Destiny Village ~ X-Eye Cauldron

[Dragonfree]

Mia tilted her head, still looking dissatisfied. "Sparring sounds good."

Dave looked up at Brisa, part of him wanting to object, but right now, a bigger part was just grateful for the silence, however it'd been achieved. Mia returned to her sandwich as if nothing were more natural, though he expected she was still listening and would start asking questions again tomorrow or sometime. Which, okay. A problem for later. They'd just... maybe they could just take an off day and see if Destiny Village had hotdogs and sit and talk about random shit and somewhere in there he could figure this out the way he always did. And she'd not wander off anywhere, or get disappeared by whatever bullshit.

He downed the rest of his drink.

"Mia died because of me once," the other Poochyena said quietly, shattering the peace, and Dave's psychic grip tightened on the glass. "So now I'm just terrified something's going to happen to her."

Dave thumped his head against the table, wished he'd just fucking black out already. Then it'd go the fuck away, right? He glanced at Mia; she frowned at the Shadow, but said nothing, probably erring on the side of getting to spar tomorrow.

"Does your familiar really think they're being corrupted by our presence?" The Shadow looked pleadingly at Brisa. "I can't stop thinking about that."

"No because that's fucking bullshit," Dave said between gritted teeth.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa sighed. "Luz is off her mental reservation half the time, but she doesn't lie, I think. She... likes to draw people's ire away from me. Or mine away from other people. Both."

She rubbed her face and ordered another drink. So this was how it worked. Dave insisted he didn't have problems, and his Shadow just came out with them unfiltered. She decided to address the concerns as if she were just making conversation, not dealing with the supernatural expression of inner turmoil. Who knew? Maybe that'd fucking work.

"She's right about the basic facts, but I don't think our familiars are in any danger. They're only draining small amounts of corruption from their hosts alone, and can be purified if it ever gets a bit much. Sword drained half the corruption on the planet to become Darkwhite. Y'can relax."

 

[Dragonfree]

The Shadow looked at Brisa, doubtful, still shivering. It was too much to hope the thing'd be at all receptive to logic, wasn't it.

"...I almost killed Nate back there," it said, and his stomach twisted. "I thought he was the spy and he was going to hurt her."

"Of course he's not the fucking spy," Dave said in exasperation. "That's fucking dumb."

"...And Soda said he's a human, and he just couldn't return, because he was dead in his home universe. And now Diyem's gone. Maybe I won't get home." Dave sighed through his nose as it paused. "Maybe it's better that way."

"What the fuck are you talking about," he snarled, the blood freezing in his veins. "The kids fucking need me."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa stared at her beer for a second. Yeah. Down the fucking hatch. Another, if'n ya please, bartender. Gods this was hard. And to think she'd asked Dave to come face Jesse with her. Maybe that was why he was so fucked up now, 'cause Jesse had torn him up in his head somehow. Salt and sand...

"Y'said Nate attacked you. This 'spy' thing has got folks real riled up, so it's no wonder you dusted him. All the same . . . it's hard t'know y'coulda ended someone, deliberately or otherwise. All y'can do is keep yerself in check the next time."

The other thing . . . was harder. After all, she didn't exactly know any counterexamples. Jesse had been stuck too. And she wasn't sure telling Dave she was okay with staying in Cibus, or that he could be too, was the right play here.

"Maybe you could ask Buffet or Pop about sendin' yerself home. Or y'could remember that we have a world t'save here afore we worry about what comes after."

Ugh. Probably not the right play either.

"Look, Dave..." Brisa pinched the bridge of her muzzle. "Right now, we need you. I know ya wanna be around for yer kids, but the team is countin' on you now. I'm countin' on ya. So keep yer shit t'gether, y'hear?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave shook his head as she talked, rubbing his forehead. "Look, Brisa," he said, gritting his teeth. "stop trying to talk sense into that fucking thing, it's just babbling some fucking nonsense. I don't know what the fuck it's even talking about half the time."

