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empatheias_ooc2016-08-18 01:25 am
empevents) wrote in empatheias_ooc2016-08-18 01:25 am
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE: SEPTEMBER
Welcome to
empatheias' test drive meme. This test drive is to help interested players test their characters in the game's environment. We've included a few prompts that incorporate specific elements of the game, though you'll find all of them have a lot of leeway for players to get as creative as necessary. Before diving in, here are a few things we'd like to remind everyone about the game in general:- Date reminders. Reserves open Thursday, August 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open Thursday, September 1st.
- OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are currently allowed. Those interested can also use the test drive. OCs do not need to be reserved.
- Emotions are key! Empatheias' premise focuses on how anyone's emotions can affect their environment, be it big or small. While not every emotion will cause a reaction, significant ones definitely will. How much effect a character will have will ultimately be up to you, the player. Also, while we're giving a lot of leeway for the test drive, keep in mind that there will be some limits in the actual game.
- Everyone has an amulet. All characters have a unique amulet that is specialized for them. It will contain all of their emotion drops and it serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic. Otherwise, it works basically the same.
- Assume the character is already in the game. Because "OMG WHERE AM I IS THIS REAL LIFE" threads aren't going to be very helpful in this test drive! Plus those are going to happen in-game, anyway. So to make things easier, just assume that they've been around at least a week or so. Still learning the ropes, but not a complete "first day" experience.
- First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. Remember, these threads can also be used in your application for samples! Reminder: We only require one sample and it can be done in either format. We have also made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!
Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!
• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try?
• Prompt B: Refer to the Task Board and choose a task your character may be interested in taking up. For this prompt, you could have your character ask for help, already be in the middle of the job, or react to it in some way. Perhaps they were an unfortunate victim or want to create a job countering an existing one. You could even have a prompt making a job request. Creating jobs for the purpose of the test drive is absolutely doable.
• Prompt C: How about giving the amulets a go? Start a telepathic conversation and see how it works. Remember, the amulets are sending out the owner's thoughts so might want to be careful about how the stream of consciousness goes...
• Prompt D: EVENT SPECIAL. Based on the upcoming/current Piphron event, you are on your way to confront that crabby Arehtei who refuses to trust in anyone but himself. However, before you can even get there, you have to journey deep into the mountains and follow constantly changing and winding tunnels. Yes, you read that right—the paths and tunnels change, never actually going in the same direction. This makes getting lost and splitting up from your travel partner fairly easily. What's more, the labyrinth proves to be one giant trust exercise. The atmosphere is filled with doubt and suspicion, little voices whispering and digging into your deepest fears of betrayal and uncertainty. Is the person you're with really that trustworthy? How do you know they won't just leave you or worse—stab you in the back? Literally. Those who are strong of faith will be able to resist, but even they may waver. To get past the labyrinth, strong bonds will either need to already exist or quickly form, particularly between strangers. Those strong in trust will be able to better persuade and convince those who are susceptible to the suspicions. But other obstacles and challenges lay in wait. Steep walls to climb up or down, giant gaps to cross, a random but precarious rope bridge that could break at any step. And everything here is influenced by emotions. The stronger the will to believe, the more likely they are to pass safely. But when those doubts start to take hold...when it becomes too great to bear, then you will slowly turn to stone.
• Prompt E: The Empatheias-Shaarnath-Otherworlder Collaborative Expeditions need otherworlder crews to venture out into the desolate wasteland of the planet’s surface, and that means YOU. On an airship with several otherworlder allies, you’ve ventured forth on a several-day journey to explore uncharted territory. It’s hot, dry, and deadly if you slip away from your dunamis protection, but absolutely necessary if anyone is ever to find what’s left out there.
• Prompt F: With all of the current, living Arehtei now gathered, the next step is to start working on the world at large—and that's not going to be an easy feat when it's basically a giant wasteland, deteriorating with every passing second. So tests must be done first to study how effective efforts can be—and perhaps dunamis may be the key. In a protective area just outside of Shaarnath, those who wish to try and practice their emotions on the actual barren ground are allowed in. These are the types of tasks they can try to accomplish:
And anything else a character may think of that is in relation to "restoring the land." The only thing not available to test is a living creature. Note: This is going to be very difficult and will require a great amount of effort and concentration. Small successes are more likely.
