[ She doesn't stand a chance. But she isn't about to tell him that, not as she holds him close. She's going to have to do something about her clothes, but that's something she'll deal with later. Instead, she buries her face in his hair and tries to catch her breath. ]
... I-I will.
[ She's usually a terrible liar. But for him, she'll be convincing, just this once. ]
[ He makes a small noise in response, but doesn't say anything else past that. There's some part of him that knows he should've just been the one to leave, to not even have given her the chance to make that choice. But that selfish part of him would never let that opportunity slip, especially if it would give her a chance to succeed where he never would be able to. Regardless of how small the chances were.
And, as much as it made him hate himself more to think it, he was going to be dead soon, anyway. What happened past here wouldn't matter, at least to him.
But at least this is some small way to maybe make up for everything that he did. It'd never be enough, but maybe it was never going to. Maybe this is what needed to happen, regardless of how things played out. It's how things were going to end for him, even before this place, so why not make sure it did?
The last thing that crosses his mind as he falls slack against Mira's shoulder is about whether Seles'll be happier, now that he's out of the way. He exhales, and doesn't move again. ]
Edited (ok im done. rest in fuck zelos) 2021-09-20 05:05 (UTC)
[ --And then they wake up, when they shouldn't be anywhere. Mira wonders briefly if it had all been a dream, but it's not exactly difficult to realize how real everything had been. She swears her chest still aches from the impact of a sword through her heart, aches from seeing her brother wield it, aches from the memory of Zelos dying against her.
...
It feels as if the world's about to fall out from under her, and all she can do is sink to the ground and wrap her arms tight around her knees. ]
[ If this was some kind of joke, then it's a bad one. Because he isn't laughing.
Waking up in the same place that he just was felt wrong, like he didn't belong here. Because he didn't. This shouldn't even be happening, so why is he back in this facility when Mira –
Mira. He seems to have found her as he moved around the empty facility, trying to make sense of what the hell was going on. The uneasiness in his stomach only seems to get worse, as he silently prays that this is all some kind of big hallucination and not...
He kneels down next to her, that gloved hand on her back. When he talks, it's quiet, but just barely loud enough so she can hear him. ]
[ She doesn't notice that anyone's there until his hand lands on her back. She'd been certain that she was the only one here; she stiffens, and when she lifts her head--
If her legs didn't feel like lead, she'd be running. Instead, she looks up at him, eyes wide. A million and one thoughts race through her mind, but what she lands on is just one. ]
I'm sorry.
[ For inviting him there in the first place. For thinking there was even a chance that this could work, no matter how brief. For breaking her word. ]
[ The apology rips through him like no sword ever could, causing him to freeze. She's sorry? Shouldn't she be cursing him, making him be the one to apologize for dragging her through this mess? That he was using her for his own selfish ends, only for it to explode spectacularly in both of their faces?
He smiles, like he does, but his eyes aren't matching up this time as his hand slides up to her shoulder. ]
Hey. You don't have to apologize. This isn't your fault.
[ Zelos takes a while before he responds or reacts, trying to figure out exactly what he should say. It's... even if Mira did end up failing on her end, he wasn't exactly expecting to have to keep talking about it after the fact. So what exactly is he supposed to say to this? Consoling was never his thing, and if it was, he's not sure he's even close to the right person that she needs to be able to lean on. So... what does he do? ]
But you're somewhere, right? That's gotta count for something. It means there's still possibly a way out of this mess, right?
[ He doesn't have much of a choice to settle for emulating other people who are way more optimistic than he is. Zelos wonders what'd they'd think of him if they knew about all this. ]
[ ... She isn't certain how that marks her feel, not at the heart of it all. It's hard to reconcile what she's done with her failure. That isn't even mentioning the feelings she's tried very, very hard to stifle and ignore. It's even more difficult now, here with him, with nothing else to lose. ]
... I didn't think I'd hear you say something like that. [ But. ] ... But you're not wrong.
[ All the same, she doesn't know what's going to happen if they do manage to get out. There's no way she can go back to her world, after all. ]
[ His smile fades, as he pushes his hair over his shoulder. He's terrible at this, he's convinced of it. He should absolutely not be the one doing this, but there's no one else and he's the one to blame for all this (nothing new there), so there's not much else to do but to try.
Mostly because he's not sure what he'll do if she also loses hope. ]
Well, what should we do, then? Look around for clues?
[ He's done enough damage trying to lead, it's better if she does it. ]
[ She's still feeling out of sorts, but-- they won't accomplish anything by just sitting around and moping. honestly, all she wants to do is lay down and sleep for a very long time, but she thinks he might be counting on her, as arrogant as that feels to think.
It's a mistake for him to do that, if it's true. She ruins everything she touches, after all. ]
I'm not sure where to start, so... let's pick a random direction.
[They spend their time going through the facility, combing through a few different rooms, with only middling levels of success. Other than being a near-perfect copy of the facility they've been in for the last few weeks... there doesn't seem to be any other real leads, or at least any that Zelos can find. ]
This has to be here for some kind of reason, right? It's way too elaborate for us to just be stuck here and even more cut off.
[ It's what he deserves. He's fully aware of that. Mira doesn't deserve even half of this. ]
Maybe it's a way to frustrate us while he enacts his grand plan.... whatever it is.
[ She's frustrated--who wouldn't be?--and she's way too tired to try to hide it. Mira crosses her arms, frowning. She hesitates for a moment, then glances at him before looking away. ]
... But as terrible as this is, it would be worse if I were alone.
