're careful, just - you know. It pinged some bad memories.
[ a beat. she snorts. ] At least I remember that much.
[he insists, certain as anything else. he can take the gentle teasing in plentiful doses but he'd rather not listen to lup say anything even slightly self-deprecating]
.... I'm honored you're concerned over the matter enough to warn me.
Thank you.
[most people just trust he can handle things and then let him do so - it's been a while since someone's ever thought to caution him against his aspirations.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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An excellent, reliable younger brother.
[ . . . ]
It's not the same as knowing your truth with your own head and heart, no?
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It's not. It's - tell you the truth, it's terrifying. [ her voice is a little raw, here. ] There's a lot of reasons I can't forget.
It's out of my hands right now, but it won't be for long.
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maybe later.
for now he'll let his aim to soothe where he can, keeping his voice soft and gentle]
Mm. It won't. We'll get everything back.
[he'll shift so he can hover over her a bit though, so they're face to face (if upside down)]
I'll keep it a secret that you're scared. But for now I'm right here with you, so you don't have to worry.
[and he offers a conspiratorial little wink]
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You'd better. [ she says, after a moment. ] I can't be out here giving away my soft squishy spots to everybody.
I mean it, though. It's not just talk. I won't just let this place take without earning.
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I'm not particularly one for just talk either.
Once we determine what our next steps are, I intend on putting things into motion. Apparently we'll learn a bit more about the nova in a few days' time, according to the masked guides.
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Talked to my NPC. They said in a day or two we'll be getting something nova related too. Oh - and we can tell like, uh - one other person what team we're on, apparently. More than that and we might explode, or the Realm might explode. One of the two.
[ she leans back against him, just really settling. look, she's craving contact and if she has to practically sit in his lap to do it, she will.
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Ah, I hope that you and Taako got good news about your teams then.
[it'd be an unfair advantage if the two of them were on the same team probably but
also it'd just be sadder to have them separated?]
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Good news in that I can and will absolutely crush him at this competition coming up, whatever it ends up being. [ she says, idly. ]
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Fufu, is that so?
Any idea what you might wish for?
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You know, I don't really... need anything. [ she says, glancing over her shoulder. ] I have Taako. That's all I've ever needed.
[ shrug. ] What about you?
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still, he seems fond of it.]
... nothing that I'd want to attain by these means.
The goals that I have... I'd like to accomplish them by my own two hands.
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Yeah, I get that. It's like cheating, right? If you just get what you want from a wish, it feels cheap. If you're gonna wish for something it should be something you like, can't attain otherwise.
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Oh, I intend on even pulling down the heavens to get whatever it is I desire.
[he doesn't believe in impossible!!!!! especially now that he's here but - ]
You're right, though. I think that I am simply someone who would like to pull from my own power, as a human, than rely on anything else in the universe to make things happen for me. [a beat] Though that makes it sound so serious...
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[ she says, lifting an eyebrow. ] I'm all for breaking the game and spitting in the face of the gods or whatever, but I also know there's always a price for it.
At the risk of sounding serious. Gods forbid.
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... if it helps enough people, there's a chance the price is worth paying.
[an idle shrug]
But I suppose - that's just what I think.
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So - there was this fairy tale, right? From back home. Like real boogeyman, monster under your bed sort of thing. [ she's going somewhere with this. ]
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[he's just being cheeky - he's clearly listening]
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The sass! [ anyway. ] There was this guy. I forgot his name. John something. He was a public speaker and he just up and decided one day that reality sucked and that he could do better. And the thing is? Everybody believed him. Everybody in his entire world believed what he said.
[ she pauses. absently rubs at her ear. ] Everybody believed him enough that they... became something more. Something terrifying.
Just - I guess, be careful of how much of the heavens you pull down.
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... I don't think people need to become more than they are.
I think they only need to have enough food and shelter to survive, and the knowledge that they don't need to be afraid of pursuing the life they want to.
[he lets his gaze fall to her, soft and gently amused]
Are you worried about me, Queen Lup?
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I agree with you. Nobody should have to lose out on living their best life because they don't have food or a place to stay. [ that, she's firm on. almost determined. ] It's just easy to fly too close to the sun when you wanna fix that sort of thing.
You build up this story and the story gets out of control and it - it takes over. And then bit by bit, there's nothing left.
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[he's not. he's just one person, who's made choices that he has to live with. the same as anyone else. those choices can hurt people just as much as they can heal them.
but at the same time - ]
I'll be careful... but I think I'd just like to accomplish what I need to do - only enough that others don't have to worry about their happiness being infringed upon by forces they can't control, but those with a little more sway can.
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I sound like I'm lecturing - I don't mean to. [ she shifts to look at him a little better. ] I just don't want to see that happen to you. I don't think it was really voluntary in the end anymore, what happened to this guy.
There's - uh, there's magic, in words. Words are powerful. I believe you when you say you're careful, just - you know. It pinged some bad memories.
[ a beat. she snorts. ] At least I remember that much.
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[he insists, certain as anything else. he can take the gentle teasing in plentiful doses but he'd rather not listen to lup say anything even slightly self-deprecating]
.... I'm honored you're concerned over the matter enough to warn me.
Thank you.
[most people just trust he can handle things and then let him do so - it's been a while since someone's ever thought to caution him against his aspirations.
(he wishes he could listen.)]
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[ she doesn't push with the memories stuff. but she does rub her ear again. ]
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[just scold him about random shit!]
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