Act 2

[untrueheart]

[After a confrontation with her (former? Were they ever?) friends, and several failed attempts to sway people to the side of the spirit of shadows, Rue ran away. There was no one to tell and, as far as she knew, no one to come looking, either. Even Twila abandoned her as she ran, south down the same path she’d taken into the village not three weeks before.

You see, the failures were hers. It was Rue that denied the influence of something that wanted her to turn others to her will. Its will. Nobody would know that she ran, of course, because she hid. In the same small forest dwelling that she first used, with its stock of unlikely to spoil food and its proximity to the lake and river. Running had no point if she just came crawling back again the next day, trying to appease…something, anything that would accept it.

Now, some days later, she is completely out of food and the slice from Mytho’s sword isn’t getting any better. It seems she has no choice but to return to the village proper and figure things out from there. The messages inside her journal indicated that they were working on some kind of solution for those still “possessed”; maybe they’ve found it by now.

The walk seems much longer in her current state, hot and tired and unsure of what she will find when she gets there. Rue remembers seeing and hearing about a clinic, and she thinks she should get there, but can’t seem to manage how. Or where, for that matter. When she reaches the village edge she wanders between the houses, keeping to what shadows exist.

Until she backs straight into someone, that is.]

[Later, after the escapades and the slinking around and, above all, discovering that a great deal of the village was “normal” again, she sits in the quiet alone and opens her book with intent for the first time, writing in shaky letters with her weaker hand.]

Is it always like this? Strange changes that turn everyone against each other? [A pause for anyone watching, but one that won't register later.] What did she want from us?

[[ooc: All avenues are, as usual, open. Which means! The 'someone' in the action bit isn't designated, it can be anybody. It can be more than one body but please only living (animate, you know) ones.]]

Comments

[soheartless]

[And he keeps his hold steady on her, almost like a hug now. Just without any of the emotional resonance.

And her words. She said that she was sorry, but also that the person has to mean it. It's a logical conclusion.]

You mean it.

[He says quietly, in confirmation.]

[untrueheart]

Of course.

[Mytho is no expert talker in this state; even if he was, he would get no real response after that. She feels tenuous safety sitting like this, and she's falling asleep, to all appearances. An exhaustion rooted in stress and sickness drags her right under.]

[soheartless]

[He doesn't need any further elaboration, either. Everything's so simple for him - just taking in facts without much of an actual desire for them. Existing. And supporting, in what way he can.

She does seem to start to sleep. Mytho does what seems natural and tries to shift her body quietly so that he can carry her.]

[untrueheart]

[For all that he is incapable of really worrying, he needn't worry anyway. Rue isn't going anywhere, or showing signs of waking at the movement. If anything, she pulls in tighter.]

[soheartless]

[Mytho's just going through the motions as he cradles her and stands up completely, and he begins to walk with a limited idea of where to go.]

[untrueheart]

[It doesn't matter where he goes for the time being. Rue is about as responsive as a regular old rock.

One crow caws off in the distance somewhere.]

[soheartless]

[He moves along quietly, towards the nearest group of trees.

He does pause for a moment as he hears the crow call. It's something that's built into him - wariness of the crow.

After a moment, he continues walking.]

[untrueheart]

[With the way she looks, she might well have not actually slept during her days in the new feather station, not in any way that granted her rest. All dark circles and pallor, and after a while, one hand grabbing the front of Mytho's shirt.]

Where are we going?

[soheartless]

[His eyes glance down towards her. And then he nods up towards the nearest tree.]

There.

[And he softly steps over into the shade of the tree, keeping his hold on Rue while turning and leaning his back against the tree, then slowly sliding down into a seating position.]

[untrueheart]

[She remembers this. How uncannily not helpful Mytho is without some intense specifics. Things do feel better in the shade, but not much.]

I feel terrible. [That's why she emerged in the first place, she remembers. Not just to find actual food, but because...because something happened. Soemthing went wrong, several days ago, and despite trying to run away she had to face the consequences?

It doesn't make sense.]

[soheartless]

[She does? But they're under a tree now. In the shade. Isn't this most of what she usually wants?]

What do you need?

[untrueheart]

[First and foremost she wants to tell him to stop asking things that sound like real concern.

Then that goes away when she shifts like she'll try sitting up again, all of it replaced by a spike of pain.] My...my arm hurts? [It really shouldn't be this much of a surprise.]

[soheartless]

Your arm.

[He peers towards her bandaged arm.]

It's hurt.

[untrueheart]

[Just what she needed. More proof that he didn't even know what he was sorry for.]

Mytho. [She wishes she didn't feel so tired.] It's...don't you remember- doing this?

[soheartless]

I did.

[He says quietly. He can remember - memories always take some focus that can hurt if he tries so hard. The time with Hyt is relatively fresh. He still looks over the arm as if it's a new wound, like he can't make a connection between his attack and this lingering cut.]

It... still hurts?

[untrueheart]

[She remembers it, as herself, matching the sword he ought to have as the Prince, complete with the gentle glow sharp enough to bisect a single feather. Then she remembers it in the back of her mind where the darkness lived, a blinding and stinging flash of light that dared intrude and interfere with her bidding.

Outside of all of that, Rue nods once.]

[soheartless]

I don't know what to do.

[untrueheart]

[Well, if they were at the academy...

That's right. That's right she was looking for a place like that, before.]

Isn't there... [Why is it so hard to come up with the word? Rue frowns.] An infirmary?

[soheartless]

Medical help...

[And he recalls a conversation he had just after he arrived which was very informative about the whole situation.]

Someone... told me how.

[His journal was still wedged under his arm while he was carrying Rue, so he loosed his arm to drop it on the ground. It landed open, and Mytho started to lean his face towards it without pressing any buttons, as if making an automatic command.]

"Medical help".

[untrueheart]

[Rue waits, but not much happens in the story.]

What will that do?

[soheartless]

I don't know.

People might hear us.

[untrueheart]

[The nothing coming from that book is stunning in its similarity to the nothing in Mytho's chest.]

I don't think it's working.

[soheartless]

What should I do?

[untrueheart]

Do you know where it is? I can go myself. [She just couldn't find it before. Not in time, not once she crossed paths with Mytho.]

[soheartless]

Yes.

[Head tilt.]

Can you?