bondsofsuffering | limelight

[ after a couple of dame boothenings, ]

where are u?

Edited 2024-11-27 12:42 (UTC)

Snowdrop: Upper deck. Why?

aster: cool
aster: can you meet me at the sheep?

[ a pause before these ]

aster: healing. nothing super big
aster: i'll explain when you get there

[Well that's still alarming.]

Snowdrop: Be there soon.

[And sure enough, there he is, looking around for Aster.]

[ aster is...flopped on his back in the meadow, a sheep peaceably munching on his hair. nothing weird to see here!!

except for the glimpse of irritated skin at his ankle, where his pant leg rides up, and the blood on his sleeve. sits up when he hears snow's approach (the sheep bleats indignantly), intends casually wave snow over, but instead — opens both arms like come here. ]

[Going over to him immediately. He wants to check the wounds, but he won't turn down a hug if that's what Aster wants.]

What happened?

Dame's booth. I'll tell you more in a minute, promise.

[ but first, let him hang onto snow and bury his face in his shoulder ]

[Immediately hugging him back, a hand trailing to his hair to pet him, comfortingly.]

I've got you. It's okay.

[ allows himself exactly (1) shuddering breath. doesn't pull back yet, but, ]

So, turns out that knife makes you want to cut someone you care about. Like, you have to do it. And the masks can make you act...not like yourself. Like, say, enough to pick up a sus knife.

[ wry, ]

Maybe I should take the compliment? Not sure everyone's getting knifed by a couple of people.

[His grip tightens when he hears that.]

What the hell? That's what she cooked up?

Fun for the whole family, right?

Why is she always so awful?

[Ugh- he's mad thinking about it, and madder still knowing that even if he approached her, that wouldn't do a damn thing.]

Gets a kick out of it.

[ grimly ]

I also touched it, to — I don't know. Prove I'm not afraid of her? Except I obviously am afraid, and she wasn't even there.

Edited 2024-11-27 22:14 (UTC)

Then you had to...?

You should check on Cinth later.

Not just for that. He lost his memory because of one of the booths, and it scared him pretty bad.

It...scared me pretty bad too, honestly.

A real bouquet of bad effects, huh?

...I'll make sure to find him. But what about you? What exactly happened?

[ pulls back a little just to point to his ankle, ]

Satin.

[ and then gesture at his other arm, ]

Cinth.

For the record. I didn't — this wasn't me volunteering for anything stupid, promise. It was just a lot of wrong place, wrong time.

Satin was kind of like...hey, can you come over here, Aster. By the way, sorry about this cursed knife. Not his fault, obviously. He tried to make it as quick and not-weird as possible.

But after the other day, just sitting there and taking a knife was kind of...I mean, I don't have to tell you.

Fake Cinth was just annoying.

But it took him, like, ten minutes to work up to it because he kept stopping to ask questions or be like, "I don't know you but I hate your vibes."

I don't know if it was better or worse for him that he didn't go back to normal till after.

...I guess, without his memories, the wariness and suspicion was all he had left.

[Which is just - an extra layer of depressing, honestly.]

Were you able to talk afterwards, at least?

Pretty much. That and...a lot of fear. But I don't blame him, considering what the boat is like. And what being alone without memories is like.

[ shrugs ]

Yeah, for sure. He was really shaken up about it and worried I'd ditch him. Which — obviously not.

No, I expect you wouldn't.

[Blame him, or ditch him.]

...What about you, though? How are you feeling after all that?

limelight_stage IC Contact;

afternoon 227, during the carnival

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