Wow, I used to be Insufferable

She/her Oh great. Very excited to be back.

[theolderkheel]

hello? You look like Kheel 😮😮😮

[She startles at your voice and looks down at you. Oh.]

Oh fu-

[Nope. She can't say that. This is Tuli. Not in front of Tuli.]

Uh- hi.

[therealtulin]

hello! You look a lot like Kheel, just older! 😀😀😀 I haven’t seen Kheel in a while, thats probably for the best though since I don’t think she likes me very much 😅😅😅

what’s your name? 😮😮😮

[theolderkheel]

[...Okay, fuck. What does she say? Does she tell you who she is??? Would that.... Cause problems with the future? She.... Really doesn't know.]

Uh.... I'm Khees..?

[...That is the worst name she could have ever come up with. That's literally the name of a bat monster. She's so bad at this.]

[therealtulin]

Well nice to meet you Khees! That’s really similar to Kheel but yet again my name is really close to Tulin’s. 🙂🙂🙂

but anyways I’m Tuli! If anyone tells you I’m Tulin they’re lying, we do look similar though, Tulin’s just way cooler than me 😅😅😅

[theolderkheel]

[Seeing you so young is..... Jarring, to say the least. Apparently, that comes with being twenty years in the past.]

Tuli! It's, uh, nice to meet you for the first time!

[She wants to tell you to fuck off so she can stop fumbling horribly. She doesn't know how to interact with you anymore.]

[therealtulin]

Nice to meet you too! 😁😁😁

Do you want some cookies? Me and Tulin accidentally bought too much from this one merchant, I can’t finish them all myself so I’ve been giving them out 😮😮😮

[theolderkheel]

Uh- sure.

[She might as well. Everything is still shit, she's back to a time she never wanted to see again, Aqui's nowhere to be found, and people she never expected to see again are showing up everywhere. So sure, something good, even just a cookie, sounds nice right now.]

[Alcohol sounds great, actually.]

[theolderkheel]

hello? You look like Kheel 😮😮😮

[She startles at your voice and looks down at you. Oh.]

Oh fu-

[Nope. She can't say that. This is Tuli. Not in front of Tuli.]

Uh- hi.

[therealtulin]

hello! You look a lot like Kheel, just older! 😀😀😀 I haven’t seen Kheel in a while, thats probably for the best though since I don’t think she likes me very much 😅😅😅

what’s your name? 😮😮😮

[theolderkheel]

[...Okay, fuck. What does she say? Does she tell you who she is??? Would that.... Cause problems with the future? She.... Really doesn't know.]

Uh.... I'm Khees..?

[...That is the worst name she could have ever come up with. That's literally the name of a bat monster. She's so bad at this.]

[therealtulin]

Well nice to meet you Khees! That’s really similar to Kheel but yet again my name is really close to Tulin’s. 🙂🙂🙂

but anyways I’m Tuli! If anyone tells you I’m Tulin they’re lying, we do look similar though, Tulin’s just way cooler than me 😅😅😅

[theolderkheel]

[Seeing you so young is..... Jarring, to say the least. Apparently, that comes with being twenty years in the past.]

Tuli! It's, uh, nice to meet you for the first time!

[She wants to tell you to fuck off so she can stop fumbling horribly. She doesn't know how to interact with you anymore.]

[theolderkheel]

hello? You look like Kheel 😮😮😮

[She startles at your voice and looks down at you. Oh.]

Oh fu-

[Nope. She can't say that. This is Tuli. Not in front of Tuli.]

Uh- hi.

[therealtulin]

hello! You look a lot like Kheel, just older! 😀😀😀 I haven’t seen Kheel in a while, thats probably for the best though since I don’t think she likes me very much 😅😅😅

what’s your name? 😮😮😮

[theolderkheel]

[...Okay, fuck. What does she say? Does she tell you who she is??? Would that.... Cause problems with the future? She.... Really doesn't know.]

Uh.... I'm Khees..?

[...That is the worst name she could have ever come up with. That's literally the name of a bat monster. She's so bad at this.]

[theolderkheel]

hello? You look like Kheel 😮😮😮

[She startles at your voice and looks down at you. Oh.]

Oh fu-

[Nope. She can't say that. This is Tuli. Not in front of Tuli.]

Uh- hi.

[theolderkheel]

▲ヾ△▲⤥➬. ▲ヾ△▲⤥➬ ↓▽ ▽↦←➬.

⊳➬ ⤣↓▽▽➬↼ ◢↕ヾ⤓ ⇊↑➬➬⤥.

...The fuck?

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[a-random-traveler]

-his smile becomes slightly mischievous as he answers-

"who said you were dreaming, fledgling?"

[theolderkheel]

....How the fuck else would I be seeing people from my past? It makes no fucking sense otherwise.

[a-random-traveler]

-he laughs-

"ah, yes, in a world where multiple eras merge together, time travel doesn't make sense"

"I am only kidding, you most likely stumbled through a portal while traveling"

[theolderkheel]

[The realization dawns in her eyes, along with a look of panic.]

Oh fuck- you mean that was actually-? Fuck.

Wait- fuck- I need to find Aqui. If she's here- oh fuck this just created so many problems.

