snowtop | 003. (v2) [video]

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003. (v2) [video]

[At first, there is no sound; there is only the image of Xanth's forearm. Lines of letters curl around his fingers, twist around his hand, and spiral onto his arm. The ink, jet black, is stark against his pale skin.]

Th-this-- it means I-I've been-- t-too quiet, right? I-It... it wants me to-- t-to say... s-something.

[It's been a while since he's checked in, made sure people knew he hadn't vanished, but there is nothing to say.

The feed remains set on Xanth's arm.]

I'm... o-okay. I'm s--still here.

A-Are... are you guys... o-okay, too?

[He heard that crack some days ago. No one has called for help on the journals, so no one was hurt in the expedition that came after, and no one had been hurt during the initial bang.

Or so he hopes.]

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Y--Yeah.

[It's now that Xanth feels a little bad for not having cleared a space, and for not having anything resembling a table, but he can't help these things.

Well. Not the table part, at least.

He does make the effort of clearing some space on his bed, though, and shoves all the blankets against the wall. There! Sitting space.]

I-I guess you can just-- p-put those, um, o-on the bed?

[There's really nowhere else but the floor.]

N--No. [Xanth shakes his head, even though Chloe can't see it.] S-Some-- some letters l-looked fami--m-miliar, but... n-not enough.

Are... y-you sure you're-- o-okay?

[He's sorry. He couldn't hold off.]

Y--Yeah. You... you too.

[He hasn't spoken with Aara for some time. Not since he took her back to his room after her revival. Though he doesn't ask, he wonders: what has she remembered?]

They-- th-they don't, th-they're just-- l-like the t-tattoo on... m-my face.

[Only these letters don't just shift; they shift and they spread.]

Thanks.

[With a smile, Kairi perches on the edge of the bed and tugs her skirt out so that the oranges can rest in her lap. She wastes no time in beginning to peel one, but looks up at Xanth a moment later before glancing pretty pointedly at the basin.]

[That is a very clear go wash up look, so, sheepishly, he does. He pushes back his sleeves, the turns the water on to slightly more than a trickle.

A minute or two of scrubbing and the ink is washed away. Xanth's arm is good as new and, as far as he can tell, no worse for wear because of the ink. But he wonders if it's truly as benign a warning mechanism as a spit of water to the face.

Xanth shakes his arm off, then goes to the closet and grabs a towel to dry off. He's kept those hung up, at least - if only because he hasn't been using them. When finished, he hangs it up again and then looks to Kairi, a crooked smile on his face.]

B--Better?

Hmmm...

[She only pretends to consider as she continues to peel the orange with a thumb, but quickly finds herself actually thinking the question over.

She grins.]

Well, you'll need a haircut soon, but for now I think you're okay.

Oh...

[That was too bad. Then Chloe pauses for a moment at that next question. She knew he was concerned, and ducks her head with a slight smile and shrug, though he couldn't see either.]

I--I guess. It could have been worse, anyway. [A bit of a forced cheerfulness.] I am fine, though. I just...w-worry about everyone else. Some of the others, here... I don't know it they will ever be okay.

Are...are you sure you are okay, Xanth?

That...that is good.

[It makes her wonder all the more about the markings on his face, though. She thought he was different. Like her. That the markings were a part of him. Had they been put there, though?]

Xanth... I...I wish to thank you. For taking care of me. Helping me. [Even if she also remembers she had been naked. And covered in blood. Most likely her blood, though she supposes she aught to be thankful for that. Still, she trembles. The memories of her death hit her hard. She only wonders what horrors others at the Keep faced.]

I do not know... how trying, or terrible, or exhausting the past few weeks have been for you, Xanth. If you need anything, though--anything at all--I am here.

[Her quiet voice cracks at the offer.]

When things have calmed...ah... I have something to tell you.

[Claudia rushes to his room with her bagging artifact kit in tow. It wasn't so much as a kit, more of a neutralizing bag and her purple gloves, but still.

She slides up to his door, and gives the door a quick rapid knock. She waits bouncing on the balls of her feet.]

[Xanth reaches up and pinches a strand of hair. Or, well, it's actually more like several strands, as greasy hair tends to stick together.

Then he drops his hand, brushes it against his pant leg.]

