post-dungeon regroup

[discutio]

[Obviously, they had to pull back and recover; Phoenix thought it would be best to head to the pseudo-headquarters in Invidia and settle back into the mansion to recover as well as consolidate what they all knew. There was a lot to get through, and a lot of recovery to be done by some of them. He'd need to talk to Etoile, thank Ariel, thank Medic again--]

[...But for now, he just about immediately collapsed on a couch and decided he would exist there for a while. You're on your own for food this time, kids.]

Comments

[discutio]

[Usually, he'd be cooking right about now. That, however, was out of the question today; though Medic had healed him to be recognizably human, there were faint scars snaking along his arms and up his face like the burned-out cracks in firewood. That would probably last a bit longer, given how much of a full-body ache he still felt.]

[So Phoenix would just assimilate into the couch and let the long list of things he had to do take a backseat for once. If he could.]

[twibeast]

[ Achilles is sticking to Phoenix’s side like the loyalest of dogs and when he makes for the couch he’s not far behind, sitting down with a loud sigh. It wasn’t that long ago that this situation was reversed, with him being the one to collapse on a couch after returning from the Underside, and Chiron—

…

He quickly tries to not think about it. Instead he just focuses on Phoenix, in much worser state than he.

… ]

Are you certain you would not prefer a bed…?

[ Okay so he still thought about it a little bit. ]

[discutio]

...doesn't matter. [That was mumbled into the cushion in a very undignified un-Phoenix sort of exhausted state.] As long as I'm not standing.

[twibeast]

[ Well at least Achilles managed to smile a little bit at that. Strained sure, but still there and fond. ]

…All right. Whatever you need to be more comfortable though, I can provide.

[ He gives his own lap a few audible pats. ]

I’ve been told before that I’m comfier than my pointed horns might suggest.

[ Is he attempting a joke or being serious, who knows. ]

[discutio]

... [Phoenix pushed himself up enough to brush disheveled hair out of his face and direct a faintly uncertain look in Achilles' general direction, as if trying to gauge whether or not he was serious.]

[...Eventually he concluded he was too exhausted to care about appearances, shifting enough to rest his head on Achilles' lap.]

I'm...afraid I have to ask your forgiveness. I was the one directing Chiron and Etoile, so no small amount of this outcome rests on my shoulders.

[twibeast]

[ In truth it had been a bit of both. The offer had been genuine, but he also had not expected Phoenix to actually him up on it. So when he does… there’s a few seconds where it takes Achilles by surprise, and a few seconds more when it’s not Phoenix that he sees - it’s Patroclus’s bright pink and purple hair, that dog Furred’s twitchy little tawny ears (Fen…rir… was it…?), Odysseus’ tired eyes, Odile’s sleepy little head… and then it’s Phoenix, healed but still battle scarred and weary.

He almost puts a hand on his head, but refrains for now. ]

That… is not something you need apologize for, my friend. I refuse to give you any blame for this.

[discutio]

...I thought you might not. But it would have felt wrong had I not admitted as much.

[Admittedly, the contact alone was a small reassurance that things were...not okay, but salvageable.]

Regardless...I feel responsible for this all the same.

[emberserker]

I take it she's strong. But what in any god's name was that?

[discutio]

Don't know. [half mumbled into the couch because let him live he's exhausted.] Whatever she was...wasn't quite like us, I don't think. Ask someone who could see her, I'd imagine they would have caught more than I could. For my part, she just felt...wrong.

[emberserker]

Not a true Executor, then... Perhaps a demon.

[And something about that makes her shift; maybe it's just the way she calls Sword a demon when he makes some comment or deliberately ignores her, which is always.]

At least whatever she is, we seem to have answers as to what happened to Rei's memories and her team. And presumably, we'll be recovering Chiron's memories in butterflies soon enough.

[discutio]

I don't know what she is. All I know is that it's going to take more than three of us to stop her.

[Something about calling her a demon made Phoenix vaguely uncomfortable; like it reminded him of something or someone else.]

...I hope that you're right. I'm worried about him.

[emberserker]

He'd just gotten back to infuriatingly normal, too. ...The lot of you are always together, aren't you? I suppose if something's off with one of you, the others would notice the most.

[discutio]

We were...call it 'acquaintances' when we were alive. I suppose that lends itself well to companionship.

[alcahest]

[ Mona kneels down on the floor beside the couch to get a look at him, trying not to linger too long on those awful scars. ]

Is there anything you want to eat, Phoenix...?

[ she'd make an entire croquembouche right now if he said he was in the mood for it. ]

[discutio]

[He managed to give Mona a tired smile; admittedly, it hurt much less than it had, and the worst of it was fading to leave just his more normal patch of scarring over one eye.]

I'm fine for now, Mona, dear. My apologies, I won't be able to cook for a bit.

[alcahest]

Don't worry about that. I'm not as good as you, but I learnt how to cook a lot of things from you... The rest of us can handle things while you rest.

I just wanted to bring you something nice. [ she just wants to do something useful. ] If you want anything later, you have to tell me, alright?

[discutio]

Well...if you would like, can you check and see if we have any coffee? [He wasn't all that hungry, but there was at least comfort in old habits.]

[alcahest]

[ !!! ]

—Yes! [ she jumps to her feet immediately. ] I'll be right back!

[ there's the soft thump thump thump of her running off to the kitchen — and then after a short silence, the sound of her running back towards him. ]

We do! Um, I'll make you some right now... please wait just a little while.

[discutio]

You don't have to rush, Mona. I assure you I'm not going anywhere.

[schardynfreude]

[EVERYTHING IS FINE everything is fine when they are both feeling physically better and exist in the same place Chiron will...
.........
..................
not seek out Phoenix, what, are you crazy? Of course not, what does he even say to the guy? 'Thanks for setting yourself on fire, even though we all got fucked up'?

So if Your Chiron just kind of awkwardly hangs out in the periphery of Phoenix's life (so to speak), that's just fine. Because it's fine.]

[discutio]

[And in the midst of his general distant hovering:]

You do know that I can hear you, right?

[schardynfreude]

...Er.

I'll...leave.

[discutio]

[Sigh.]

That was rather the opposite of my point. I'd like to talk to you, if you've the time.

[schardynfreude]

Whatever I've lost hasn't returned yet. [Just. To put that out there.]

[discutio]

No, I didn't expect as much.

Do you...know who I am?