[a-random-traveler]

"ooh no..."

-Traveler rather quickly picks up on your panic-

[theolderkheel]

[She remembers that you're still here and takes a few deep breaths.]

Well! Knowing I'm suddenly back to probably the lowest point of my life is great. So exciting! ... I'll completely panic about this later.

[She can't be destroying things when others are around.]

[a-random-traveler]

"I...know its not the best news, But I am happy to see you"

"and im sure the others will be as well, they'll be glad to see you turn out ok..im not sure if there's a better way to phrase that"

[theolderkheel]

[Thankfully, she laughs at that. It is nice to see these people she hasn't seen in so long. But still...]

Well, I doubt it. I'm still an asshole, after all.

[a-random-traveler]

"I mean, so is Ledge sometimes, but we still love em"

-he shrugs, or tries to, but it just causes him to flicker more-

"Unfortunately, my physical body is a tree, and I don't have the energy to keep this projection up for much longer"

"Don't start any fires. My roots run below here and fire H U R T S"

[theolderkheel]

No fires. I won't start any fires.

[.....She never thought that she'd also have to think about what trees she takes her frustration out on. She might just have to attack a few monsters instead. A bokoblin or two, maybe.]

[a-random-traveler]

"Thank you, follow the stream north, and you'll get to my house if you ever want to talk more."

-The projection flickers out, waving goodbye-

[theolderkheel]

Alright.... Bye.

[Well. Guess she has to search for Aqui. Hopefully she's here.]

[And she's back to wandering aimlessly through the woods.]

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[a-random-traveler]

-his smile becomes slightly mischievous as he answers-

"who said you were dreaming, fledgling?"

[theolderkheel]

....How the fuck else would I be seeing people from my past? It makes no fucking sense otherwise.

[a-random-traveler]

-he laughs-

"ah, yes, in a world where multiple eras merge together, time travel doesn't make sense"

"I am only kidding, you most likely stumbled through a portal while traveling"

[theolderkheel]

[The realization dawns in her eyes, along with a look of panic.]

Oh fuck- you mean that was actually-? Fuck.

Wait- fuck- I need to find Aqui. If she's here- oh fuck this just created so many problems.

[a-random-traveler]

"ooh no..."

-Traveler rather quickly picks up on your panic-

[theolderkheel]

[She remembers that you're still here and takes a few deep breaths.]

Well! Knowing I'm suddenly back to probably the lowest point of my life is great. So exciting! ... I'll completely panic about this later.

[She can't be destroying things when others are around.]

[a-random-traveler]

"I...know its not the best news, But I am happy to see you"

"and im sure the others will be as well, they'll be glad to see you turn out ok..im not sure if there's a better way to phrase that"

[theolderkheel]

[Thankfully, she laughs at that. It is nice to see these people she hasn't seen in so long. But still...]

Well, I doubt it. I'm still an asshole, after all.

[a-random-traveler]

"I mean, so is Ledge sometimes, but we still love em"

-he shrugs, or tries to, but it just causes him to flicker more-

"Unfortunately, my physical body is a tree, and I don't have the energy to keep this projection up for much longer"

"Don't start any fires. My roots run below here and fire H U R T S"

[theolderkheel]

No fires. I won't start any fires.

[.....She never thought that she'd also have to think about what trees she takes her frustration out on. She might just have to attack a few monsters instead. A bokoblin or two, maybe.]

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[a-random-traveler]

-his smile becomes slightly mischievous as he answers-

"who said you were dreaming, fledgling?"

[theolderkheel]

....How the fuck else would I be seeing people from my past? It makes no fucking sense otherwise.

[a-random-traveler]

-he laughs-

"ah, yes, in a world where multiple eras merge together, time travel doesn't make sense"

"I am only kidding, you most likely stumbled through a portal while traveling"

[theolderkheel]

[The realization dawns in her eyes, along with a look of panic.]

Oh fuck- you mean that was actually-? Fuck.

Wait- fuck- I need to find Aqui. If she's here- oh fuck this just created so many problems.

[a-random-traveler]

"ooh no..."

-Traveler rather quickly picks up on your panic-

[theolderkheel]

[She remembers that you're still here and takes a few deep breaths.]

Well! Knowing I'm suddenly back to probably the lowest point of my life is great. So exciting! ... I'll completely panic about this later.

[She can't be destroying things when others are around.]

[a-random-traveler]

"I...know its not the best news, But I am happy to see you"

"and im sure the others will be as well, they'll be glad to see you turn out ok..im not sure if there's a better way to phrase that"

[theolderkheel]

[Thankfully, she laughs at that. It is nice to see these people she hasn't seen in so long. But still...]

Well, I doubt it. I'm still an asshole, after all.

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[a-random-traveler]

-his smile becomes slightly mischievous as he answers-

"who said you were dreaming, fledgling?"

[theolderkheel]

....How the fuck else would I be seeing people from my past? It makes no fucking sense otherwise.

[a-random-traveler]

-he laughs-

"ah, yes, in a world where multiple eras merge together, time travel doesn't make sense"

"I am only kidding, you most likely stumbled through a portal while traveling"

[theolderkheel]

[The realization dawns in her eyes, along with a look of panic.]

