let's backdate this to Monday, whoops. Precisely 72 hours after her last post, in fact.

[payback]

[people who care]

[Dictated levelly.]

Um. I'm back, you know, in the sense that I remember anything again. I'm... sorry if there was any confusion caused. I was under a loss, I hadn't gone home.

[Yamada]

[Ah yeah, she remembers her conversation with you, and... well, even if it was just one of those things people say just to say! She'll check in anyway.]

Hey?

[Abel]

[No hesitation here, but quietly - restrainedly - hopeful.] You're back?

[Duty done by the journal... Rin is not much of one for brooding on the roof. But somehow she felt like going up top on the castle and spending some time looking quietly out into the distance. She's just sitting right in a wall-nitch, with her feet dangling over the side, hundreds of feet above the grounds and one wrong move from falling off.

Is she worried? No. She has the Justice League ring Brainy gave her, of course, and though the air is chilly she alternates between looking quietly off into the distance and looking at her hands, turning the ring around on her fingers, which are reddening in the cold.

Open post eh.]

Comments

[payback]

[SHE KNOWS... she knows... she just comes in and takes a seat, hands resting on her knees, looking a little nervous.]

Um... I'm fine. Don't worry.

[bloodsugar]

[right. don't worry, Abel, as I sit here looking nervous and deflecting.

YOU KNOW WHAT THERE IS ALL THE WORRYING AND YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. he's fiddling around in the kitchen, though... familiar clinking of tea-things getting to work.]

...You know that's impossible, right? It's my lot in life to worry over you. I'm rather sure it's in the secret papers I got upon arriving in the castle mapping out my fate. 'Worry of Asano Rin,' check!

[payback]

[SHE'S TRYING OKAY...] I mean... I was pretty involved. But it's all over now, it was over months ago, and Riful isn't even here anymore... too bad she wasn't killed dead, is how I feel about it, but it can't be helped, you know? I, everyone just has to move on.

[bloodsugar]

[he's setting the cups on the counter... and yes, that worried knit at his brow is only getting a little deeper sob.]

...What happened?

[payback]

[okay okay okay okay.]

... She grabbed me for a while... and just kept me, in her mansion.

[bloodsugar]

[..........the spoon sorta clatters clumsily out of his hands into the cup a little more roughly than intended.]

...What?

[payback]

[Dammit.]

She kidnapped me! But it's okay, I'm okay, everything is okay! I didn't get hurt really, I got rescued and she got defeated!

[bloodsugar]

[NOPE.AVI

NOPE.AVI

he's abandoning the tea, coming over to where she's seated with an incredulous look -- and one slightly imploring, mixed in with the worry.]

R... Rin. She held you there? For-- how long? --Why?

[payback]

[No Abel no don't be upset... this is the opposite of what she wanted, aaagh. She reaches out to take hold of his wrists.]

She asked me a bunch of questions about the world outside... and I guess she wanted me because I was in charge of the outposts. But she didn't eat me, or anything. It was months ago... it's okay...

[bloodsugar]

[NO WHAT EVEN that creepy tentacle monster creeped... creepily in his general direction a few times; knowing what she did to Joshua... and Legato's twisted loyalty... his run in with her and Arthas in the woods... he has every reason to be worried hearing this. D:]

...She just... questioned you? How long were you there?

[payback]

Some weeks... and just lots of questions. Really. She meant to use me against the residents at the end, me and the other hostages, so... none of us were really hurt...

[bloodsugar]

[WEEKS? ...he is thoroughly stunned... and ends up neglecting the kettle entirely, just... sort've sitting beside her instead. >:]

Rin...

[payback]

[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo... no, Abel, no, don't be sad...! She leans on him.]

It was months ago. Please, don't be upset...

[bloodsugar]

That doesn't make it... okay.

[and no one told him; he is sincerely irked by that. this is BIG; how could they have brushed the whole situation under the rug when people had been kidnapped for -weeks- at that monster's mercy?]

...Are you... okay? Really okay?

[payback]

I know... [She just keeps leaning on him! She's... is she okay? She's not... badly hurt, Rin thinks. She just moved in with Galadriel afterward and still hasn't moved out, and still isn't sure she even wants to move out. Some of her friends betrayed her. It was all sad, and stupid, and pointless...]

... I think so. It's not... it hasn't hurt me more than some other things that happened here. I lived through it and I... don't dream about it... [Usually.]

[bloodsugar]

'Surviving' and 'being okay' are different, Rin.

[payback]

... Well, I mean, I don't know what else to do.

[bloodsugar]

Being 'not okay' is... alright, you know that... don't you?

[he tilts his head a bit, to get her to meet his eyes.]

...Sometimes you need to let yourself grieve or be angry before things can get better. Swallowing it all down and away isn't... good. It isn't good for you at all...

[payback]

[She looks back at him... she looks quiet, and a little sad, and calm.]

I feel like I'm just feeling sorry for myself, though. This has lasted for so long.

[bloodsugar]

You haven't moved on. If you're stuck in place, then... it will only stretch on longer still, Rin.

sorry I'm so slow on the other thread LKSDJFDF

[payback]

I mean... I cared about him a lot. I don't want to just... [Let it go? She trails off. There's a stupid naive part of her who'd like to try it all over, who wishes things were different.]

psh as if i am not all the slow... rn...

[bloodsugar]

Want to just...? [he has a feeling she isn't quite sure what she wants herself.]

we shall backtag... 4evs...

[payback]

[...]

I wish things could be different.

INTO INFINITY

[bloodsugar]

[... ;(

he tugs her gently into his shoulder, arm around hers.]

...I do, too.

AND BEYOND

[payback]

[She lets him, putting her arms around him in turn.]

I miss him so much but I'm so mad at him for... everything. And I'm just glad Riful's gone. That was okay, I think. I did okay with that, I knew she and her friends would lose. I knew the castle wouldn't let them upset the balance.