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[ There may be glass and whiskey all over the bar counter, but Aventurine doesn't seem to care as he lowers his face into his hands, then sighs softly into them.
The memories had initially been a shock, but he's realizing now that they'll continue for the rest of this week. He's quiet as he processes the memory that he'd just been forced to relive, closes his eyes tight to hear his sister's voice once more.
When he reopens them, he lifts his head just enough to peek over the tips of his fingers, staring into nothing in particular. ]
Yeah.
[ What else is he supposed to say? ]
The memories had initially been a shock, but he's realizing now that they'll continue for the rest of this week. He's quiet as he processes the memory that he'd just been forced to relive, closes his eyes tight to hear his sister's voice once more.
When he reopens them, he lifts his head just enough to peek over the tips of his fingers, staring into nothing in particular. ]
Yeah.
[ What else is he supposed to say? ]
[ what does boothill even say?
this is the same reaction he had earlier, when he also had to relive the most traumatic moment of his own life. all he could do was to hold his head in his hands and somehow process the overwhelming hate and anger and sadness until he could temper himself. talking abated it somewhat, but it's an old and terrible wound ripped open again. it takes time to heal. ]
This dadgum weekly nonsense.
[ affection week is over, but boothill still sets a hand on aventurine's shoulder, trying to summon some dregs of comfort. he's half expecting to be shrugged off. ]
We'll make these goat muddle-fudgers pay for showin' us these forkin' things. Like livin' it once wasn't hell enough.
this is the same reaction he had earlier, when he also had to relive the most traumatic moment of his own life. all he could do was to hold his head in his hands and somehow process the overwhelming hate and anger and sadness until he could temper himself. talking abated it somewhat, but it's an old and terrible wound ripped open again. it takes time to heal. ]
This dadgum weekly nonsense.
[ affection week is over, but boothill still sets a hand on aventurine's shoulder, trying to summon some dregs of comfort. he's half expecting to be shrugged off. ]
We'll make these goat muddle-fudgers pay for showin' us these forkin' things. Like livin' it once wasn't hell enough.
[ The hand on his shoulder pulls Aventurine from his thoughts, and he shoots Boothill a small, appreciative smile before dropping his hands from his face to reach for some napkins. ]
A little... warning next time would be nice.
[ At least then he would be able to steel himself for it, but maybe the entire purpose of these memories is to unbalance them. He doesn't know. He busies himself with clean up duty, mopping up the whiskey with the napkins while avoiding glass shards. ]
I don't know if it matters, but what you saw... If you could keep it between us.
A little... warning next time would be nice.
[ At least then he would be able to steel himself for it, but maybe the entire purpose of these memories is to unbalance them. He doesn't know. He busies himself with clean up duty, mopping up the whiskey with the napkins while avoiding glass shards. ]
I don't know if it matters, but what you saw... If you could keep it between us.
[ as soon as aventurine starts cleaning, boothill gets up to swing over the bar and get a rag to clean up with. ]
You get your hand outta the way 'fore you cut yourself open.
[ he'll throw the napkins in a bin and start cleaning. he doesn't look aventurine in the eye—just focuses on the bar, remembering that broadcast in the last few moments of the memory. that ever-present hatred in his human heart flares up again. ]
Don't have to tell me twice. Makes me think 'bout how many of us are out there, though.
You get your hand outta the way 'fore you cut yourself open.
[ he'll throw the napkins in a bin and start cleaning. he doesn't look aventurine in the eye—just focuses on the bar, remembering that broadcast in the last few moments of the memory. that ever-present hatred in his human heart flares up again. ]
Don't have to tell me twice. Makes me think 'bout how many of us are out there, though.
[ He's still in a bit of a daze, a heavy fog slowing his thoughts, so it takes a second for Boothill's words to register. When they do, Aventurine looks up slowly, blinking in confusion. ]
How many of us?
[ He hasn't really caught on to what's being talked about. For him, his sister's voice is ringing in his ears. ]
How many of us?
[ He hasn't really caught on to what's being talked about. For him, his sister's voice is ringing in his ears. ]
Lone survivors.
[ the bar counter is clean soon enough. aventurine's drink is refilled and boothill gets another glass of whiskey.
once he takes his seat again, he raises it to aventurine. ]
The only ones who crawled out the other end of bloody massacres.
[ the bar counter is clean soon enough. aventurine's drink is refilled and boothill gets another glass of whiskey.
once he takes his seat again, he raises it to aventurine. ]
The only ones who crawled out the other end of bloody massacres.
Edited 2024-06-27 05:14 (UTC)
[ Ah. He doesn't know Boothill's origins, but his hunt for Oswaldo Schneider is making more sense now.
He doesn't raise his glass to the toast. Instead, he watches Boothill carefully.
And then, even more carefully, as if this were a test, he says, ]
It was the Katicans who massacred my clan.
He doesn't raise his glass to the toast. Instead, he watches Boothill carefully.
And then, even more carefully, as if this were a test, he says, ]
It was the Katicans who massacred my clan.
[ Just the name pulls them both back into that warm, all-encompassing blackness.
Aventurine gets this whole part of his character story.
When the darkness fades and they're back in the bar, Boothill has blessedly not crushed his whiskey in his hand. He's just sitting on the stool in front of Aventurine, staring down at the floor, a hand on his knee and the other on the bar. He's scraped his fingertips into the wood again.
He rubs over his mouth and swallows. ]
Fork me. I ain't—I ain't ever gonna get used to that.
Aventurine gets this whole part of his character story.
