Kyriakos: DAY 86

[takewing]

[Suddenly, the books on several of the shelves spring to life--they flutter around the room and open above those present. As they do a magic circle springs out of their pages, enveloping the players in a beam of light and making them vanish into their pages--two to a book. Inside is a featureless room with an indestructible paper-like substance lining floor, walls and ceiling, inlaid with an intricate pattern of metallic roses. My, what long thorns they have …

On the floor somewhere nearby is an incredibly sharp quill and a bottle of an inklike substance--which is clearly labelled as ‘Not intended for ingestion unless you wish to die painfully, you twit.’]

((HERE))

Comments

[unlocksmith]

Wh--


[?????]

[continues to hold her upright, one arm sliding around her back]

[takewing]

[it's … probably another minute or two before her breathing evens out, and she slumps against him, face buried against his shoulder.]

H-Ha ...

[unlocksmith]

[hugging her now, still looking bewildered]

. . . are you back?

[takewing]

I—yes …

[another shaky exhale]

Apologies. I couldn't ... hear you.

[unlocksmith]

Are you all right?

[ffffrowns]

. . . and did you hear anything I said?

[takewing]

I heard your offer.

[nnnot answering his other question, that's for sure. she leans against him more heavily] Can we sit? Head's spinning.

[unlocksmith]

Is that all?

[HE SAID SOME IMPORTANT STUFF AFTER THAT 8(]

[but he obliges her and helps ease her to the ground]

[takewing]

Everything until … worth your life, and more.

[slumps bonelessly to the ground, scrubbing her face with both hands. she's still blinking dazedly, wobbling just a little as she tries to get her bearings back.]

[unlocksmith]

[OKAY GOOD :( he relaxes ever so slightly, but otherwise doesn't press]

. . . what happened?

[takewing]

[hhhhheadshake]

Panic attack …

[unlocksmith]

I can tell.

[rubbing her back. . .]

[takewing]

… I watched my entire team torn apart and eaten alive in front of me.









For half an hour.

[unlocksmith]

[wh]







When?

[takewing]

[just makes a vague, floppy handgesture]

Pinned down and forced to watch it.

[ducks her head low, tangling her fingers in her bangs and tugging hard]

It wasn't … [a breath, slow and measured; she's still struggling to keep herself here] … it was a hallucination. A vivid one. Could have been stopped at any moment, but they wouldn't … let me. So I had to watch.

[unlocksmith]

[lets out a low snarl, his expression twisting into one of displeasure]

Why? Why didn't they stop it? Why did they force you?

[takewing]

[lets out a low, wry laugh in response]

[unlocksmith]

[TAKSHAKA WE ARE GOING TO HAVE WORDS]

Nalea. . .

[takewing]

Don't. They already apologized.

[unlocksmith]

Can an apology truly make up for that?

[his voice is still low; he's still furious]

[takewing]

I forgave them. Once.

It won't happen again.

[unlocksmith]

. . . it had better not.

[there's little he can do about it now beyond allow his anger to run its course]

[takewing]

[Closes her eyes and lets out a long, slow sigh, slumping into him a little further.]

Spark ...

[unlocksmith]

I won't.

Say anything.

[he says through gritted teeth. but she knows he is a man of his word]

[takewing]

Thank you.

I'd rather not see them cry again, if I can help it.

[unlocksmith]

Hn. . .

[:I]