[Well, it's nice that he's fixed up? No broken leg. No broken wrist. None of the bruising and pain he went through before--
On the other hand.
It's less nice to receive that letter, and even less to see Jae-ha here too. Sousei's eyes narrow, and he scoffs, meeting Jae-ha's eyes with a rather displeased expression on his face.]
Neither are you. Why are you here? I had thought there were minimal targets on your back.
He seems to realize that he's holding onto Sousei's wrist still a moment later and he uncurls his hand from him, flicking his hair over his shoulder instead in an agitated motion. There's a deep, deep breath and he repeats again, softer:]
[There's a contemplative pause as he thinks it over. (They may as well be honest with each other, right? They may as well lean on each other, since they are both there--that's what they said.)
So he's honest when he replies slowly:]
Aggravation aside... yes, I am fine. I lost in a fight. It was hardly fair in any sense of the word, but nonetheless that is something I can understand.
[He wasn't strong enough, so he died. It's blessedly simple.
Jae-ha lets go of his wrist, so Sousei just reaches out to gently retrieve Jae-ha's wrist in his own hand instead.]
It should not have turned out this way, but nonetheless we are both still here, together. You do not have to keep everything on your own shoulders, just as before.
[The gesture is a surprise - and Jae-ha lets Sousei take his wrist, even as his gaze flicks up to meet his eyes. He listens and - it bothers him. It wasn't a fair fight, but Sousei lost and he can accept it. It's simple. It's so simple and he wishes that he could come to understand his emotions in the same way.
But right now it's still too raw. Too many things, all at once.]
... I need to find my Captain, if we're where I think we are.
[ . . . ]
One at a time then. We'll alternate what we have to say.
[Because he doesn't know if he can do it all at once.]
... the red-haired girl here... The one who wasn't in the castle. Her name is Yona.
When we met, her hair was shorter and she wasn't quite... the same. She's the type of girl who would brave near-death tests for the sake of medicinal herbs to help others, who would shoot down tyrants, who would board slave ships in order to free the other prisoners inside... those are the reasons why I chose to follow her after I left Captain Gi-gan.
She might be the King that the Green Dragon is meant to serve.
That's... Hm. That's definitely a lot, and Sousei's brow furrows as he tries to come to understand that. Jae-ha's... leader, the girl he was following back home, but...different?]
Some sort of time distortion...? [Longer hair, and not remembering who hew as...? That's so bizarre. If she's been stuck here all this time, then how--
... Perhaps it's better not to question it.]
... All of that effort that it takes for you to decide to follow someone, and she does not even remember you. That is fittingly troublesome along the lives that your life seems to be.
Jae-ha shuts his eyes for a moment as he shakes his head.]
... I'm lying to her, because I don't know what else I'm meant to do.
[It wouldn't be the first time, at the very least - he's put on fronts to Yona before, for her own good. This shall be the same. He doesn't need to express how he feels, it'll just be one more thing tucked away for her own good.]
... there's more, because of course there is. But if you have anything to share even as a buffer between my stories, maybe what I'll tell you will be a bit more coherent.
[Honestly, even though it means Jae-ha's even more in pain... Sousei can't argue that it's probably the best option. Lying to her... what else can he do?]
... I believe that may be the only thing you can do, in a situation like this.
[It would be nice if life would stop treating Jae-ha as a punching bag, but it won't. That is what people like them, who take on the harder task of living their lives according to their own beliefs and freedom, have to deal with constantly.
Sousei's quiet for a moment, and then he shakes his head.]
I suppose I owe you an apology, but in truth, now that we are both here I feel less of a need. [RUDE...] But I did step out of our room aware that I was being lured away. So. I do apologize for that, for putting both of our lives in danger out of belief in my own skills. [He still almost succeeded, but y'know, them's the breaks.]
[The rudeness at least manages to get a wry look from Jae-ha - something to interrupt the honestly vaguely lost expression on his face - and he seems amused for all of a few seconds.
Up until.
Sousei says 'I did step out of our room.'
And then his expression falters if only because - ]
[ . . . and Jae-ha sighs, because they're already on this track, and so he'll continue.]
I ran, because it was the easiest decision and away from everyone. It should've been simple enough to lose it. Unfortunately it was quite a bit tougher than normal wolves... so my guess is that it's an ability. Unless someone had an enchanted pet they didn't care to bring out. It was very determined to track me, after all.
