LOG; to find you here; DES + MAEVE
Who; Des & Maeve
Where; The forest.
When; Just after this.
Maeve had said trees, but where exactly were there trees in Twilight Town? Des just hoped that giant crack in the wall was actually worth the walk to check out.
-- Trees. He stepped out of the sunset and let his eyes adjust to the shade. "Maeve?"
She'd been sitting there for... a while, she didn't know. People had passed her, but none had actually seen her, so she was content just sitting there in between the trees. Until she heard the familiar voice saying her name and her head jerked up, eyes focusing on the blonde poking through the leaves.
"Des."
He felt... happy? relieved? Des couldn't explain it exactly, but he managed to smile for the first time since the Struggle.
"Pretending to be a tree?" He moved to sit down beside her.
"Yes." She didn't move, staring ahead of her instead. But it felt nice to be close to someone again. She'd never been one for the solitude, so what had she been thinking going off in the first place? She didn't know.
He glanced around, eyes settling on the path. "Someone live up here?"
They were talking about... well, not entirely normal things, but something. Something that wasn't dead friends or crazy people on the loose. Des sighed and tore up a few blades of grass. "... I promise we'll go back soon."
"Alec. The Dualwielder." She paused. "I think. A lot of people keep going up there."
Chewing her lip, she nodded, glancing at him. She wasn't herself, she knew, and for once, Des had come after her, she wasn't the one who followed him and it was... nice. It was comforting. Her arms wrapped around her knees, Maeve laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes again. "Okay."
"Ah," Des stopped looking at the mansion, mentally making a note of how he should actually speak to him face to face. If that was indeed his house.
After a long moment, he put his arm around her shoulder. "... Hey Maeve?"
She didn't move at first. She didn't want to. But looking up at him, she shifted slightly. "Hm?"
"... I'm sorry."
"... it's not like it was your fault." She said quietly, looking down again.
He laughed, a quiet bitter sound. "I think I just needed to say it anyway."
It didn't take her long to let her legs go and slip both her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "It's okay. We'll take them back to Radiant Garden, back to the people they loved and we'll, we'll..." She gulped, falling silent. She didn't want to say it.
He bit his lip, bringing up his other harm to hug her close. "We'll take them back and it'll be... Everything'll be fine." He murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head, her hair tickling his throat. "We'll be fine."
Fine maybe, but it would never ever be the same again.
She sat like that for a long stretch of time (or maybe it was just a few minutes?) before murmuring against him, the sound muffled. "They're still out there, aren't they."
Des rubbed her shoulder, closing his eyes. "Unfortunately."
"We're unbalanced now."
He pulled back a little, staring off at the tops of the trees. "Maybe it's time things changed."
Her grip loosened slightly, but she didn't move. "I might change."
"I think we all will," He tucked a strand of her hair back, away from her face. "But you'll still be Maeve."
Looking up at him, she smiled slightly. He was still Des, as well. "Hopefully."
"You will be to me." He leaned back, settling against the tree. "But the question is now... do we stay here until someone walks by, or do we head back into town?"
"... I suppose we should go back." The sooner they did that, the sooner they'd be back home. Back in Radiant, where she had all her familiarties around her. It'd be nice, even if... even if some people wouldn't be there anymore.
"Whatever you want." He stood slowly, offering her a hand to help her stand. He even smiled, trying his best for it to be a "things really will be fine" smile, even if he wasn't sure himself what would happen next.
Where; The forest.
When; Just after this.
Maeve had said trees, but where exactly were there trees in Twilight Town? Des just hoped that giant crack in the wall was actually worth the walk to check out.
-- Trees. He stepped out of the sunset and let his eyes adjust to the shade. "Maeve?"
She'd been sitting there for... a while, she didn't know. People had passed her, but none had actually seen her, so she was content just sitting there in between the trees. Until she heard the familiar voice saying her name and her head jerked up, eyes focusing on the blonde poking through the leaves.
"Des."
He felt... happy? relieved? Des couldn't explain it exactly, but he managed to smile for the first time since the Struggle.
"Pretending to be a tree?" He moved to sit down beside her.
"Yes." She didn't move, staring ahead of her instead. But it felt nice to be close to someone again. She'd never been one for the solitude, so what had she been thinking going off in the first place? She didn't know.
He glanced around, eyes settling on the path. "Someone live up here?"
They were talking about... well, not entirely normal things, but something. Something that wasn't dead friends or crazy people on the loose. Des sighed and tore up a few blades of grass. "... I promise we'll go back soon."
"Alec. The Dualwielder." She paused. "I think. A lot of people keep going up there."
Chewing her lip, she nodded, glancing at him. She wasn't herself, she knew, and for once, Des had come after her, she wasn't the one who followed him and it was... nice. It was comforting. Her arms wrapped around her knees, Maeve laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes again. "Okay."
"Ah," Des stopped looking at the mansion, mentally making a note of how he should actually speak to him face to face. If that was indeed his house.
After a long moment, he put his arm around her shoulder. "... Hey Maeve?"
She didn't move at first. She didn't want to. But looking up at him, she shifted slightly. "Hm?"
"... I'm sorry."
"... it's not like it was your fault." She said quietly, looking down again.
He laughed, a quiet bitter sound. "I think I just needed to say it anyway."
It didn't take her long to let her legs go and slip both her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "It's okay. We'll take them back to Radiant Garden, back to the people they loved and we'll, we'll..." She gulped, falling silent. She didn't want to say it.
He bit his lip, bringing up his other harm to hug her close. "We'll take them back and it'll be... Everything'll be fine." He murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head, her hair tickling his throat. "We'll be fine."
Fine maybe, but it would never ever be the same again.
She sat like that for a long stretch of time (or maybe it was just a few minutes?) before murmuring against him, the sound muffled. "They're still out there, aren't they."
Des rubbed her shoulder, closing his eyes. "Unfortunately."
"We're unbalanced now."
He pulled back a little, staring off at the tops of the trees. "Maybe it's time things changed."
Her grip loosened slightly, but she didn't move. "I might change."
"I think we all will," He tucked a strand of her hair back, away from her face. "But you'll still be Maeve."
Looking up at him, she smiled slightly. He was still Des, as well. "Hopefully."
"You will be to me." He leaned back, settling against the tree. "But the question is now... do we stay here until someone walks by, or do we head back into town?"
"... I suppose we should go back." The sooner they did that, the sooner they'd be back home. Back in Radiant, where she had all her familiarties around her. It'd be nice, even if... even if some people wouldn't be there anymore.
"Whatever you want." He stood slowly, offering her a hand to help her stand. He even smiled, trying his best for it to be a "things really will be fine" smile, even if he wasn't sure himself what would happen next.