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include balloons and/or fire ants.
• Prompt B: Refer to the Task Board and choose a task your character may be interested in taking up. For this prompt, you could have your character ask for help, already be in the middle of the job, or react to it in some way. Perhaps they were an unfortunate victim or want to create a job countering an existing one. You could even have a prompt making a job request. Creating jobs for the purpose of the test drive is absolutely doable.
• Prompt C: How about giving the amulets a go? Start a telepathic conversation and see how it works. Remember, the amulets are sending out the owner's thoughts so might want to be careful about how the stream of consciousness goes...
• Prompt D: EVENT SPECIAL. Based on the upcoming/current Piphron event, you are on your way to confront that crabby Arehtei who refuses to trust in anyone but himself. However, before you can even get there, you have to journey deep into the mountains and follow constantly changing and winding tunnels. Yes, you read that right—the paths and tunnels change, never actually going in the same direction. This makes getting lost and splitting up from your travel partner fairly easily. What's more, the labyrinth proves to be one giant trust exercise. The atmosphere is filled with doubt and suspicion, little voices whispering and digging into your deepest fears of betrayal and uncertainty. Is the person you're with really that trustworthy? How do you know they won't just leave you or worse—stab you in the back? Literally. Those who are strong of faith will be able to resist, but even they may waver. To get past the labyrinth, strong bonds will either need to already exist or quickly form, particularly between strangers. Those strong in trust will be able to better persuade and convince those who are susceptible to the suspicions. But other obstacles and challenges lay in wait. Steep walls to climb up or down, giant gaps to cross, a random but precarious rope bridge that could break at any step. And everything here is influenced by emotions. The stronger the will to believe, the more likely they are to pass safely. But when those doubts start to take hold...when it becomes too great to bear, then you will slowly turn to stone.
• Prompt E: The Empatheias-Shaarnath-Otherworlder Collaborative Expeditions need otherworlder crews to venture out into the desolate wasteland of the planet’s surface, and that means YOU. On an airship with several otherworlder allies, you’ve ventured forth on a several-day journey to explore uncharted territory. It’s hot, dry, and deadly if you slip away from your dunamis protection, but absolutely necessary if anyone is ever to find what’s left out there.
- Living on an airship in crowded conditions makes for close friends and fierce rivalries. Are you handling the pressure well? Do you seek out others to get to know them, or try to find a place on the ship where no one can bother you?
- What’s that in the distance? Is it -- a large terraced pyramid? Do you venture into it, or catalogue it and retreat away to let stronger souls venture within? And if your fellow otherworlders really want to explore, do you go with them? Or try to talk them out of it?
- Of course, the wasteland can still suffer fluctuations of emotion—which means that a simple trip off the ship has turned into disaster as the ground beneath you comes alive with writhing black tentacles! Though not large, they are numerous and hungry for blood and flesh. Better hurry back to safety—unless you need to rescue someone else! Or need rescuing yourself...
• Prompt F: With all of the current, living Arehtei now gathered, the next step is to start working on the world at large—and that's not going to be an easy feat when it's basically a giant wasteland, deteriorating with every passing second. So tests must be done first to study how effective efforts can be—and perhaps dunamis may be the key. In a protective area just outside of Shaarnath, those who wish to try and practice their emotions on the actual barren ground are allowed in. These are the types of tasks they can try to accomplish:
- Make any type of plant grow and see how long it lasts. This could be a flower, grass, a small tree, or even some kind of crop.
- With the aid of a water core, create a small pool of water and have it last as long as possible before the dry earth sucks it all in.
- Change the temperature from dry heat to something more comfortable and maintain it for as long as possible.
- With the aid of an air core, create pure cloud cover. As a side-challenge, alter the clouds to make it rain, but not storm. The rain should be one fueled by positive emotions, not negative (so no grumpy lightning or gloomy clouds).
And anything else a character may think of that is in relation to "restoring the land." The only thing not available to test is a living creature. Note: This is going to be very difficult and will require a great amount of effort and concentration. Small successes are more likely.
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include balloons and/or fire ants.
