bladeascent | Sticks & Bones // IC Inbox

But I'd miss you.

[He blurts, before he can think better of it. And then part of him feels the need to backpedal, like he said something weird and unhinged, because yeah... it's been a few months. It's been a few long months, granted, but that span of time is nothing in the grand scheme of things. A month is like... the bartender at your favourite tavern quits and is replaced by someone else, before being replaced by someone else, and then someone else. A month is enough time to lose soldiers you barely know in war. Two months is half of a semester at a nice university, where your upperclassmen graduate and you never see them again. Three months is enough time to get to know a neighbour who moves out and you forget their name.

But in that same vein, it's also enough time to get to know someone, to know that they're lying to you and they're still probably lying to you, and to want them to let you in so you can fix whatever has them thinking you can't be trusted with that information in the first place.

A few months is both the most insignificant and most significant chunk of a human's lifespan.

He should probably backpedal. He does not.]

I know a few months isn't much to you. You're, what, thousands of years old? As old as Orbis itself? But for humans, we don't live that long. If I'm lucky, I'll die in my seventies. If I'm unlucky, well, I'll die young in battle. [Turns out, that's what his prior five lives did, and what he was three seconds from in the sixth... not that he knows any of that.] It means that every day is precious to me. It would be impossible for me to not think of you every day and wish for you to wake up again if you went comatose after the war ended.

You don't have to give up your divinity, but maybe you can buy, what, forty or fifty more years? Long enough for us to take a vacation and get into non world-ending trouble after everything's over. I wouldn't have an opinion on how long you stayed awake for after I'm dead anyway.

...A vacation, huh? Do you think you could settle down long enough for one of those?

[ Haha.

This is Ras' attempt to lighten the mood, like Vildred does. He's not as good at it as he is, though. ]

[ But in all seriousness, Ras unwraps his arms from around him and gently tries to get Vildred to do the same, so that he may hold Vildred's hands between his own tightly, in what he hopes is a reassuring, warm, inviting sort of way. ]

If I'm being quite honest, Vildred, since I've been asleep for most of my life, knowing you is most of my memories, regardless of my actual age. It would be selfish of me to not want to go through the pain. It is selfish of me if I had to make you go through it, either.

...But Diche is nothing if not merciful. After the war, she may have a solution I'm not currently thinking of. So... for now, we take this one step at a time, okay?

[He's having a whole moment in his head about maybe being a little Too Sad again and whoops, no that's fine he's just going to, uh, take all those emotions and throw them into the fire where they belong—

He squeezes Ras' hands in his and forces a smile.]

You mean there's a chance I get stuck with you for eternity when she definitely makes me into a God? Your loss.

[The therapy here is free, Vildred, you should probably utilize it.]

I'm great at settling down. Probably. I haven't tried yet, but I could. You'll just have to come with me, I'm afraid.

[ Ras is still thinking about this, too. But more logistically than focusing on the upsetting bits. Because, well, he hasn’t really thought about this yet. He has been so focused on the timeline resets and defeating the Archdemon, that he didn’t even consider an aftermath. In fact, the only times he had was when everyone he cared about died. That was the only aftermath he considered.

He continues to hold Vildred’s hands, cracking a little smile that soon falls to a bit of embarrassed shyness. ]

…Hypothetically, [ Ras never speaks in hypotheticals, so you know he’s genuinely rolling all the outcomes in his brain. ] …if I did give up my divinity, would you… teach me how to be human?

As if I haven't been this whole time?

[He laughs softly, a real one this time. There goes the sadness! Bye sadness! He hopes you never show your ugly fucking face around here ever again—]

I'll even teach you about the fun stuff, [he starts,] like taxes and grocery shopping.

Haha... I assume I will have to learn about that stuff, yeah. And have to actually eat, too...

...

Do you think the food is done now?

For someone who doesn't have to eat, you sure are gung-ho about it. It needs to simmer for a few more hours, it's a stew. We can head back inside, if you want.

[Or they can sit out here and look at the view and try to throw away their feelings, that also works.]

I do believe you are mistaking me for a certain blue cotton ball.

Regardless, I am alright out here. I did not mean to bring the conversation down like that. I am... glad that there is something nice to look at here. It was a bit exhausting looking at greys and reds.

You didn't. Besides, it needed to be said anyway.

[And they are. STILL holding hands. Good god you two.]

We've got big plans for when we get back. [Haha. Hahahahaha. "If", you mean.] I should probably teach you to read before I go to Diche and ask for a big favour. Gotta cash in the good karma and all.

[He can already hear it... Krau saying "Vildred you can't say that it's blasphemous"...]

While I do want to learn to read, I can promise you that you've already built up enough of that~ [ Over the many many many months they've spent together. For Vildred it might only be 6 or so. For Ras, it's been actual years.

Also yeah no he's not pulling his hands away. ]

[Good, they can stand out on the balcony and look out over the landscape and hold hands. Very platonic, good job boys.]

I'm glad your mom thinks I'm cool.

[And then he fucking laughs at his own joke. God. Insufferable, push him off the balcony.]

[ …Snrk. ]

You are silly. [ He will bonk Vildred here with his head — his own way for playful nudging. ]

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