There's a moment where he seems to take a second to tap his right foot on the ground, as if reminding himself that it's still there.... and he sighs.]
... I've been patrolling. Have you covered this way?
[A gesture further out to the courtyard. He turns his hand in Sousei's to simply take his hand and pull - because apparently he's had enough of standing around.]
[... Sousei's quiet for a long moment, expression a little shuttered--and then, simply:]
If you expect me to believe that you landed face down in the dirt and did not even make a token attempt to defend yourself or even see who your attacker was, then I believe you do not think I have come to know you here at all.
[Jae-ha isn't a pitiful person, and never has been. Sousei refuses to believe that he died pitifully--that he died in a way that wasn't at least a little beautiful--as well.]
If you do not want to tell me who killed you, tell me so straight.
Of course he's like that. Jae-ha's expression falls as he seems to take a second to think. Contemplate. Turn those words over in his head.]
... you know, there could have been alternatives. If they were waiting for me to fall, they could have worked too fast for me to see. Something like that.
[ . . .
He sighs.]
I'm not lying about not being able to see them. Even when I turned, there wasn't anyone there.
[His hand in Sousei's tightens - before he forces it into relaxing again.]
... I have a guess, but I'm not sure what it means yet.
[... Well. He relaxes at that as well, shaking his head to himself a little, breathing out a soft sigh in return.]
... Fine, then. You're not ready to discuss it, and that is plain. Keep it to yourself until you are. You are not beholden to sharing any part of an experience like that with me.
[It's Jae-ha's pain, not Sousei's, whether they're partners or not.]
[He'll keep it at that - but he figures it also provides an explanation for why he's still not feeling his best. He runs his free hand through his hair.]
But regardless... it was on Thursday, so perhaps I should've known better - but I didn't make it back to the room. So whatever you saw there was an illusion.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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On the other hand.
It's less nice to receive that letter, and even less to see Jae-ha here too. Sousei's eyes narrow, and he scoffs, meeting Jae-ha's eyes with a rather displeased expression on his face.]
Neither are you. Why are you here? I had thought there were minimal targets on your back.
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[ - or something like that. Jae-ha's fingers tighten, his mind racing for explanation.]
... how did - ? Why....
[His mind provides a few images to him - snow, a wolf, a knife - and he blinks them away.]
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Don't remind me.
[He was supposed to be stubborn enough, but he was...not!! Just... a shred too slow, a moment too weak.
A sigh, and he shakes those thoughts away.]
... Are you all right?
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[He knows that. There's no way to avoid it.
He seems to realize that he's holding onto Sousei's wrist still a moment later and he uncurls his hand from him, flicking his hair over his shoulder instead in an agitated motion. There's a deep, deep breath and he repeats again, softer:]
... No, I'm not. Not right now.
[But he will be.]
Are you?
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So he's honest when he replies slowly:]
Aggravation aside... yes, I am fine. I lost in a fight. It was hardly fair in any sense of the word, but nonetheless that is something I can understand.
[He wasn't strong enough, so he died. It's blessedly simple.
Jae-ha lets go of his wrist, so Sousei just reaches out to gently retrieve Jae-ha's wrist in his own hand instead.]
It should not have turned out this way, but nonetheless we are both still here, together. You do not have to keep everything on your own shoulders, just as before.
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But right now it's still too raw. Too many things, all at once.]
... I need to find my Captain, if we're where I think we are.
[ . . . ]
One at a time then. We'll alternate what we have to say.
[Because he doesn't know if he can do it all at once.]
... the red-haired girl here... The one who wasn't in the castle. Her name is Yona.
When we met, her hair was shorter and she wasn't quite... the same. She's the type of girl who would brave near-death tests for the sake of medicinal herbs to help others, who would shoot down tyrants, who would board slave ships in order to free the other prisoners inside... those are the reasons why I chose to follow her after I left Captain Gi-gan.
She might be the King that the Green Dragon is meant to serve.
[One at a time, he reminds himself.]
... she has no idea who I am.
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That's... Hm. That's definitely a lot, and Sousei's brow furrows as he tries to come to understand that. Jae-ha's... leader, the girl he was following back home, but...different?]
Some sort of time distortion...? [Longer hair, and not remembering who hew as...? That's so bizarre. If she's been stuck here all this time, then how--
... Perhaps it's better not to question it.]
