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

[heavyhitter]

[ He was definitely likeable, no arguments there. So she shrugs, unhappy to go more into this bit. She apparently needs to, though. ]

I woke up and he was just... he looked the same, but he was old and sad and ditched me, like, fifty years ago. [ Not looking that much happier: ] It's fine now, I guess it was temporary.

[respired]

Yet your betrayal remains.

[ He grits his teeth. ]

We are beset with anomalies constantly. Did you not think this issue would be temporary?

[heavyhitter]

[ She glances back again, a touch of quiet resentment somewhere in it for making her dredge up the recall. ]

No, I fucking didn't. [ It's not going to be easy to forget that cold heartbreak, and how easy it apparently was to drop her and get on with his life, but that doesn't mean she has to get into that specifically. ] And I told him already, anyway.

[respired]

[ GOOD. BE RESENTFUL. THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS.

In any case, it comes down to one simple, bitter perception on his part. He murmurs, staring down at his hands. ]

You used me.

[heavyhitter]

[ Too bad, guilt is stronger than resentment, and it's gone again in favor of a wince. ]

Yeah, I... guess I kinda did. [ She drops her eyes to her lap. ] I'd have gone for it either way, but I guess that's not really your point, huh.

[respired]

[ He sighs; a rattling, unearthly sound. ]

It is not.

[ A pause, and he goes on. ]

I -- did not expect it of you. I do think of you as ... a friend.

[heavyhitter]

Yeah, 'cuz we are friends. [ She sighs and, braving another look up at him, looks decidedly more miserable. ] And... that was pretty shitty of me. I'm sorry.

[ She debates pressing forward for a hug, and wonders if he's still too pissed for that. Nothing's worse than a one-sided hug, but man she wants to. That feeling of abandonment — not just from Sigma, but everyone who'd forgotten her — still isn't quite banished. ]

[respired]

[ Koltira's not one to initiate hugs--and it isn't because he's against them. He just presumes no one wants to touch him. That said, he does reach out and pat Ramir's shoulder, gently.

He'd like to stay angry with her. It'd be better, he thinks. She knows to keep back when it's time to keep back, but he still worries that she'll suffer on his account. Sometime. Sometime soon. ]

Forgiven.

[ He's always been unusually magnanimous towards friends. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ Her smile is grateful and instantaneous, and that pat on her shoulder is really all the encouragement she needs. She shifts in closer and wraps both arms around his neck to press her face into one shoulder, and when she speaks again it's muffled. ]

Thanks. I'm really, really not into losing you. [ Or any friends, but particularly one she'd already temporarily lost into the timestream. No more of that, thanks. ]

[respired]

[ It takes him a second, but he does relax into the hug. Hesitantly, carefully, he slips his arms around her waist. ]

I--


I don't want to lose you, either, Ramir.

[heavyhitter]

Okay, good, then neither of us is losing anyone.

[ That ends with a sniffle. She might have to get his shirt wet, at this rate, especially since she's not ready to let go just yet. ]

You're a good fucking friend, Koltira. [ Which she distinctly remembers as the main reason she had to send him away. She'd missed that, and him, too much. ] Sorry you had to lay it out for me that I was shitty, it — I'm sorry.

[respired]

[ He'd challenge that description, but now doesn't seem like a great time--and he isn't completely tone deaf. So he just stays still, arms around her, cheek pressed lightly against her hair. ]

It's all right. You are forgiven.

[ And hasn't he done far worse to her? That thought always bubbles up whenever he's the slightest bit irritated with Ramir. Grace demands grace. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ She takes a while longer to appreciate the closeness and the contact, and though she doesn't go far, finally draws back again to be able to look up at him. There's a smile back in place. ]

You were really fucking cute, you know. Jesus, so friendly. I'm glad I got to meet that version.

[respired]

[ He just goes quiet at that. After a second, he mumbles. ]

As I said, that man is gone.

[heavyhitter]

[ She shrugs, and pulls a hand back to pat his cheek gently. ]

He went into this. I like how it worked out.

[respired]

A fool's talk.

[ He covers her hand with his, squeezes gently. ]

Go on, then. There is peace between us.

[heavyhitter]

[ That sounds fair. She leans to press a quick kiss against his other cheek, and finally pulls away altogether to stand herself up. ]

Good luck with your adoption program.