Digitalis Old English folklore said that foxes wore the flowers on their paws to silence movement and stealthily stalk prey. Healing, pain, insincerity, insecurity
[ Yeah. Like he was annoyed about it being put on blast on main but OOCly unfortunately it's probably true. ]
...
Little things. Anything. Nothing that interesting.
Waking up to spend the day doing... whatever. Take a walk down to the city, see the park. Do some shopping if we felt like it. Think we had plans to visit the Vatican City some time. The Ministry's churches are said to be pretty beautiful.
...even the little things that don't mean much to anyone can mean something with the right people. I think sometimes it's more about who you're with than what you're doing. [again, just a gentle prompt to see if he wants to elaborate.]
[...she is assuming this man is a widow, actually.]
When it's someone you love, even the most mundane things feel exciting, I think. And when they're gone...so's the magic. [so she thinks, perhaps, she can understand a little of why he no longer has anything to really look forward to.]
[ He briefly debates whether to be oblique about it, since she hasn't actually said her assumptions out loud... but he can read between the lines and get at her implications.
He's tired, suddenly. In a different way, like he's really just lost everything. Heavy grief. ]
...Can't be much more than a week or two... time has been a blur.
[...it's in this moment aerith kind of realizes this maybe wasn't the kindest option she could have taken. daan's helping her when he doesn't have to, and she's here asking questions that are obviously going to be difficult talking about.]
...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. [because like. that's so recent, god. hello?]
anyway. she wasn't being nosy or rude, no, but she does still feel like an asshole because...well. she's seen it very recently. she's seen how grief settles quietly in someone, people who don't know where someone they love has gone and are holding onto the hope that no news is good news. she's seen how it settles deeply in someone, when it's old memories that have no chance of healing over no matter how long it's been. and she's seen how it settles when it's something fresh, when there's really been no time to process and a person feels that there's a hollow ache where that person should be. a young man in denial who doesn't really know it's true. a teenage girl crying and swearing she'll fix everything.
so yeah. she maybe should have known better than to pry. does she say any of this? of course not. but her entire demeanor seems quiet and apologetic if anything, even as she politely looks away.]
I know. But it should have been up to you if you wanted to talk about it, I think. Especially when it was so recent.
I think even if it isn't obvious right away, and it isn't always easy, answers can be found. [she just walks to settle next to him and actually look at him.]
[ He's really just so tired. It's obvious up close. Always shadowed, bangs and eyepatch covering up a decent portion of his face, and underneath is an endless exhaustion. ]
[yeah. it is so obvious up close that she kind of feels a little bad she hadn't noticed this much. instead of being at his side though, she's stepping in front of him to look up at him. hey. heyyyy.]
Aren't you the one who said it first? All of us. You have to believe it for yourself, too.
Mmhm. Even if it's not easy. [she folds her arms over her chest, and the bracelets shift to reveal the loss again.] It's the only way we're going to solve this.
[while oocly it would be funny, please do not get swept down the leech river even though i'm now scared.]
A little bit, yeah. [she will be honest just because she feels like she can be, and maybe just to lighten the mood slightly.] And we can't give the cult that kind of satisfaction anyway, now can we?
Every little bit helps. [we have so many aggressively friendly people and very stubborn people.] Just because we're split up by housing now doesn't mean we should stop trying to make things better for each other.
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...
Little things. Anything. Nothing that interesting.
Waking up to spend the day doing... whatever. Take a walk down to the city, see the park. Do some shopping if we felt like it. Think we had plans to visit the Vatican City some time. The Ministry's churches are said to be pretty beautiful.
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...even the little things that don't mean much to anyone can mean something with the right people. I think sometimes it's more about who you're with than what you're doing. [again, just a gentle prompt to see if he wants to elaborate.]
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[ Absently. He seems to have missed the memo of prompt altogether, walking along. ]
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...you mentioned we...?
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Me and my wife.
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When it's someone you love, even the most mundane things feel exciting, I think. And when they're gone...so's the magic. [so she thinks, perhaps, she can understand a little of why he no longer has anything to really look forward to.]
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That's pretty much how it was.
[ Once at the church, he'll set his hay down and rotate his shoulder a bit. He's still got a bit of lasting soreness all around. ]
Sounds like maybe you'd know a thing or two.
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Maybe. [a light agreement, because it's a little complicated.] How long has it been?
[since you lost whoever this was.]
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He's tired, suddenly. In a different way, like he's really just lost everything. Heavy grief. ]
...Can't be much more than a week or two... time has been a blur.
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...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. [because like. that's so recent, god. hello?]
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Technically no actual timeline but like. Based on things and a logical flow. Yeah it is turbo-recent. ]
You weren't asking anything particularly untoward.
[ She wasn't being nosy, or nasty. And by all accounts, she's been very pleasant. ]
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anyway. she wasn't being nosy or rude, no, but she does still feel like an asshole because...well. she's seen it very recently. she's seen how grief settles quietly in someone, people who don't know where someone they love has gone and are holding onto the hope that no news is good news. she's seen how it settles deeply in someone, when it's old memories that have no chance of healing over no matter how long it's been. and she's seen how it settles when it's something fresh, when there's really been no time to process and a person feels that there's a hollow ache where that person should be. a young man in denial who doesn't really know it's true. a teenage girl crying and swearing she'll fix everything.
so yeah. she maybe should have known better than to pry. does she say any of this? of course not. but her entire demeanor seems quiet and apologetic if anything, even as she politely looks away.]
I know. But it should have been up to you if you wanted to talk about it, I think. Especially when it was so recent.
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[ He's cognisant of that much. He's already let out the blaze of grief -- he's just the ashes now. ]
Nothing I did or do will bring her back, but why... I'd just like to know why.
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but she's not going to ask that part right now, actually.]
Do you think there's any way that you may be able to find that answer?
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I'd have to hope so, don't I...
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I think even if it isn't obvious right away, and it isn't always easy, answers can be found. [she just walks to settle next to him and actually look at him.]
All the more reason we're all going to get back.
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...
Get back.
...We'll see... we'll see.
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Aren't you the one who said it first? All of us. You have to believe it for yourself, too.
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But he decides against it, running a hand through his hair. Alll-mer, what he'd give for a comb. ]
Right. So I did.
Chin up, then.
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Mmhm. Even if it's not easy. [she folds her arms over her chest, and the bracelets shift to reveal the loss again.] It's the only way we're going to solve this.
[not giving up, at least.]
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Yup. For better or worse.
Can't afford to fall over here... and it'd be a pretty pathetic way to go out besides.
[ After all he'd been through... imagine he just washes away in the leech river never to be seen again. ]
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A little bit, yeah. [she will be honest just because she feels like she can be, and maybe just to lighten the mood slightly.] And we can't give the cult that kind of satisfaction anyway, now can we?
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Nope.
[ She's right. Can't have that. ]
That's why we're putting in all this effort to not live in squalor too, yeah?
[ Well, they might just not care, but the cast's proven themselves to be a primarily very resilient bunch. ]
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...It's barely housing, anyway. It's where my mail goes, apparently. Not sure if that means I should be expecting things regularly.
And I'm here now in the church, aren't I?
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