[ There's no feeling in it, like he's agreeing on instinct. But he does. She is the reason their hands stay connected, he doesn't fight it. He doesn't want her to let go, but he doesn't say it. ]
... I'm not going to stop you, if you want to tell anyone. People should be free to make their own choices.
[ Even when that freedom means they choose to leave. As the ship disappears, so does the tile. But he keeps staring like it's still there. Across from them, visible now in the Soyokaze's absence with the depths of the repair pit separating them, a lonely figure is propped up against the wall. Eyes downcast, lonely, empty. Justy doesn't look up to see his shadow across the way. ]
I won't live with regrets, but none of this is me anymore.
[She opens her mouth to respond, but before she can say anything there's a new voice, a man's voice, coming from behind them.]
Wave? Is that you?
[Even if Justy's not looking up, he'll probably feel the sudden pull at his hand as Wave sways, her entire sense of balance thrown off by the sudden twisting in her gut. There's no way it can be Dusk, not here. And yet, as she turns over her shoulder to look, her grip tightens because there's no way to mistake the way he carries himself, the aura of confident and capable and strength almost rolling from his shoulders. The way he meets her eyes, no actor could imitate; the way he casts his glance over the situation--over the hangar in its disarray, the two Justys, the mess of paperwork that originally littered the floor--impossible to replicate. Something in her seizes, a terror flooding her veins that she hadn't expected to feel the next time she came face-to-face with this man.]
Justy...
I was surprised when they told me you were in here, and with no one to protect you properly from the horrors you might encounter. [He smiles lightly, looking now to the Justy she's still holding on to.] Though it seems you've found replacement guard for the moment. This is...?
[ Justy blinks at the new voice, swallowing his crisis whole in favor of reality. It's whiplash but natural. The distraction would even have been welcome if this guy, and Wave's reaction, didn't say everything about how welcome his appearance is. Justy stands when she sways, standing and holding steady beside her.
He smiles at the man politely, but he squeezes her hand just like the first time downstairs. Justy brings his free hand too, patting her upper arm as he talks and leaving it there in case she starts to fall. ]
Oh, you almost guessed it! Justy Ueki Tylor, age 20.
But you're wrong. Wave's so strong and beautiful, she doesn't really need a guard! And I'll be here as long as she wants me to be.
[On the one hand, she's grateful to Justy for keeping hold of her hand, for the support, but on the other, the hand on her upper arm triggers something within her that she still can't fully understand, something that makes her eyes drop to the floor as he speaks, her voice dead in her throat. Dusk, on the other hand, always has something to say, and this time is no different.]
Yes, she is that, isn't she? [He nods politely.] Dusk Calerin, Lord of the Second Sector.
[They're two incredibly different men--in sharp contrast to Justy, Dusk holds himself tall and confident, his dark hair cut and styled neatly, his clothes fitted and sharp. He positively reeks of arcane power, violet eyes almost seeming to glow a little in the dim of the hangar (but it's a trick of the light, she tells herself; Dusk's eyes have never glowed before).]
You're welcome to stay if you'd prefer, but I trust you won't mind my joining you. [His smile is warm as he begins to walk toward them. It looks as though he'll head to Wave's other side, so Justy can keep holding on if he wants.] I've come a long way to join the festivities this week.
[ Justy, in all his contrasts to the other man, seems unfazed by all of it. In his own way, he holds his ground beside her, neither shielding her nor hiding behind her. He notices, thumb attempting comforting circles if she accepts them. ]
No, thank you!
Actually, this resort is invite only. [ Justy goes on, sounding genuinely remorseful-- ] And I'm afraid there's just no Mr. Duck on the list.
[ Then he tilts his head to innocently whisper to Wave, though it really isn't that quiet. ]
Hey Wave, is he always this bad at taking a hint? Let's ditch him.
[In her mind, it had already been a done deal. It would go the same way it always does--Dusk is well-spoken, quick to choose his words. She hadn't been prepared to feel him taking her arm in his, but she'd expected it all the same.
But Justy's refusing him instead, and it reminds her of why she's here. What she'd come for, what she wants. She bites the inside of her lip at "Mr. Duck," trying to keep a little smile from cracking while Dusk pauses, then shakes his head.]
Yes-- [She starts to say it, but is interrupted by Dusk.]
