check-in check-in check-in (vampwolves only)

[thornsofmalkav]

[Thorne's mental voice come in clear, early into the first night.]

Hey. I figured someone should do a check-in? I've been listening to people talk and we're in a place named Samartia. Dunno where that is besides Eastern Europe. I'll find a map later.

Anyway, we're in vampire and werewolf territory. They think you guys are something called corvigers? Uh, those are people who work for the supernaturals. We called them ghouls back home.

And there's this election thing going on. It's like their first time? I'm passing myself off as an elections observer. So's Melissa. If people want, they can pretend to be our human staff. Just let us know.

Comments

[neverfeltthatway]

[He's quiet for a long moment. He wants to believe it, more than he could say - but he refuses to let that lead him to delude himself.]

...There's no way to know. That's only happened once before that we remember, and we don't know why.

[thornsofmalkav]

[She will believe it. Because if she doesn't, if they're all just gone...]

Well. I'm going to assume that's what it is for now.

[neverfeltthatway]

That's all any of us can do. [...Armin can't. He can't bear assume that and then be wrong again. He has to be prepared for the possibility that they're gone.

He'd wanted to believe otherwise too, the first time someone important to him had vanished. But it's happened to him too often these past two years for him to be able to maintain that kind of belief when it happens. Now, he can only assume that they're gone, and hope that he's wrong.

But he doesn't want to say that to his sister. She's much newer at this. If she can hold on to that belief, even if it just means she'll be hurt more later... he can't bear to damage that hope. So he does his best to put a good face on it for her, to not let her see how hurt he is, how worried he'll never see them again - Alcuin and Sansa, the two most important relationships he's built while Traveling. For Thorne, he'll pretend to be all right.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah.

[People can wander off and then come back. Pearl. Rosalie. Claudia. Everyone who'd gone off during Questing Country. They could be gone for a Jaunt, they could be gone for several. Maybe you had to rescue them from dungeons--she'd never done it, she'd known people who had--or maybe you just had to sit tight and wait.]

I'm looking forward to trading stories about all the crazy-ass things we ended up doing.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin knows better than most that you can wander off and come back. He's been on numerous dungeon rescues. Sansa. Phedre. Jean. The problem is that he's known many, many more who have vanished without a trace, never to return - even years later. Aria. Annie. Lydia. Robb. Fuuka. Lila. Chizuru. Mai. Elsa. Conner. Neria. Natasha. Those are just some of the ones that have been important to him - and that's not even touching everyone they lost at Belljar.

He wants to believe those who vanish will come back. He just can't, anymore. It's simply too much.]

Right.

[Even over the psychic network, his tone is a little short as he shies away from the assumption she's making without contradicting her. He doesn't want to have this conversation - there's too much pain there, for everyone he's lost.]

[thornsofmalkav]

[She can tell he's trying to avoid talking about something. But-- she doesn't want to have the conversation either. Not now, not yet.]

Are you going to go with Eren and Mikasa?

[neverfeltthatway]

I don't know, yet. I'd like to - I'd feel better if I could keep an eye on them. But I don't know if that's what we need, and... w-well, I'm not sure if they'll want me.

[thornsofmalkav]

I mean, it's probably a good idea we spread each other out if we feel up to it. The more people we can cover the better. Just... see how things go, I guess?

[neverfeltthatway]

Yeah.