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[glowsferatu]

It Is My Regrettable Duty To Inform You That The Count Of Those Present On This Plane No Longer Includes The Following
Jake English
Feferi Peixes
Roxy Lalonde
Rose Lalonde
And Karkat Vantas

There Are Others Missing Also But I Havent Identified Them
Just That The Number Of Familiar Threads Are Fewer In Number
It Seems As Though Some Sort Of Mass Exodus Was Accomplished While We Slept Last Night
And We Are The Ones Left Behind In Its Aftermath

I Wonder If We Havent Offended Her In Some Way

Comments

[glowsferatu]

But yes, ultimately it's an easier story to enjoy when you can objectively remove yourself from the main romantic conflict, rather than imagining Bella as a cipher for your imagination to fill.

[egohalfempty]

I won't deny that I have a weakness for Generic Girl heroines. Who doesn't love that fantasy, right? That you're secretly so amazing that awesome dudes - or whatever you're into - will just do anything for you 'cause you're so great!

[ A guilty pleasure giggle. But then she gets serious. ]

'Course, that's... not so awesome in reality. Admittedly, an ego boost, but. Yeah.

[glowsferatu]

[ she wonders about that correction, mostly just how obvious she must be, or if cyd's spoken enough with others of her species enough to know the more typical vagueness over definitions on the subject.

she's used to hearing assumptions, used to giving them those same assumptions in return. it's different enough to be notable. ]

I wouldn't know, I've never been on the receiving end.

[ a beat, she frowns. ] Is it so troublesome, really? Having someone so devoted to you that they would give anything to see you happy?

[egohalfempty]

...Where do I even start?

[ With the longest, most suffering sigh in the world, maybe? Because, oh, does she have a tale of woe about this. ]

T- trust me, that kind of thing can lead to badness. Like well-intentioned internet friends showing up at your apartment and not... leaving. Because you used, say, too many frowny-face emoticons in game chat. Among... other emoticons. Which is not the point! T- the point is, that sounds really sweet. And it... can be. Sometimes. Emphasis on the "some".

But it's not, you know, healthy! At all.

[glowsferatu]

Well, I didn't mean anything quite like that, but more as... [ her smile is gone for good. such a poor fragile thing, that expression. ] No, you're right. It probably isn't healthy.

I don't know that anything I do really is.

[egohalfempty]

[ cyd looked like she was on a pretty big self-pity kick for a moment there, since that particular person was still a sensitive subject. for a lot of reasons.

but it's all forgotten as soon as she gets a sight of kanaya, nothing but concern and compassion on her face now. ]

Do... do you want to talk about it?

[glowsferatu]

I don't know. There isn't really much worth talking about, I don't think.

[ she can handle it, she should be able to handle it. no room to lean on anyone else. ]

[egohalfempty]

If you're sure...

[ even though cyd doesn't sound certain, but then again, she can't force kanaya to say anything. ]

[glowsferatu]

It's just too much at once. I'll manage it, it isn't like there's any alternative.

[egohalfempty]

Right.

[ FROWNING SO HARD. Kanaya, she's going to get wrinkles at this rate, think of her face! ]

Let's say - theoretically - I'm torn between still being concerned and seriously humbled that a teenager is more mature than me.

[glowsferatu]

...One of those responses would be more mature than the other one.

[ this is a logic trap, isn't it? she's given two options and one of them she'd just tried to discourage. ]

Try to find a third option.

[egohalfempty]

Sigh.

[ Yes, she... actually said that out loud. ]

Can I do both? Is that an option?

[glowsferatu]

A third option would normally be adopted in order to avoid either.

[egohalfempty]

Maybe I'm... rebelling against options and their rigid rules! How about that?

[ Who's the adult here again? ]

[glowsferatu]

Well. That certainly doesn't look like the second.

[egohalfempty]

You know, I'm tempted to maturely roll my eyes at you.

[ Instead, she huffs. ]

Look. You're... my friend. Or at least one of the few people here who doesn't think I'm a total weirdo. So, can't I worry about you a little bit?

[glowsferatu]

I'm not a fan of being worried over.

[egohalfempty]

Yeah, well. I'm a worrier, it's what I do.

[ Looking away from a Kanaya for a moment: ] It's, like, one of the only things I can do. Really. But... I won't push.

[glowsferatu]

[ she lets out a sigh of resignation. she knows that feeling of utter uselessness, and wouldn't dare inspire it in someone else. ]

Far be it from me to leave you in a position of idleness, then.

[egohalfempty]

Seriously?!

[ Oh, man, she is on the verge of squeeing here. ]

T- thank you! I mean, I think. Is this a thanking thing? I mean, I just... want you to know you can talk to me and all that dumb junk.

[glowsferatu]

I'm not really... This isn't something I...

[ she switches to private; ]

Where do I even start?

[egohalfempty]

[ She looks a little surprised, but speaks softly and gently. She wasn't actually excepting Kanaya to start opening up -- not this soon. ]

The- the beginning, maybe? That's usually a good place to start things.

[glowsferatu]

I don't even know what qualifies as the beginning anymore. For this current bout of trouble? What about the context that fuels it?

Maybe it was the day I hatched. Maybe it was the day I died.

[egohalfempty]

I had been wondering what came first, the vampire or the egg.

...Heh? [ in other words: kanaya please don't hate me for making a dumb joke ]

[glowsferatu]

Well, I never technically hatched, either. I mean, normally...but there were special circumstances to our birth. It isn't important.

Whereas my my vampiric potential always existed, it simply waited until it was awakened. So, given that there was no egg in this case, that should give you your answer.

[ taking a joke too seriously and getting to avoid saying anything of actual significance? you just gave her a twofer, cyd. ]