Oh fuck- you mean that was actually-? Fuck.

Wait- fuck- I need to find Aqui. If she's here- oh fuck this just created so many problems.

[a-random-traveler]

"ooh no..."

-Traveler rather quickly picks up on your panic-

[theolderkheel]

[She remembers that you're still here and takes a few deep breaths.]

Well! Knowing I'm suddenly back to probably the lowest point of my life is great. So exciting! ... I'll completely panic about this later.

[She can't be destroying things when others are around.]

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[a-random-traveler]

-his smile becomes slightly mischievous as he answers-

"who said you were dreaming, fledgling?"

[theolderkheel]

....How the fuck else would I be seeing people from my past? It makes no fucking sense otherwise.

[a-random-traveler]

-he laughs-

"ah, yes, in a world where multiple eras merge together, time travel doesn't make sense"

"I am only kidding, you most likely stumbled through a portal while traveling"

[theolderkheel]

[The realization dawns in her eyes, along with a look of panic.]

Oh fuck- you mean that was actually-? Fuck.

Wait- fuck- I need to find Aqui. If she's here- oh fuck this just created so many problems.

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[a-random-traveler]

-his smile becomes slightly mischievous as he answers-

"who said you were dreaming, fledgling?"

[theolderkheel]

....How the fuck else would I be seeing people from my past? It makes no fucking sense otherwise.

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[a-random-traveler]

-the projection smiles, still flickering-

"I'm so happy to see...you got better...that you're not hurting people like that anymore...I'm so glad..so...so proud"

-he doesn't have the energy to keep a projection up for long, he'll fade soon-

[theolderkheel]

It's been 20 years, of course I'm not as much a dumbass.

[She doesn't want to admit that hearing that..... Means a lot.]

...okay but, why the fuck am I suddenly having dreams about people I knew twenty years ago?

[theolderkheel]

"You're ok..im so relived"

-somewhere nearby, is a flickering form, barely there, barely hanging on.-

-its Traveler, or...one of his projections atleast-

-it seems...so weak-

"im glad to see...that you turn out alright."

@a-random-traveler

[She startles at the faint voice and whirls around, hand positioned near her hip.]

Who the fuck is ther- oh-

[....What the hell is going on?? This is one weird dream with people she hasn't thought about in a long time.]

@a-random-traveler

[theolderkheel]

[All of the sudden, as you’re walking, you can feel a sudden increase of magic in the air. Warm, in an…. Oddly familiar way.]

[You can recognize this magic easily, even with the differences that you’re used to— And possibly who it might belong to.]

-Ribbon(@shadow-but-bright)

[She doesn't know where she is. It had just been a normal day when a portal swept her off her feet and dumped her in the middle of a random ass forest.]

[The warmth makes her perk up. She knows who this magic belongs to! Maybe it can help her gain her bearings! She increases her pace, heading directly towards the warmth.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It doesn’t take long for you to find someone.]

[Though not who you were expecting. Not who you were expecting even remotely. Instead, you find a very drunk, very flushed teenager leaning up against a tree while he tries to figure out how to use his crutches again. He glares at the ground like it personally offended him, and doesn’t even take notice to you.]

[theolderkheel]

[She comes to a complete halt when she realizes this isn't who she thought. But- you seem.... Familiar. The more she stares at you, the more things click into place.]

[The things she did when she was 8. Things she can barely remember.]

[But she remembers that face.]

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

[shadow-but-bright]

[It takes him a second, but eventually he does look over to you. His hair is… Messier, and not tied up in a braid. He glares, but doesn’t seem to recognize you.] Th’fuck… d’you want..? Kin’a busy hhere…

[theolderkheel]

Busy doing what? Staring at the ground?

[Just looking at you makes her aching shoulder hurt. Something's weird here. She hasn't seen you for 20 years.]

You shouldn't be here.

[This must be some weird, fucked up dream.]

[shadow-but-bright]

Nno! ‘M busy fuckin’.. [What is he doing again?] …Doin’ sshit. [Why is he even out here? He leans his head against the tree, gaining a pained expression along with obvious confusion. His entire body hurts, he doesn’t remember why he’s out here, and his vision is swimming so much he might’ve been sick if he could be.]

[Maybe… Maybe ripping himself open only to pour alcohol right on his core was a bad idea.]

[theolderkheel]

[...She knows who you are, and yet she's seeing someone else in this moment.]

You need to sit down. Clearly, you had too much to drink.

[This isn't an uncommon problem, but still. You never knew how to go light on substances.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[He groans, and then glares at you. He has a hard time figuring which one of you is real, and which ones are a product of his swimming vision. Does he… Know you? He squints. Purple… Are those feathers? A rito? Maybe?]

[He can’t help but tense slightly. And he doesn’t move. If he tries to sit now, his knees just might give out, and then he’ll fall flat one his face in front of a rito. A weirdly familiar rito. He just doesn’t remember why you’re familiar.]

[theolderkheel]

....Fine, or don't listen to me. You really don't have to.

[She pushes down her frustration. That's not welcome right now.]