For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're also welcome to use more than one prompt for respondents to choose from. If you have any questions or want to brush up on the game information, refer to the Game Information entry. Otherwise, tag around and have fun!
no subject
That's one of 'em, Kor. He struck me as one of the better ones. It was pretty cute how thrilled he was to eat something supposedly blessed by you. And maybe a liiittle creepy. Think you've got yourself a fanboy, Dezel.
[Rose shoots him a grin from across the table, legs swinging lightly back and forth. For all her teasing, it's a relief to learn Dezel hasn't kept everyone at arms length once he got here. Given the nature of this world, she'd been... concerned what might become of him if the others were returned to Glenwood. He needed something, someone to focus his efforts on.]
...I'm glad, though.
no subject
[Still, that's not something Dezel wants to bring up now. Not his blessing, not Kor or anyone else knowing how backwards it is, not anything along those lines. So Dezel refocuses on his food, taking a sip of tea before saying anything in return.]
The kid's kind of an idiot sometimes, but he means well. Fights well, too. He's one of the people I'm willing to take Task Board jobs with.
[Hearing Rose is glad for the way Kor behaves regarding him, Dezel finally glances up from his food, mild surprise registering on his face.]
You are? Why...?
no subject
[Such as the way Rose takes considerably longer than is necessary to finish chewing, teeth grinding on the spoon before she sets it down to answer... Only to take a less than healthy swig straight from the wine bottle. "I worry about you, you stupid idiot," is hardly something she wants to spit out in public. Doubly so if other patrons might think she's confessing to air.]
Mm, y'know.
[...no, he doesn't. That's why he asked. Ugh. Idiot.]
It means less work for me if I've got all these people keeping an eye on you.
[That's rich coming from her. Even if it's half true.]
no subject
[Rose is another story, however. Knowing what last happened to her in Glenwood and especially given the incident in the alley, Dezel is cautiously attempting to weigh out exactly what Rose feels about and toward him. The problem is further complicated by his own feelings, which are a real mess now that he's dealing with a Rose who can't remember her previous time on Empatheias or how close she and Dezel had started to become.]
Tch, I don't need anyone keeping an eye on me. I'm supposed to be the one keeping an eye on you, anyway.
[The retort comes out before he really has a chance to think, Dezel allowing defensiveness and pride to cover the sudden dull ache in his chest. That said, he goes back to eating, stabbing a piece of meat with perhaps a little more force than necessary before introducing it to his two rows of pointed teeth.]
no subject
[The remark may be pure sarcasm but the question behind it isn't: just why does Dezel still feel the need to incessantly follow her around? He doesn't have any reason that she can see. No threat of corruption, no revenge to be had... Maybe she would be less irritated if he just came out and told her without being prompted.]
[But no. That's not how Dezel works. She knows that. And for all her curiosity burns, Rose isn't about to broach the question at the risk of driving him away. His presence and the accompanying bickering aren't something she's willing to give up in this strange world. Doesn't mean she won't slurp her stew (loudly!) for the express purpose of irritating him.]
I've already told you, I can take care of myself. Besides, you can't look after me all the time.
[Although being a seraph, he probably could...]
no subject
[Fork stopped halfway between his plate and his mouth, Dezel huffs out a sigh and lowers it, regardless of the chunk of red bell pepper still stuck on the end. His eyes close briefly as his frown deepens. When he speaks, his tone is a little strained; he's doing what he can to rein in his frustration. Still, it's not enough to keep the air from heating up a couple of degrees around him.]
I know I can't... But I don't think you're ready to look after yourself completely here, either. Not after the fall you took earlier. And not when you've only been here a week.
[This would be easier if Rose knew just how far he was willing to go to protect her, yet he can't bring himself to tell her, not now. It's too much of a burden to have laid on her shoulders, especially while she's still trying to recover from the trauma caused by the impaling.]
no subject
[Rose's back straightens as she pushes aside her bowl to clasp both hands on the table in front of her. Maybe it'll be easier on them both if they take a more professional approach. Just for the time being.]
...alright, I'll give you that. On all accounts. So lets iron out of few rules right here. One: if you or I need space, we'll say so. No more flying blind across rooftops. Okay?
no subject
...fine. But in a case like that, Rule Two had better be that if either of us get in over our heads, we're in agreement to contact the other.
