offtracks | IC Contact

...I could try to find out, if you want?

[Guilt and dread twist his stomach. But he will, if Emmet wants to know.]

[Emmet shakes his head, he wants to avoid...everything else right now.]

[He just wanted to do anything else but face anything that is outside of his immediate area.]

Alright.

[He relaxes slightly. Ingo really didn't want to do that either. He doesn't reach out to take any mochi himself, just leans back into the couch cushions and continues petting Emmet's head. It's the most comfortable he's felt since coming back to life. It's an indulgence - but it's for Emmet, and that changes things.]

[I. TRY. NOT. DIE. AGAIN.]

[Ingo lets out a sharp breath and leans over Emmet. He can't hug him well at this angle; one of his hands just clutches at his front.]

That would be - nice.

[His voice is choked. It's a stupid thing to say, but that's what comes out.]

Please don't.

[Emmet apologized again.]

[SCARY.]

Yes.

[Ingo agrees immediately. His own death was - justified, it was deserved, he wanted it - and still, it was terrifying.]

Yes, but - please do not apologize. It is not your fault.

[THOUGHTLESS. ME]

That still ought not to lead to death. I did not think that humans could really kill us, in any case...

[Ingo likely would have done the same thing - though, in his case, he also just wouldn't care enough to put much effort into protecting himself.]

[Emmet drew a line across his throat, the angle of his finger suggested more of a skinning instead of a slicing angle though.]

[But you know, it could also be because Emmet was just feeling a little lazy!]

[Ingo cringes a bit, looking away. That is already more detail than he really wanted, no matter how literally one takes the angle. Of course a part of him wants to know what happened to his brother, but...he also knows well enough to know he doesn't.]

I - suppose that would...do it.

[Of course he knows they can be killed that way. It's just - humans getting the chance to begin with.]

[Emmet shoved the rest of the mochi in his mouth, slowly chewing it. Trying to focus on anything except how he needed to act 'normal'.]

[But he didn't want to. It was nice not to have to think about what words could imply or what a tone might suggest. He didn't want to think what other people's words and tone might imply too.]

[He could trust Ingo. It was always 'listen to Ingo.' even when he was showing himself to be a grown man. He knew it frustrated Ingo more than it frustrated himself. But then there were times like this, where Emmet didn't try to think 'What would Ingo want me to try and do?' and it blew up in his face.]

[He was a Magikarp out of water, splashing.]

[After a moment, Ingo returns to petting Emmet.]

...you do not have to describe it.

[Non-verbally, of course. Ingo doesn't usually specify; it's understood when Emmet is not going to be speaking aloud. Either way, there's no reason for him to go into it.]

[Emmet nods as he moves so he can wrap his arms more easily around Ingo.]

[Ingo embraces him back.]

Would you...like me to talk about something else?

[It's difficult to think of anything. He hasn't felt much like talking since coming back. But he can do it, if Emmet wants.]

[Emmet shrugs, he doesn't want to decide. He doesn't care if Ingo decides to read the phonebook out loud.]

[Ingo couldn't possibly care less himself. He'd rather Emmet make the choice, so he can't possibly mistake what his brother wants. But, well...]

I...well. I'm not sure. [...] The poison rain is still happening, is it? I think there are other things going on in the city, but I am not entirely sure. Gladion is well, at least, though Rindo has not been by recently.

[Rindo doesn't always stay here, though, so he isn't sure if you can make anything of that.]

[Emmet nodded as he listened to Ingo.]

[But he can tell Ingo is stumbling a little.]

[TELL. CLAN. FRIEND. I. MEET.]

[Tell him about someone Emmet should meet one day if he ever gets the chance!]

Ah. Well...I have told you about Irida already, I suppose. And certainly Palina.

[So who's left...]

Have we spoken much of Warden Gaeric? He is Lord Avalugg's Warden, and the one of us whose territory is nearest to the Clan settlement. He remains among them more often than not, for that reason, and is the primary guardian of their boundaries. He is a quite...outgoing fellow. Oh, I do believe I told you about the time he engaged me in his exercise routine! But he is also quite kind. He's actually quite good friends with the nearest Diamond Warden, Sabi! She is only a child, about Lian's age, so it would be a bit ridiculous to carry on a feud with her, but I always respected him for it all the same. She is very distant from her own clan, so he has been looking out for her, since Lord Braviary chose her. Warden Mei has done the same for Lian, to a degree...he's rather less willing to accept such attention. Luckily, Calaba is not so far from him...

[Emmet thought for a few moments and got up and headed downstairs. He quickly came back up with something that was wrapped, a while ago in fact, there was some dust on it and the wrapping paper might look familiar from the Birthday party.]

[It was obvious Emmet wanted to give it then, but something held him back. But he did die once, what if he dies again and stays dead? What if Ingo finds the wrapped painting but never actually gets it?]

[He held it out to Ingo.]

Emmet...?

[Ingo gets up to follow him downstairs, but returns to the couch when they meet on the stairs. Alright, it was just a quick trip!]

Oh - [He reaches out - he's still holding something in one of his hands.] ...oh, that's right, how foolish of me.

[Stupid! He pries his fingers open and hands it over - it's Emmet's locket! Judging from the stiffness of his paw and the impressions left on his pads, he's been clutching it for quite some time.]

Here, trade. What is this? A leftover birthday gift?

[Emmet takes the locket and smiles a little, he is glad Bucky did bring it to Ingo. He was glad Bucky did that.]

[He nods, he has been worried about giving Ingo the painting Worried what sort of reaction it might get from Ingo, but...better do it now instead of Ingo maybe never finding it.]

[Ingo does that annoying thing where he very carefully unwraps the gift in such a way that he can fold up the paper for later re-use, like someone's grandpa! It takes way too long!

When it's done, he holds up the painting to look at it. Something in his chest seems to...crack.]

Oh. Oh, this is beautiful - ! Where did you get this?

[He thinks he'd know by now if Emmet were a painter!]

[Yeah, no, Emmet isn't. Emmet's own art style is that he has been quite happy with his skills since he was nine and never decided to improve.]

[COMMISSIONED.]

[Well, the person was giving away paintings. Emmet had to force a tip on the delivery boy. Artist vehemently refusing to accept one.]

It's...it's lovely.

[Ingo's voice was already slightly strained, like that little monologue was the most he'd spoken in a while, but now he's choked up. It's a beautiful painting: Hisui, some of the people he's left behind, but Emmet's there as well.

He doesn't deserve it. He doesn't deserve any of them.

What right does he have to pine over his Clan? They'd be ashamed, now, to have any association with him. But...he can't let go. He hasn't been able to let go as he should. His stomach aches - selfish, selfish. He shouldn't keep this. But he has to, it'd be horribly rude not to!]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw: suicide

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject