week 2, monday afternoon

[arbalestrier]

[It's the start of another week and the revelation that there's another supernatural phenomenon in play already has his head spinning again. After seeing more than one person transformed into an animal, he's begun to accept the idea that magic exists, however absurd and insane it sounds. And once Sousuke starts to come to terms with it all, that's when he decides to seek out Hwylryn.

It's not a difficult task, considering he's out in the open. Sousuke steps over to the flower bed, letting his shadow fall over the other man.]

Hwylryn. What are you?

[There's a part of him that's aware that asking like this might be rude, but he's never been good at wording things delicately, and he'd rather not beat around the bush.]

Comments

[arbalestrier]

[So, dragons are as difficult to decipher as people...

It's a ridiculous thought, and one that's as surreal as it is uncharacteristic of his usual mentality. Dragons only existed in the realm of fiction, and he's a realist at his core. Even so, the matter-of-fact delivery certainly adds certain amount of weight to the statement--while he saw the moment that silvery dragon caught Chu Wenshan in its great maw, a part of him could rationalize it as edited footage or something equally grounded in the logic he was used to.

But he does accept it now, even as he's still considering how it factors into his assessment of Hwylryn.

He also accepts that he's probably missing some of the nuances in this answer, even if he can recognize it is effectively a no for both scenarios. But, that uncertainty at the end throws him off a little.]

...You don't know?

[coldseep]

( That that is what Sousuke focuses on seems to surprise him, and seems to make him pause - like he hadn't even noticed his uncertainty himself.

Quietly, he seems to consider this. )

... I wonder.


( ...

He slowly pushes himself up to his elbows, and then a little bit more into a sit. Dirt falls from his hair as he does.

He's quiet. Thinking, thinking... Looking a little more helpless the more he does. )

... Maybe not. The more I think about it... in the end, I can only think that I just want Tiamat back. ( Maybe it doesn't sound relevant to the execution, but it - feels like it is, to Hwylryn. ) ... But I know there's no path that will lead me there.

[arbalestrier]

[He watches the movements carefully, like an attentive watchdog. It's a bit odd seeing that composure shaken, even if it's marginal. But that uncertainty, along with the contemplation and sense of hesitation, makes the answer feel that much more honest.

The sentiment is something he can't quite comprehend, but that fundamental truth--that death is final--is something he knows quite well.]

...Yeah.

[He doesn't know what else to say to that, so he stays silent as he thinks things over once, twice. And at the end of the third time, he finally speaks.]

Would you kill Ish too?

[It's a non sequitur, he knows, but it's the last question he'd been considering. And even if it was indirect, the self-proclaimed Witch of Ruin still had a hand in those deaths.]

[coldseep]

( This one requires less consideration - in fact, almost none at all. )

Of course.

( Ish made this murder happen - on purpose - with those heightened emotions. He's certain this wouldn't have happened without it. Yes, Chu Wenshan pulled the trigger, but Ish is the one who handed them the gun. )

... I'm a little worried what the consequences of it would be if we do it thoughtlessly - if it would cause the space to collapse on everyone, or if it'd just strand us all without a host, and, eventually, without food.

( Hwylryn is the cautious sort - he has lost too much to reckless behavior to want to engage in it himself. He's steady, passive, and careful, for better or worse. )

I think, if we can forge a pathway out, we can kill him safely. Every space like this has a weak spot, somewhere.