[Granted, Dezel seriously doubts he'll ever need to call Rose to his aid. He knows his way around well enough now to avoid hazardous situations. He also has a number of allies he can call on aside from her and beyond the Glenwood crew on the whole. Still, if he wants to appease her and match her on a business level, that has to be the way of things.]
no subject
[Emphasized by Rose folding thumb and index finger down, leaving the three remaining digits to make her point.]
Unless you've got a damn good reason, keeping secrets that involve me are going to result in someone getting their ass kicked. I think I was more than generous in giving you all some leeway back home, so that crap's not flying with me this time.
[There's no reason to specify what instance she's referring to; even if the lecture left room for Dezel to wonder, the icy glare Rose throws his way sure as hell doesn't. It's so cold that her side of the table starts to freeze over and the glass she drank from develops hairline fractures, filling the air with ominous cracks.]
And before you say anything- no, I don't want to talk about it.
[...that's not quite what she means. Rose's brows furrow a bit as she stares down at the steam rising from the table, tsking under her breath. Why the hell is she the one feeling guilty for putting her foot down?]
I don't need an explanation.
no subject
...yeah. Alright.
[He'd known this would come up sooner or later. Everything he'd gone through with Rose in Verens before to get things settled - the arguments, the time spent apart to cool off after - some of that is going to have to happen again. Only this time, Dezel is about out of energy to fight. His reasons be damned, he knows he was always in the wrong.]
[When Dezel does look up at Rose again, gaze pausing for just a brief moment on the cracks in her glass, he appears about as tired as he's suddenly come to feel. When he speaks, his tone is flat, his volume low.]
Anything else?
no subject
[...and for him, she'd been here before, right? Who knows how many times and how often they'd gone over this exact conversation. Maybe that she couldn't remember even the slightest detail from before was fate's way of trying to punish the wind seraph for what he'd done, by forcing him to experience her scathing rage over and over again. At least that's the impression she gets from watching Dezel's exhausted form, from listening to that lifeless voice.]
[And yet Rose doesn't want to him to suffer - she never had. Wanted the idiot to listen, yes. To trust her to back him up on whatever his goals were, damn right. But this... isn't bringing them any closer to that. So for now she sighs, eyes closed as she tries to let go of the mounting negativity and allow the area to warm up again.]
Just a couple. One, I'm... sorry.
[Rose opens her mouth to elaborate, promptly shutting it again when the right words don't come. Ngh. Small steps...]
Two- or are we up to four? Well, whatever. Four! You're hereby required to give me a cooking lesson once a week. Got it? I don't want to get arrested for accidentally poisoning a customer.
no subject
[At the mention of cooking lessons, Dezel does manage a faint smirk, even if it does vanish fairly quickly.]
I'll schedule you in between the two kids I'm also teaching.
[Because better that as opposed to explaining to Detective Fullbright how his partner landed a bunch of people in the hospital via toxic mabo curry buns.]
[Thinking Rose might be done with laying down the rules for now, Dezel allows a thoughtful frown to settle over his features before pushing himself to take a necessary step. She did mention no more secret keeping and there are things he does need to tell her. As tired as he is, some of that has to be dealt with at some point. There's no way around it. So might as well lay the groundwork for it and at least let her know that he's willing to try and that his agreement to the rule wasn't empty.]
Also I... I'd like to make time. To talk with you later about certain things. I think you should know what happened to you and what you did while you were here, before.
no subject
Thanks! Glad I didn't have to twist your arm.
[Quick as it appeared, her expression returns to a more neutral one as she begins snarfing into her dessert with renewed vigor. And in her contentment Rose neglects to realize her actual mood showing through in the form a small, sparkling rainbow arcing across the wet table surface, though it does dim some when Dezel continues.]
Mmm? Hngh...
[A couple noncommittal grunts are the best reply he gets while she chews on both food and that thought. Outside of how it may have affected Dezel, she can't see what any of her previous experiences matter when it's a complete blank. But that's what they agreed on. And later is a hell of a lot better than now, preferably sometime after they've both had the chance to sleep. Finishing off her current bite of food, Rose lets out a quiet sigh.]
I gotcha... Give me a night and we'll talk whenever you're up for it, okay?
no subject
Hmph. Just don't let a pair of seventeen year olds outdo you. Especially since the two of them could barely make anything for themselves when we started.
