capeandcowl | seventeen. text.

Once upon a time, there were two kings who lived in two separate kingdoms and sat upon two separate thrones; one kingdom was in a valley bathed in light and had bountiful harvests and green, green grass for all the livestock to live on, whereas the other was on a mountain bathed in darkness and suffered drought and famine and so forth, and many of the animals were sickly and the residents were poor. One day, after many weeks of rainfall, a powerful storm hung on the horizon, and the king in the dark kingdom offered the other king and his residents shelter on the mountain with them, for while life was difficult there, their height lent them protection from the dangerous flow of the river below, the same river that allowed the light kingdom to flourish so easily in better times.

"And why should I do that!" cried the king. "We are so comfortable where we are. How could you ask us to give that up, to live life in suffering like you?"

And when storm came, the river overflowed and swallowed the light kingdom, choking the life out of all those bountiful harvests and green, green grasses, and those who didn't drown succumbed to illness and starvation soon after.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I didn't say it was! I said she was crazy and therefore crazier than you, who is pretty darn normal in my book. [Which probably isn't saying much seeing as how she just met a guy that looks JUST like Nick and so now she feels a little unhinged.]

I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell.

You're one of the few people I really trust here, Katurian. And you just ignored my warning and tossed yourself into... that mess.

I don't like losing people. I like losing people I like even less.

[Sickened:]

With the way I keep going in and out of this place, I don't think you're going to lose me.

Yeah?

[She's challenging him.]

That's what Josh and Nick used to say. Where are they? Oh, yeah, they're gone. And- [Ahem.] They're gone.

I k-know. That was a shitty thing for me to say.

Listen, I am sorry. I care about you too, and if someone like me ignored my warnings, I'd be right pissed off. I just want to do good, you know? I want to do good. Whether or not I take risks, one day I won't be here, and I want my time to mean something.

You can do good without going places people can shoot your head off.

Not that time. [He pauses, then chokes out a laugh.] Not that it matters. I mean, I probably didn't even need to be there. I did nothing of value.

I should have listened to you.

Next time you do that.

[But her voice has softened a bit, she's not really that mad at him, just... annoyed. That after all that, he still went out there, just like Nick went after Carver back home. Don't like the future she sees, do something they can't see coming. Or you hope they don't see coming.]

Next time I will.

[A painful pause.]

You do a lot to save other people.

It's what Mom always tried to do. I have to make her proud.

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