assorted non-canon and AU threads

[aesculapian]

who wants delicious post-forest terribleness

Comments

[aesculapian]

[ we're going to have to do something about that ]

Likewise, Kuuha. ... Kuuha-san?

[counteredfaith]

[ eh, you know ]

Mm?

[ oh, wait ]

Ah, either is fine. It doesn't matter . . .

[aesculapian]

Then ... Kuuuha when it is me, and Kuuha-san for Lilith.

[ letting go once they've hit bottom and sort of. starting to pat herself down. downside of not wearing things with voluminous sleeves anymore, as well as involving actual variety: finding a good place to pull summoned things out of. ]

[counteredfaith]

Ah, that's fine.

[ taking a moment to just stare at their surroundings like he's not quite seeing it . . . or rather, like he doesn't recognize it. where the fuck is he ]

[aesculapian]

[ it's a cute little village looking thing! there are little houses and what look like baby apartment complexes scattered in a loose semi-circle by the side of the river, so there's a large meadow in the middle. there are flowers absolutely everywhere— in the old team varieties, mostly, but there are also patches of new color here and there.

finally locating a pocket in her skirt and tugging a rolled up blanket out, despite the pocket having been nowhere near large enough to fit it ]

Oh ... do you like it?

[counteredfaith]

[ oh it's cute

blinks once, twice. the first is slow, but the second is quicker. ]

. . .

Ah. . .

Where is this. . . ? Is this still the forest?

[miraculess]

It is. We aren't running from anything, anymore, so we figured it made sense to settle down.

[ shaking the blanket out

there's an entire tea service on it. like the cups and the sweets and the everything else were tucked into it, somehow? that never gets old. ]

[counteredfaith]

We stopped running? My, many things have happened.

[ blinks, finally noticing the blanket and

oh

blinks

when did this happen ]

You're quite prepared . . .

[miraculess]

[ this spacey kuuha ]

Not really... I'm afraid I cheated. But... mm. The Spill is gone. There's still some cleaning up to do, but there's no rush.

[counteredfaith]

[ he's from outer space ]

I see . . .

[ making his way over to sit on the blanket, and while he does: ]

Would that include myself?

[aesculapian]

... we would prefer it did not.

[counteredfaith]

Is that alright?

[aesculapian]

It depends on you.

Can you accept staying here, Kuuha?

[counteredfaith]

Staying here . . . ?

As if I had any reason to leave . . . ?

[aesculapian]

[ ...hums as she sits down herself, somewhere in between her old drifty tones and Lilith's more solid "mm" ]

If that is how you feel, then it should be fine.

[counteredfaith]

I see . . .

[ looking down to the assortment of sweets ]

I wonder if I should be happy about that . . .

[aesculapian]

[ pouring him tea ]

Which part?

[counteredfaith]

I'm quite tired of existing, so . . .

[ plainly, casually, like he's talking about how he likes his tea ]

[aesculapian]

[ in about the same tone: ]

You did look very tired ...

... if you want us to hurry that end, we will. But ... doing so as a favor is different from doing so out of necessity.

[counteredfaith]

It's quite a burden to take on, I couldn't repay that degree of a favor . . .

/2

[aesculapian]

Rather ...



[ ...going quiet for a moment ]

[miraculess]

...I can't say that I would be happy to do it, of course. But it would be an honor, in its own way.

[counteredfaith]

. . . Even so, that would be too cruel to you.

[ like you specifically ]

[miraculess]

[ taking a drink ]

Cruelty isn't new to me, Kuuha-san.

I know well enough what it's like to be that kind of tired. Would having me do it be more or less cruel than letting me live with knowing I didn't help where I could?

[counteredfaith]

[ just kinda hums to that, tilting his head ]

In any case, this place is nice. This is what you were working on for the past year?