Probably gonna feel sort of weird after all this time apart, but yeah. Been lookin' forward to showing Elysia and Charlie the tavern, got somethin' to give to Yves, and I've got a game to wrap up with Claude.
Mm. [ definitely a little weird, but good. there's a warm emotional flutter at the list of names, and since no one else seems to be around, he settles in to walk with him with a hand still loosely intertwined. ]
I don't know where to start! What sort of game - and what sort of gift? I can't wait to see them, either. I promised Claude I'd take him to see the graffiti in Italy.
[ sometimes it's hard to remember just how long people have been gone. ]
We were playin' correspondence chess, the sort where you have the board drawn out on paper and say in letters what your moves are. And I'm makin' a little arts and crafts version of a sand rose charm. Laurence showed me this weekend how to make paper roses, and I got some white sand and glued that to it for the texture. Still drying, but hopefully it'll be done by the time they get here.
[ it probably shouldn't have been but fuck it it's heaven maybe glue dries faster ]
[ ohhh his emotions go even more fond at that. at all of it, actually, but the correspondence chess - how typical of two of his very favorite people. ]
What a clever idea. [ and perhaps something for him to remember, for his upcoming days in a tower. he keeps that to himself, though his hold tightens just a little, fingers curling into his. ] How much of the game do you have left? I imagine it must be a tight competition.
[ as for the rest... the flowers are sweet, too, and he hums. ]
As for Yves...I imagine you'll make him cry. [ affectionately as always. ] Ah... I'm excited, to see everyone again. Truly, I think it will become so very - well, for lack of a better term, so very lively.
Ah, we were still pretty early. With the mail schedule what it is, we could only get a few moves in each week. Like to think it gave him somethin' to look forward to, though.
[ since it had sort of seemed like he needed that. ]
Almost hard to remember what it was like when everyone was over here before, but yeah, I imagine so. [ our 4k comment party post... ] Plus I guess we've got— well, two more now, on top of that. [ quickly cycles between very warm and fond vibes (till) and intense disdain (harold) as he says that. ] Not sure we can even fit 'em all in the tavern.
[ help. the rapidly cycling vibes make him have to muffle a quiet laugh with his free hand. it's cute that he scooped up till so easily - briefly, his thoughtshare reflects an image like a photograph of the gang singing karaoke that one curfew night, all fond and warm. ]
I think we'll find a way. Our group certainly does not mind being up close and personal.
[ he says. holding del's hand. there's a beat, and then, softer: ]
the karaoke image makes him smile; that was something he'd wanted to share with some of the people who hadn't been around for it. ]
With Yves coming back, I'd be a lot more surprised if we didn't have one. You really think he's gonna let everyone go their separate ways without a proper celebration of the time spent here?
[ taking his seat on the train... he'd gotten so used to being slowed down by that broken foot the past few weeks that it's kind of surprising seeing again how little time it normally takes to move from place to place here. ]
What, for this place, you mean?
[ back in his own it had been writing his history book and travelling the world, hadn't it? but he feels like he can sort of guess what other things he'd be dreaming of now that he's in a place where he's surrounded by friends every day, even if he hasn't heard the exact words. ]
For this place, and before. Completing my book, of course, is one, but... truthfully, I had one other.
[ his voice softens a little, and he looks out of the window of the train, out at the strange scenery of their shifted and changed locations rolling by. ]
...When the loneliness would get too unbearable, I used to climb up on the roof of the palace outside of my room, and dream that I was a bird - and that I'd fly all over Iria, and see all of the sights there were to see. But... more than that.
The part of it I dreamed the most of was that I could land, and make friends everywhere that I went. And those friends would become true, wonderful companions - or maybe they would not. Maybe we would only meet for a night or two at a time. A few weeks. But I would dream that I could meet new people and travel with them all day, then make camp and sit around the fire all night, laughing and sharing stories and memories and drinks.
[ a simple dream, really. the dreams of friendship, the dreams of company, for a lonely bird trapped in a cage, too far from society to ever experience its simple joys. ]
...It amazes me, how much of that I've been able to achieve in this place. Looking back on it in retrospective feels like a dream in and of itself.
[ ...maybe he had heard it before, or maybe it's just that it sounds so perfectly taair that it only feels like it. of course that would be a dream of his.
fidelio smiles, giving his hand a light squeeze and tracing his thumb over his. ]
Yeah, that sounds like your kind of dream, all right.
Glad you've had the chance to make some of it real in spite of everything.
I will treasure nights like those at the tavern - and moments like these, too - forever.
[ it's said softly, with so much genuine weight - amplified by the little brush of his thumb against his. There are days here when I forget how it feels to be lonely.
no matter what happens this week, no matter what does or doesn't work out, no matter if he manages to succeed at being 'redeemed', whatever that means, those experiences have painted a chance at a life for taair beyond just revival. once upon a time, a simple night in a rainy cavern had been the single highlight of his life, and here, he's gotten to live similar nearly every day. amidst all of the horrors, it's a wonderful thing, to achieve a dream.
gently, taair returns the little squeeze, turning his head to look at him properly - seated, not so far apart in height. ] ...Thank you, for being a part of it.
[ and then exhales, sitting back against his seat with an airy laugh. ]
I was hoping we'd be able to spend an evening at the bonfire with everyone before our judgement day, but. Well. The beach has disappeared! [ with a helpless little laugh because like what a stupid problem to have. the entity sucks ] But that's alright. I think one last sendoff will be even more wonderful at the tavern, even if it's a tight fit.
