( imeeji ) IC Inbox

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He hasn't set up a voicemail.

Figure it out. ]

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[puzzlekeeper]

[ Deflating again, a little. ]

. . . Yes. I guess so.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

King.

[And he shifts to drag the pad of his thumb across King's cheek]

Look at me.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Fffffine.

Doing so. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Oh good, with him at least partially looking up he can wring the life out of him (re: is this a hug?) without also suffocating him.

M o s t l y.

Close enough anyway.

(Look, it worked when King was sad about DVa. So being 10x as sad about Yugi just means 10x the force applied. That's just basic math.)]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ . . . Yeah. This probably counts as a hug by Intensity standards.

Just slumps fully against him. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[He doesn't lessen his grip in the slightest]

Is that what you need?

To grieve?

[puzzlekeeper]

I don't know.

I imagined this scenario a thousand times, but it's not like that compares to it actually happening.

And it's not like there's anything I can do right now -- unless I try to hunt down a host and beg them to graduate me.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Azzy's been MIA for a while. So has most of his minions.

And you can't trust those fuckers from fake Heaven.

[puzzlekeeper]

And I have no intention of going home anyway.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

So keep your sense sharp and bide your time. There will be a opportunity to strike.

And then we will take both of them back.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He slumps forward finally, forehead resting exhaustedly against Intensity's shoulder. ]

Yes. You're right.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[A hand moves to start threading through his hair, mindful of any tangles or imp guts]

But that doesn't help you in the here and now, does it?

[puzzlekeeper]

No.

But that's something I just need to get over.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Maybe. Maybe not.

[What's getting over something? Sounds fake]

You still want to take it out on the imp population or am I going to take you back?

[Since, you know, he only gets two options. But for clarification:]

To my room. I'll give you back to Heart eventually.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Silent for a long moment while he considers the options.

Part of him wants to refuse, to stay here, isolated, for who knows how long. Like maybe that's as much as he deserves.

But another part of him is just exhausted. ]

I'm tired of fighting.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[He laces his fingers with King and takes a step back then, tugging him along]

Then for today, you don't have to.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He scoffs a little -- since right now every waking moment feels like a fight -- but he finally allows himself to be tugged along. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Good rival. Let him take King home so he can uselessly hover around him with distractions.

When they get to the door, Blue Eyes rises to her full height and gently nudges King in the chest, making a low sympathetic rumbling sound]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He doesn't say anything to her this time around, though he does reach out to run his hand over her head a few times.

This is now his emotional support Blue Eyes. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[This is now his emotional support Blue Eyes.

Once he's finished petting her head, she crouches down with wings flared out. And Intensity wastes no time in ushering King onto her back.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He climbs on carefully -- and actually wobbles a little, for once -- before taking his usual spot on her back, hand still running absently over her flank. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Why is he wobbling!?

Please excuse the internal screaming as Intensity climbs up behind King as nonchalant as possible, arm wrapping around his waist perhaps a tad too quickly.

. . .

Anything more would seem like pity.

And as soon as they are both onboard, Blue Eyes takes flight. The faster they get back to the hotel the better.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Maybe it's an imp effect!

Or maybe it's all the physical and emotional exhaustion, who knows.

He leans back against Intensity and continues to say nothing, closing his eyes as they take off. Perhaps using the time to try stifling his racing thoughts.




This has never once worked before so it probably won't start now. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[For a brief moment, Intensity toys with the idea of just knocking King out cold once he closes his eyes.

But that seems like it would just delay the issue (and potentially cause more headaches literally and figuratively.) So instead he just pulls King in a little closer.

And flies them higher than they normally would go. Perhaps using the chill of the altitude as a distraction.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Wow! W o w

Can't you just let him brood dramatically in the wind as destiny intended? ]