... All of that effort that it takes for you to decide to follow someone, and she does not even remember you. That is fittingly troublesome along the lives that your life seems to be.
[That's rough, Jae-ha.]
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[After another after another.
Jae-ha shuts his eyes for a moment as he shakes his head.]
... I'm lying to her, because I don't know what else I'm meant to do.
[It wouldn't be the first time, at the very least - he's put on fronts to Yona before, for her own good. This shall be the same. He doesn't need to express how he feels, it'll just be one more thing tucked away for her own good.]
... there's more, because of course there is. But if you have anything to share even as a buffer between my stories, maybe what I'll tell you will be a bit more coherent.
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... I believe that may be the only thing you can do, in a situation like this.
[It would be nice if life would stop treating Jae-ha as a punching bag, but it won't. That is what people like them, who take on the harder task of living their lives according to their own beliefs and freedom, have to deal with constantly.
Sousei's quiet for a moment, and then he shakes his head.]
I suppose I owe you an apology, but in truth, now that we are both here I feel less of a need. [RUDE...] But I did step out of our room aware that I was being lured away. So. I do apologize for that, for putting both of our lives in danger out of belief in my own skills. [He still almost succeeded, but y'know, them's the breaks.]
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Up until.
Sousei says 'I did step out of our room.'
And then his expression falters if only because - ]
... I never made it back to our room.
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... You were waylaid?
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Right after dinner.
I stepped out into the foyer and something was already waiting for me.
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[????]
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A nod.]
... A large wolf.
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... Seriously?
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[ . . . and Jae-ha sighs, because they're already on this track, and so he'll continue.]
I ran, because it was the easiest decision and away from everyone. It should've been simple enough to lose it. Unfortunately it was quite a bit tougher than normal wolves... so my guess is that it's an ability. Unless someone had an enchanted pet they didn't care to bring out. It was very determined to track me, after all.
I made it as far as the maze... but it -
[Ughhhh.]
It tore off my leg.
[He's so sour.]
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That is reason again to assume it's some sort of ability--someone who knew very well what you are capable of when your leg is intact.
[Because he's absolutely assuming Jae-ha means his dragon leggy]
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There's a moment where he seems to take a second to tap his right foot on the ground, as if reminding himself that it's still there.... and he sighs.]
... I've been patrolling. Have you covered this way?
[A gesture further out to the courtyard. He turns his hand in Sousei's to simply take his hand and pull - because apparently he's had enough of standing around.]
Following that - I was stabbed in the neck.
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And so he follows, and doesn't even bother to pull his hand away.]
... As simply as that.
[That said--]
But a wolf could not stab you in the neck.
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However - I couldn't see who did.
[Said with a sigh.]
I'd landed face down in the dirt, unfortunately. Regardless... it does imply that there were two after me.
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If you expect me to believe that you landed face down in the dirt and did not even make a token attempt to defend yourself or even see who your attacker was, then I believe you do not think I have come to know you here at all.
[Jae-ha isn't a pitiful person, and never has been. Sousei refuses to believe that he died pitifully--that he died in a way that wasn't at least a little beautiful--as well.]
If you do not want to tell me who killed you, tell me so straight.
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Of course he's like that. Jae-ha's expression falls as he seems to take a second to think. Contemplate. Turn those words over in his head.]
... you know, there could have been alternatives. If they were waiting for me to fall, they could have worked too fast for me to see. Something like that.
[ . . .
He sighs.]
I'm not lying about not being able to see them. Even when I turned, there wasn't anyone there.
[His hand in Sousei's tightens - before he forces it into relaxing again.]
... I have a guess, but I'm not sure what it means yet.
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... Fine, then. You're not ready to discuss it, and that is plain. Keep it to yourself until you are. You are not beholden to sharing any part of an experience like that with me.
[It's Jae-ha's pain, not Sousei's, whether they're partners or not.]
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Right.
[He'll keep it at that - but he figures it also provides an explanation for why he's still not feeling his best. He runs his free hand through his hair.]
But regardless... it was on Thursday, so perhaps I should've known better - but I didn't make it back to the room. So whatever you saw there was an illusion.
[Which - also bothers him.]
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I was not in the room for long, for what it is worth. I was called out before curfew, at the very least.
[So at least they weren't like. Dealing with each other's illusions that much? Very small favors.]
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