[He may be attempting to give Rose a hard time in sort of a teasing way, but his heart isn't quite in that, either.]
[Meanwhile, he answers her acknowledgement of talk time later with just a small nod at first, his mouth full of food again. Explaining what went on Verens while Rose was there isn't something he means to force on her, but he figures she might want to know that Kor got into her Spiria, at least. And that she should be wary around the one who caused the kid to have to do that in the first place.]
If you're ready to hear about it, then. We do have an agreement now, but this is far more about you than me.
[It won't be easy to talk about on Dezel's end due to his own involvement, yet he does realize it may be harder for Rose to hear and make a connection with. It's an attempt on his part to be sensitive to her needs, as best he knows how after all he's learned lately, anyway.]
no subject
[Which probably isn't the best promise to make since she plans on getting other people to taste test her cooking for feedback purposes. And Dezel thought the mabo curryless buns did a number on the populace's stomachs...]
[Still, any amount of teasing on either of their parts is welcome to Rose; it helps distract her from Dezel's uncharacteristically somber mood. Lacking any real prior experience, that's the one aspect of him she feels completely helpless in dealing with. Much easier to act like nothing is amiss.]
Either way is fine by me. You know I'm not the type to value what's past more than here and now.
[As though suddenly bored by their discussion about talking, Rose stifles a yawn and stretches in her chair. The last traces of her earlier outburst evaporate as she grabs the wine bottle by its neck, swirling the remaining contents around. Eh, it's enough for a nightcap later.]
Don't know about you, but I think I've had enough. Want to head home?
/sneaks some feels in here...
[He also has nothing to say about valuing the here and now over the past. In a way, he wishes he could have that same attitude. Hell, it would have been incredibly beneficial to him over five years ago when he let the past dictate his plans and actions for far too long. As the situation in Verens stands now, however, letting go could also mean possibly forgetting his feelings for Rose. And to think that after his talk with Sorey during the Hearth party, he actually had it in his head for a short while that a relationship with her would be worth pursuing. That he might have an actual chance, that it'd be worth the risk...]
[Dezel almost doesn't catch Rose's question, his gaze drifting toward an empty table across the way where he'd caught up with Sorey that night, pleasantly buzzed and slinging one arm around the Shepherd's shoulders while asking him questions about his relationship with Mikleo. To maybe get a better idea of whether or not it was worth confessing to Rose. How foolish.]
Yeah... Heading back is probably a good idea.
[It's about then that the waiter shows up with the slice of pie Dezel ordered. After sending a telepathic message to box it up, Dezel takes a minute to eat a little more of his food before pulling a cloth pouch out of one jacket pocket to handle payment. Then, once he's got his food-to-go and their bill squared away, he puts the pouch away and gets up out of his chair.]
Ready when you are, Rose.
/needs a shovel to get out from under them
[When he does snap out of his stupor, she remains silent, brows drawn tight. If there's nothing he wants to share, fine. It'll keep for another time. Anyway, Dezel's sack of cash becomes her key point of interest while he pays. In what's probably a complete waste of effort, she tries eyeballing a rough estimate on the coin's value. It's not insubstantial, but there's no way he'd be carting the whole of his savings around. Not unless he's decided to swap out pendulums for money bags as weapons.]
[It's a notion stupid enough for Rose to snort at as she stands, scraping the chair legs across the floor. Still no manners even when she's not intentionally being an ass, it seems. She spares a quick glance in Dezel's direction to make sure he's following before starting for the Glenwood residence. And yes, she does know where she's going! This time.]
[The walk there is uneventful if peaceful on her end. By now the alcohol has left her feeling warm and pleasantly light in the upstairs department, leading her to hum some made-up tune under her breath as she meanders down the street. That all comes to a halt at their front door, though. Rose goes silent, hovering uncertainly on the threshold. Despite having resided in the house for a whole week, it gives her an eerie feeling to come back to a place she supposedly considered "home" once and yet can't remember.]
no subject
[Upon reaching the front door to the house, Dezel stops a couple of steps shy of Rose, watching as she seems to be unsure of whether or not she wants to enter. Though he's unable to determine the exact problem, he does have to wonder if it's got something to do with a sense of deja vu. Or maybe even a lack thereof. His right hand covers one of her shoulders after a moment's contemplation on his part, his fingers offering her a gentle, but reassuring squeeze before he steps past to go inside.]
