video;

[onlyasign]

[When the SFC turns on, it's pointed towards the ocean, and it stays there for a few moments, just recording the waves rolling in and out, the soft sounds of the water, the occasional cry of a seabird. Then someone clears their throat, and starts speaking quietly. Those who have heard him speak before will recognize Sufferer's voice.]

I've been thinking about time lately, and how its path is not linear and seems to follow no set pattern. Sometimes, when there's a moment you want to cling to with everything you have, it flickers past, here and then gone; and then when there's something you want to rush through, it lingers, and minutes become hours, and hours days, days weeks, and so on.

The only thing consistent about time is that it passes.

Until it doesn't.

[There's a sigh, and the SFC turns so it's pointing towards Sufferer's face. He looks tired, like he does most of the time now, the bags under his eyes staining his skin like bruises. The flesh on his face hangs off the bones, deep lines that were never there before framing either side of his mouth.]

[He still has the orange stitches on his cloak, though.]

I've died, twice. Once here, where I revived five days later, and once in my own world, where I woke up here. In one instance, the time between passed quickly, full of light and love and beauty, and in the other, it lasted for lifetimes, lifetimes in the darkness, in the spaces between the stars.

[He shrugs.]

So tell me, Vatheon... which one was the true death? Which one showed me the truth about time, and which was the lie?

Comments

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer sees her distaste for the water, and wades back to her, meeting her halfway and getting ready to submit to his hug.]

Hi, little kitten.

[bestestfurrend]

[She throws her arms around him wordlessly, looking up at him with big, concerned eyes. It's only not knowing how healed he is that's stopping her from climbing up him and clinging to his neck, but there's definitely still some clinging going on here.]

Daddy, are you okay? [It feels weird to constantly call him that instead of only sometimes on special occasions, but anything is better than having to call him Sufferer. He'll never be that to her.]

[onlyasign]

[It's weird for him, too, but he can't be Signless any longer, not even for her.]

I'm fine, little kitten. Just thinking.

[He hugs her back, a little listlessly, his mind still far off.]

[bestestfurrend]

[At least she supposes that this way she can show him that whatever else has changed, what he is to her never will.]

You're making yourself sad.

[Or more sad. It's not like she doesn't know that what he'd been through has affected him deeply, but at the same time she can't help but wrack her brains for way to ease some of the suffering he's in.

She tugs at his cloak, trying to get him to follow her back to the shore.]

It's warmer on the sand. Come over there with me?

[onlyasign]

All right.

[Sufferer doesn't disagree with her assessment that he's making himself sad because, well, he is. He lets her lead him back to shore, as docile as a wiggler following its lusus, and he spreads out his cloak so they can sit together on the sand.]

[bestestfurrend]

[She curls up on his lap facing him, taking off her own trenchcoat to wrap it around both of them and then patting at his face with her small hands.]

Do you want to talk about it?

[onlyasign]

I don't know.

[He doesn't! Talking about it just makes himself more sad, and depresses everyone around him, so he doesn't. The cuddling and face-papping is pretty nice, though, and he wraps his arms around her to keep her warm.]

[bestestfurrend]

It's okay. [For such a young troll she sounds very reassuring - sweeps of practice keeping her moirail calm, perhaps - and since it seems to help she continues to fuss over him. She knows that while sometimes talking about feelings can help, other times it's more like rubbing salt into the wound, especially if not enough time has passed.

So if comforting him is all she can do, then she will and gladly, a soft purring coming from her when he gathers her up in his arms.]