But you're fucked up right now, you need to rest.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He growls at you, baring his teeth, and in a rather stupid attempt at intimidation he leans his head forward. And, naturally, almost falls, only getting one of his crutches enough in front of him to not do that a second before he actually does.]

[By now, his legs refuse to support him at all, and he’s leaning all his weight on his crutches. His undone hair covers his face, at least, when he still has his head hanging like this.]

[theolderkheel]

[..Right. You're Ribbon. ... That's a name she hoped she'd never have to think about again.]

You think you're going to scare me? Well guess what, Ribbon? I'm not fucking scared.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He can’t help but go rigid when you say his name. You don’t know him. Do you? Growls are simpler than words, so he stares at you through his hair and snarls. This time, it’s filled with so much anger and fear, that it does work somewhat.]

[theolderkheel]

[For a moment, she's taken back 20 years. The fear of being torn open. The fear of seeing you again. The fear of knowing what she'd done.]

[She stamps that fear down.]

Sit your ass down and rest, you fucking idiot.

[shadow-but-bright]

[His eyes somehow go wider than they have been with realisation. He feels sick. He’s too drunk, not right now, any time but now— That tone of voice, those feathers. How did he not realise it sooner?]

[You’re— You’re—]

[Theres a sudden panic it can barely process as it’s thrown into this situation where the only thing it knows to do is listen. The drunkenness doesn’t help. But its crutches disappear into the light, it has no regard for the wrong clothes it’s wearing, and it falls to its knees. As it does, it has to support itself with a hand to make sure it doesn’t double over from the pain. It shoots from his knees all the way to its core and leaves it breathless, vision nearly blacking out for… Probably longer than a second.]

[theolderkheel]

No not like- you're not supposed to fucking hurt yourself in the process! Dumbass-

[That.... Did not look painless. She walks close to you and slowly gets to her knees. She's not sure what caused this shift in demeanor. Her childhood is.... Blurry, to say the least.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[When you sit down, it flinches, despite the slowness. It just makes everything swim more. You can see it slightly sway in its place. The pain that comes in waves from its chest is pure agony. Without even realising it, the hand that isn’t supporting it is brought up to its chest to claw at it. It wants the pain out.]

[Your words catch up to it. It did something wrong, it thinks. It wishes that it was dead, right about now. It hurts so much. Are you going to make it worse again? You always do. Theres no reason why this time would be any different. You can see it start to tremble.]

[theolderkheel]

No, don't-

[She reaches out to grab at your hand and pull it away. There are no talons to dig into your skin. Her grip is firm, but it doesn't hurt.]

[Fuck, she's really not good at this comforting shit.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[At least, at least it wasn’t its arm. It couldn’t take that right now. Not with all of the agony. It looks down to the ground, still shaking, still doing something wrong. What is it supposed to do that’s right? It needs to figure that out, it needs to— It has to listen, it has to listen…]

[It waits for something to happen. It doesn’t move aside from the shaking. It waits for some part of it to be forcefully changed. It stops thinking. And just.. Waits. It’s never done anything else.]

[theolderkheel]

[She stares at you, hand in yours for a few moments. Her stare turns perplexed. You're not reacting. You have just fallen silent, as if you're waitin— oh. Oh shit.]

[She lets go of your hands and quickly backs off. That was a horrible attempt at comforting you!!!]

[shadow-but-bright]

[As soon as you let go, it seems to almost hug itself— Harder for you to grab its wings… Arms like this. It just stares at the ground. It’s not supposed to look at you, it doesn’t think. It’s hard to remember. It just wants to go home— …Back to its clearing and drink until it dies.]

[But it can’t die from that, and it has nowhere to go. There’s no one that it can turn to, not with him. It hurts.]

[An all too distant look gathers in its eyes as it stops focusing on the world around it, on anything. It’s just supposed to wait for this to be over. It’s easier to wait when it feels like the world isn’t real.]

[theolderkheel]

[She tries to makes herself smaller and less intimidating. It's hard to do that when you're..... Literally tiny. It might be better if she leaves, but she needs to try.]

I'm not going to hurt you anymore. You can kill me if I try.

[Yup, that's reassuring! Probably!]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It doesn’t hear you, not really, anyway. It didn’t sound like an order, it didn’t sound like a question, so— It’s fine. It wasn’t being talked to. It… Stops thinking.]

[You can still see it shake. Partly from fear, partly from the agony that just gets worse day to day. But it shows no sign of response. It’s just… Blank. Completely.]

[theolderkheel]

[Fuck, okay, this isn't working. She doesn't know how she can help. .....If she can help. Maybe it's better if she leaves. She's never been the one good with emotional stuff.]

[She still doesn't know why you're here. Every second really does feel more like a dream. That's probably because she's dreaming or something.]

[She stands and slowly backs away.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It takes a second before it realises you’re leaving. Isn’t it supposed to follow you…? Rather foolishly, it attempts to get its legs under it, and—]

[It cries out in pain. It’s not worth trying. It stays right where it is, shaking a lot more noticeably now. It hurts.]

[theolderkheel]

No no no, don't follow me! That's not- Just- stay there, okay?

[She backs up more before sighing and turning to leave. She forgot completely about the terms she used to use.]

