@rxbysxllivan:
“Yeah, well, Kage lives next to the Stowaway, so we don’t have much of a choice.” She shrugged. “He swears to me he’s fine, but…you know Kage.” They rolled their eyes. “I have no way of really knowing until I lay eyes on the man.” With a nod, she glanced up sympathetically. “I feel you,” she mumbled, still worried about Nic. “Is it bad?” Eyes following Marissa’s gaze, she caught onto the item on the shelf. “Ah—this one is one of my favorites.” She grinned, stepping around the counter to reach for the crystal skull. “It’s actually a candle holder. You stick it in the top of the skull, and it collects the wax inside as it burns.”
x
“Right,” Riss nodded a little. “Seems to be the universal thing at the moment-- everyone insisting their fine but nobody is.” At least, that’s what seemed to be happening with everyone Riss cared about, and actually that was exactly what she was doing herself. She wasn’t fine. But she’d continue to say she was. Fake it until you make it, right? Is it bad? Marissa wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “Just-- smoke inhalation and light burns physically, she’ll be alright,” she paused. She knew Ruby was close with Nic, and perhaps she’d be able to help in a way Riss couldn’t. “But she’s beating herself up about the fires... Both about going in and being reckless, and about not being able to save much,” she picked up one of the things from the counter, for no real reason than to just do something. “I keep telling her it’s alright, but my words don’t really seem to be making a difference. I-- don’t know what else to do, if I’m being honest...” Riss glanced down at said thing in her hand, which turns out to indeed be a candle. “Huh...” She mused, mind clearly on her partner laid up in hospital.
