[text] ; a few days after the breach is sealed

[shroudedsecrets]

Greetings.

The conditions outside of the barrier are extremely poor, confirming what had been indicated to us previously. The atmosphere is heavy, and full of toxins, and currently uninhabitable.

I have attached some images for those who may be curious.

Be aware, however, that for those of you who might have the ability to withstand such conditions in your previous universes, it will still pose a danger to you here.


... That is all.


[And as the text indicates, attached to this fairly open message are quite a few snapshotted images, and even a brief shaky video or two taken of the outside just beyond the breach, indicating the state of the wall from the outside just before the repairs were completed.

A few shots focus on the conditions of the broken and corroded buildings, ones that indicated that the city had once been larger. One of these shots even captures an odd looking small lizard, hiding among the rubble.

There's a few wider shots of the area, revealing some bleached bones of a large, unidentifiable creature among empty expanses of dry, cracked wasteland, a little further off.

Lastly there seem to be slightly blurred images of some of the monster activity, from further away.]

Comments

[abracafcku]

Yeah, well. [He rolls his eyes again, but it's more of a deflection than his usual sarcasm. He's not used to being thanked so candidly. Even he and Lup don't say it that often, relying on the fact that they know how the other feels rather than vocalizing it. Which means....something that he's letting Honerva thank him, honestly, but Taako doesn't like dwelling on that.]

I'd be pretty pissed if you died, too. So just keep in that mind. I dated Death so I'm pretty sure he'd let me into the afterlife to kick your ass next time.

[shroudedsecrets]

[Care was not something she should take for granted and yet it occurred to her that she had not known how to identify it when it was directed toward her. Not in this capacity, anyway. She had certainly thought herself capable in handling the situation and that it would simply be a mission of gathering intel. She had only counted on success of learning more, having believed herself able to survive the conditions. And then the tolls of it all hit, as much as she had nearly crumpled after finally returning to the house with Lup.

And they had worried. They both had concern and responded in kind, with their actions and reactions. Even now, while she shakily manages those first few sips of broth from her spoon, her ears give that little flutter, the little lift of surprise, at the realization of what he admits, and he hadn't even couched it that much in his usual flippant way. Just enough, so as to not be completely unnerving, and she knew that he didn't like to talk about things like that, to get deeper. Her ears resume their drooped position while she processes, the bowl getting an idle stir.

There's something in her that whispers, that she would not miscalculate so poorly as to die, but yet she had become more reckless after recovering part of herself, hadn't she? She'd had none to delegate to, none she'd wish to confer burdens onto. Only... look after, and yet they had done so for her, instead, as though- she was too ill for such a train of thought now, for such an internal argument. Listening to Taako was far more important, anyway.

Even if most words remained stolen by the strain of this.]

... it helps, to hear that, you know.

[abracafcku]

What? You want to hear that I can kick your ass more? Noooo problemo.

[He blows a raspberry at her as she continues to eat, then moves over to perch on the edge of her desk. It was hard for him to admit anything more than superficial concern. The threat of that bond being ripped away from him again was too much for him to bear, especially here in a place where everything still felt transitory. They were settling in, sure, but he'd spent a year on a space ship before he got sent here, so who knew how long he'd have here until it happened again? If they could tear Thor and Loki away from him, there was no guarantee that Honerva wouldn't be next when they left this place. Or that he'd ever even meet her again should they get back to their world in one piece. His mind would be fractured again and whether he remembered all of this was going to be up in the air.

But all that? Was a problem for future Taako, so it was neatly shoved aside in favor of the tease.]

You do something so dumb again, I'll raid Lulu's spellbook to learn Power Word Kill and then multiclass in cleric to bring you back and do it again.

[shroudedsecrets]

[His turmoil is there, even if he thinks his surface levels don't reveal it. It is important that he scolds, for these ill-advised behaviors. There was a time when she was unable to listen to caution or concern and treat it as anything valuable. Science did not get done by playing safe all of the time. Taako wasn't trying to limit progress, and his concern for Lup, overall, with what they had previously experienced, it all was clear in hindsight.

She stirs, takes a sip as he settles in, acknowledging the tease with a hint of amusement.]

... Very specific.

[Because it was, but she had asked for it. If it allowed him a moment of levity to level such words at her, before her gaze lowers, a free hand clenching in the blanket wrapped around her.]

Taako. I... must apologize, for neglecting to inform you. Both of you. Even had this not had such a poor result, it still... was an action taken that... required more consultation.

[And they deserved better than that from her. To so carelessly have their link threatened by an old impulse, to swoop away and take on a burden, and not realize the feelings of those who cared for her.]

[abracafcku]

Natch.

[He buffed his nails if one hand against his shirt idly, inspecting them as she falls quiet again. She asked and he provided. It wasn't as grandiose as some of his threats could be, but it wasn't like he could do too much to her right now. She was an invalid at the moment and while Taako had 0 qualms about murder, he wasn't going to go that far.

His eyes flick up when she speaks again and then stay on her as she actually apologizes. As in an admission of guilt, a realization that she'd been dumb ass hell not to take them all with her, or at least tell them so they could create a better plan than just yeeting herself into the void. She apologizes and Taako stares until she finishes, gaze lingering on her with a carefully crafted and well practiced neutrality as he processes and decides on his best course of action.

Considering where she'd been to now?

This was big.

After the pause lingers just a little too long, Taako sighs dramatically and then throws his hands up in the air, his voice lighter than it had been earlier.]

Apology accepted. Guess we're even now for me blowing myself and you having to save my dumbass. I saved your dumbass with soup and that's that. Don't do it again or I'll make the soup tomato and no one wants that.

[shroudedsecrets]

[ That's a memory that almost feels a part of a different lifetime for how different she'd been; the way she'd floated his body out of that destroyed room, cleaning him up and stitching those wounds, even then, knowing the effect it would have on Lup. The way she had constantly scolded him and yet could not tell him the heart of why. She'd even bought him a toy pony to keep him amused, an unspoken apology for having to medicate him.

Ironic, in a way, to have that position reversed now.

She had not known how he would react. She was unaccustomed to it, all of this, and she knew he did not quite appreciate the emotional vulnerability, but illness was wearying and he could be such a mixed bag of reaction. The reality of it all was sinking in for her heavily, just what could have happened to the two of them out there, and yet he was asking her to do better, not leave. Staying was important. ]

... you're right. I will learn to do better. I promise you that.

[ And that was not something to say lightly, even if failure, too, was learning, and she had. Even so, it was likely obvious that she was starting to reach the limits of what her appetite would allow with the soup bowl in front of her. Taako may have been forgiving but this illness was not. ]