Come on. You need downtime.
[From there, he goes to leave the box of pie in the kitchen before pulling off his jacket and heading for the stairs. He's not in any real hurry, though, watchful to see what Rose will do. Whether or not she'll follow him up and go to her room or if she'll go elsewhere and not bother with his advice.]
no subject
Yeah...
[The unnerving sensation doesn't lessen once they're inside, so while Dezel disappears into the other room, Rose busies herself by wandering about, tracing the various furnishings with her fingertips. It's one of those ridiculous things she'd tried on her own before in hopes a spark of recognition would come, but surprise, surprise. Nothing. Same as last time.]
[Not seeing much sense in lingering now that Dezel is back and her own leftovers set aside, she trails along behind him with a hand on the wall for support. Exhaustion combined with the wine has made her limbs heavy, and she's not about to trust her coordination on a flight of stairs. Like hell she survived this long just to be done in by architecture. At the landing she pauses to rub her neck, glancing at Dezel out of the corner of her eye.]
...well, night. Thanks for dinner.
[Rose doesn't wait for a reply before hurrying into her room and quietly closing the door behind her, which she sags against with a ragged sigh. Dammit, why is all this getting to her? It's a stupid, innocuous building for heaven's sake! One that all her friends have been living in for months with no trouble. And here she is, hardly able to stand a week. Her fingers dig into the fabric of her pants as her head jerks upright, eyes swinging wildly about the room.]
[No. She just can't do this.]
[Whirling around, Rose yanks the door open with enough force to send it smacking against the wall, the sound still echoing in the hallway along with her boots as she strides towards Dezel's room. Which had better not be locked, since she doesn't bother with knocking and just bursts into, making a beeline for his bed. Whether he's already resting there doesn't matter; Rose throws herself onto the mattress stomach-first and plants her face in his pillow, muffling her shaky voice.]
'm sleepin' here tonight.
no subject
[Once he's got the door shut, Dezel pulls off his hat, gloves and jacket, hanging them on the nearby desk chair. His boots get pulled off and set down near the door. Meanwhile, any inclination to start thinking too much about the events of the day are chased away by the antics of his rats in their cage, Cirrus and Stratus clinging to the wire bars, hoping for attention and food. Unable to keep a small smile off his face, Dezel walks to the cage and opens it, letting the rats out to crawl up his arms to his shoulders where they snuffle about in his hair and lean against his neck.]
I missed you both, too. I've had a long day, though, so--
[Dezel finds himself interrupted suddenly as his door is practically thrown open, the seraph nearly dropping a container of rat food after emptying a portion of it into the boys' feeder bowl. Then Rose is rushing in and hurling herself onto his bed, declaring that she's...sleeping there for the night? Dezel stares after her, even more confused than before. A couple of seconds tick by, even the rats attentive to this strange turn of events. Then Dezel is sighing quietly and urging his friends back into their cage again before shutting the door. That done, he walks to the room door to get that closed, as well.]
Your room, my room. It's fine. I'm used to it.
[Fortunately, the cot that had been in Rose's room got moved into his not long ago, so it's no problem for her to sleep in his bed while he takes the cot. Still, the reason for this is beyond his grasp and he doesn't care for that. Neither he nor Rose are any good at openly discussing their problems, but if she intends to take his bed for the night, he'd at least like a reason. Even if it's not an entirely truthful one, she could at least offer something of an excuse.]
[Making his way over to the bed, Dezel sits down on the edge of it and reaches over with one hand, setting it on Rose's shoulder.]
You're not feeling sick again, are you?
no subject
No! And I wasn't feeling sick earlier, that was-!
[No, that's beside the point in addition to being ground they already covered. Almost a full minute passes while Rose struggles to keep from visibly shaking, her gaze sliding over to the rat cage, making her cringe. Ugh... She does owe him some explanation, if not an apology. And for whatever reason, what spills out is the simple truth instead of one of her well-constructed lies.]
I just can't sleep in that damn room! It gives me the creeps, like it's full of ghosts- and I'm the one doing the haunting!
no subject
...I know.