Y-Yeah, it's, um, this is-- l-longer than I've h-had it in... y-years.

[He goes to sit next to Kairi, careful not to jostle her or her lapful of oranges.]

[When Xanth answers the door, Claudia will find that he does not have the perky, clean, short-haired appearance so aptly captured in his icons. Instead, his hair is down to his shoulders and clearly unwashed; dark circles rest below his eyes; and he looks just a little too thin.

But he offers her a smile all the same.]

H-- uh, hi. Y-You, um. You're here for the the-- the quill? A-And-- the books?

I'll... I-I'll-- I'll b-be okay. It... [A sigh.] I-It could've-- b-been worse.

[People could have not come back.]

A-And I think... e-everyone'll-- b-be okay. E--Eventually.

[But even he doubts this assertion.]

H-Hey, don't-- don't w-worry about it...

[He tries for as comforting a tone as he can, but then she says she has something to tell him, and all that comfort drains away from him.

There is a short pause.]

Um. What-- w-what is it? You-- y-you can-- tell me now.

[Might as well get it over with, if it's something bad. Or maybe she needs help.]

[Yeah his appearance isn't going to help convince her that words showing up on your arms is normal, and nothing to worry about. Her eyes grow wide at the sight of him. She tries to squash down her worry and put on a smile. Pretty unsuccessfully.]

Maybe you should sit down?

[She walks into his room. It's not hard to spot the books in the tiny room.]

Are those all of them?

[Aara relaxes at his assurances. His next words cause every muscle in her body to tense up, however. Her brows knit together as her lungs struggle for air. What if... what if she scares Xanth away?

...What if she hurts him in the future, because she never warned him away? Aara hangs her head.]

Can I... tell you somewhere else?

[If she loses a friend, she does not want it to happen where everyone can see. Her chest constricts at the thought, and she hadn't told him a thing yet. Inhaling a shaky breath of air, Aara steels her nerves. Xanth was her friend. She would abide by whatever he wished after he heard her out.]

Please?

[Xanth shakes his head.]

I--I'm okay.

[Then, he follows her gaze to the books that are now stacked on his bed. There are three stacks - two of them holding four books, one of them holding three. At the end sits his journal, the quill laying atop it.]

Y--yeah. That's... th-that's all.

[She really doesn't believe him, like at all. She raises an eyebrow at him but she'll let it go.

She picks up his journal and quill, and holds them both above the open bag.]

You might want to stand back.

[And Xanth does the exact opposite: he rushes forward and reaches for the journal in Claudia's hand.]

W-What, no, what-- w-what're you d--doing?

[She pulls the journal away and holds it at arms length behind her. It's got a hold of his mind or something.]

It's fine, I'm just going to neutralize it. The bag just sparks. OK? Everything it'll be fine.

[She really hope he believes her, and doesn't pull a Gollum on her.]

[MY PRECIOUSSSS

no.

Xanth's hand hangs in the air a moment longer before he pulls it back. He huffs a sigh.]

F-F--Fine. Sure.

[And he takes a step back. Please, for the love of all that's holy, don't break it.]

[She holds the journal and quill back over the bag. Checks to make sure he's not gonna rush her. She turns her face away and holds the bag as far away from herself as possible, as she drops them in. Nothing happens.]

Well that wasn't it.

[Xanth is quiet for a moment and chews on his lip. He's relieved that his journal and quill are not broken, or so it seems, but Claudia looks so confused.]

W-What-- what'd you th--think was going to-- to happen?

[From this response, Xanth thinks Aara is not injured, but something else is obviously wrong. Maybe she's being hunted by someone.

The thought lights a spark of anger beneath Xanth's depression. He welcomes it.]

Of-- of course.

D-Do you... want to... m-meet somewhere?

[An intense sigh of relief.]

Please.

I can meet you at your room. Or you could come here. Or...we could meet in the bower.

[She hesitates. Anywhere would be good really, so long as they were not interrupted. Aara did not know what she would do or say, then.]

Anywhere should work. You can choose, if you want.

I'll-- c-come to-- y-your room.

[His, despite being neatened, is still kind of a mess.]

What... w-what number is-- i-is it?

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003. (v2) [video]

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/snuggles and wraps in a blanket

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^~^ /snuggles and wraps around happily

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:3

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