voice.

[theguideless]

[feed starts at the tail end of a harsh exhale.

a beat.]

Where're...Chloe and...Er-eri...[huff. another pause. his voice gets grumblier, agitated:] My friends. Here. Why am I even back.

Comments

[stonefaith]

I didn't see anyone else. who are you talking about?

[theguideless]

It was later. You were gone. He came and...hurt me and Gina.

[stonefaith]

[ twinge of guilt. all right, so he hadn't really gotten the choice to stay, but.... ]

that wasn't your sister.

never mind. who, martin?

[theguideless]

I. I don't know. I don't know who...he just. I don't know, I saw him here before, but. I don't know.

[text -> voice]

[stonefaith]

[ SUDDENLY TYPING IS TOO SLOW ]

What did he look like?

[theguideless]

[sudden voice startles him into a brief silence.]

I...[nhrnn.] Pale. The ears are...they're really long, and. The sword was...really big...

[stonefaith]

[ SILENCE.

oh that is so not what he wanted to hear. ]

Blue eyes?

[theguideless]

...Yes.

[stonefaith]

[ Mumbled: ] Shit.

I know who you're talking about. What did he do to you?

[theguideless]

[another pause.

nervous:] It...I don't know, it was. It just...burned. It hurt. It was bright. I never...it was something new.

[stonefaith]

I will. Talk to him. Try to. [ frustrated sigh. god damn it, he likes koltira. what the hell happened?

even quieter than before: ] His name's Koltira. He's... like me. I don't....

[theguideless]

[talking over that:] No he's not. Not at all. You wouldn't...

[stonefaith]

[ Would I? If things had turned out differently. If Bariyan had been a bit more concerned about preserving his own non-life during their first meeting....

Recent events have shown that Bariyan hardly has any problem with hurting people, after all.

He makes a low growl of frustration and answers more properly. ]

I only meant that he's dead. Same as I am.

[theguideless]

[oh.

somehow that factor didn't click right away. not a whole lot's clicking right now anyhow, really. too much yelling and frustration today. it's just...]

It was still...It felt different, I guess.

[stonefaith]

I'd imagine so. His is a different curse from mine. [ worse, bariyan thinks. and that takes him down an even further unpleasant track of thought. was that why, then? koltira had said that he needed to kill, to hurt.... ]

I'm sorry, Martin. Are you all right?

[theguideless]

[a few breaths, trying to keep everything in.]

It doesn't. Burn anymore.

[stonefaith]

It did, though? Before? For a while? May I-- [ he cuts himself off, once he realizes that he's starting to sound more and more wretched. ]

[theguideless]

[talking over:] No, it's. Just. [exhale.

no.]

[stonefaith]

[ pause, waiting.... ]

What, then?

[theguideless]

[shaken:] I'm...messing up. Again. A lot. Not just...that.

[stonefaith]

Oh. [ more pause, more hesitation. then, carefully: ] What do you think you're doing wrong, now?

[theguideless]

I...don't really know, I'm. All mixed up. Worse. I don't know what to do. What's right to do.

[stonefaith]

I know. And that's fine. It's too early for you to have sorted everything out yet. Though-- [ and you can almost hear the frown in Bariyan's voice, here. disappointment? ] --you should have held off on coming onto the network to shout at everyone.

[theguideless]

[a loud, shaky exhale.] I... [how many excuses? do they even matter? it's probably better to just...not even try to make sense of it.]

I know. That's part of it.

[stonefaith]

Then tell me the rest. [ a flat-out demand. ]