Skylark's Ideal World | Session 1

[idolpro]

Once, there was a maiden...
...who was driven from her land.
Great black stags chased her, and their eyes shone blue.
Monsters scrambled after her through the bush, though they found her not.
Stumbling on a log, she fell and thought to surrender, and end the torment of the hunt—

... ... ...

You're so, so tired.

Why carry on?

... Surely, it's okay to take a break—

Comments

Re: COTTAGE

[inspiteful]

Lark looks at the gift box, and he pales.

"That's -- how did you..."

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

I'll answer your question... But before I do, what does this mean to you?

[ why that reaction before he spills that he talked your not!mom into disappearing. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[inspiteful]

"Why do you have it?"

Answering a question with another question.

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

... We could do this all day, Lark.

[ except they shouldn't, and he's looking around the room a little. is there anything blue? ]

I have it because someone who loved you trusted me with it. ... Because a part of you might, too.

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

[ oookay, look, he was definitely also kind of brute-forcing this, but he's gonna grab your elbow ] [ And all smiles for Lark, this is fine, ]

Sorry, give us. One second.

[ Can he just tug you gently out of the kitchen, Kit. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

[ backing up, then ]

Alright, alright.

Re: COTTAGE

[inspiteful]

Lark takes a deep breath, trying to recompose himself. Then he just, turns away from the two of them, tries to go back to cooking to ignore all this.

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

[ Here we go, out in the hall. And immediately no more smile. ]

His mom gave those to him on her deathbed. [ Beat. ] I kind of think he needs to know you got them from her specifically.

[ And you implied that, but. 'Someone who loves you' might not be enough to reassure the kid. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

I know, I know, I just...

[ he saw the memory too. once he's out of the room, there's a lot more - raw anguish. somebody had a bad time having to revisit all of this also?? ]

I'm trying. The blue, it- stands for serenity. [ he takes a breath, forcing calm. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

...The earrings in that box are blue.

[ A murmur. And, clasping Kit's shoulder, he's just gonna add, ]

I already told him she's dead. So even though he thinks she's here, she can't be.

[ Is he attempting to commiserate with Kit over having Handled This Badly? Maybe. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

They are.

[ another deep breath. yes, this hit a lot of traumatic buttons. no, he's not allowed to grant himself the allowance to let it seep through the cracks.

... it's probably bad that he's thinking he really should have investigated the water??? ]

And she was. Alright, alright... I'm sorry.

1/

[at_heart]

Something's here that looks like her.

[ An easy enough correction, for all that he's scanning Kit's face. ]

But not her-her.

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

—Do you want me to do this? I wouldn't mind.

[ He can take the box off your hands. ]

It's good that you found it.

[ It's enough that you found it. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

And yet I still apologized to - that "her."

[ so stupid? because he knew? but a part of him wanted to believe that Lark might hear it. that she might. ]

I know you'd have a clearer head, but... I don't want him to feel that I'm abandoning him, either.

I can risk him thinking I'm kind of an idiot.

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

Hey. [ Soft, but firm, too. ] Right here with you.

You're not doing it alone.

[ Steering you back into the kitchen now. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

... Thanks.

[ okay, okay. been on both sides of this. time to shake it off and go (with help). ]

Re: COTTAGE

[inspiteful]

When they go back into the kitchen, Lark is chopping some onions and...

...It shouldn't surprise anyone but he's in a pretty foul mood now.

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

[ Wincing, but he crosses his arms over his chest and looks at Kit. Your show, unless you need backup. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

Lark... [ slow breath in. ]

Sorry. There might be something to those "I bring inappropriate moods" to situations jabs we were making the other day.

[ had to. try to soften this somehow. ]

I know you're involved, but... Come sit for a second? Please?

Re: COTTAGE

[inspiteful]

There's this long pause of consideration before he sighs, and answers all grouchy. "Fine."

[ He'll take a seat at the dining table. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

[ Shoulder-squeeze, Kit. ] [ Annnd taking another seat, because he meant it, he's not going anywhere. ]

He didn't steal it.

[ Just, putting that out there, gently. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

I didn't. I wouldn't just take something like this.

[ and he's confident everyone here knows it. ]

I'm sorry I entered so suddenly like that... I was worried about you. I'm still worried about you. [ (those graying skies didn't help with his sense of urgency either...) but this time, Kitsu keeps his tension to the hand under the table, neatly out of sight as sets the the box down gently in front of him. ]

Re: COTTAGE

[inspiteful]

Lark looks at that box for a long moment, still frowning. He reaches over to take the box, after a moment of hesitation, opens it.

He stares at the earrings inside for a long while, before he speaks again, tired.

"...Why did you have to go and break things?"

Re: COTTAGE

[at_heart]

[ A wan smile for Kit. He absolutely knows you wouldn't, but he also knows the kind of world Lark comes from. ]

We're not breaking it, Lark. It was already broken before we got here. Your girl, your boy — they're not really here. Just... pale imitations.

[ Beat. ]

And some of the people you care about aren't here at all. [ He's still not really pretending to understand why you're as invested in Valor as you are, but. ] You don't even have any photos of Valor upstairs.

Re: COTTAGE

[ends]

[ the only indication that Lark's words had cut him at all is the moment he closes his eyes, blanking his own expression.

no more. he can allow no more than that again. ]

When we were in trapped in the hunger games' sewers, you demanded I heal Valor instead of you.

[ he adds onto Lupine's point before standing and stepping beside Lark, opening an arm for a side hug. he expects nothing just yet, but he's keeping himself available. ]

I know you might be mad. Go ahead, I'll take it. But you have to know why we couldn't leave you to sit and spiral with these images of people you love. With these— thoughts of yours, all by yourself. [ familiar. a story with a terrible end. ] I— We don't want that for you.