caughtinanetwork | 9th Unison Attack - Really?

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9th Unison Attack - Really? - Voice

[Backdated to just a little while after Guy's post.]

Why didn't you tell me? You all knew so....so why? [And give her a proper answer instead of just "we didn't want you to worry". It may be why, but she won't accept it. Not after all the times they got mad at her for hiding things. Sorry Zelda, you're lumped in since you were there and awake and put her in your house to help protect her and Sheena.]

Why...? [There's a whine from Caramel and the sounds of a chair being pushed back. A couple of footsteps, then nothing.]

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[Lloyd flinches. He has a feeling he knows what this is about.]

Colette...

[What does he say? What can he say? He knows he should have said something, but how was he supposed to bring something like that up?]

Lloyd...

[She's not going to make this easier for you, Lloyd. She's going to wait for you to speak first.]

[Dammit, he still doesn't know what to say. He shifts uncomfortably, the silence heavy and awkward.]

I... I'm sorry. I didn't know how to bring it up.

[Well, at least he's apologized! Kratos was...Kratos, and Zelos said sorry but he didn't really sound like he meant it...]

Couldn't you just have...written it down or something? I...just wanted to be told before now... [Just wanted to be told by one of them, really.]

You mean like you did?

[The moment he says the words, he wishes he could take them back. That's not fair to her, and he knows it, and it doesn't change the fact that he should have told her. He winces, looking away from the starfish, even though she can't see his face.]

...sorry.

[She flinches, biting her lip. Why'd he...he did say sorry but still...She'd thought she'd not be angry anymore after yelling at Zelos but, well...]

That's...that's why I'm mad! You got mad at me, and then you do the same thing? Would you have told me if you'd died while I was asleep or would I have had to find that out from someone else too? Someone who isn't even from our world... [That's the thing that hurts most.]

[She takes a deep breath to calm herself and continues.]

I just...I thought you'd tell me if something happened.

[Every word of Colette's accusations only makes him feel more guilty, and her questions make him shrink even further into his couch? Would he have said anything sooner if it had been worse? Or would that have only made it harder? To walk up to his friend and tell her that he couldn't protect himself, to tell her that because she'd been sleeping, she'd missed something bad that had happened, missed any chance to help. How can he say that to her and make it not sound like an accusation, a failure on her part? That was what had held him back this long. It wasn't her fault.

He's silent for several long moments. It's hard to say anything, hard to speak above a whisper.]

...it hurt...

[She shouldn't have...She knew he had to have been in pain, but she was angry and hurt...]

I...where are you? [She knows now so...So it doesn't matter when he tells her the details. She just wants to help him feel better. Apologizing wouldn't really do anything right now anyway.]

I'm at home.

[His voice is still quiet, still subdued. He's been trying so hard not to think about what happened, but now it's there, right at the front of his mind. It's hard to ignore it now.]

[Well, that's only a couple of doors down the hall.]

Alright.

[So not long later, less than a minute, there's a knock on his door. She should have thought more about why Lloyd didn't want her to know, since part of that was probably the fact that he didn't want to think about it...But it's too late for that now.]

Let me in?

[He knew she'd be coming over the minute she asked where he was, so he's been trying to pull himself together so he can smile when he opens the door. Smile and just be glad to see his friend, and pretend that everything is all right. It was weeks ago, right? Right.]

Hey.

Hi, Lloyd.

[She smiles weakly at him and pays less attention to his smile than she would have if she didn't know what had happened, what she'd made him remember...And making up her mind, she hugs him.]

I'm sorry. I didn't think about why...

[Lloyd shakes his head, trusting that she can feel it even as he tightens his arms around her.]

Don't apologize. You were right. I should have said something sooner.

[She's a bit muffled when she speaks again, given that she's hugging him it shouldn't come as a surprise.]

Maybe...but... [But she made him remember how much it hurt...and everything that happened...Even if he agrees, she still wishes she'd at least thought of why he might not have told her before getting mad and making this. She won't go back on what she said, however...]

Even though that's true...I should have thought before getting mad.

[Still not letting go. He needs this hug as much as he needs anything else. Holding tight, he lets out a small laugh that isn't much of a laugh - but still something.]

Heh. I guess we both screwed up. Would it work if we just said we're even, then?

[Good, because she isn't going to let go anytime soon either. She lets out a small laugh, and it doesn't sound fake.]

Yeah. If you're fine with that, I am too. [She's not really mad anymore after all. Realizing why he hadn't told her kind of forced that out.]

[Good. That's good, because it's comforting and reassuring to hold onto her like this.

Still, it can only go on so long before it gets to that point that it just feels like they've hugged long enough. He loosens his grip a little bit.]

Yeah.

So, um... You wanna come inside?

[As opposed to standing in front of the door.]

[Right. So she pulls back a little and smiles up at him.]

Sure! [It probably looked a bit strange if anyone had walked through the hall...No one did, right? And come to think of it...]

I don't think I've ever been inside your apartment before.

[Lloyd blinks, startled, mostly because...]

Yeah, you're right. I don't think you have. Huh. Maybe because we live so close to each other, we just never thought about it.

[He steps inside to let her come inside, then glances back into his apartment. Oh, uh...

Er...

Suddenly embarrassed.]

It's a little bit messy. Sorry about that.

[Clothes and dishes and unfinished carving projects scattered around the living room - the unmistakeable signs of two young men living on their own.]

[She giggles, stepping past to look around. It kind of looks like a messier version of hers! Without all the dog things and with a lot more wood.]

Maybe! I don't think you've been to mine either. And I really don't mind.

[Hopefully she won't come across any underwear lying on the floor though - that'd be awkward no matter what.]

[Nope, no undewear ~~today~~. Maybe a couple of shirts, and his swords and sword belts are draped over the arm of the couch, but nothing too horribly embarrassing has been left out.]

Maybe we could promise to visit each other sometimes, have some coffee or hot chocolate. You don't really feel it here in Vatheon, but it's starting to get cold on the island.

[That's good!...Did he really have to mention coffee? She flinches a little, but...well, he wouldn't try the same thing and she can feel now...]

Sure! But I want to make the drinks. [No chances. It's fine if they visit each other without the drinks, but no chance of hot/cold coffee.]

Even if we're at my place?

[Lloyd gives her a look of vague surprise, the coffee incident far from his mind.]

I mean, I don't mind if you want to, but shouldn't I do some of the work, too?

Yep.

[That is a good point...She thinks for a moment and smiles.]

Maybe you could make something to eat if we're hungry? [She just doesn't want him to make coffee...]

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