[theolderkheel]

[All of the sudden, as you’re walking, you can feel a sudden increase of magic in the air. Warm, in an…. Oddly familiar way.]

[You can recognize this magic easily, even with the differences that you’re used to— And possibly who it might belong to.]

-Ribbon(@shadow-but-bright)

[She doesn't know where she is. It had just been a normal day when a portal swept her off her feet and dumped her in the middle of a random ass forest.]

[The warmth makes her perk up. She knows who this magic belongs to! Maybe it can help her gain her bearings! She increases her pace, heading directly towards the warmth.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It doesn’t take long for you to find someone.]

[Though not who you were expecting. Not who you were expecting even remotely. Instead, you find a very drunk, very flushed teenager leaning up against a tree while he tries to figure out how to use his crutches again. He glares at the ground like it personally offended him, and doesn’t even take notice to you.]

[theolderkheel]

[She comes to a complete halt when she realizes this isn't who she thought. But- you seem.... Familiar. The more she stares at you, the more things click into place.]

[The things she did when she was 8. Things she can barely remember.]

[But she remembers that face.]

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

[shadow-but-bright]

[It takes him a second, but eventually he does look over to you. His hair is… Messier, and not tied up in a braid. He glares, but doesn’t seem to recognize you.] Th’fuck… d’you want..? Kin’a busy hhere…

[theolderkheel]

Busy doing what? Staring at the ground?

[Just looking at you makes her aching shoulder hurt. Something's weird here. She hasn't seen you for 20 years.]

You shouldn't be here.

[This must be some weird, fucked up dream.]

[shadow-but-bright]

Nno! ‘M busy fuckin’.. [What is he doing again?] …Doin’ sshit. [Why is he even out here? He leans his head against the tree, gaining a pained expression along with obvious confusion. His entire body hurts, he doesn’t remember why he’s out here, and his vision is swimming so much he might’ve been sick if he could be.]

[Maybe… Maybe ripping himself open only to pour alcohol right on his core was a bad idea.]

[theolderkheel]

[...She knows who you are, and yet she's seeing someone else in this moment.]

You need to sit down. Clearly, you had too much to drink.

[This isn't an uncommon problem, but still. You never knew how to go light on substances.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[He groans, and then glares at you. He has a hard time figuring which one of you is real, and which ones are a product of his swimming vision. Does he… Know you? He squints. Purple… Are those feathers? A rito? Maybe?]

[He can’t help but tense slightly. And he doesn’t move. If he tries to sit now, his knees just might give out, and then he’ll fall flat one his face in front of a rito. A weirdly familiar rito. He just doesn’t remember why you’re familiar.]

[theolderkheel]

....Fine, or don't listen to me. You really don't have to.

[She pushes down her frustration. That's not welcome right now.]

But you're fucked up right now, you need to rest.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He growls at you, baring his teeth, and in a rather stupid attempt at intimidation he leans his head forward. And, naturally, almost falls, only getting one of his crutches enough in front of him to not do that a second before he actually does.]

[By now, his legs refuse to support him at all, and he’s leaning all his weight on his crutches. His undone hair covers his face, at least, when he still has his head hanging like this.]

[theolderkheel]

[..Right. You're Ribbon. ... That's a name she hoped she'd never have to think about again.]

You think you're going to scare me? Well guess what, Ribbon? I'm not fucking scared.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He can’t help but go rigid when you say his name. You don’t know him. Do you? Growls are simpler than words, so he stares at you through his hair and snarls. This time, it’s filled with so much anger and fear, that it does work somewhat.]

[theolderkheel]

[For a moment, she's taken back 20 years. The fear of being torn open. The fear of seeing you again. The fear of knowing what she'd done.]

[She stamps that fear down.]

Sit your ass down and rest, you fucking idiot.

[shadow-but-bright]

[His eyes somehow go wider than they have been with realisation. He feels sick. He’s too drunk, not right now, any time but now— That tone of voice, those feathers. How did he not realise it sooner?]

[You’re— You’re—]

[Theres a sudden panic it can barely process as it’s thrown into this situation where the only thing it knows to do is listen. The drunkenness doesn’t help. But its crutches disappear into the light, it has no regard for the wrong clothes it’s wearing, and it falls to its knees. As it does, it has to support itself with a hand to make sure it doesn’t double over from the pain. It shoots from his knees all the way to its core and leaves it breathless, vision nearly blacking out for… Probably longer than a second.]

[theolderkheel]

No not like- you're not supposed to fucking hurt yourself in the process! Dumbass-

[That.... Did not look painless. She walks close to you and slowly gets to her knees. She's not sure what caused this shift in demeanor. Her childhood is.... Blurry, to say the least.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[When you sit down, it flinches, despite the slowness. It just makes everything swim more. You can see it slightly sway in its place. The pain that comes in waves from its chest is pure agony. Without even realising it, the hand that isn’t supporting it is brought up to its chest to claw at it. It wants the pain out.]

[Your words catch up to it. It did something wrong, it thinks. It wishes that it was dead, right about now. It hurts so much. Are you going to make it worse again? You always do. Theres no reason why this time would be any different. You can see it start to tremble.]