When the darkness fades and they're back in the bar, Boothill has blessedly not crushed his whiskey in his hand. He's just sitting on the stool in front of Aventurine, staring down at the floor, a hand on his knee and the other on the bar. He's scraped his fingertips into the wood again.
He rubs over his mouth and swallows. ]
Fork me. I ain't—I ain't ever gonna get used to that.
Edited 2024-06-28 01:06 (UTC)
[ A massacre, just like Boothill had said. Aventurine is silent when the shadows retreat and they're returned to the bar, his own gaze cast to the countertop as the memory sinks in. The Marketing Development Department had always been greedy for resources. Aventurine had led them on a goose chase with a promise for valuable resources all those years ago, and they'd fallen for the bait like a starving pack of dogs.
But the memory, it shakes him. And why shouldn't it? He's no stranger to this tragedy, and he turns his head away to stare at something else. Anything else. ]
It makes sense, [ he murmurs, more to himself. ] Your motivations... and my own.
[ The Strategic Investment Department is no friend of the Marketing Department, but he can see now how something a little more personal may have tied into their future conversation. ]
But the memory, it shakes him. And why shouldn't it? He's no stranger to this tragedy, and he turns his head away to stare at something else. Anything else. ]
It makes sense, [ he murmurs, more to himself. ] Your motivations... and my own.
[ The Strategic Investment Department is no friend of the Marketing Department, but he can see now how something a little more personal may have tied into their future conversation. ]
[ boothill reaches for his drink and downs the rest of it. despite aventurine averting his eyes, boothill keeps his gaze trained on aventurine's profile while allowing him time to process. ]
That conflict between the Strategic Investment Department and the Marketing Department ain't the only thing that interests ya'. Katicans were the ones who wiped the Avgins, but if you told me the IPC couldn't protect one herd of people from an invasion everyone knew was comin', I'd say you were forkin' full of it.
What do you think?
That conflict between the Strategic Investment Department and the Marketing Department ain't the only thing that interests ya'. Katicans were the ones who wiped the Avgins, but if you told me the IPC couldn't protect one herd of people from an invasion everyone knew was comin', I'd say you were forkin' full of it.
What do you think?
[ Welcome to the hospital. It's been a long day of sleeping and taking visits, and by the time Boothill shows up, Aventurine is sitting up in bed and mildly dissociating. He's staring at nothing in particular, both hands tightly grasping the hospital blanket on his lap.
He's just having a time reliving the horrors, probably. ]
He's just having a time reliving the horrors, probably. ]
[ boothill walks in with... two white gummy smoothies. the fact that he doesn't even regard boothill when he walks in isn't a good sign—no acknowledgement, no quip. boothill pauses before closing the door and walking in, spurs clinking.
he offers a smoothie to aventurine. ]
Think ya' can stomach it?
he offers a smoothie to aventurine. ]
Think ya' can stomach it?
[ It takes a second for Aventurine to snap out of it. He's got half of his face bandaged, his neck and right arm too, but surprise can still be seen flickering across his good eye when he looks up. ]
Oh, Boothill.
[ He's had a string of visitors so this really shouldn't be surprising, but each visit has taken him aback. At the offering of the smoothie, Aventurine accepts it. ]
Thanks... I guess I was out for a bit.
Oh, Boothill.
[ He's had a string of visitors so this really shouldn't be surprising, but each visit has taken him aback. At the offering of the smoothie, Aventurine accepts it. ]
Thanks... I guess I was out for a bit.
[ Sometimes you are more psychologically damaged than anything else. ]
No, it helped. I no longer feel as though I'm on the verge of death, and my face doesn't hurt as much now.
[ He lightly touches at the bandages on his face for a second, before dropping his hand back down to hold the Jamba Juice. ]
Nehan might just be taking extra precautions.
No, it helped. I no longer feel as though I'm on the verge of death, and my face doesn't hurt as much now.
[ He lightly touches at the bandages on his face for a second, before dropping his hand back down to hold the Jamba Juice. ]
Nehan might just be taking extra precautions.
So it helped, but it ain't healed ya' completely.
[ just like aqua. he's taking nona to the springs in a different thread too so i guess this happens to her. ]
Good thing he is. You two were in the worst shape I've ever seen.
[ he slips his hat off and leaves it on a nightstand nearby. ]
You wanna talk about it? Or I can leave it alone if that's better for ya' right now.
[ just like aqua. he's taking nona to the springs in a different thread too so i guess this happens to her. ]
Good thing he is. You two were in the worst shape I've ever seen.
[ he slips his hat off and leaves it on a nightstand nearby. ]
You wanna talk about it? Or I can leave it alone if that's better for ya' right now.
[ other people already heard? he nearly asks before the topic shifts again. ]
Haven't gotten a chance to ask. Guy was near delirium when I was bringin' him to the springs though, mouthin' off random stuff, hummin' weird lil' tunes. He asked about you too though.
Haven't gotten a chance to ask. Guy was near delirium when I was bringin' him to the springs though, mouthin' off random stuff, hummin' weird lil' tunes. He asked about you too though.
Yes, just like them.
[ Maybe he should have been more prepared. ]
The kind where we had to fight the people closest to us. They were... being controlled.
[ There's some hesitation here, like he's not sure if he should bring this up, but. ]
I saw Karlach.
[ Maybe he should have been more prepared. ]
The kind where we had to fight the people closest to us. They were... being controlled.
[ There's some hesitation here, like he's not sure if he should bring this up, but. ]
I saw Karlach.
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