IMEEJI IC INBOX

[beautifulend]

[ The voicemail message is just 60 seconds of muffled barking, unskippable. ]

Comments

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

[ she uncrosses her arms and uncurls her hands, slightly. ]

...people do keep telling me I need to actually learn to relax.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

You do, it's true. This way.

[ they start headed for the door to the onsen. ]

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

[ she follows right behind, idly tidying up her side braid and tucking a few loose strands behind her ear as she walks. ]

...well, I'm better at it than I used to be.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

I can't imagine how you used to be. You always seem like you're about to burst in most of the time I've known you.

[ they open the door and head through, immediately just oozing into the closest pool. ]

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

Well, that's—that's a different circumstance.

[ she huffs slightly, but strips out of her clothes with the efficiency of someone used to communal changing areas, and folds everything in a pile before walking over to slide into the water up to her neck. ]

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

[ turning to face her. ]

My, am I special? I'm so honoured.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

I always feel like I'm off-balance, one way or another...

And, anyway. You are.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

You know what's funny? Hearing that still makes my heart beat faster, despite the context.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

[ she rubs her hand across her throat, unconsciously—tracing the line of the scar there. ]

...Like a "really exciting fight for your life"?

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

Like when someone important to you pats your head and tells you you were good!

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

[

reaches over and pats their head. ]

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

[ !

!!!!!!!! ]

Master!

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

...I just thought it'd be nice.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

It was!

[ so nice they're going to flop on her and melt a little. ]

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

[ oh, that's...

...a little weird, but also cute. she's been petting a lot of dogs recently so why not headpets. ]

...I know you said you were sorry, but I think Glory could stand to work on empathy for others more, too...

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

Could she? It's not like it's important when it comes to me.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

Mm, well, she says it causes her problems sometimes in other cases...

...I mean, it sort of felt like defending—myself, somehow, like—having to justify why there are some things I can’t just stubbornly will myself into letting go of, either, even if they hurt.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

Is that a her problem? Almost every person I've spoken to here thinks you can just let go of having been broken.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

...mm.

[ she just like. attempts to set her chin on their head. ]

I guess most of them—probably do think that, but—isn’t it common enough to return from war a changed person?

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

[ her chin might sink in a little but they're at least solid enough for that. ]

Of course. That doesn't mean they understand unless they've been through it themselves.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

Mm. I guess not, since most of them—haven't, really. As far as I know it's mostly—Jason, I guess, who I've talked to about this kind of thing, where he knew what I meant.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

BAD END=DEAD END in general seems to understand it well. Though I don't think many of them have experienced it, they've been through similar.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

[ distantly: ] There was something here once, a game, that called me—"something changed forever."

But—mm, that doesn't surprise me, somehow.

You're right, though, that there's a lot of people that believe that you can just... wake up one morning and start over, and even if I could I'm not sure I'd want to?

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[beautifulend]

Of course. You wouldn't be you anymore if you did.

Re: Day 297 late I guess after the glory thing

[softlyfalling]

Yeah. You understand.

[ she just very lightly drops a kiss on top of their weird slime head. ok. ]

It gets easier sometimes but it'll never not be there.