open } everybody is kung fu fighting

[graveflowers]

☒ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴsᴘᴀᴍ ☒ ᴘʀᴏsᴇ ☒ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛs ☒ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅʟʏ

Comments

[nosdacariad]

You sure as hell don't have anything to apologize for.

[graveflowers]

Besides making a mess of your shirt? I'm a mess all the time, I can't... I'm... It was supposed to get better, when the nightmares stopped. But it's just spiders. Everything is spiders. And Wynn's counting on us to go fight win against Sarandis and I'm not gonna be any help. I don't even know what we're fighting for anymore. I'm a shitty excuse for a knight and a person and a friend and I'm sorry, because I want to be able to be there for you if you need me, but god, I suck at that too.

[nosdacariad]

You are there for me, Vi. Just by being you. That's... that's all I'm trying to say.

[graveflowers]

Okay. [ she sniffles a little, pulling back to wipe her face. she still doesn't believe it, but she also doesn't want to keep feeling bad. ] How'd you get to be so sweet?

[nosdacariad]

[ he sort of grimaces in his attempt to smile. ] Not easily.

[graveflowers]

Mark, how come you never talk about your family? [ the abrupt segue only makes sense to vi because she was stuck thinking about jade and luthir and she mind just drifted to mark's family because he was also all alone and vi can't help her urge to big sister him. ]

[nosdacariad]

[ that gives him pause, and he raises his gaze to study her for a second before saying: ] Maybe because I spend so much time thinking about them, that I just want to ... think about something else when I get the chance.

[graveflowers]

[ she nods slowly. she understands, but it doesn't mean she wants to know any less. ]

I guess. You were sixteen when you came here, right? Like, you've been there for a while. Long enough that people here consider you family. I mean, you get why we're curious, at least, right? My family is dead, all of them. So... you know, you're my family now. I just... want to know you.

[nosdacariad]

[ he nods at the sixteen part, but frowns deeply at the rest, staring down at his lap ] Your mom's Persephone, right?

[graveflowers]

Yeah. I've only met her once though, when I was thirteen.

[nosdacariad]

So you were... raised by your dad?

[graveflowers]

I don't remember. I think he might have died? The first thing I can remember is my mom walking me to the Legion. My stitches came undone and I was bleeding, it was a really great introduction. Mostly everything else is blurry, just some stuff that stands out. More now, thanks to the nightmares, I remember a lot more people dying, more battles.

[nosdacariad]

I can't imagine it ever gets easy, no matter how many people you lose.

[graveflowers]

Probably gets worse. Start thinking weird shit like... what if it's me? What if I did something awful once upon a time and this is just karmic retribution. I mean, there is a goddess for that so it's not out of the question. Nemesis is hardcore. Just, but hardcore.

[nosdacariad]

It's not you, Vi.

When terrible things happen, it's generally because of terrible people making it happen.

[graveflowers]

Or, alternately, I'm cursed. [ she sighs heavily. ] I know it's not me. It's never been me, I just happen to be the common denominator in all the deaths in my life because it's my life. I know that, but it doesn't make it feel any less like it's because of me. I'm supposed to bring life but I'm surrounded by death.

Just like my mom.

[nosdacariad]

You do bring life, everywhere you go. Believe me. Bringing it to places surrounded by death seems like bringing it where it's needed the most.

[graveflowers]

I guess. [ she's a little dubious, but she doesn't want him to think she's not at least listening to him. ]

[nosdacariad]

[ 42 - coldplay

he stares off absently at the floor ] Trust me. When... when things get hard for me, it's the little things that remind me what we're living for that keep me going. Even if it's just... goofing around with you guys. A hug. An ice cream sundae. [ he looks up at her, giving her a little smile ] Someone taking the time to try to get to know me.

Life.

[graveflowers]

Well, that's easy then, isn't it? Because I'm pretty much a professional good and I will always want to get to know you. I love you, Mark. You're part of my family now -- have been since I put that little peg in my little car and became a ski instructor.

[ ah... life. ]

[nosdacariad]

Maybe some day you'll get to move out of the mobile home.

[graveflowers]

Oh I hope so. Tree house or bust.

[nosdacariad]

[ he expels a shaky laugh, mirth breaking through whatever's troubling him ] I love you too, Vi. I hope you know that.

[graveflowers]

I know sweetie. And I'll always be here, no matter what. Just... in case you forget.

[nosdacariad]

Don't know how I could.