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[ takes his hands. ]
Want to get started, then? If everyone's really gonna be coming back today, we're probably gonna be busy catchin' up with them for a while.
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[ but, he smiles up at him and strokes his thumbs very briefly over the sides of his hands when they're taken, then hops up to his feet. ]
And yes - I think that's a fine idea. [ time to go to the academy. ] I'm quite excited to see everyone today. Are you?
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Probably gonna feel sort of weird after all this time apart, but yeah. Been lookin' forward to showing Elysia and Charlie the tavern, got somethin' to give to Yves, and I've got a game to wrap up with Claude.
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I don't know where to start! What sort of game - and what sort of gift? I can't wait to see them, either. I promised Claude I'd take him to see the graffiti in Italy.
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[ sometimes it's hard to remember just how long people have been gone. ]
We were playin' correspondence chess, the sort where you have the board drawn out on paper and say in letters what your moves are. And I'm makin' a little arts and crafts version of a sand rose charm. Laurence showed me this weekend how to make paper roses, and I got some white sand and glued that to it for the texture. Still drying, but hopefully it'll be done by the time they get here.
[ it probably shouldn't have been but fuck it it's heaven maybe glue dries faster ]
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What a clever idea. [ and perhaps something for him to remember, for his upcoming days in a tower. he keeps that to himself, though his hold tightens just a little, fingers curling into his. ] How much of the game do you have left? I imagine it must be a tight competition.
[ as for the rest... the flowers are sweet, too, and he hums. ]
As for Yves...I imagine you'll make him cry. [ affectionately as always. ] Ah... I'm excited, to see everyone again. Truly, I think it will become so very - well, for lack of a better term, so very lively.
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[ since it had sort of seemed like he needed that. ]
Almost hard to remember what it was like when everyone was over here before, but yeah, I imagine so. [ our 4k comment party post... ] Plus I guess we've got— well, two more now, on top of that. [ quickly cycles between very warm and fond vibes (till) and intense disdain (harold) as he says that. ] Not sure we can even fit 'em all in the tavern.
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[ help. the rapidly cycling vibes make him have to muffle a quiet laugh with his free hand. it's cute that he scooped up till so easily - briefly, his thoughtshare reflects an image like a photograph of the gang singing karaoke that one curfew night, all fond and warm. ]
I think we'll find a way. Our group certainly does not mind being up close and personal.
[ he says. holding del's hand. there's a beat, and then, softer: ]
...I hope we have one last festival.
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the karaoke image makes him smile; that was something he'd wanted to share with some of the people who hadn't been around for it. ]
With Yves coming back, I'd be a lot more surprised if we didn't have one. You really think he's gonna let everyone go their separate ways without a proper celebration of the time spent here?
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Oh, certainly not. [ warmly. he seems content to settle into a moment of warm silence for a little while, settling in on the train. but, eventually: ]
...Those have been some of my favorite moments, here. Did I ever tell you what my dream was, Fidelio?
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What, for this place, you mean?
[ back in his own it had been writing his history book and travelling the world, hadn't it? but he feels like he can sort of guess what other things he'd be dreaming of now that he's in a place where he's surrounded by friends every day, even if he hasn't heard the exact words. ]
What was it?
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[ his voice softens a little, and he looks out of the window of the train, out at the strange scenery of their shifted and changed locations rolling by. ]
...When the loneliness would get too unbearable, I used to climb up on the roof of the palace outside of my room, and dream that I was a bird - and that I'd fly all over Iria, and see all of the sights there were to see. But... more than that.
The part of it I dreamed the most of was that I could land, and make friends everywhere that I went. And those friends would become true, wonderful companions - or maybe they would not. Maybe we would only meet for a night or two at a time. A few weeks. But I would dream that I could meet new people and travel with them all day, then make camp and sit around the fire all night, laughing and sharing stories and memories and drinks.
[ a simple dream, really. the dreams of friendship, the dreams of company, for a lonely bird trapped in a cage, too far from society to ever experience its simple joys. ]
...It amazes me, how much of that I've been able to achieve in this place. Looking back on it in retrospective feels like a dream in and of itself.
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fidelio smiles, giving his hand a light squeeze and tracing his thumb over his. ]
Yeah, that sounds like your kind of dream, all right.
Glad you've had the chance to make some of it real in spite of everything.
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[ it's said softly, with so much genuine weight - amplified by the little brush of his thumb against his. There are days here when I forget how it feels to be lonely.
no matter what happens this week, no matter what does or doesn't work out, no matter if he manages to succeed at being 'redeemed', whatever that means, those experiences have painted a chance at a life for taair beyond just revival. once upon a time, a simple night in a rainy cavern had been the single highlight of his life, and here, he's gotten to live similar nearly every day. amidst all of the horrors, it's a wonderful thing, to achieve a dream.
gently, taair returns the little squeeze, turning his head to look at him properly - seated, not so far apart in height. ] ...Thank you, for being a part of it.
[ and then exhales, sitting back against his seat with an airy laugh. ]
I was hoping we'd be able to spend an evening at the bonfire with everyone before our judgement day, but. Well. The beach has disappeared! [ with a helpless little laugh because like what a stupid problem to have. the entity sucks ] But that's alright. I think one last sendoff will be even more wonderful at the tavern, even if it's a tight fit.
I hope you'll sing for us, again, Fidelio.