[theolderkheel]

No, don't-

[She reaches out to grab at your hand and pull it away. There are no talons to dig into your skin. Her grip is firm, but it doesn't hurt.]

[Fuck, she's really not good at this comforting shit.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[At least, at least it wasn’t its arm. It couldn’t take that right now. Not with all of the agony. It looks down to the ground, still shaking, still doing something wrong. What is it supposed to do that’s right? It needs to figure that out, it needs to— It has to listen, it has to listen…]

[It waits for something to happen. It doesn’t move aside from the shaking. It waits for some part of it to be forcefully changed. It stops thinking. And just.. Waits. It’s never done anything else.]

[theolderkheel]

[She stares at you, hand in yours for a few moments. Her stare turns perplexed. You're not reacting. You have just fallen silent, as if you're waitin— oh. Oh shit.]

[She lets go of your hands and quickly backs off. That was a horrible attempt at comforting you!!!]

[shadow-but-bright]

[As soon as you let go, it seems to almost hug itself— Harder for you to grab its wings… Arms like this. It just stares at the ground. It’s not supposed to look at you, it doesn’t think. It’s hard to remember. It just wants to go home— …Back to its clearing and drink until it dies.]

[But it can’t die from that, and it has nowhere to go. There’s no one that it can turn to, not with him. It hurts.]

[An all too distant look gathers in its eyes as it stops focusing on the world around it, on anything. It’s just supposed to wait for this to be over. It’s easier to wait when it feels like the world isn’t real.]

[theolderkheel]

[She tries to makes herself smaller and less intimidating. It's hard to do that when you're..... Literally tiny. It might be better if she leaves, but she needs to try.]

I'm not going to hurt you anymore. You can kill me if I try.

[Yup, that's reassuring! Probably!]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It doesn’t hear you, not really, anyway. It didn’t sound like an order, it didn’t sound like a question, so— It’s fine. It wasn’t being talked to. It… Stops thinking.]

[You can still see it shake. Partly from fear, partly from the agony that just gets worse day to day. But it shows no sign of response. It’s just… Blank. Completely.]

[theolderkheel]

[Fuck, okay, this isn't working. She doesn't know how she can help. .....If she can help. Maybe it's better if she leaves. She's never been the one good with emotional stuff.]

[She still doesn't know why you're here. Every second really does feel more like a dream. That's probably because she's dreaming or something.]

[She stands and slowly backs away.]

[theolderkheel]

[All of the sudden, as you’re walking, you can feel a sudden increase of magic in the air. Warm, in an…. Oddly familiar way.]

[You can recognize this magic easily, even with the differences that you’re used to— And possibly who it might belong to.]

-Ribbon(@shadow-but-bright)

[She doesn't know where she is. It had just been a normal day when a portal swept her off her feet and dumped her in the middle of a random ass forest.]

[The warmth makes her perk up. She knows who this magic belongs to! Maybe it can help her gain her bearings! She increases her pace, heading directly towards the warmth.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It doesn’t take long for you to find someone.]

[Though not who you were expecting. Not who you were expecting even remotely. Instead, you find a very drunk, very flushed teenager leaning up against a tree while he tries to figure out how to use his crutches again. He glares at the ground like it personally offended him, and doesn’t even take notice to you.]

[theolderkheel]

[She comes to a complete halt when she realizes this isn't who she thought. But- you seem.... Familiar. The more she stares at you, the more things click into place.]

[The things she did when she was 8. Things she can barely remember.]

[But she remembers that face.]

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

[shadow-but-bright]

[It takes him a second, but eventually he does look over to you. His hair is… Messier, and not tied up in a braid. He glares, but doesn’t seem to recognize you.] Th’fuck… d’you want..? Kin’a busy hhere…

[theolderkheel]

Busy doing what? Staring at the ground?

[Just looking at you makes her aching shoulder hurt. Something's weird here. She hasn't seen you for 20 years.]

You shouldn't be here.

[This must be some weird, fucked up dream.]

[shadow-but-bright]

Nno! ‘M busy fuckin’.. [What is he doing again?] …Doin’ sshit. [Why is he even out here? He leans his head against the tree, gaining a pained expression along with obvious confusion. His entire body hurts, he doesn’t remember why he’s out here, and his vision is swimming so much he might’ve been sick if he could be.]

[Maybe… Maybe ripping himself open only to pour alcohol right on his core was a bad idea.]

[theolderkheel]

[...She knows who you are, and yet she's seeing someone else in this moment.]

You need to sit down. Clearly, you had too much to drink.

[This isn't an uncommon problem, but still. You never knew how to go light on substances.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[He groans, and then glares at you. He has a hard time figuring which one of you is real, and which ones are a product of his swimming vision. Does he… Know you? He squints. Purple… Are those feathers? A rito? Maybe?]

[He can’t help but tense slightly. And he doesn’t move. If he tries to sit now, his knees just might give out, and then he’ll fall flat one his face in front of a rito. A weirdly familiar rito. He just doesn’t remember why you’re familiar.]

[theolderkheel]

....Fine, or don't listen to me. You really don't have to.

[She pushes down her frustration. That's not welcome right now.]

