look at all these tables gradually lining up to be flipped

[inthirds]

WHO: Espergirl and Rockface
WHERE: MAC
WHEN: Tuesday evening
WARNINGS: Young dating people :|
SUMMARY: So begins the downward descent into table flipping land
FORMAT: No

Comments

[speedofnaked]

[she, for reasons that should be patently obvious, avoided answering Illidan's post. she's avoiding most of the recent murmurings, feeling too anxious and wound up by the change of magic in the air to focus on any one thing for long. right now she is at the kitchen table, making an energy drink cocktail strong enough to hospitalize three men stupid enough to try this at home.

she was ignoring the sound of voices, but the familiar noise of packing up has her turning to the source, but rooted where stood.]

[inthirds]

[Zel emerges, giving the longsword over his shoulder one last careful tug to make sure it's secure. he stops after a second glance her way, feeling that fresh knot of dread.

he swallows, shifting where he stands.]

Terra, I...[wow, that swallow did nothing.] I have to...

[speedofnaked]

[stuttering: code yellow. she frowns a little, putting down an oddly shaped metal bottle with a quiet thunk on the table.]

To...?

[inthirds]

[wow this is way harder than talking to a faceless device seriously what is with that...

exhale, talking to the wall in a different direction:] Illidan...It's the deal. I have to go.

[speedofnaked]

The-- [she leans too hard on the table; the sixty-something scattered bottles wobble in their haphazard arrangement, though none fall. Terra circles around ninety degrees' worth of table.]

Now?

[inthirds]

[ulp. he glances back over to her, trying to straighten up.] All those premonitions...He seems convinced this is what he's been waiting for.

[speedofnaked]

And you're still going to... [she's struggling for words; her hands, blotchy with coffee and purple syrup, make useless gestures.] ... after everything he's done to you?

[inthirds]

[grimacing.] I know. I know, but. [hhh. dropping his head and shaking it.] If I don't, I think...I think it's going to get worse. If I don't at least show up.

[speedofnaked]

And then what? [hey Zel. hey. when was the last time you remember Terra sounding scared?] You slink out the back when he's not looking?

What was the deal?

[inthirds]

[wincing. putting it that way...hrnh.]

...I promised to fight for him when this...threat of his shows up. He seems to think that's what's going on. But no one's said for sure. It might just be...something else. And I don't have to do anything for him if that's the case. [wow when did this become convincing himself versus convincing her. he looks up through his bangs her way, mouth pressed into a thin line for a moment, then shifts, stepping over to her.]

But if it is...whatever he's on about...I'll have nothing to do with him if I do this.

[speedofnaked]

[he approaches; she turns her head to the side, not meeting his eyes. her whole body is tense.]

Do you honestly believe... he's just going to release you? That he won't find some new way to trap you?

[inthirds]

I...I don't know. [wow. way to be reassuring. he exhales with a wince, hesitating in an attempt to reach for an arm.] I've got...damn good reasons to not sign up for anything else, though.

[speedofnaked]

[someone clearly does not have high expectations for his own ability to sidestep shitty contracts.
on the positive side, she doesn't shrug him off for touching her. on the negative side, she's so wound up and jumpy that there is definitely jumpy flinching. her free hand reaches over to grasp his.

she exhales.]

The only way I could stop you from going... is using force. Isn't it? You won't let me talk you out of this.

[inthirds]

[let's not dwell on the flinching and how that kind of hurts his feelings. there are just too many feelings to dwell on, and that addition is just too much.

with care, he tightens his grip enough to help him pull her over, and extra care is taken when his head bows and voice drops.] I don't want to know what he'll do if I don't go. He's made it obvious he can track us down whenever he feels like it.

[speedofnaked]

[hey man it's not her fault she's sensitive to magic and apocalypse is just pumping that out like paper mill fumes. zelmagic just cuts right through that. that is why pulling isn't resisted; matter of fact, she seems pretty quick to shield herself in his arms. her voice drops quieter.]

And how he is now...

[inthirds]

Yeah. [not fun. but having her there is extra incentive to man the hell up (also, hair smell. es bueno.). be the rock, Zel. literally and figuratively.]

I don't really know what's going on, but I guess I'll find out. And I'll bring the communicator with me.