arsgoetia | [Game 20] Epilogue

Maon leads the way back towards civilization—somehow making his way easily back out through the woods, and you know, there's some things you just don't ask about.

It's a little longer walk back than it was getting there—you'd ended up popping out in a slightly different location. The sun isn't quite up enough to be causing any adverse side effects, and somehow as you walk, you find any fatigue or pain or chill drifting away, leaving you feeling rejuvinated rather than exhausted. The really happy archangel might be partially to blame for that.

The cottage soon comes into sight. Siùsaidh is sitting on the porch waiting, and Tristan's car is once again parked outside.

"Tis about time ye got back," she says firmly. "Tis been three days, and I can only mind an incubus in my home fer so long. Step inside for breakfast, now, won't ye?"

[we will continue to pick at threads in the Endgame but feel free to hit up anybody anywhere in the Epilogue! thanks for the game, see you again ~~in three years~~ soon ♥]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

if we're speaking metaphorically, lots

case in point, are you worried about what your boss will say about this?

Edited 2017-02-22 07:15 (UTC)

Let's change the subject.

ah...

tell me more about tightrope walking.

of course, luka. i just looked it up on wikipedia. it's also called funambulism which i didn't know

i think it works best when the walker remembers that they're part of a complete act. they aren't alone. a number of people go into setting up the rope and checking how tight it is and staying close in case someone falls. and maybe that part is nervewracking, too.

You're talking in metaphor again aren't you...

would i ever do that

I can tell. You are very good at metaphors but I can tell when you use them.

it's true... you're getting better at metaphors too, luka

may i be non-metaphorical for a moment?

You don't need permission.

it's a question of comfort more than permission, but all right.

my impression is that you more than tristan or any of the others have been acting without knowing the dimensions of the risks you're undertaking for yourself, not because you don't know there could be risks but because they're above your head. that's stressful and i don't think you're very experienced with it?

it worries me because i care about you, and i know i've been part of the problem, but if everything *had* gone bad (or does go bad) you would still be involved, just more peripherally (with less pressure to know things and know how to act on them)

being on the fulcrum is scarier because you have to know your goals and who you can rely on for protection for you and elli as you try to act on them. there are powerful people who i think would help protect you if something went wrong, but that's scary in and of itself without knowing the limits of it. maybe talking to someone about where you want to fit into this would help?

i may be getting this entirely wrong but if so it's because you've been very careful. and that's fine. but i don't think it's *all* wrong...

Oh. No, that's true.

would it make sense to ask tristan for perspective on your situation? we're at least fairly sure he would *prefer* not to start a war, but i don't know if that's something that would step across hierarchical lines in a way i don't understand...

dr. filangieri? that's a difficult conversation to start since you don't really know him but i get the impression he's been watching demons for a long time

if you still want to stay as low profile as you can, knowing you have silent backup of a much higher profile seems reassuring... i know at least one of your priorities is not getting into something by accident that would cause elli to be hurt. even if it's just emotional support, i don't want you to feel alone with that. we have a very large strange network of various resources and goals between all of us at this point...

Edited 2017-02-23 03:08 (UTC)

I don't think any of them would understand what it's like to be weak.

what is weakness to you?

Elli says there's a dictionary on this phone. She said it to me, she didn't meant for me to pass it on.

i'm interested in your definition more than a dictionary definition, because you're showing some interesting assumptions

no one can stand up to the greater powers at work here directly any more than you can... sariel is weak in power and seniority compared to others here. tristan has had his position exploited by sidney before... over and over the people who've been summoned have either not had power at all, or have been too much in another's power to use their own to their advantage. i've been in your power before. as far as i can tell, there's a lot of experience of weakness, and... our greatest consistent strength has been in reaching out to each other. which was... why i brought it up you, sort of...

anyway, you know that, you've been around for all of it... so you're talking about something different? what do you mean when you say weak?

Edited 2017-02-23 06:41 (UTC)

Tristan is strong. Sariel is strong. They start from power and influence. I have... friends? A demon who's weak is nothing. I'm nothing, Sera. I can scrimp and beg. Like anyone else. And depend on their mercy. But I'm weak and have something to protect. It's not fun.

...how can we help? even if only a little.

I don't know? Everyone's good at offering to help but I'm someone who needs help. Does that make sense?

if you mean that... if you knew what the solution was, you wouldn't need people offering the same way, then yes

I stopped understanding.

"i think it makes enough sense"

Okay. I'm okay.

okay. thank you for explaining? you hadn't, before...

but luka, you do have friends. as formless an asset as we are when what you need is influence, we can't... try to think of what to do either, if we don't know the situation...

you may be functionally nothing but you've earned a lot more than just mercy. this may be a useless promise, but i'll try.

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