catchall for emma

[leaberator]

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[foodbin]

Sorry, I shouldn't have looked, but it was hard not to notice... The scars.

[She pauses for a moment.]

You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... Where'd they come from?

[leaberator]

[ he's obviously taken aback by the question, and he looks away, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind: ]

Birthmark.

[ buddy, you got lying on your scroll. wanna try a little harder. ]

[foodbin]

[After a moment:]

You know I said you didn't have to answer, right?

[leaberator]

[ he's holding a hand to his forehead ]

Yeah. Yeah, I know. [ he waves it off ] I'm not bothered by 'em or anything, it's just... [ well. if xion sees, he has to explain something, and he has been doing amazing at that. ] It's a long story.

[foodbin]

Yeah. It's starting to seem pretty long.

[She pauses for a moment.]

But I should see the other guy, right?

[leaberator]

[ honestly, he wasn't going to say anything. it's a long story, it's hard to explain, and he's been dodging the subject of his recompletion for long enough, it's easier to just not acknowledge it. it happened, it worked out, no big deal.

but emma's attempt at banter is so off the mark ... he can't help but laugh. ]

... Truth is, you have. Most of those were kinda self-inflicted.

[ kinda, because it's not like he was thinking about it much at the time. ]

[foodbin]

[She pauses for a moment, holding in a breath as her gaze flickers to his torso back to his face.]

Kinda...? What do you mean?

[leaberator]

[ he's not sure how to explain. he's not even sure how to begin explaining. he's never really needed to. or wanted to.

it's not that he wants now, either, but. he started it, right? ]

Well, it's not like I was burning myself for funsies. [ he starts a little ball of fire in his palm, easy, looking at that instead ] I told you I could use fire magic back where I'm from too, right? If you try hard enough, you can burn from the inside out. Pretty powerful attack, all things considered.

[ with like, mild, deathly consequences ]

[foodbin]

[She looks disturbed, but more than that, she looks concerned. Her voice comes out without the usual sarcastic tinge it carries.]

But... Why would you do that?

[leaberator]

[ he puts the fire out, because isn't that the million dollar question? ]

... I guess the short of it was to help out a friend.

[ it's a lot more complicated than that, and definitely a little more selfish than it sounds. but he doesn't regret it, and doesn't sound like he does when he says it, either. ]

[foodbin]

Couldn't you have done that in a... less harmful way? Were you alright?

[leaberator]

Hey, I'm fine now, aren't I?

[ he got? better?

which answers neither of her questions. ]

[foodbin]

Being fine here doesn't mean you were fine then.

[leaberator]

[ don't call his bluff like that, goddamn. ]

... Maybe not, but does it matter?

[foodbin]

Of course it matters.

[After a moment:]

I'm just... worried about you.

[leaberator]

[ he looks a bit. surprised, and embarrassed, but in a mildly pleased way. ]

Nah... there's nothing to worry about. Things weren't great, but a lot of it was my own fault.

[foodbin]

[She pauses again.]</small. Does that make it any better? Whatever happened still happened.

[leaberator]

Well... yeah.

[ blunt? ]

I can't do anything to change what happened. It's done. And besides, that... was probably the only good thing I'd done in a while, at that point.

[foodbin]

[She gives a small shrug, but:]

I know you can't change it, but I don't like the idea that it doesn't matter as much because some of it was your fault.

[leaberator]

It was more like ninety percent my fault.

[ a bit. deadpan, but he's smirking. ]

[foodbin]

And?

[stares!! at him!!]

[leaberator]

[ alright, that takes him a bit for a loop, and he looks away. ]

... I dunno what you want me to say. I don't regret doing it.

[ but he's already said that. ]

[foodbin]

...Do you have something to go back to, after this?

[read: is he super dead.]

[leaberator]

[ he blinks. why...

oh. oh! he smiles, a bit soft. ]

Yeah. I've been living in this place called Twilight Town with my friends. Sun never sets there.

[foodbin]

...Okay.

[Judging from the way she relaxes slightly, that might have been what she wanted to hear.]

Speaking of a place to go... I mean, I’d have to check with Naminé, but if you ever feel like not sleeping in the library...