countermeasures | chroma | catchall for vin

chroma | catchall for vin

i haven't had coffee yet so this won't be pretty yet

[she will not let go of vin's hands.]

...that doesn't make it hurt any less.

[some things still hurt no matter how much time passes. you carry them with you, always, until carrying that burden becomes as natural as breathing, and the thought of setting it down is entirely foreign.]

...Maybe not.

[but to her - acknowledging that pain doesn't change what has happened, or that she's certain that's it just going to happen again. she's mentioned it before, things like the people here are kind or they seem well meaning,
but even that has been an understatement. even if she's tried to pull back from caring or getting too invested, she's already failed, and in the end, she's sure that every face she's come to know here will fade to a memory.

still. after a moment, carefully neutral:]

But it is what happens.

[it shouldn't.

is there some way to get home, but to not lose touch with the people they've grown to care for here? jiuqing doesn't know. at this point, even making it home feels... not impossible, but also not something they'll be able to accomplish soon.

but if they can find some way to stay connected...]

Even so... [...] It's still...

[awful, to have to live in fear of the moment when people will leave you behind.]

[...]

I'm sorry you had to see it.

...I'm sorry you had to live it.

[that seems worse?]

I think I would rather live through that, than... what happened to you.

[it's not a competition and she knows that, but - she's still concerned about jiuqing.]

Vin, I promise, I'm fine. It was a long time ago, and... no one is going to be able to lay a finger on me like that ever again.

[this is before the fire effect so she doesn't even set the area around them on fire! nice.]

[jiuqing has always seemed very competent and put together to her, so she does believe her. can't wait for her to see the fires tomorrow and sweat. but for now:]

...See to it that they don't.