You'll find your host is aware of my presence. He invited me, once he learned my w--
Stop. [Wave finally finds her voice, cutting him off. It's hard at first to force the words out, but she gains assertiveness as she goes on:] Go away, Dusk. You're not real.
[He's undeterred by either of them, and if he's annoyed by their words in any way, it doesn't show. Dusk smiles again, this time indulgent, as though she's said something amusing.] Should they not know the truth? I would think your potential suitors would want to know they were flirting with a married woman.
[...and just like that, it's like a switch has flipped. There's a pressure in her chest that Wave can't stop to consider, a tingling of adrenaline rushing through her as Dusk outs the secret she's been holding onto, but her expression goes from blank to set, reaching for the small bag tied at her waist.]
[ Justy shuts his mouth once Wave starts, letting her find her footing. But he's still here, smiling softly at her like Mr. Duck doesn't exist. He doesn't, really, but that's not what is really important to Justy at the moment. Wave's wellbeing is.
But the threat of a weapon has Justy reacting, reaching for her. He puts no force into actually stopping her, but he leans over with a step to try and break her line of sight. Justy won't stop her, but he does try to catch her eyes. ]
Whoa, hey, it's okay.
[ Successful or not, he goes on, softer-- ]
He's not real. And... if you don't want to be married then you aren't. Who cares what some spooky ghost or piece of paper says?
[She's actually remarkably fast on the draw, a long dagger in her hand before he manages to break line of sight. For a moment she leans away, eyebrows furrowing as she tries to catch Dusk in her sights again, but then she'll let Justy get her attention, even though her mouth is still taut as she listens.
She has no idea what he means by a piece of paper, but it's not the important part in what he's saying, so she leaves that aside for now.]
It's not just that. He... [Her eyes flit to the side, over his shoulder, then back. Lords, how does she even begin to explain it?]
He killed me first. Not entirely, but a part of me. I won't let him do it again.
Then whatever it is, I wouldn't stop you from killing the real one, but--
[ Justy keeps his eyes on hers, wherever they wander, while ignoring the knife now that it's drawn. If they've still got their hands connected, he keeps them that way. Whether Duck is still around or not, Justy ignores it. ]
He's not really here, I promise. It's just me. And you don't really wanna stab me, right?
[But here in this moment she can appreciate his unflappable calm. He's right--Dusk's not here (probably), she's not going to be forced to go back to Coriolis after this (supposedly), and it's just the two of them standing alone in the middle of this haunted house (hopefully). His hand in hers is a welcome anchor in the midst of all this, the complex storm of emotions surrounding her and Dusk held at bay.
She wants out of this hell. Wace forces herself to relax a bit more and nods. She doesn't make any move to put the dagger away, but rolls it in her palm, tucking the blade in against the flat of her arm.]
Oh, I don't doubt it for a second. It's this place that's so scary.
[ Her move with the dagger is enough, not that he ever seemed to consider it a threat once it was out. Not while it's in her hand and she isn't seeing him as Duck or anything. He didn't like this place. His world is largely the here and now, what he can see and touch. The illusions here were too much.
He jumps at a distant clang from the darkness with a little yelp and his grip tightening. It's dark again, save for the exit light buzzing to life above a door. He's already moving towards it if she is when he answers her-- ]
[It seems as though the haunted house has one last surprise for them, a narrowing of the passageway as they near the exit. It's a tight fit, narrow enough that they can't walk through side-by-side, and Wave would swear her shoulders are brushing up against the walls, but that can't be because Justy's just ahead of her, right?
Ordinarily this would have set her off, but with everything that's happened between the abandoned city and Dusk, Wave just holds on a little tighter to his hand, closing her eyes and focusing on the feeling of that and the knife pressed flat against her arm.
And then they're out, breaching the stairwell, the darkness of the floor chased away by the sunlight filtering in. Wave lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd begun holding, blinking a few times as a wave of dizziness sweeps her (how long had she been holding her breath...?).]
I take back anything I said earlier about going through that. That was awful.
[ Justy keeps their pace, quiet when he glances back to see her eyes closed. He doesn't mention it. But oh, the sunlight! Justy takes in a deep breath of fresh air like they've been trapped for weeks in there. He stretches his free arm up as high as he can before dropping it with a happy sigh.
His smile is bright as he looks at her, as if they'd been on a picnic. He squeezes her hand before his hand relaxes. No attempt to keep her there, but not pulling away either. ]
Yeah, but I sure am glad I had such a pretty lady there to protect me. Thank you, Wave.
