nexus_sages | At What Price Respect

Verity in the forum? Not a strange sight. Verity without coffee? Rather less common. Verity slumping, exhausted, into a couch? Unusual. Verity covered in scrapes, bruises, and dust? Definitely strange.

"Help isn't if it's forced on someone. This is true. Someone not in possession of all of the facts cannot give fully informed consent. This is also true. But nobody can be forced to listen." Of course Verity has things on her mind. Who here doesn't? "How do you reconcile that? Is ignorance truly bliss? Or do you do what's needed to save someone despite their choices?"

((A note before you come to play with Verity: she's got a magic spell stuck in her that lets her always know when someone is lying to her. This includes sarcasm and knowing when someone believes something to be true when it isn't. This doesn't include lies of omission. She can also see through illusions. Please respect this; if your character is trying to lie to her, please make that known so she can react appropriately. [I completely understand this isn't going to be everyone's idea of fun.] Thanks.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You are," she assures him softly. The way he's stroking her hair is the sweetest and most tender thing anyone's ever done for her, and she's melting beneath it. "You're wonderful. You're keeping your whole world safe and my new home too. And you're here."

"I can't protect yours though." He shudders but keeps her close. "I can't say anything right. And... and..." There's a way. There's always a way.

"本当に大好き."

He's never meant anything more honestly.

She has no idea what he said at the end, which is frustrating, but she draws herself up to look him in the eyes. She'll take hold of his cheeks and make him look at her if she has to.

"Katsuya. It's okay. You haven't done anything wrong."

The important thing, for later unfortunately, is that she knows it's the truth. She can figure out the rest of it later on her space age phone-puter.

"I...I know." He wishes he could laugh bitterly. He'd just said the same thing to her. "It doesn't make this any less frustrating. Your world....there has to be something...some way.." He sighs, his eyes slipping shut. "Everything seemed so fine when we were there..."

"I know. I waited until a nice day to invite you." She slides an arm around his shoulders, nudging him toward her. If he wants to lean on her or cuddle or whatever, he can. "I wanted to share it with you at least once."

She's a sneak. She learned it from Loki.

"You...knew?" Knew this was going to happen? That there was nothing to be done? Did she warn any of those crazy super people? Did anyone listen to her? Was she the only one that knew what was going on? That's horrible. She must have felt so alone.

"Verity I'm so sorry.." He doesn't know what else to say. He sighs, leaning against the couch. "What you must have gone through..."

"I've known for a few months." She'll let him go, swallowing as she does, and hugs her knees to her chest. Something's going to get hugged and if he doesn't want it...

"They've been talking about it on the news. The usual 'oh we're on top of it everything's fine' spiel. I knew they were lying." She rests her chin on her knees. "The sky turns red sometimes. In places. And you can see other earths, coming toward ours." And it. Is. Terrifying. "And then they're destroyed."

It's too much. He's sitting next to her, one hand holding hers as they're clasped around her knees. He wonders if everyone could see it. Or just her. Because she sees through lies and illusions. And no one believed her.

No one listened. Her own mother...

"You were right to leave. If you need anything you just tell me." He sounds so tired. Tired, but earnest. "I said I'd be there for you a long time ago. I still mean it."

She's been legally classified as useless. Maybe she could have tried harder... but the world beat most of the fight out of her a long time ago.

She looks down at their hands, her thumb tracing lightly along one of his fingers. She looks so old. She feels so old. "I need this. To know, I'm not alone. And I think we both need to try and get some rest soon."

"Okay."

Katsuya pulls his hand away from hers. Places it on the armrest and hauls himself up to his feet. He holds out his hand and helps her up too, but he will pick her up if she doesn't seem to want to get up on her own.

"You want me to take you back to the Nexus?" Out in the streets of Konan while she's feeling like this? "Or do you want to crash here, use my bed and get a good night's sleep knowing there's someone else in the same place you are." Not in his bed. In the apartment.

It's hard to tell which is upsetting her more: when he pulls his hand away, or when he suggests she has to go out in public again. She stares up at him mutely for a moment, not sure how to do what she thinks she has to do. Staying sounds so nice. She wants that so much.

"You wouldn't mind?"

Picking her up it is then. One hand reaches under her knees while the other settles in at the small of her back before she's hefted up with only the smallest of jostles. She doesn't have to go back outside. He doesn't really want to carry her all the way to the police station. That would get them both a lot of looks, not to mention he is tired enough already.

"Absolutely not." He's already padding toward his bedroom, nudging the door open with his foot before gently setting her down on his futon. For a bedding that is on the floor, it's surprisingly soft. And it smells like him but that's just weird to point out. He shifts her gently so he can pull the blanket over her legs and tuck her in.

"I'll be right down the hall if you need anything." He squeezes her hand once more.

This is a new and strange and pleasant experience for Verity. Nobody's tucked her in since she was little. Her arms twine around his shoulders instinctively and she rests her head in the crook of his neck. Being put down again is a disappointment, but the bed is soft and smells like him and she doesn't care if that's weird she likes it.

She's not letting go of his hand so easily this time. "I was supposed to be taking care of you," she points out.

"What're friends for?" He counters, giving her hand one last reassuring squeeze before he gently pulls away. "Rest up. You've more than earned it, Verity."

This has been one hell of a day for them both. He'll shut the light off and pull the door mostly shut before heading back to the living room. Picking up the bowls of long forgotten soup and cleaning up.

Going into Tatsuya's room isn't...really an option, after all of this. He settles back in on the couch and tries not to think too hard about what is happening to Verity's world, if it hasn't already. it keeps him awake for longer than he'd like, but not indefinitely. There's someone else in the apartment, and just knowing that makes him feel better.

He's asleep within half an hour.

At What Price Respect

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