untrueheart | Act 5

Act 5

[Under a darkening sky, Rue makes her way 'home', released from yet another kidnapping that she cannot remember. Somewhere along the way she located a broken branch, a few inches taller than she, to lean on while she walks; it helps offset a small limp and some troubling dizziness. Entering the village proper on its western side, she sighs at the length of walk that remains. Why does this happen every time? Why is she always as far away as possible?

Rue stops twice to rest: once in the rec center, and once on a bench near the fountain. By the time she reaches the plaza she's also shaking, and it is the mural around the fountain tiles that really shocks her into noticing her other problem.

Tired, shaking hands open her journal and she clears her throat into as prim and proper a tone as she can before speaking.]

Is there an- experiment going on at present?

['Experiment' absolutely drips with venom and distaste; with luck, it will be enough to hide all of her growing apprehension.]

[[ooc: action stuff and voicey stuff yes let's go WOW I haven't made a post in a very long time.]]

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[Just off the path to the Heart Building, in the shade of several trees, lies Mytho's form. He's just barely conscious and not doing anything other than breathing quietly while lying facedown. He looks like he's been through the wringer.]

[It's a long while until Rue finally makes her way back to the Heart building and she almost misses him when she does - afflicted as she is by strangeness in her vision.

He's far enough off the path that she doesn't trip over him, though she ends up on her knees beside him regardless.]

Mytho? [What if he...isn't himself?]

...Mm? [He utters weakly, his eyes lifting somewhat to glance towards her.]

What are you doing out here on the ground? [No good will come of trying to help him, but at least he looks his usual semi-vacant self.]

I don't know. [He certainly seems to be semi-vacant. And still not moving.] Did something happen...?

You're the one who should tell me the answer to that. How did you get here?

I don't know. I woke up and... [He blinks softly.] I was here.

Well, can you get up? I can't help you. [She's too weak and sore.]

Yes... [It seems like it's a bit of a struggle for him - he's not exactly in one piece himself. But he pushes himself up onto his knees and then climbs to his feet. And then he starts to wrinkle his nose.]

[Of course Rue is worried. She doesn't know how long she was gone, or whether Mytho's had to somehow fend for himself (but shouldn't Duck and Fakir have done something about it? They're not her favorite people but they at least care about Mytho's safety mots of the time) and if he ate at all or remembered to go back to the apartment to sleep.

So she reaches for his arm once he's standing, like she means to have him escort her home, but mostly for the closeness of his touch.]

[He takes her arm as she offers it. The feeling of affection. The arm helps him to steady himself even as he tries to support her at the same time. Mytho keeps his head in the present, not even thinking back to realize that he had been kidnapped as well. He wills simply follow Rue's lead now that they're both standing.]

We're going to your room. [It's so...wrong to look at him and not see his beautiful-empty golden eyes.] I don't know what else to do with you. Where are Duck and Fakir?

Rue? No, there's nothing going on right now... are you okay?

[For someone to ask that usually means they haven't been around for a while, and he feels like he hasn't seen her lately either, so. That's worrisome.]

[That's Billy's voice. One of the last people she'd want to find her in trouble if only because he won't let it go if she asks him.]

Just fine. [No "thank you", no "not to worry". Just. Fine.] Things simply look...different today.

[Ideally someone comes along and holds her and lets her shake a while but Rue's life has never worked that way before, why should it start?]

["Just fine" doesn't sound especially promising, but he's not really surprised, going by what he knows of her. It's not like he'd expect her to be perky about it.

Still. Hm.]

Different how?

[Of course he asked the right question. Their few conversations are enough to tell Rue this is how he operates.]

Remarkably less colorful.

[Perhaps if she mumbles, he won't understand.]

[Predictably vague. Why would he expect anything different?]

Sorry... Luceti's the same as ever. Do you think you might have some kind of side effect? There's been random shifts happening to people lately...

Was I unclear?

[Rue has no reason to grow angry but that's never stopped her before.]

There aren't colors anymore.

[Someone's snippy. He can't blame her, though, if she's just come back from something. He's been worse in the past.

No colour is a new one for him, admittedly.]

Did they... take you?

[No, thinks her bitter voice, I just woke up and decided this is how it would be. As if Rue ever had the pleasure.]

They did.

