seventh pact ❖ {it's snowing in hell}

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[Emil appears on the Plane covered in snow. He should be cold, considering he's not even wearing a real shirt so much as a dress, but he seems okay. He sighs and blows a bit of wet blonde bangs out of his eyes, then sinks into some sand. Yay, beach.]

There's no way that place used to be a desert... Marta's back, at least. I'm glad. It just wasn't the same without her. She's not even clinging to me like she usually does...

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

[there is suddenly a blanket dropped on Emil's head]

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[And Emil is screaming and flailing. Good job, Hero.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[UNPHASED BY THE SCREAMING]

Don't catch a chill.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He stops.]

... Mu?

[lamb_of_gold]

Yes?

[pactum.livejournal.com]

Y-you scared me. I thought you were someone else for a minute...

[He still has a blanket over his head.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[The resulting chuckle sounds a little.....feminine?]

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He shifts a bit more.]

Is someone with you?

[lamb_of_gold]

No.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[Emil finds his way out of the blanket and stares.]

... I don't get it. It sounded like there was a girl there just now...

[lamb_of_gold]

[Mu sighs, then stops trying to disguise his...her current condition]

It's an experiment.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[Emil studies Mu for a minute because he honest to Martel can't /tell/.

... And then he notices.

AND THEN HE SCREAMS.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Sigh]

[pactum.livejournal.com]

Why are you— how— [HFJKHSKJF]

[lamb_of_gold]

Like I said, an experiment.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[fdhsjkfhdjksg]

I... I don't even...

... I feel so bad for you.

[lamb_of_gold]

It's...rather inconvenient, but it could be worse, I suppose.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

... I can't think of anything worse, really, but... I don't wanna jinx it or anything.

[lamb_of_gold]

I haven't lost my mind, at least. I count that as a blessing.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

... I can't imagine you going crazy!

[lamb_of_gold]

Unfortunately, it's happened before.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

... Oh...

[lamb_of_gold]

Dry off before you get sick.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

-- Right! Sorry. [He messes up his hair with the towel, and mops his shoulders, but a good shake and the rest of him dries off automatically. Enchanted clothes are... well, enchanted.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Handy.]

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

[Marta appears sometime afterward and begins dusting the snow off of her dress. She looks lost in thought at first, then confused, but shakes her head and takes a look around the Plane.

When she spots Emil on the beach, she smiles and walks over.] Was there not enough sand in the desert for you?

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He dusts himself off and sits up.]

What desert?

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

[She giggles a little as she sits beside him.]

Good point. Though, you know, it wasn't always snowy... I think it just started up this month.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He lets her sit, for once not minding the space.] Right. Tenebrae said that there might be another Centurion's core interfering, and that's probably what caused the change...

I kinda feel bad for the people living there. When our lake dried up, we had no idea what to do, either.

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

I know, I feel bad, too. [She casts her eyes to the sand, sadly at first, but her expression turns determined after a second or two of silence.] That's why we have to do this. We can't let Lloyd get the Centurion's cores first, no matter what. [She looks to him] Right?

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He nods.] Right. No matter what.

[He pulls a knee to his chest and sighs, lets the moment pass.]

... Hey, Marta?

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

Hm? What is it, Emil?

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He stares at his shoe.]

... What do you think of this place?

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

[She leans forward a bit, hoping maybe she can get him to make eye contact with her instead of just looking down.]

You mean, the Plane? [She abandons her attempt at eye contact to look up, at all of the stars.] I guess... I don't really know. I still don't understand it. [She smiles.] It's pretty though, isn't it?

[pactum.livejournal.com]

... Yeah. It's pretty. [He sounds somewhat unenthusiastic, then steels himself to look up finally.]

I'm... starting to wonder if revenge isn't the right way after all. I hate him, Marta. I hate him so much. But the longer I'm here... the more I realize that everyone-- everyone has their own problems. But why isn't he denying all of the accusations if his friends think he didn't do it? Why try to take the Cores if it's only going to hurt the world in the end?

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

[Aaand, time to be serious again, she frowns, clearly worried for him.] Emil...

[She takes a deep breath.] I know everyone has their own problems. But not everyone is... doing terrible things because of it. Lloyd's friends... they stick up for him because they think he's a good person, right? Maybe it's exactly what Raine said -- how people change, for better or for worse. Or, maybe he has some... reason, or something, for what he's doing. But, you and I? We don't know what that is. All we can do is find him again. Not only to stop him, but... maybe we should make him explain himself to us, too.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He's silent for a long moment. Finally, his eyes slip shut.]

... Yeah. Let's... let's do that.

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

Of course!

[She takes a long moment of her own to just watch him. She wants to say or do something - anything - to make him smile again, to cheer him up a little...

All she can think to do is scoot a tiny bit closer and lean against him a little - just a little. She doesn't want to be too invasive right now, she's... still a shade worried and unsure. But maybe it'll be enough reassurance that he's not alone...]

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[It makes him start a little bit, which isn't really that unusual. But he doesn't pull away. He sighs softly, leans a little against her in return to acknowledge that she's there.]

Thanks, Marta.

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

[She smiles softly up at him. A step in the right direction? She certainly hopes so...]

Anytime, Emil. ... I'm here for you, okay?

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[He tries to smile back. It's sort of awkward and goofy looking, but then again, this is Emil we're talking about.]

... I know. I... I want to be there for you too.

[formervanguard.livejournal.com]

Emil, don't worry so much. [She shakes her head.] You already are.

[pactum.livejournal.com]

[... blush.]

R... right.