But you're fucked up right now, you need to rest.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He growls at you, baring his teeth, and in a rather stupid attempt at intimidation he leans his head forward. And, naturally, almost falls, only getting one of his crutches enough in front of him to not do that a second before he actually does.]

[By now, his legs refuse to support him at all, and he’s leaning all his weight on his crutches. His undone hair covers his face, at least, when he still has his head hanging like this.]

[theolderkheel]

[..Right. You're Ribbon. ... That's a name she hoped she'd never have to think about again.]

You think you're going to scare me? Well guess what, Ribbon? I'm not fucking scared.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He can’t help but go rigid when you say his name. You don’t know him. Do you? Growls are simpler than words, so he stares at you through his hair and snarls. This time, it’s filled with so much anger and fear, that it does work somewhat.]

[theolderkheel]

[For a moment, she's taken back 20 years. The fear of being torn open. The fear of seeing you again. The fear of knowing what she'd done.]

[She stamps that fear down.]

Sit your ass down and rest, you fucking idiot.

[shadow-but-bright]

[His eyes somehow go wider than they have been with realisation. He feels sick. He’s too drunk, not right now, any time but now— That tone of voice, those feathers. How did he not realise it sooner?]

[You’re— You’re—]

[Theres a sudden panic it can barely process as it’s thrown into this situation where the only thing it knows to do is listen. The drunkenness doesn’t help. But its crutches disappear into the light, it has no regard for the wrong clothes it’s wearing, and it falls to its knees. As it does, it has to support itself with a hand to make sure it doesn’t double over from the pain. It shoots from his knees all the way to its core and leaves it breathless, vision nearly blacking out for… Probably longer than a second.]

[theolderkheel]

No not like- you're not supposed to fucking hurt yourself in the process! Dumbass-

[That.... Did not look painless. She walks close to you and slowly gets to her knees. She's not sure what caused this shift in demeanor. Her childhood is.... Blurry, to say the least.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[When you sit down, it flinches, despite the slowness. It just makes everything swim more. You can see it slightly sway in its place. The pain that comes in waves from its chest is pure agony. Without even realising it, the hand that isn’t supporting it is brought up to its chest to claw at it. It wants the pain out.]

[Your words catch up to it. It did something wrong, it thinks. It wishes that it was dead, right about now. It hurts so much. Are you going to make it worse again? You always do. Theres no reason why this time would be any different. You can see it start to tremble.]

[theolderkheel]

No, don't-

[She reaches out to grab at your hand and pull it away. There are no talons to dig into your skin. Her grip is firm, but it doesn't hurt.]

[Fuck, she's really not good at this comforting shit.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[At least, at least it wasn’t its arm. It couldn’t take that right now. Not with all of the agony. It looks down to the ground, still shaking, still doing something wrong. What is it supposed to do that’s right? It needs to figure that out, it needs to— It has to listen, it has to listen…]

[It waits for something to happen. It doesn’t move aside from the shaking. It waits for some part of it to be forcefully changed. It stops thinking. And just.. Waits. It’s never done anything else.]

[theolderkheel]

[She stares at you, hand in yours for a few moments. Her stare turns perplexed. You're not reacting. You have just fallen silent, as if you're waitin— oh. Oh shit.]

[She lets go of your hands and quickly backs off. That was a horrible attempt at comforting you!!!]

[shadow-but-bright]

[As soon as you let go, it seems to almost hug itself— Harder for you to grab its wings… Arms like this. It just stares at the ground. It’s not supposed to look at you, it doesn’t think. It’s hard to remember. It just wants to go home— …Back to its clearing and drink until it dies.]

[But it can’t die from that, and it has nowhere to go. There’s no one that it can turn to, not with him. It hurts.]

[An all too distant look gathers in its eyes as it stops focusing on the world around it, on anything. It’s just supposed to wait for this to be over. It’s easier to wait when it feels like the world isn’t real.]

[theolderkheel]

[She tries to makes herself smaller and less intimidating. It's hard to do that when you're..... Literally tiny. It might be better if she leaves, but she needs to try.]

I'm not going to hurt you anymore. You can kill me if I try.

[Yup, that's reassuring! Probably!]

[theolderkheel]

[All of the sudden, as you’re walking, you can feel a sudden increase of magic in the air. Warm, in an…. Oddly familiar way.]

[You can recognize this magic easily, even with the differences that you’re used to— And possibly who it might belong to.]

-Ribbon(@shadow-but-bright)

[She doesn't know where she is. It had just been a normal day when a portal swept her off her feet and dumped her in the middle of a random ass forest.]

[The warmth makes her perk up. She knows who this magic belongs to! Maybe it can help her gain her bearings! She increases her pace, heading directly towards the warmth.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[It doesn’t take long for you to find someone.]

[Though not who you were expecting. Not who you were expecting even remotely. Instead, you find a very drunk, very flushed teenager leaning up against a tree while he tries to figure out how to use his crutches again. He glares at the ground like it personally offended him, and doesn’t even take notice to you.]

[theolderkheel]

[She comes to a complete halt when she realizes this isn't who she thought. But- you seem.... Familiar. The more she stares at you, the more things click into place.]