[She doesn't remember much at all, but it's still too personal to talk about in detail in earshot of everyone like this.]

I'm sorry... I know how that can be.

[Repeatedly, actually. It just gets worse each time.]

Do you need anything? Or just some company?

[She wants to brush him off, the way she brushes off help from everyone. There's just...something in his voice. Something telling her he does know how this can be.]

Company? [As much as Rue wants it to sound like she questions his audacity, it comes out soft, almost a request instead.]

[...Yeah, that's close enough. He figures she's not the type to openly ask for help, especially after he'd had to wrestle her into the whole support group concept before.]

Yeah, company. Sit tight, I'll be there in a minute.

[Just need a handy location spell...]

[Her pride and dignity will not let her ask for help, even when she needs it.]

Fine. [But she doesn't sound particularly upset about it. Billy managed to talk his way through several lines of defense in just one conversation, after all.]

[Location spell + teleportation means that Billy is there within a minute as promised, stepping up to where she's seated and halting in front of her. She looks about as well as can be expected, he figures.]

...Can I sit with you, or... would you like a hand getting somewhere else?

[Rue sits up straighter when he arrives, wide-eyed. She knew Billy was coming; seeing him appear a few feet away is not what she expected.]

H-How did you-

[Oops, maybe he showed up too close/ He holds his hands up, apologetic.]

Sorry, sorry! Remember how I said I could do magic? I know how to teleport. I just figured it would be faster.

[Rue knows 'teleport' because of the spots in the village that take her from one place to another. A person achieving that on his own...]

That isn't the magic we learn in school.

No, it's not... this is my magic. It's, um. Genetic.

[Fortunately Rue is a good student and she knows what that means. It might have applied to her own "magic" before she knew the truth.]

It must be useful. [It's strange to see him in only grey tones. Rue's mouth sets in a line while she concentrates on the colors he should be, but Billy and the stones beneath him remain monochrome.]

There isn't anything you can do.

That's not why I'm here.

[He stuffs his hands back into his pockets, shoulders lifting in a small shrug.]

No one can magic away the side effects of whatever they do. Everybody knows that. Like I said... company. It helps, I think.

Not everybody.

[Not Rue. Rue never discusses these things with other people. She turns away, shoulder facing Billy, and tries to look into the fountain without showing how pitiful she feels.]

Company...is nice.

[He'll accept that as an invitation - the best he's likely to get from her - and steps forward to sit down on the bench beside her. Company is nice, and he hopes she genuinely believes that, even just a little.]

If it's any consolation, you didn't miss anything. [He doesn't really expect it to help, but it's the slightest of perks.] Nothing really happened here.

I suppose it is some small comfort. [Although, in equal measure, it probably means she wasn't missed.

She doesn't miss the feeling his presence gives her, either. The sense of safety. It's strange.]

Not that I could have prevented it, if something did happen.

[The only reason he bothers to lift his journal and respond to this is that it's Rue, and she sounds confused. Come to think of it, it's been some time since he last heard from her...]

Not at the moment. Is everything all right?

[It's his voice. Rue straightens automatically even though he cannot see her.]

Everything is fine, of course. [Try as she might, she can't put any more strength into her voice.]

You sound tired. Are you sure nothing is wrong?

[Without vision to aid his judgment, Richard has grown far more aware of things such as vocal tone than the average person. Try though she might to hide it, she can't quite erase all the traces of exhaustion from her voice.]

It doesn't matter. [Rue tries a steadying breath this time, with minimal results.] I'm back here now and there's nothing I can do.

It matters if you're in need of medical attention.

[His voice grows ever-so-slightly more sharp, concerned.]

I don't believe I am.

[Rue is sore, but no worse than she is after a day of intense practice or rehearsal.]

...Your concern is quite touching.

[And for once, she means it.]

Where are you right now?

[He may be blind, but he can rely on Isabelle to get him around if need be as a sort of seeing-eye dragon. If she needs help, he'll find a way to get there.]

Sitting at the fountain's edge.

[There is little point in lying to Richard. Besides...she doesn't want to.]

I'll be there shortly. Do you need me to bring anything with me?

No. [She's tired and feeling roughed-up but wearing regular clothes. It isn't that cold, even by the water.] Thank you.

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Act 5

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