video; un: deathweaver

[respired]

[ Koltira's back to his usual self once again--his hair pale as ice, his eyes burning with lichfire. His skin sallow, tinted with hypothermia, and shot through with spiderweb cracks. He wears the black ALASTAIR uniform as he sits on the edge of his bed, twisting a new ring around one gloved finger.

Beside him, his lynx cub rolls around sleepily.

His voice is still deceptively lilting, but the ethereal echo, the underscore of a guttural scratch, haunts him. ]

I must ask for a favor, should you have the capacity to grant it.

[ He glances back at the lynx cub. ]

The dead are not meant to care for the living. If one of you would take responsibility for this creature, I'd consider myself in your debt.

[ A pause. He frowns slightly as he goes on. ]

Recently, some of you met me as I once was. Understand something now. That man is gone. He died nearly twenty years ago, and nothing--nothing--of him remains in me. His house is ash, and cannot be recovered.

[ Not entirely true, though Koltira maintains otherwise.

Another beat, longer this time, as if he's unsure whether to keep talking. But, eventually: ]

Many of you recognized me, yet you did not ruin the past with visions of the future. For this ... I thank you.

[ And that's all. ]

Comments

[respired]

I was half-mad with the pain of it. I did not know what I was doing, not fully. I had just enough of myself to stop anything irrevocable, but I frightened her terribly, even so.

She forgave me, of course.

[ He shakes his head. ]

She shouldn't have.

[twinpeak]

[ Dipper glances away, but his demeanor softens. After a few moments: ]

'Cause Mabel thinks with her heart.

[ It isn't even about blind optimism here. She's always looked on the brighter side far more than Dipper, but she's a lot smarter than people give her credit for. He'll always stand behind that belief. ]

... But even she has her limits—if she thought it was okay, then she had a reason.

[ Not that he could disagree, either. Koltira wants to pin himself a terrible person because his powers when haywire? Come on. ]

[respired]

A dangerous way to live.

[ He used to be like that, when he was alive. When he still had a functioning heart. ]

Naivete, I can only presume.

[twinpeak]

[ He frowns again. ]

She's not naive, Koltira.

[respired]

[ Bitterly. ]

She is. As are you.

[twinpeak]

... Yeah, sure. Let me guess, it's because we're too young to understand—is that it?

[respired]

It is not because you are young. It is because you don't see what I am. You are not alone in this.

[ He runs a hand through his hair. ]

But you will see it, sooner or later. I only wonder what it will cost you.

[twinpeak]

[ Frankly, he isn't totally convinced his age isn't a factor in this. In most cases, it tends to be. (He's sensitive about this, ok.)

But he won't press it more if Koltira doesn't. ]

Look, I get it. You've got stuff going on, and maybe I don't know everything. But I thought we were supposed to be friends, so what do you expect me to do? Decide I'll just turn around and hate you instead because you told me to?

[respired]

You would be safer that way.

[ In other words: yES. that is what he expects. ]

[twinpeak]

[ well TOO BAD ]

I'd be safer if I didn't do most things I do. I don't need to be protected as much as you think I do.

[ That's... definitely pride talking there, though. ]

[respired]

[ The kids of ALASTAIR are such a handful. He is not good at this. ]

You feel that this is particular to you. It is not. If I could turn every one of you away from me, I would.

[twinpeak]

You never even tried to before now.

[respired]

[ He mutters, fingers pressed against his temples. ]

But I will.

[twinpeak]

Sooo you're just gonna keep this up, huh.

[respired]

I am trying to do what is best for you. To keep you safe.

[ He shakes his head. ]

If you do not believe me, ask someone else. Ask Riza.

[twinpeak]

—Why Riza?

[respired]

She has seen the truth of me. Ramir, too.

[ But he's pretty sure Riza dislikes him, and thus is a better candidate for poisoning the well. As he wants. ]

[twinpeak]

...

Whatever, man. Suit yourself.

[respired]

[ IT HURTS, IT HURTS ...

... but it's for the best.

Right?

Has to be. ]