[ On her end, there's a quiet sigh. She knows he's right, even if the answer is far from what she'd hoped. The corruption is too deep for them at this point, and there is no guarantee that anything may change it. To ask anyone to try to remove the Augmenter or to take their chances on any other solution would be exceedingly cruel to whomever made the attempt. ]
Some people here have dead souls. I...I find it so hard to consider, that they were given something that may be slowly killing them, and yet—
[ She can't deny the evidence of her eyes, that people like Ace seem to be doing poorly, with no end in sight. ]
I'm not certain what a better solution would look like. We'd said before, finding Katalyth into perpetuity can't be the only thing we can do, or the only reason why we're here. [ So when is the other shoe going to drop?
Mel is quiet for a time. And then, gently: ]
What have you been doing? Besides what you've said, about plucking.
[ She's noticed he's skirted around speaking much of his own situation or where he's been. And far be it for her to pry, but she does want to help if there's something she can do for him that won't feel intrusive. ]
[There was no good news, and plenty of bad. In one way or another, weren't most of them worse off for being here? None of it was surprising.]
I'm sure our captors will let us know when our real purpose is at hand.
[Something other than rock-finding, or protagonist questing work. (Which he had studiously been ignoring, not being a protagonist, after all.) It's not as though their simple presence in this world was doing it any favors. And yet to dwell on what was to come was inviting fruitless paranoia.
There was enough managing of the everyday to deal with. Not that he'd been managing it that well, as her question reminds him of all of... that. There's more quiet after her words.]
Oh, not much. Mostly staying in, waiting for these scales to finish growing so I may resume walking.
[As lightly said as he can make it. It's also true, if downplaying the seclusion into something less pathetic.]
[ Oh, she is certain of that as well. She's beginning to wonder if they aren't priming them for something: forcing Imprints to improve resilience, waiting for their monstrous pieces to develop further so they can be safe as they travel further afield. Anything else, well... She can't linger too long on those pieces, or she might be subsumed in the horror of what could be.
Instead, it's easier to focus on Emet, and the quiet, and everything unspoken. He may not be at the stage of full-fledged bird legs the way she is, but it sounds like he's miserable just the same. And she can't blame him. ]
Would you like some company? Or anything I can bring over?
[ She imagines the answer to the first will be a resounding 'no', and she can't blame that either. The last thing she's wanted has been for people to see her. And yet... ]
Perhaps an odd question, but have you been up to the rooftop of the Valentia at all?
I think I would prefer to rest. These rooms aren't fit to host guests in, regardless.
[So no, but Mel at least gets some politeness. But even if he wasn't as poorly as he'd been at his worst, Emet-Selch was not in a condition for visitors. (A lack of interest in visitors he would claim on any day, which was a wholly separate and malleable thing.) And accepting more charity was... difficult.
So he would hunker down until his feet were passable in use if not in form, and hope nothing else changed in the meantime. Maybe he would try to leave his regrowing feathers alone.]
But no, I've not seen a reason to go up there. Does it have a good view?
[Or would it simply feel better for the bird to be up high, and outside?]
[ And she is not going to get into the shared bathrooms or what passes for food from the cafeteria. If she never sees another dish with gelatin in it, she will be most grateful. Put all of that together for someone who has always enjoyed her privacy and open space — even before this restlessness that overtakes her at times — and it's a terrible concoction. It feels suffocating being at the Valentia.
And they'll have to leave soon, anyway, she supposes. ]
It does. I go up there to draw sometimes.
[ Chalk drawings, since they'll wash away easier. Or to simply sketch in the pad she's gotten. The point being: ]
It's not the same as flying, of course. But it's close enough and far enough removed from people that it feels nice sometimes. And no one else goes up there besides me that I've seen. I won't intrude on you — but perhaps it'd feel nice to have a few hours of space.
[ And perhaps it would mollify that soul of his for a short time, and he can have some peace. ]
[It was an easier thing to complain about, at least. Soon enough he'd also have to nest somewhere else. Even if it ended up being a moldering car, right now he'd have a hard time calling it a downgrade....
It was mildly irritating to consider her suggestion and find it somewhat appealing, and not know whether it was his own restlessness at work, or the bird's that was the primary motivator. But it wouldn't be the worst thing to give into.]
But I might try seeing the roof for myself, one of these days. It will at least be a break from these same walls. Thank you for the idea.
[Whether he caught her drawing or not... but the point would be the space, the elevation. Even maybe the quiet, at the right time of day. People who didn't want to be birds, looking over it all.]
I think you'd enjoy it. And no one would be bothering you.
