caughtinanetwork | 1 ♐ Voice ♐ A brief check up

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1 ♐ Voice ♐ A brief check up

[Wow, Darkleer is actually communicating with the network on a whole for once instead of being a miserable hermit. Must be a special occasion. Does anyone know his wiggling day?]

Now then. Have we all cleansed ourselves of the mess and done whatever strange death rituals foreign species feel the need to do?

[Okay, maybe it is just Darkleer being a coldhearted dick. Eh.]

I believe we should focus on the more important matter here. I have seen discussions scattered throughout the network, but it would be best to have all our thoughts and speculations focused in one place on both the destruction of those so-called faeries and on the recent appearance of that Carol individual.

For those of you who are oblivious and prone to missing the obvious, things are changing in this place. It would be best to be prepared.

[Don't be fooled, he's not doing this to be nice. He's doing what any troll knows to do: looking out for himself and the few he cares about. If that means even faintly working with others, well, he'll learn to deal.]

[Also, that's all the network is getting from him. Click goes the camera!]

[Filtered to Summoner]

[Darkleer hesitates before sending this one out, although his voice is just as stoic and stern as ever.]

Since your children in particular seem to be taking this badly, perhaps it would benefit you to know that those things which followed us were nothing more than mere robots. The technology may have been organic in nature, but it was still nothing truly living. No pain, no loss of life.

That's all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's big isn't it? Yeah, he hears that a lot.]

[...]

[Anyways. Just chilling as high up on this huge tree as he can without making it tilt at the tip. His ears flicker a little bit, no sure ...what movement that is down below, but he knew what he was doing dropping the communicator... Darkleer would find him eventually, and he's already been a jerk enough.]

[Considering that placement, Darkleer can only guess which of the trees Summoner has hidden himself away in. Sighing, he goes to the one the SFC was nearest to and lightly taps his foot against the drunk.]

[The entire tree shakes.]

Cavalreaper, stop playing games and get down here this instant.

F-fuck fuck!

[He grabs onto the tree and looks down angrily, sneering, nose scrunched, eyebrows having a conference at the bridge of his nose. He really doesn't... want to some down. He looks fucking terrible. Bags under his eyes are worse then ever, his skin is starting to get a blue tint to it's grey. Hair isn't slicked back, it's clean, but it's sitting longer on his head, obviously not having been bothered with lately. Not only that, but his voice sounds worse in person. He just, all of that, everything, and the whole easy to set off issue he's having right now, it all doesn't really set him up for the best face to face interactions.]

No!

[The best he can even yell with how far up he is and how terrible his voice sounds.]

Do NOT make me come up there for you!

[He will fucking do it. Do not tempt him.]

FINE! DO IT!

[Scowls, hopping up and down a bit on the branch he's on, that barely shaking the tree as much as Darkleer did when he hit it. Summoner's pretty light after all, except those fucking head ornaments.]

[Oh, that's it.]

[Scowling, Darkleer pulls a small hair tie from his belt and quickly draws his hair back into a ponytail. A few quick stretches, and then a crouch...]

[STRONG jump!]

[And that's why there was suddenly a blueblood in the air, a violently snapped branch caught against his arm. Also still scowling.]

[You brought this on yourself, Lysunder.]

[With the arm not tangled with a thick branch, Darkleer reaches over to try and snatch Summoner's arm. He is going to drag this idiot down to earth if it kills the fool.]

[Fuck, what is even happening and how does he even have enough time to mentally note that the ponytail looks all right? Also SHIT SHIT, scrambling back quickly, falling off the branch, hissing when he hits a different one, and opening his wings to quickly catch him mid air.]

[Summoner puts a hand to his chest, flipping his head to get hair out of his face before glaring at Darkleer and pointing.]

The hell!?

[Damn, missed. Also, damn because he crashes straight through two other branches before he stops at one, partially by digging his fingers into the trunk. There's some crashing below, and he just glares right back at Summoner. At least, that's what the direction of his eyebrows and his frown seem to suggest.]

You said to come up. So I did.

I didn't think you, you, y...

Damnit, I didn't know the offered be taken up!

[Glares through bright strands of red hair, slowly backing up in the air more and more, a hand nervously clenching and digging claws into the side of his wrist.]

Just go back down. Y-y-y. Damn it all.

The point is made.

There wasn't a point to be made!

[This is so frustrating, but Darkleer ignores the feeling in favor of breathing in deep. Calm. Jerking his arm, he dislodges the branch hanging onto him and points at Summoner.]

I came to see has gotten you so ridiculous- moreso than usual. Come down as well, because I will not give up so easily.

[He stares at him for a long time.]

[A distant stare, as if, staring into the cosmos, staring it Darkleer's soul, as if trying to stop himself from weeping sorrowful, longing tears.]

[And then he pulls a lower eyelid down and sticks out his tongue.]

No! Nyeeeeh.

[Sorry, gotta cover up this angst the best he can, and being as childish as possible will most likely work.]

[It's actually a relief to see Summoner fall back into such immature antics. That look from before... It made him feel strange, as if a cold chill was creeping down his spine and his glasses- a shield from everyone and everything- were useless. Yet at the same time, he doesn't want them to revert back to this... safety, he supposes. The flirtatious Cavalreaper and the stiff Archeradicator.]

[It sounds like a joke, sometimes.]

[Clenching his jaw, Darkleer brings Archermedes to his hands and notches an arrow loosely. If Summoner pays attention, he might note that the design is quite a bit different than the usual arrows he uses.]

Last chance, Cavalreaper.

[This fall back is easy, being immature, cocky, flirtatious, it's so easy now because he's just so used to it and it's a good cover for most situations where he wants to just hide, and sleep forever. But that's where the problem lies. he wants to just sleep like he used to as a kid. He used to escape when he rested, and now he can't even do that. Sleep is a foreign thing to him right now.]

[Also, he does pay attention! And his eyes squint at the bow for a moment before looking at Darkleer with his lips pursed, thin.]

...

[His mouth opens as if to say something, but he stops, sighing, a hand moving up into his hair, combing it back, only for it to fall into his face and messily around his horns again.]

Fine, put bessy back in the staples and I'll just, land.

[His first thought is to contest him, but he completely exhausted, and he'd really like to not end up with his wings torn.]

You first, then.

[The more he stays, the more a slight ball of concern begins to grow. Not that he should care, except... Damn it all and then quite a bit more, but he does. The other troll is engaging, interesting, even for all his flaws. Perhaps even moreso for his flaws. So to see him in this kind of state, not even arguing back now...]

[The looked on his face would be that of pain and agitation if he wasn't so tired, so it ends up being a mix of all those emotions along with something else behind it, woe, maybe? it's hard to tell through how very wear he looks.]

[Lysunder puts up his hands, sighing again, and glances to Darkleer for a moment before moving down to the ground, just barely missing branches here and there before landing on the grass below.]

[And there's that strange feeling again. Darkleer pauses in his own descent, bowkind held awkwardly in his hands before he puts it away.]

[He doesn't understand this. Any of this. But then, what else is new with the recent turns his life has taken?]

[The landing is a bit rough, shaking the ground to a degree before he straightens up. His hand goes up, brushing against the side of his head before he reaches into his sylladex and pulls out a thermos. Without saying much else, he holds it out to Summoner.]

[On the ground Summoner is currently battling with his wings a little, he snagged a few branches on the way down that he's just noticing now, no tears or anything, just bends and folds that are making it difficult for them to fold neatly behind him. The troll's efforts to straighten them seem rather debilitated, but eventually he fixes them, twitching slightly when they buzz behind him before awkwardly folding up.]

[Lysunder glances to the thermos and stares at it for a long moment before looking up to Darkleer and furrowing his brows. His reaction makes it seem like he's confused about what that is, like he'll get hurt if he touches it, some kind of fear that would otherwise be unexplainable.]

[The fear's right, but that's not why he's scared to accept it.]

Is that all?

[His voice quiet, dodging those words and letters that coax his stutter out. Lysunder keeps his gaze on Darkleer, staring into black sunglasses while he stands there awkwardly, almost a shrunken husk of what he would normally be.]

[Just... he's just tired, right? That's all.]

Just take it.

[No, it's not all. But it's the only thing he can think to give him, the only thing he thinks that would be acceptable. It's wrong to stay, it's wrong to care, it's wrong to everything. But he's already done the worst thing imaginable for his caste, hasn't he?]

[The issue tears at him. Behind his glasses, Darkleer avoids looking into Summoner's eyes.]

[Lysunder can't know Darkleer is avoiding his gaze. Those specs do well to hide what he wants them to. Instead he stares for a moment longer before reaching out and taking the thermos, hand slowly adjusting to the weight of it when he has it in his grasp alone.]

Fine.

Thank y-y-ou... Thanks, for this.

...The children will worry if they catch wind you're not treating yourself right.

[It's easier to deal with things like this if he pretends he's doing them solely for another, as if he's nothing particularly special, just a cog in a machine. With the thermos gone, he crosses his arms.]

How long have you been going without sleep?

[His tongue slides behind his teeth, jaw closed, lips tight. Lysunder stares at him for a moment longer, keeping still.]

[Finally he manages a smile.]

Eh, not long, thinking about heading to sleep in a bit actually.

I'll stay until you do.

[Which is sounding strangely like another event that wasn't too long ago but details. Darkleer isn't comfortable bringing that up again.]

[He also isn't comfortable asking just what's wrong, not yet.]

[A rather weary stare, mouth frowning.]

...Seriously?

[Ha. He didn't expect that one. Darkleer feels some bit of smugness at that, but keeps up his impassive facade.]

Is that going to be a problem?

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