themightybosstone | Limelight IC Inbox

[ later that day, after they've both cleaned up— the moment Brocade steps back out in the open, Hyacinth lands beside him in a shower of petals. ]

I snapped.

[There's a LITTLE JUMP but the flowers clear and-

Without context, lets be real. He's just checking him for injuries quickly.]

On her? [The Showmaster.]

[ no injuries! he looks totally fine. physically.

he shakes his head. ]

During the story. Did the others tell you what happened?

[The rest he can pick up... yeah.]

Not beyond Aster tryna be a dumbass.

...

After we talked the dumbasses down, we chose the guards as sacrifice. We watched them die to the Milling, one by one. The Executioner, she— ... well, you know how the story goes.

I still had her scythe.

[Oh. Oh SHIT.

He had to...]

So you had to...

[There isn't even hesitation. He's just dragged into another hug because holy shit.]

[ returns the hug — and sighs. ]

I didn't have to. There were... other ways to stop her.

I just did it. Didn't think. Didn't care.

Didn't want to see the look on Foxy's face any more.

[He's 16 years old. HE'S 16 YEARS OLD.]

... Foxy? Someone new?

Mhm. Snow and I used to break into his mansion when we were kids.

Edited 2024-09-17 00:41 (UTC)

[You're still kids.]

...

I shouldna stopped punching. I shoulda kept going.

... No.

Don't see why not!

[ scrunching the back of Brocade's shirt in his fists ]

We're not gods, Brocade. We're not even suits. Beating her up gets you five minutes of satisfaction at best, and years of jailtime at worst.

[ maybe not even at worst. he doesn't need to say that part. ]

We need to play the long game.

[For a moment, it's there. A rage the likes of which - well, has NEVER needed to happen in the life they've had. His teeth grind and sharpen, a growl rattles around in his chest.]

[IF IT HAD WORKED, IT'D HAD ALL BEEN WORTH IT. JAIL. DEATH. WHATEVER. He'd go down swinging.

... losing all this...

And abruptly he lets it go with a ghost of a snarl. His shoulders fall back with his ears.]

Fine.

[ he's not sure when he started massaging Brocade's back, but he sure isn't stopping now ]

If you have to lash out, don't let it be a waste. I wouldn't forgive you for that.

[ which one of them is he talking to? yes ]

[He's absolutely going to take that comfort though, sinking a little further into it without, you know, putting his weight on Cinth.]

Yeah. Next one... Next one can try to make it count.

[ face in Brocade's chest ]

You were holding your neck. Is that how she did it?

Yeah. Was quick, at least. There's that.

Stupid. This is stupid. I want to- ... I, I don't know.

That's stupid, too.

Wanna do what?

[LOOK HE HAD ASTER TODAY TOO]

I don't know.

Our value was kindness. I thought... the moment we saw the prisoners, I thought we'd have to kill them. Death by milling is. Slow. Death by blade is slow, if you don't know how to—

[ bites his lip. there's blood. ]

Did you know the heart and brain are 73% water?

...

[Oh. OH. Brocade knows because there's almost no way it hasn't happened. And has suspected more. The bottled rage and the deep empathy in the kid was apparent from day one.

He doesn't let go of Cinth.]

Kindness to them but... Woulda hurt you like hell.

[ thickly, ]

No pulling punches. Remember?

[... he takes a deep breath and lets it out, there's long seconds of silence as he stews in his own head.]

... The way things are going, tellin' ya not to would be worse.

How did it actually go, in the end?

post-executioner

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1/2

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cw heart and brain exploding talk,,,

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