markofkaine: (mild surprise)
markofkaine ([personal profile] markofkaine) wrote in [community profile] comicshavefailedme2024-06-15 08:35 pm

Home again, home again

[In the end, it wasn't that hard at all. One of those lanterns, like the ones Acedia had - its light could open up a portal home. Everyone made their plans, relieved to be free of the Midwestern hellhole that had kept them in its clutches for all these long days.

How strange. For once, Kaine was glad to have been proved foolish - optimism was never his strong suit, same with nursing such convenient daydreams - but now he felt unprepared for what lay ahead. A chapter was closing. What does he do with himself now?]
eudaimoniac: (46)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-16 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[as they prepare to finally step through the portal, adrien hesitates. he can see the flickering mirage of an astrine street on the other side, but . . .]

You're sure? You're sure you want to go?
eudaimoniac: (80)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-16 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
You'll be in a strange place. You won't know anyone else . . .

[he is not able to disguise how obvious it is that he REALLY hopes kaine still says yes. he's just afraid that he has to do his due diligence here]
eudaimoniac: (96)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-16 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[he CLINGS to the hand in fact]

All right, my dear. We'll have quite a task convincing my friends we're telling the truth about where you came from.
eudaimoniac: (93)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-16 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
That's bound to help.

[he steps toward the portal, into the indistinct mirage of a daytime street at the side of a placid canal . . .]
eudaimoniac: (skepticism)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-16 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[the canal is unusually clean and clear; the arrangement of the streets and buildings is cramped and labyrinthine

this seems to be an area with a lot of teeny tiny cafes and restaurants. des is going to stagger over to a nearby chair set out for one of the cafes and just

have a sit. have a little cry]
eudaimoniac: (97)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
[there are definitely one or two people around who saw them pop into existence and have ignored it: "no, this is not my business, this is for the witchfinders or the pharmakeia to deal with, and i don't care which"]

I'm just s-so. Relieved.
eudaimoniac: (46)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
I have to find Malise. She's . . . she might be in her office between patients . . . we could—

I don't have my house key. We'll have to find her anyway to get in. She has a spare.
eudaimoniac: (34)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 02:12 am (UTC)(link)



I would like it to be.

But if she's been worried about me, I need to find her. Please? It's . . . we're already in Deme Palenne. It's not far to walk.
eudaimoniac: (96)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
[he catches kaine's hand to squeeze it]

I'm afraid she's going to be quite suspicious of you at first. She'll worry you have some sort of ill intent. But it has nothing to do with you, really.

[gonna haul himself up and start walking toward the Chirurgeonate. the restaurants and cafes give way to bookstores, tiny museums, apartments]
eudaimoniac: (80)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
[deme palenne is quaint! it's maybe even cute. definitely a very decent part of the city

they near the chirurgeonate within twenty minutes—it really wasn't far. once on the grounds, it becomes very clear that this is one biiiiiiiig medical complex. patients taking their air, doctors and assistants going about their business. a lot of the buildings are very old, and there's a huge amount of glass and brick

he beelines to a tiny office building somewhere inside and knocks. when someone calls "come in," he pulls kaine inside HURRIEDLY]
eudaimoniac: (skepticism)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
[the small woman at the desk inside looks absolutely dreadful. she looks like she hasn't slept in a week, like she's spent at least ten hours a day crying.

as soon as she looks up and registers des, she scrambles to launch herself at him for a hug with a muffled shriek—"Where have you been?"

it takes a couple minutes of reassurance—no, he's not injured, no, there is nothing to worry about, yes, he can explain all this—before malise recovers herself enough to shift her attention and look at kaine. and there's a naked distrust in her eyes! she is Wondering(tm) about him. "Adrien, who is this?"]
eudaimoniac: (28)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
[meanwhile, des HAS rehearsed this moment. a lot, even, but it does him literally no good at all. he guides malise to the settee by the door, joins her, puts an arm around her, gentling

no thoughts head empty]

Err. This is Kaine. He's my boyfriend, and I met him . . . somewhere else. In a different world.

[kaine can see the instant conclusion on malise's face: jesus christ!!!! not again!!!!!! she doesn't know WHAT exactly is happening again, but it's one of several options

"Is that so?" she asks kaine. "Tell me more. Tell me much more. If you please."]
Edited 2024-06-17 06:30 (UTC)

[personal profile] eudaimoniac 2024-06-17 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
[the incoherence of that seems to relax her, despite how unnerving the words are. good, at least this is not a Florian situation. her defensive bristling smooths over by a degree, replaced by shades of 'nice doctor voice'

but she doesn't jump 100% into assuming there's nothing here but delusion. been down that road before, learned a lesson

"If you were kidnapped, are you two safe now? Does something need to be done?"]

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