[He knows she wasn't actually ill. It's just easier to say that as opposed to dealing with all the messy details of what actually happened. And what may happen again. As her guardian, he's already resigned to the idea that he may have to pull her up out of that drifting, semi-conscious state once more at some point. Perhaps several times.]
[What does make this difficult now is hearing that her own room and the memories within in it bother her so much. In her absence, the room was a source of comfort to him, which was why he slept in it, using the cot. During his lowest moments, he'd lay on the bed for a little while at a time, eyes closed and taking in Rose's scent, as it still lingered faintly on the sheets and pillow. Yet now the room is nothing more than another obstacle to the one who used to reside in it, an unsafe place despite the fact that it was a safe area for both of them, previously.]
[For the first time since Rose's arrival in Verens a week prior, the truth is sinking in... This is not entirely the woman Dezel knew before. That Rose is gone for good. Her Empatheias memories forever lost. She might as well have never been there at all.]
And I understand.
[Getting up again, he pulls off his shirt and hangs it over the back of the chair, over top of his jacket. He then goes to the nearly empty closet to get out a set of bed clothes.]
I'm going to the washroom to get changed, as I don't feel like sleeping in my overalls. Go back to your room and get changed if you want. Or don't. Whatever you want to do. I'll take the cot when I get back and we can call it a night.
no subject
[That impression sinks into the pit of her stomach, making her really feel sick. She'd have preferred him to yell, toss her ass out to fend for herself. Anything, she realizes, but to have his near dismissive attitude directed towards her. In the span of a few moments it's seems to her that they're standing on opposite ends of Westronbolt Gorge despite being within arms reach. And she hates it.]
[Nor does she understand the abrupt change. It's confusing her already swimming mind, making her cling to the bedsheets as she hangs her head. Did something she say hit a nerve? Or did she finally cross the line by barging into his private space? She doesn't know and she can't bring herself to ask. What she does manage is a slight nod as Dezel leaves the room, though she remains frozen in that position, staring at the floor without seeing. Even once he returns, she hasn't moved a muscle.]
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Rose... I've missed you so much and now that you're back, I don't know what to do. I never thought what Bradley did to you was good in any way but...at least it brought us together.
[Heaving a deep sigh, Dezel takes his hands from the counter and turns his gaze on the mirror. As always, the door behind him is the only visible reflection. Like he's not even there. Just as he was for so much of Rose's life. As it will be whenever she goes back home again. So maybe it doesn't even matter...]
[No. No, godsdammit. This is supposed to be his second and final chance! He can't very well tell her that after the shit day they've both just had, but...]
[They're wasting time. She's not exactly who she was before in Verens, but she is still his Rose. He needs to damn well tell her something to make some of this right. Picking up his folded clothing, he heads back to his room again.]
[When Dezel steps through the door, he expects to find Rose at least ready to get some sleep, her jacket and boots off. But she isn't. Instead, she's exactly where he left her, staring blankly at the floor. A dull ache settles in Dezel's chest as he quietly pulls the door shut behind him, then sets his clothes on the chair. For a long moment, he can't bring himself to say anything, exhaling through his nose while one hand rubs at the side of his neck. Finally, he can't stand it any longer and shakes his head.]
Alright, this is getting ridiculous. Rose, I don't... I mean, I can't...
[Shit, what does he even mean to say anymore? His hand drops uselessly to his side as he finally shrugs and just says exactly what he's thinking.]
I...don't know what to do with you. And I'm sorry for that. I'm not the same seraph you used to know and you're...
This is a struggle for you and I'm an idiot who's not making it any easier.
[Oh Lords, what even was any of that? His eyes close as he braces himself for whatever the reaction to all that idiocy on his part will end up being.]
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[Almost. Pulling herself further upright, she folds a leg over one knee and tugs at the ribbon on her boot. No point in dancing around the heart of the matter. It never does them any good. So Rose ignores that last line of his and zeroes right in on what she can only assume is the truth he refuses to voice.]
...and I'm not the same Rose you used to know? Is that it?
[While Rose's tone is light and only tinged by curiosity, her eyes bore into him, demanding an answer. If her guess is right, that would go a long way to explaining his strange and erratic behavior towards her. But the longer Dezel takes to reply, the more likely Rose is to take her boot off and let it drop onto the floor to break the silence. He should know it's not nice to keep a lady waiting.]
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