bondsofsuffering | limelight

[ maybe if he says this super casually, snow won't think about the basic physics here, ]

The decks. Open air and all.

[Well the good news is he isn't freaking out!

The bad news is he knows basic physics, and it shows when he looks away because ok well he knows how that went now.]

[ breathes out slow, says, softer, ]

Sorry. I'm fine.

[He wrenches his gaze back to Aster. See? Not freaking out.]

...Mm. If you're sure.

What would you have done if I'd said I was interested in trying it myself - just to see?

What do you want me to say?

[ doesn't actually sound frustrated, despite those words ]

That it was stupid to try? It was. That it was desperate? It was that, too. The details? Believe me, there's such thing as knowing too much.

...but if you really want to know more, just ask me, and I'll tell you.

I'm not calling you stupid.

[Immediate. And then, softer:]

I know what happens when a body hits water from this height, Aster. ...It's not a soft landing.

...I told you. I just end up imagining all kinds of worries on my own.

Even ones as gruesome - or worse than that.

[ he reaches out for both of snow's hands. this is going to suck to hear, and to say, but holding hands might help. might be something, anyway. ]

I didn't actually count, but I definitely broke some...probably a lot...of bones on impact. Ribs for sure. They started trying to un-break, which is a super creepy thing you probably know more about than I do. And...I mean, yeah, I went under long enough to...

[ "drown a little" ]

...you really want to hear me say it?

[His hands are free for taking - and if he squeezes a little hard as he hears that, well, don't mind it.]

...

I think that, whatever you say about it now--

It would be scarier knowing my friends could die horribly, repeatedly, without me ever knowing.

[So just tell him, please.]

[ squeezing back just as hard ]

...drowned, yeah. It would've been worse if I didn't have help. Not like the ship stopped moving or anything while that was going on. [ ... ] I went to the healing pools afterwards, and I slept the rest of it off yesterday.

[Okay. Well, now he knows.

He is also going to try to get his hands out of Aster's grasp so he can hug him tightly instead.]

[ yeah, let's hug about it ]

[Time to hug! And probably bury his face in Aster's shoulder while he's at it.]

[ oh.

shifts his hold a little to accommodate that, lifts a hand to snow's hair to gently pet...not unlike snow did for him, just a few days ago ]

[Muffled, into his shoulder:]

Just tell me next time, okay?

Don't leave me wondering.

[ opens his mouth to protest next time, reconsiders ]

Sorry. I'll tell you from now on. I just didn't want to...stress you out even more than you've already been lately.

I can tell when you guys are hiding stuff. Trust me, it just stresses me out more.

[ there is no point to asking who "you guys" are. he knows. ]

Sorry. I really, really didn't think that was going to happen, for what it's worth. Thought I'd have another chat with the thought police. Or the Showmaster would show up with some force field Blessing. I wasn't trying to...get hurt, without telling anyone.

Mm...

Now that we know we can't die, I wonder if the staff are just leaving us to face the consequences, no matter how fatal.

[ "i didn't die, i drowned" no do NOT say that ]

Don't like the part where we can't die even off the boat. Or...I don't know if you've noticed, but if someone's thinking about what happened during that performance and touches your scar? They see what you lived. I got that one on my arm, right?

[ visible right now, probably, given his short sleeves ]

Nettle touched it by accident, and got a total replay of my end of things.

Edited 2024-10-22 01:55 (UTC)

-What? No, I hadn't heard that.

[Partially on accounts of having to be reconstituted and then healed up - sans any scars.]

I'd offer to let you try and see, but,

[ I DON'T WANT TO MAKE YOU CRY TWICE IN FIVE MINUTES ]

you should probably take my word for it.

...Mm. I think I can accept leaving it at that for now.

[ breathes out. god. ]

It's okay. I made a mistake; I got better. It's mostly kind of embarrassing. The more important thing is that we're in this together. We'll figure it out.

And then go home and take the longest, farthest away from the ocean, vacation ever.

[-Okay, he can't help a soft laugh at that last part.]

I'm so ready for a vacation from this vacation.

limelight_stage IC Contact;

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