vecna | reverie overflow.

[Because if his misanthropy is undermined, what was the point?]

Because people have always been disappointing to me, and except for you, I don’t want to be proven wrong.

[ do you even understand how unnerving that is to hear, Henry? the kind of artificial pressure that creates? the sense of being the one thing keeping another person on an even keel? how you can't disappoint even once, and you don't know literally any of the parameters of that to begin with? ]

Why? Why don't you want to be proven wrong?

[It’s either that, or he lies. Can’t have both — which is better?]

Because I’ve made decisions based on the idea that humans, and the lives they’ve made for themselves, are broken.

What kind of decisions? It cannot be too late to alter your perspective.

[ lol ]

[lmao. Glides over the first half of that.]

I don’t want to alter my perspective. That’s the point.

But you are advising me to alter mine!

[Good job, you found a point of hypocrisy, Sprezzatura!]

That isn’t the same thing.

Oh? Why not? I would love to hear.

Because you aren’t wanting to change because you’re afraid. Isn’t that right? Afraid of losing the people you’ve grown attached to here.

I refuse to think I’ve been wrong about everything all this time.

[Oh, it sounds awful just to say it. His mouth twists.]

That--you cannot frame mine as fear and yours as righteous choice! If I say I refuse to be hurt again, but you are afraid of being wrong, what then?

[This conversation has quite suddenly become unpalatable.]

Then I guess we're both stuck.

[ oh, she does not like to be looked at like that. draws up, her nostrils flaring ]

I suppose so.

[GOOD TALK.

Drawing up some of his sickly green-yellow threads, and there they are, slowly mottling with flecks of purple.]

[ her gut does a terrible wrench—she's done that, she's tainted that—but she doesn't say anything. ]

[Oh, no. He should thank her for this.

They twist in the light, shining their hues. He murmurs-]

We really do need to leave this place. As soon as possible.

[ fists up some of her own hair, close to the scalp ]

You were just saying to cherish my bonds—what just happened here??

[Mismatched eyes flick back up to her, sharp.]

And you were just telling me that you feel overwhelmed by the excess attention. I thought you’d agree with the realization that these are too many bonds, forced on us.

[ this conversation feels like it is absolutely wrenching her around. ]

Mammon, my god! How have we pivoted to completely opposite viewpoint we started with?

[Guess what, that's how he feels, too!]

You're misunderstanding. I'm not telling you what to do with yours.

[If she wants to let them flourish, then that's her decision. If she wants to let those strings strangle her, she can do that, too.]

But you've gone from—Mammon, nevermind. Whatever I've said to unsettle you so, just—put it from your mind!

Why does it suddenly matter to you whether I do or don’t?

Because you're only one who feels as complicated as I do about all this!

[Suddenly exasperated.]

You were hesitant to take my advice initially, and now that I've changed my tune, you want me to "put it from my mind" because of what? It's not what you really wanted to hear?

I don't know! I don't know! [ puts her thumb between her teeth, bites down, grinds it ] Mammon, I have to leave. We are just going to tear each other apart like this.

[Again, that's the issue. She doesn't know. And Henry, he is much less uncertain.]

Give yourself time to figure out what you do want, then, Sprezzatura.

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velluminous - 2022-10-23 23:14 (UTC) - Expand

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vecna - 2022-10-23 23:29 (UTC) - Expand