[ He's looking around, trying not to make full eye contact, but something about that just twinges something in him, and he whirls around with an incredulous look on his face. ]
You can't seriously think that. Did you get hit in the head or something?
[ It comes out more harsh, more sharp than he was looking to do, but he can't really bring himself to care at the moment. ]
You didn't just suddenly forget what I made you do, right?
[ She bristles at that, but not because she's intimidated or anything; she's seen a lot worse than this. Rather, she's irritated.
Mira stares at him, lips set in a hard line, hands curled into fists. ]
You didn't make me do anything. [ In the end, it had been her choice. For once, something had been her choice, but how did it end? With them trapped in this place and no way out. ] Did you forget I was the one who called you out--
[ Her voice cracks; she's mortified that she feels like she's going to start crying again. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ She doesn't stand a chance. But she isn't about to tell him that, not as she holds him close. She's going to have to do something about her clothes, but that's something she'll deal with later. Instead, she buries her face in his hair and tries to catch her breath. ]
... I-I will.
[ She's usually a terrible liar. But for him, she'll be convincing, just this once. ]
plays my heart will go on at full blast
And, as much as it made him hate himself more to think it, he was going to be dead soon, anyway. What happened past here wouldn't matter, at least to him.
But at least this is some small way to maybe make up for everything that he did. It'd never be enough, but maybe it was never going to. Maybe this is what needed to happen, regardless of how things played out. It's how things were going to end for him, even before this place, so why not make sure it did?
The last thing that crosses his mind as he falls slack against Mira's shoulder is about whether Seles'll be happier, now that he's out of the way. He exhales, and doesn't move again. ]
im crying
...
It feels as if the world's about to fall out from under her, and all she can do is sink to the ground and wrap her arms tight around her knees. ]
no subject
Waking up in the same place that he just was felt wrong, like he didn't belong here. Because he didn't. This shouldn't even be happening, so why is he back in this facility when Mira –
Mira. He seems to have found her as he moved around the empty facility, trying to make sense of what the hell was going on. The uneasiness in his stomach only seems to get worse, as he silently prays that this is all some kind of big hallucination and not...
He kneels down next to her, that gloved hand on her back. When he talks, it's quiet, but just barely loud enough so she can hear him. ]
Hey.
no subject
If her legs didn't feel like lead, she'd be running. Instead, she looks up at him, eyes wide. A million and one thoughts race through her mind, but what she lands on is just one. ]
I'm sorry.
[ For inviting him there in the first place. For thinking there was even a chance that this could work, no matter how brief. For breaking her word. ]
I'm so sorry--
no subject
He smiles, like he does, but his eyes aren't matching up this time as his hand slides up to her shoulder. ]
Hey. You don't have to apologize. This isn't your fault.
i continue to change my journal
I-- I couldn't get out. I told you I would, and I couldn't even do that.
[ She's too soft; she couldn't forsake anyone even if it meant she could leave and get what she so desperately wanted and needed.
Her hands curl into fists, and she looks away. ]
... We're here, wherever here is, for nothing..
i collect all the miras into my big, strong pomeranian arms
But you're somewhere, right? That's gotta count for something. It means there's still possibly a way out of this mess, right?
[ He doesn't have much of a choice to settle for emulating other people who are way more optimistic than he is. Zelos wonders what'd they'd think of him if they knew about all this. ]
i swoon
... I didn't think I'd hear you say something like that. [ But. ] ... But you're not wrong.
[ All the same, she doesn't know what's going to happen if they do manage to get out. There's no way she can go back to her world, after all. ]
no subject
[ His smile fades, as he pushes his hair over his shoulder. He's terrible at this, he's convinced of it. He should absolutely not be the one doing this, but there's no one else and he's the one to blame for all this (nothing new there), so there's not much else to do but to try.
Mostly because he's not sure what he'll do if she also loses hope. ]
Well, what should we do, then? Look around for clues?
[ He's done enough damage trying to lead, it's better if she does it. ]
scuttles in like a horrible creechur
[ She's still feeling out of sorts, but-- they won't accomplish anything by just sitting around and moping. honestly, all she wants to do is lay down and sleep for a very long time, but she thinks he might be counting on her, as arrogant as that feels to think.
It's a mistake for him to do that, if it's true. She ruins everything she touches, after all. ]
I'm not sure where to start, so... let's pick a random direction.
[ Trial and error usually works, right? ]
ME TOO
[They spend their time going through the facility, combing through a few different rooms, with only middling levels of success. Other than being a near-perfect copy of the facility they've been in for the last few weeks... there doesn't seem to be any other real leads, or at least any that Zelos can find. ]
This has to be here for some kind of reason, right? It's way too elaborate for us to just be stuck here and even more cut off.
[ It's what he deserves. He's fully aware of that. Mira doesn't deserve even half of this. ]
time to stab zelos again with the feels knife
[ She's frustrated--who wouldn't be?--and she's way too tired to try to hide it. Mira crosses her arms, frowning. She hesitates for a moment, then glances at him before looking away. ]
... But as terrible as this is, it would be worse if I were alone.
links that one gif again
You can't seriously think that. Did you get hit in the head or something?
[ It comes out more harsh, more sharp than he was looking to do, but he can't really bring himself to care at the moment. ]
You didn't just suddenly forget what I made you do, right?
no subject
Mira stares at him, lips set in a hard line, hands curled into fists. ]
You didn't make me do anything. [ In the end, it had been her choice. For once, something had been her choice, but how did it end? With them trapped in this place and no way out. ] Did you forget I was the one who called you out--
[ Her voice cracks; she's mortified that she feels like she's going to start crying again. ]