"I wasn't stealing… just… permanently borrowing," Charlotte explained. "Which reminds me… you're different than I thought you would be. Curious as ever. We've all been told stories of your 'terrible acts' back at home," she added, making quotation marks with her fingers. "But… it doesn't really seem like you're that bad, to be honest."
Saral glanced over at Zanna, her smile saddening as her shoulders dropped again. Back to that weariness. She couldn't seem to escape it, and being around the others was only helping in brief spurts, before returning to somewhat making it worse. Was it ever going to end? The cycle of TV static and drowning?
She tapped Zanna's arm, once, twice, three times, before letting her hand drop again. It was the most she could offer beyond words of comfort, and she knew Zanna wasn't much one for those.
Maybe that was the secret. Knowing the people around her so well, knowing what they could and couldn't handle. Maybe the trick was sticking together, even when she could barely stand to look at them without her heart shattering again, before the cheap glue she'd used to piece it back together could dry. They had been through so much already, hadn't they? Couldn't they face this, too? Together?
It might have been a stupid thought. But it sparked a different feeling, something she hadn't felt in a while. The feeling was barely a glimmer, but it was there. Hope. A resigned sort, but still.
Hopeful.
(Hey guys! Just passing on a message that Topaz has been sick all week. She’s going to try and be on as soon as she can but she still needs some time to bounce back.)
((i hope she gets better soon! beings sick is the absolute worst))
"I wasn't stealing… just… permanently borrowing," Charlotte explained. "Which reminds me… you're different than I thought you would be. Curious as ever. We've all been told stories of your 'terrible acts' back at home," she added, making quotation marks with her fingers. "But… it doesn't really seem like you're that bad, to be honest."
Caelon flinched and immediately recoiled, tripping over his gown as he staggered back from the bars. Eyes widened and teeth clenched. “The people speak kindly of me.” He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut as tightly as possible. “I am the sullied blood of this family. I have brought rot upon the good name of our house.”
His eyes flew open now, wide once again, glazed over and hazy— reliving another time. A boy, green scales, laughter and calm. Death, devastation, locked away behind invisible bars.
“If you are looking for the only royal worth serving, you ought to speak with Princess Tallona.” He rasped, barely able to breath. “There are murderers in our court. Liars on the throne. Blood stains our curtains and taints our words.” His hands shook violently, as though the mere thought of it all was tearing him to ruins again.
((i hope she gets better soon! beings sick is the absolute worst))
(I’ll pass on the message! And Ikr :( I hate being sick.)
Zanna looked up as she felt Saral tap on her arm. They gave her a weak smile trying to tell her that they were okay. She couldn't do that, lie to her friend. They couldn't tell the truth either. She felt hopeless right now, but she knew it was temporary. They took a breath in and out before quietly saying, "Everything's going to be okay. It has to be."
Saral nodded, looking down at the ground. After a beat, she held out her hand, palm up, offering a simple form of comfort that had worked in the past. She hated not being able to do more, but she wasn't even sure how to do more. Or what that entailed. A hug, maybe, for someone who needed those. But Zanna wasn't the hug type most of the time. So Saral offered her hand instead. "It will. Eventually."
Zanna took Saral's hand with her prosthetic one after a moment of thought. They could tell Saral was trying to offer comfort and while it wasn't like they needed it, they really did need it, it couldn't hurt to accept the offer. She gave the hand a light squeeze silently telling Saral this was fine. They were all fine.
"I wasn't stealing… just… permanently borrowing," Charlotte explained. "Which reminds me… you're different than I thought you would be. Curious as ever. We've all been told stories of your 'terrible acts' back at home," she added, making quotation marks with her fingers. "But… it doesn't really seem like you're that bad, to be honest."
Caelon flinched and immediately recoiled, tripping over his gown as he staggered back from the bars. Eyes widened and teeth clenched. “The people speak kindly of me.” He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut as tightly as possible. “I am the sullied blood of this family. I have brought rot upon the good name of our house.”
His eyes flew open now, wide once again, glazed over and hazy— reliving another time. A boy, green scales, laughter and calm. Death, devastation, locked away behind invisible bars.
“If you are looking for the only royal worth serving, you ought to speak with Princess Tallona.” He rasped, barely able to breath. “There are murderers in our court. Liars on the throne. Blood stains our curtains and taints our words.” His hands shook violently, as though the mere thought of it all was tearing him to ruins again.
Charlotte flinched back at the sudden change in behaviour. "A-are you okay…" she started to ask, but trailing off before she could form it into a question. She couldn't make sense of the words coming out of the prince's mouth anymore. First, he contradicted her statement, and then he contradicted himself… she couldn't figure out what to believe anymore.
A cold sweat beaded on Caelon’s forehead as the prince snapped back to attention, hands still shaking. He moved without a word, gliding across the room to the keypad in a flourish, leaning over it and fumbling through a series of codes emblazoned into his brain. Charlotte’s cell door slid open moments later, bars deactivated. He stared at it for a moment before starting to make his way towards the stairs, slowly, as if uncertain of his own footsteps.