video; un: beaumains

[beaumains]

[ Outside the cottage that Gareth shares with Kadoc, the young knight is working up a sweat, dressed down to a tank top with a towel draped over her shoulders. It's hard to ignore just how much lean muscle the seemingly petite woman has in a situation like this.

She pulls a swig from her water bottle, sighing. ]

It's hard to believe I'm spending another summer in this Avalon. It really leads one to think, you know?

About time... about what it even means in a place like this. About what's going to become of all of us when this is over...

It sort of makes one think they should use their time here more urgently, right?

[ One big swig. A long pause, and... ]


... I really need to get out more.

Comments

action

[impostorsyndrome]

[Of course he's just going to come outside to sit with her when he sees this go up. To work out with her? Like hell. Who do you think he is? But taking a seat nearby in the grass, that's good enough. He can be moral support. As if Gareth needs that during a workout.]

Hey. . . . You wanna talk, or you wanna work out? I thought hardcore exercise was supposed to help clear your mind, but sounds like you're getting the exact opposite right now.

Re: action

[beaumains]

[ Gareth groaned slightly, slumping down to the floor beside him and taking another swig from her bottle. ]

I just... I didn't expect to be here so long, you know? And I feel like I've sort of just... prattled away my time, guilelessly.

[impostorsyndrome]

So what is it you wanna urgently use your time on?

[A little teasing. But only a little; he's smiling, because it's not like he doesn't understand. It's a constant struggle, really, and maybe it's one they have similar perspectives on—because they're both on borrowed time. She's a Servant, and he's not, but he is a human from a world on its last legs, and he won't be going home to a normal life. He's not sure how much life he'll be going home to at all.

So what do you do with borrowed time? Cram in your bucket list? Or enjoy not having to cram in anything the way you thought you were doomed to?]

[beaumains]

That's just the thing, I hardly... know. I just feel the urge to do something about it, you know?

[impostorsyndrome]

Yeah, I get it. It's all screwed up here. Saving the universe or whatever feels so urgent, except we can't rush it, so in the meantime it's a lot of just living our lives. I haven't known how to do that for years at this point. I guess you probably haven't either.

[They're learning it, but it's not always satisfying.]

You got any ideas? A bucket list?

[beaumains]

I could always still grab you by the shoulders and give you a snog.

[ OBVIOUSLY a joke, from the way Gareth laughed. They were both well past that, by now. But as she said it, she did feel... a little something. ]

Actually... in this sort of world where it's more peaceful than not... I feel my loneliness get more pronounced...

[impostorsyndrome]

[His ears go pink even as he laughs. It's a joke, but it's not like he's immune! He is not and never will be totally immune to a cute girl making a joke like that at him, however familial their relationship might be! But he settles after that moment, nodding shallowly.]

Yeah. That only makes sense, if you ask me. It's one thing to never have time to think about it 'cuz crap never stops happening, and another to have all this time on your hands . . . it's you, though. I'm surprised you'd have any trouble. Unless it's just a matter of not clicking with anyone.

video; un: akashicknight

[morganknight]

Reach for the sky, 'cuz tomorrow may never come. That's true every moment of your life, not just here. But it's also never too late to start putting yourself into that challenge, and filling your life, so -- don't get discouraged!

[beaumains]

Ah, it's not discouragement. [ Gareth shook her head. ]

More just... not knowing what direction to put this desire in, you know?

[morganknight]

Ah, I know that feeling. Would you prefer suggestion for the direction, or efforts to try to plumb your brain so you come up with your own?

[Normally Morgan defaults to the latter, but from personal experience he knows that really isn't necessary in this sort of case. A suggestion can make a brain click as readily as a deep psycho-dive.]

[beaumains]

I've certainly got no lack of time to just sit and think about it, these days...

But I feel myself unable to really feel out what my heart wants for.

[morganknight]

[Morgan nods, thoughtfully. He totally understands, though she's going about addressing the problem much more sensibly than he ever did.]

Well, the question that always comes back is "why", in a case like this. So let me help you bounce that along. Why can't you figure it out? What happens when you try?

[beaumains]

I get frustrated and anxious and deeply self-conscious?

[ So, you know. Normal things. ]

Video | un: robin

[wolfhunted]

I didn't think I'd be here this long, either. But even though dangerous things can happen here...I think it's been worth it.

[After all, Robyn has a lot more personal freedom here than she could ever get back home.]

[beaumains]

That goes without question! [ A firm nod. ]

I've seen you grow so much, since we first met!

[wolfhunted]

Do you think so?

[Robyn hasn't really kept track of things like that, but she'd like to think that's the case.]

I want to take what I've learned here when I go back home, somehow. I don't know if I can do the same kind of magic there as I can here, but I still want to fix things somehow.

[beaumains]

[ Gareth's smile softened. ]

Cliche as a line like this can be, I think the real magic is what you've built in your heart. The confidence and faith in yourself that you lacked before...

[wolfhunted]

...yeah. Back home, I already thought I was brave, but...maybe not as much as I thought. I think I'm better at bein' brave now.

[Maybe not quite enough yet to really tackle her problems back home, but she's getting there.]

[beaumains]

I feel you better understand what it means to be brave, for certain.

Voice / un; Chasseur

[resistetmords]

It has been a year already, hasn't it.

[A whole year by Avalon's standards.]

I don't know about using the time here urgently, but it does make a person stop to think. Quite a bit has still happened in that year.

[Even if it doesn't feel like much to her in the larger sense.] ...Perhaps everyone should plan a big anniversary of some sort.

[beaumains]

[ Over a year, by Gareth's own reckoning. ]

Like a great feast, or something?

[resistetmords]

[It would be over a year by now.]

Yep! A big feast, or party, or something similar. A huge get-together for everybody! Like a little celebration. We could even toss in a parade if possible.

[beaumains]

Ah... a parade feels like a bit much...

[ She had to do those all the time as a Knight. Not her favorite thing, really. A whole lot of pomp, not exactly much fun. ]

[resistetmords]

Maybe... but they're lots of fun! Seeing everyone dressed up and excited. Floats, music, costumes, food... they're lots of fun!

Oh, back home there's a festival we would have where people would wear cat costumes, march in one big, festive parade and hand out cat plushes.

[She's actually smiling very fondly at the memories now.]

[beaumains]

A cat festival, huh?

...

[ She kind of gets an idea. ]

Hey, why not throw a parade for everyone's familiars? Beasts of all sorts?