[And just like that, he's gone back to the same man he'd seemed to be when they first met. It's strange now, hearing the same easy flattery dropping from his lips--knowing that there's much more beneath the surface than this. She doesn't think this is a lie, not any more, but... wow, the difference is striking.]
I should be the one thanking you. I thought that if I saw him again, I'd kill him. But I just froze instead.
[She glances down to their joined hands, but she makes no move to let go just yet. Instead, she reaches down to the bag at her hip, holding the pommel of her weapon in thumb and forefinger while she flips the top open and then slides the dagger inside. It's definitely too big to actually fit in the bag properly, and the edge should definitely cut through its material, but hey! Magic!]
I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there. So thanks, Justy. What you said... it means a lot.
Well, then it's a good thing he wasn't real, right? [ Justy swings their joined arms, just a little to lighten things. ]
I hope you never have to see that guy again, but if you do then this was just a test run. You won't freeze next time and he won't ever know you froze either! Boy will Mr. Duck be surprised. [ A laugh ] That's not so bad, is it?
[ He shakes his head at the rest though, still smiling. ]
Oh no, I did what anyone would. Nobody should have to live by anyone else's rules-- [ But then he definitely gets distracted by that knife pouch-- ] That's so cool.
[She's distracted when he is, a laugh interrupting her as a smile comes to her face.] Isn't it? I bought it from a guy when my world was destroyed. He said he was some sort of magician working on the... [Pauses, turning her eyes upward as she remembers the phrasing] "quasi-theoretical extension of the physical plane by manner of spatial compression"? He was a little hard to understand, and from what I could tell he wasn't satisfied with this one, but it works well enough for me.
[And it made it possible to keep certain things hidden after she'd gone home the first time, too! Wave thinks for just a moment, then finally lets go of his hand so she can remove the bag from her waist, holding it out to Justy.]
[ Justy rapt attention only falters when his blank stare takes over once she gets to the words 'quasi-theoretical'--- but he renews interest by staring at the bag while she goes on. Magic sure was something else. ]
Sure.
[ He's surprised, but looks so genuinely happy right after that you'd think no one ever trusted him with weapons (they don't). Justy takes it, examining it with more than a little awe. He waves a hand under the bottom like a magician. ]
So much magic is used for storage issues. How much can you fit in one of these quasi space bags?
[ Like what would happen if you put your head in one of these? ]
[It's really nothing special to look at, a small leather bag kind of like this one, soft and supple from use. Since it's magic, Justy can easily wave his hand underneath!]
I'm not entirely sure. The gist I got was that he wanted it to have a defined limit so that when it was full, you could tell because you'd feel it as soon as you reached in. This one... if I understood him right, if you put too much in there, stuff starts getting lost. It somehow passes through the magic he did and shows up somewhere else. Only he's got no idea where it goes, or even if it would all wind up in the same place.
[So she hasn't exactly tested it to its limits yet! When you have a magical hole in your magical pocket...]
[ The outward plainness is what makes it all the more interesting to him. Justy listens, but doesn't stop fiddling with the bag. He opens it to look inside, apparently with no fear of anything popping out since he peers right in up close. ]
I wonder what it's like in there... How do you know what you're grabbing?
[It's weird when he opens it up--at the same time as it looks empty, it looks as though it's full too, strange shadowy shapes layered over top of one another. Nothing will really be defined enough to tell what it is specifically, but it's apparent that the bag Contains Items, even at the same time as it doesn't.
But man, he's making her work! Wave really hadn't questioned it, being from a world with magic in the first place.]
I guess I just... know? I reach in expecting to find something, and it's there under my hand. You do have to focus a little bit; if you aren't focusing on what you want to pull out you'll just get something random.
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[ There's no feeling in it, like he's agreeing on instinct. But he does. She is the reason their hands stay connected, he doesn't fight it. He doesn't want her to let go, but he doesn't say it. ]
... I'm not going to stop you, if you want to tell anyone. People should be free to make their own choices.
[ Even when that freedom means they choose to leave. As the ship disappears, so does the tile. But he keeps staring like it's still there. Across from them, visible now in the Soyokaze's absence with the depths of the repair pit separating them, a lonely figure is propped up against the wall. Eyes downcast, lonely, empty. Justy doesn't look up to see his shadow across the way. ]
I won't live with regrets, but none of this is me anymore.