[The things she did when she was 8. Things she can barely remember.]

[But she remembers that face.]

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

[shadow-but-bright]

[It takes him a second, but eventually he does look over to you. His hair is… Messier, and not tied up in a braid. He glares, but doesn’t seem to recognize you.] Th’fuck… d’you want..? Kin’a busy hhere…

[theolderkheel]

Busy doing what? Staring at the ground?

[Just looking at you makes her aching shoulder hurt. Something's weird here. She hasn't seen you for 20 years.]

You shouldn't be here.

[This must be some weird, fucked up dream.]

[shadow-but-bright]

Nno! ‘M busy fuckin’.. [What is he doing again?] …Doin’ sshit. [Why is he even out here? He leans his head against the tree, gaining a pained expression along with obvious confusion. His entire body hurts, he doesn’t remember why he’s out here, and his vision is swimming so much he might’ve been sick if he could be.]

[Maybe… Maybe ripping himself open only to pour alcohol right on his core was a bad idea.]

[theolderkheel]

[...She knows who you are, and yet she's seeing someone else in this moment.]

You need to sit down. Clearly, you had too much to drink.

[This isn't an uncommon problem, but still. You never knew how to go light on substances.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[He groans, and then glares at you. He has a hard time figuring which one of you is real, and which ones are a product of his swimming vision. Does he… Know you? He squints. Purple… Are those feathers? A rito? Maybe?]

[He can’t help but tense slightly. And he doesn’t move. If he tries to sit now, his knees just might give out, and then he’ll fall flat one his face in front of a rito. A weirdly familiar rito. He just doesn’t remember why you’re familiar.]

[theolderkheel]

....Fine, or don't listen to me. You really don't have to.

[She pushes down her frustration. That's not welcome right now.]

But you're fucked up right now, you need to rest.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He growls at you, baring his teeth, and in a rather stupid attempt at intimidation he leans his head forward. And, naturally, almost falls, only getting one of his crutches enough in front of him to not do that a second before he actually does.]

[By now, his legs refuse to support him at all, and he’s leaning all his weight on his crutches. His undone hair covers his face, at least, when he still has his head hanging like this.]

[theolderkheel]

[..Right. You're Ribbon. ... That's a name she hoped she'd never have to think about again.]

You think you're going to scare me? Well guess what, Ribbon? I'm not fucking scared.

[shadow-but-bright]

[He can’t help but go rigid when you say his name. You don’t know him. Do you? Growls are simpler than words, so he stares at you through his hair and snarls. This time, it’s filled with so much anger and fear, that it does work somewhat.]

[theolderkheel]

[For a moment, she's taken back 20 years. The fear of being torn open. The fear of seeing you again. The fear of knowing what she'd done.]

[She stamps that fear down.]

Sit your ass down and rest, you fucking idiot.

[shadow-but-bright]

[His eyes somehow go wider than they have been with realisation. He feels sick. He’s too drunk, not right now, any time but now— That tone of voice, those feathers. How did he not realise it sooner?]

[You’re— You’re—]

[Theres a sudden panic it can barely process as it’s thrown into this situation where the only thing it knows to do is listen. The drunkenness doesn’t help. But its crutches disappear into the light, it has no regard for the wrong clothes it’s wearing, and it falls to its knees. As it does, it has to support itself with a hand to make sure it doesn’t double over from the pain. It shoots from his knees all the way to its core and leaves it breathless, vision nearly blacking out for… Probably longer than a second.]

[theolderkheel]

No not like- you're not supposed to fucking hurt yourself in the process! Dumbass-

[That.... Did not look painless. She walks close to you and slowly gets to her knees. She's not sure what caused this shift in demeanor. Her childhood is.... Blurry, to say the least.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[When you sit down, it flinches, despite the slowness. It just makes everything swim more. You can see it slightly sway in its place. The pain that comes in waves from its chest is pure agony. Without even realising it, the hand that isn’t supporting it is brought up to its chest to claw at it. It wants the pain out.]

[Your words catch up to it. It did something wrong, it thinks. It wishes that it was dead, right about now. It hurts so much. Are you going to make it worse again? You always do. Theres no reason why this time would be any different. You can see it start to tremble.]

[theolderkheel]

No, don't-

[She reaches out to grab at your hand and pull it away. There are no talons to dig into your skin. Her grip is firm, but it doesn't hurt.]

[Fuck, she's really not good at this comforting shit.]

[shadow-but-bright]

[At least, at least it wasn’t its arm. It couldn’t take that right now. Not with all of the agony. It looks down to the ground, still shaking, still doing something wrong. What is it supposed to do that’s right? It needs to figure that out, it needs to— It has to listen, it has to listen…]

[It waits for something to happen. It doesn’t move aside from the shaking. It waits for some part of it to be forcefully changed. It stops thinking. And just.. Waits. It’s never done anything else.]

[theolderkheel]

[She stares at you, hand in yours for a few moments. Her stare turns perplexed. You're not reacting. You have just fallen silent, as if you're waitin— oh. Oh shit.]

[She lets go of your hands and quickly backs off. That was a horrible attempt at comforting you!!!]