[ Unless Takasugi goes up there looking for her again; she can't make promises about that. But beyond that one time, no one else has gone when she's headed up, and she thinks she can have reasonable certainty in that, at least. The heat might not be ideal but perhaps he'll enjoy the sun on his feathers, and it might make up for the war in his body and souls. ]
If nothing else, the view is spectacular.
[ Even apart from the bird, she's always enjoyed those kinds of views. It had always been such a pleasure to look out at Piltover from her balcony. It's not all glitter and gold...but she thinks it'll do the trick. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Some people here have dead souls. I...I find it so hard to consider, that they were given something that may be slowly killing them, and yet—
[ She can't deny the evidence of her eyes, that people like Ace seem to be doing poorly, with no end in sight. ]
I'm not certain what a better solution would look like. We'd said before, finding Katalyth into perpetuity can't be the only thing we can do, or the only reason why we're here. [ So when is the other shoe going to drop?
Mel is quiet for a time. And then, gently: ]
What have you been doing? Besides what you've said, about plucking.
[ She's noticed he's skirted around speaking much of his own situation or where he's been. And far be it for her to pry, but she does want to help if there's something she can do for him that won't feel intrusive. ]
no subject
I'm sure our captors will let us know when our real purpose is at hand.
[Something other than rock-finding, or protagonist questing work. (Which he had studiously been ignoring, not being a protagonist, after all.) It's not as though their simple presence in this world was doing it any favors. And yet to dwell on what was to come was inviting fruitless paranoia.
There was enough managing of the everyday to deal with. Not that he'd been managing it that well, as her question reminds him of all of... that. There's more quiet after her words.]
Oh, not much. Mostly staying in, waiting for these scales to finish growing so I may resume walking.
[As lightly said as he can make it. It's also true, if downplaying the seclusion into something less pathetic.]
no subject
Instead, it's easier to focus on Emet, and the quiet, and everything unspoken. He may not be at the stage of full-fledged bird legs the way she is, but it sounds like he's miserable just the same. And she can't blame him. ]
Would you like some company? Or anything I can bring over?
[ She imagines the answer to the first will be a resounding 'no', and she can't blame that either. The last thing she's wanted has been for people to see her. And yet... ]
Perhaps an odd question, but have you been up to the rooftop of the Valentia at all?
no subject
[So no, but Mel at least gets some politeness. But even if he wasn't as poorly as he'd been at his worst, Emet-Selch was not in a condition for visitors. (A lack of interest in visitors he would claim on any day, which was a wholly separate and malleable thing.) And accepting more charity was... difficult.
So he would hunker down until his feet were passable in use if not in form, and hope nothing else changed in the meantime. Maybe he would try to leave his regrowing feathers alone.]
But no, I've not seen a reason to go up there. Does it have a good view?
[Or would it simply feel better for the bird to be up high, and outside?]
no subject
[ And she is not going to get into the shared bathrooms or what passes for food from the cafeteria. If she never sees another dish with gelatin in it, she will be most grateful. Put all of that together for someone who has always enjoyed her privacy and open space — even before this restlessness that overtakes her at times — and it's a terrible concoction. It feels suffocating being at the Valentia.
And they'll have to leave soon, anyway, she supposes. ]
It does. I go up there to draw sometimes.
[ Chalk drawings, since they'll wash away easier. Or to simply sketch in the pad she's gotten. The point being: ]
It's not the same as flying, of course. But it's close enough and far enough removed from people that it feels nice sometimes. And no one else goes up there besides me that I've seen. I won't intrude on you — but perhaps it'd feel nice to have a few hours of space.
[ And perhaps it would mollify that soul of his for a short time, and he can have some peace. ]
no subject
[It was an easier thing to complain about, at least. Soon enough he'd also have to nest somewhere else. Even if it ended up being a moldering car, right now he'd have a hard time calling it a downgrade....
It was mildly irritating to consider her suggestion and find it somewhat appealing, and not know whether it was his own restlessness at work, or the bird's that was the primary motivator. But it wouldn't be the worst thing to give into.]
But I might try seeing the roof for myself, one of these days. It will at least be a break from these same walls. Thank you for the idea.
[Whether he caught her drawing or not... but the point would be the space, the elevation. Even maybe the quiet, at the right time of day. People who didn't want to be birds, looking over it all.]
no subject
[ Unless Takasugi goes up there looking for her again; she can't make promises about that. But beyond that one time, no one else has gone when she's headed up, and she thinks she can have reasonable certainty in that, at least. The heat might not be ideal but perhaps he'll enjoy the sun on his feathers, and it might make up for the war in his body and souls. ]
If nothing else, the view is spectacular.
[ Even apart from the bird, she's always enjoyed those kinds of views. It had always been such a pleasure to look out at Piltover from her balcony. It's not all glitter and gold...but she thinks it'll do the trick. ]