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Wave? Is that you?
[Even if Justy's not looking up, he'll probably feel the sudden pull at his hand as Wave sways, her entire sense of balance thrown off by the sudden twisting in her gut. There's no way it can be Dusk, not here. And yet, as she turns over her shoulder to look, her grip tightens because there's no way to mistake the way he carries himself, the aura of confident and capable and strength almost rolling from his shoulders. The way he meets her eyes, no actor could imitate; the way he casts his glance over the situation--over the hangar in its disarray, the two Justys, the mess of paperwork that originally littered the floor--impossible to replicate. Something in her seizes, a terror flooding her veins that she hadn't expected to feel the next time she came face-to-face with this man.]
Justy...
I was surprised when they told me you were in here, and with no one to protect you properly from the horrors you might encounter. [He smiles lightly, looking now to the Justy she's still holding on to.] Though it seems you've found replacement guard for the moment. This is...?
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He smiles at the man politely, but he squeezes her hand just like the first time downstairs. Justy brings his free hand too, patting her upper arm as he talks and leaving it there in case she starts to fall. ]
Oh, you almost guessed it! Justy Ueki Tylor, age 20.
But you're wrong. Wave's so strong and beautiful, she doesn't really need a guard! And I'll be here as long as she wants me to be.
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Yes, she is that, isn't she? [He nods politely.] Dusk Calerin, Lord of the Second Sector.
[They're two incredibly different men--in sharp contrast to Justy, Dusk holds himself tall and confident, his dark hair cut and styled neatly, his clothes fitted and sharp. He positively reeks of arcane power, violet eyes almost seeming to glow a little in the dim of the hangar (but it's a trick of the light, she tells herself; Dusk's eyes have never glowed before).]
You're welcome to stay if you'd prefer, but I trust you won't mind my joining you. [His smile is warm as he begins to walk toward them. It looks as though he'll head to Wave's other side, so Justy can keep holding on if he wants.] I've come a long way to join the festivities this week.
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No, thank you!
Actually, this resort is invite only. [ Justy goes on, sounding genuinely remorseful-- ] And I'm afraid there's just no Mr. Duck on the list.
[ Then he tilts his head to innocently whisper to Wave, though it really isn't that quiet. ]
Hey Wave, is he always this bad at taking a hint? Let's ditch him.
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But Justy's refusing him instead, and it reminds her of why she's here. What she'd come for, what she wants. She bites the inside of her lip at "Mr. Duck," trying to keep a little smile from cracking while Dusk pauses, then shakes his head.]
Yes-- [She starts to say it, but is interrupted by Dusk.]
You'll find your host is aware of my presence. He invited me, once he learned my w--
Stop. [Wave finally finds her voice, cutting him off. It's hard at first to force the words out, but she gains assertiveness as she goes on:] Go away, Dusk. You're not real.
[He's undeterred by either of them, and if he's annoyed by their words in any way, it doesn't show. Dusk smiles again, this time indulgent, as though she's said something amusing.] Should they not know the truth? I would think your potential suitors would want to know they were flirting with a married woman.
[...and just like that, it's like a switch has flipped. There's a pressure in her chest that Wave can't stop to consider, a tingling of adrenaline rushing through her as Dusk outs the secret she's been holding onto, but her expression goes from blank to set, reaching for the small bag tied at her waist.]
I'm going to stab him.
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But the threat of a weapon has Justy reacting, reaching for her. He puts no force into actually stopping her, but he leans over with a step to try and break her line of sight. Justy won't stop her, but he does try to catch her eyes. ]
Whoa, hey, it's okay.
[ Successful or not, he goes on, softer-- ]
He's not real. And... if you don't want to be married then you aren't. Who cares what some spooky ghost or piece of paper says?
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She has no idea what he means by a piece of paper, but it's not the important part in what he's saying, so she leaves that aside for now.]
It's not just that. He... [Her eyes flit to the side, over his shoulder, then back. Lords, how does she even begin to explain it?]
He killed me first. Not entirely, but a part of me. I won't let him do it again.
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[ Justy keeps his eyes on hers, wherever they wander, while ignoring the knife now that it's drawn. If they've still got their hands connected, he keeps them that way. Whether Duck is still around or not, Justy ignores it. ]
He's not really here, I promise. It's just me. And you don't really wanna stab me, right?
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[But here in this moment she can appreciate his unflappable calm. He's right--Dusk's not here (probably), she's not going to be forced to go back to Coriolis after this (supposedly), and it's just the two of them standing alone in the middle of this haunted house (hopefully). His hand in hers is a welcome anchor in the midst of all this, the complex storm of emotions surrounding her and Dusk held at bay.
She wants out of this hell. Wace forces herself to relax a bit more and nods. She doesn't make any move to put the dagger away, but rolls it in her palm, tucking the blade in against the flat of her arm.]
Let's get out of here.
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[ Her move with the dagger is enough, not that he ever seemed to consider it a threat once it was out. Not while it's in her hand and she isn't seeing him as Duck or anything. He didn't like this place. His world is largely the here and now, what he can see and touch. The illusions here were too much.
He jumps at a distant clang from the darkness with a little yelp and his grip tightening. It's dark again, save for the exit light buzzing to life above a door. He's already moving towards it if she is when he answers her-- ]
Don't have to tell me twice.
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Ordinarily this would have set her off, but with everything that's happened between the abandoned city and Dusk, Wave just holds on a little tighter to his hand, closing her eyes and focusing on the feeling of that and the knife pressed flat against her arm.
And then they're out, breaching the stairwell, the darkness of the floor chased away by the sunlight filtering in. Wave lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd begun holding, blinking a few times as a wave of dizziness sweeps her (how long had she been holding her breath...?).]
I take back anything I said earlier about going through that. That was awful.
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His smile is bright as he looks at her, as if they'd been on a picnic. He squeezes her hand before his hand relaxes. No attempt to keep her there, but not pulling away either. ]
Yeah, but I sure am glad I had such a pretty lady there to protect me. Thank you, Wave.
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I should be the one thanking you. I thought that if I saw him again, I'd kill him. But I just froze instead.
[She glances down to their joined hands, but she makes no move to let go just yet. Instead, she reaches down to the bag at her hip, holding the pommel of her weapon in thumb and forefinger while she flips the top open and then slides the dagger inside. It's definitely too big to actually fit in the bag properly, and the edge should definitely cut through its material, but hey! Magic!]
I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there. So thanks, Justy. What you said... it means a lot.
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I hope you never have to see that guy again, but if you do then this was just a test run. You won't freeze next time and he won't ever know you froze either! Boy will Mr. Duck be surprised. [ A laugh ] That's not so bad, is it?
[ He shakes his head at the rest though, still smiling. ]
Oh no, I did what anyone would. Nobody should have to live by anyone else's rules-- [ But then he definitely gets distracted by that knife pouch-- ] That's so cool.
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[She's distracted when he is, a laugh interrupting her as a smile comes to her face.] Isn't it? I bought it from a guy when my world was destroyed. He said he was some sort of magician working on the... [Pauses, turning her eyes upward as she remembers the phrasing] "quasi-theoretical extension of the physical plane by manner of spatial compression"? He was a little hard to understand, and from what I could tell he wasn't satisfied with this one, but it works well enough for me.
[And it made it possible to keep certain things hidden after she'd gone home the first time, too! Wave thinks for just a moment, then finally lets go of his hand so she can remove the bag from her waist, holding it out to Justy.]
Want to try it?
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Sure.
[ He's surprised, but looks so genuinely happy right after that you'd think no one ever trusted him with weapons (they don't). Justy takes it, examining it with more than a little awe. He waves a hand under the bottom like a magician. ]
So much magic is used for storage issues. How much can you fit in one of these quasi space bags?
[ Like what would happen if you put your head in one of these? ]
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I'm not entirely sure. The gist I got was that he wanted it to have a defined limit so that when it was full, you could tell because you'd feel it as soon as you reached in. This one... if I understood him right, if you put too much in there, stuff starts getting lost. It somehow passes through the magic he did and shows up somewhere else. Only he's got no idea where it goes, or even if it would all wind up in the same place.
[So she hasn't exactly tested it to its limits yet! When you have a magical hole in your magical pocket...]
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I wonder what it's like in there... How do you know what you're grabbing?
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But man, he's making her work! Wave really hadn't questioned it, being from a world with magic in the first place.]
I guess I just... know? I reach in expecting to find something, and it's there under my hand. You do have to focus a little bit; if you aren't focusing on what you want to pull out you'll just get something random.