chrono

[sacredpath]

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week 5; friday

[sacredpath]

[she's hanging around the neighborhood, sitting outside somewhere near the gazebo, phone in her hands, fiddling with the phone charm.]

...I can't believe it.

[clockpunk]

[ he's been on a depression snack run, with a bag of groceries in his hand. he hesitates before approaching, but offers a cold bottle of tea and an apologetic expression. ]

Turns out things could get worse, after all.

[sacredpath]

[ah. she'll take that, and pat a spot near her to sit if he wants.]

Three at once is bad enough.

[clockpunk]

And three culprits, maybe. There's not enough of us left for that to be... [ well. he takes that seat with a grateful nod. ] What do you make of the new guy?

[sacredpath]

Till? He spent curfew with us last night. He was sweet, and very frightened. I didn't have a chance to ask the angels about him, though.

[clockpunk]

Yeah. Everything happened pretty fast, yesterday. I spoke with him a bit... seems okay, but. [ shrugs. ] I'm a naturally suspicious person. Even if he's not sus, whatever the reason he's here for now sure fuckin' is.

[sacredpath]

I agree. It's odd, but I don't want to treat him as anyone but an unfortunate victim just yet.

[clockpunk]

Wouldn't be fair to him. None of us started off any less confused.

[ he glances at her, contemplative. ]

...you feelin' alright? Seems like you're strong enough that people wouldn't check in that often, but it can't hurt to be asked once in a while.

[sacredpath]

[awww. a smile at him.]

You're sweet. I'm... Yves was a close friend. But I know that we'll find our way back to them.

[clockpunk]

... everyone's faith is really admirable. I'm strugglin' with it. It's happened enough to me that I don't trust the process one bit.

[ ... ]

But I can trust the end goal, I guess. Reach for that possibility in any way.

[sacredpath]

Hearing from it directly from them is what gives me hope. Over there, they seem to believe it will be alright.

[clockpunk]

They deal with Thursdays like we do, though. It's rough for them too. But... yeah, that has helped a lot.

[ SIGHS. chugs his tea. let's just... put this aside for now. ]

Why'd you change your hair? Not that it's not nice, but it seemed like a big shift.

[sacredpath]

[oh. this question makes her put her head in her hands.]

Um. It feels stupid, now. I just thought I should make a change.

[clockpunk]

[ okay, that makes him laugh, but not unkindly. ]

I mean, no time like the present, or whatever! Nothin' wrong with that.

[sacredpath]

Maybe. [a slight sideways smile at the laugh.] But I feel I was perhaps too optimistic.

[clockpunk]

...not just a change in aesthetics, then, huh? Because the hair's good, as backed up by nearly everyone else who saw you, too.

[sacredpath]

You're sweet, but no, I was just - trying to make a clean break from something, I suppose.

[clockpunk]

[ his ears blend in more with his hair every time she calls him sweet. ]

I know you barely know me, but... can I be rude and ask anyway? No obligation, or anythin'. Just learning about other's perspectives can help with understanding, right?

[sacredpath]

[hehe cute.]

Yes, alright, cheeky. [she doesn't mean that too seriously, he is not being cheeky.] I've been part of an organization for a long time - a religion, really. We worship a goddess of darkness. But lately I've been wanting, when I return, to make a fresh start and leave that part of my life behind.

A little before my death, I met a woman with very different beliefs than I had, and she made a large impression on me. She had this lovely silver hair, like moonlight. I thought maybe if I saw that hair in the mirror when I looked, it would remind me of the changes I want to make.

[clockpunk]

[ he listens, attentive, and to his credit does not do more than narrow his eyes slightly at the mention of a god(dess) of darkness. with a hum, he leans back on his hands, head tilted. ]

So it's like... you were trying to realise part of how you want the future to be for you. [ shounen takeaway, painfully sincere. ] Why's that too optimistic?

[sacredpath]

[he's not wrong, though.]

Ah, it just...seems silly when there's so much going on, you know?

[clockpunk]

[ shrugs. ]

I don't think so? Maybe it's the best time. Havin' to make a bunch of difficult bad choices, maybe it's good to get a difficult good one squared away, too.

[sacredpath]

[a small smile.]

Maybe. But I think I may have read a little too much into things.

[clockpunk]

[ ...heh. ]

We're a bunch of overthinkers, here, seems like. Isn't it okay to just have it at face value?

[sacredpath]

...Maybe.

[he's right.]

To be honest, I'm feeling foolish because... I didn't realize what this week's special little way of tampering with us was. I started feeling like I'd moved past everything all on my own, only now I realize it's just... this week, and come next week, it will come back.