The Shadow looked at him with its ridiculous sad puppy eyes and he gave it the most venomous look he could muster, enough to keep it quiet for the moment. Mia was frowning again; later. He lifted his head back towards Brisa.

"And just, this has nothing to do with you. I don't expect you to fix my fucking problems. You've got your own goddamn shit to deal with." He took a deep breath, his head swimming. "I'm fucking fine. Just leave it."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Yer my goddamn teammate," retorted Brisa. "You've helped me before now without askin' fer so much as a favour owed. More'n once, too. Why shouldn't I help you?"

Fuck, she was so fucking bad at this. Even so... Dave had seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders, and now this? She didn't know that anyone in the posse had the ability to skilfully handle this shit.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave slumped onto the table, head increasingly cloudy. “I don’t fucking need—look, that thing where back home everyone expects you to fix everything for them? That’s fucked. Sometimes there’s nothing to fix, and it’s nothing to do with you, and it’s not your goddamn problem. Who are these fucking people to tell you everything’s your responsibility? Sometimes you just want to have a fucking drink in peace.”

“You can’t help me,” the Shadow murmured. “You shouldn’t waste your time.”

“Fffuck off.”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa flinched, and turned away to nurse her beer in silence. She realised a moment later that Dave had doubtless directed that last remark at his Shadow and not her, and sighed.

"We can have a drink in peace," she said. "But you've always got a friendly ear in me, if'n ya change yer mind, Dave."

She took a gulp of ale and set herself to getting through a couple more glasses. Maybe then she'd be able to head back to her dorm and collapse into a relatively untroubled stupor.

She shouldn't be doing this. They couldn't afford for her to take breaks like this.

She took another drink. It was going to be a shitty goddamn night.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave managed to hold out until Brisa said her goodbyes and left without the Shadow erupting into any more pathetic proclamations, thank God. He waved her off, and held his head and tried to recover the energy to stand up and head back to the guild dorms.

"What Brisa said was true," Mia said, narrowing her eyes at him. "He says things that you're thinking."

He took a deep breath, finally clambered off the stool, swaying on his feet. "Mia, we can talk about this sometime when I'm not about to pass the fuck out, all right?"

She frowned, but didn't answer. When he was about to crash into a table, she pulled him back, steadying him. The Shadow followed silently, sober by all appearances.

<><><><><>

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Ooh," Seyka mumbled, looking at the floor in disappointment. "I drink and I drink, but nothing happens. I heard getting drunk was supposed to be fun, but I guess I just can't do it."

The Skarmory looked around, surreptitiously watching the other patrons. "Maybe there's a secret to it that I'm missing." He began to closely examine his cup.

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Big bird, what are you drinking?" asked a perfectly normal looking grey bodied Roselia with glowing white eyes.

"Does it taste good? Can Ivy have some?!" Ivy asked, skittering up the stool next to Seyka. She reached for the cup until the scent reached her nose, to which she crinkled her nose. "Bleh! Ivy doesn't like how it smells!"

 

[RJR Basimilus]

Seyka looked at the Roselia curiously. "Have as much as you like, I don't mind. Even if it smells bad, you should at least try it. A lot of things we eat don't smell great, but sometimes you just don't have a choice."

For a moment, the Skarmory frowned, but he recovered quickly. "Oh, are you a... a uh, a friend or whatever? You know, with one of the team? Sorry if it's a weird question, you just look like one and I assumed."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Ivy is Ivy. Who are you , Big bird?" Ivy asked, reaching some vines to pull the cup over.

"It doesn't smell so bad if Ivy holds her breath. Does it taste good? Ivy has had food bread and Mochi sticks, but Ivy has never taken this drink before," she said, marveling at the little air bubbles that clung to the sides of the cup's interior.

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Big bird is big bird," Seyka responded, a stoic expression on his face. "But if you really want to, you can also call me Seyka."

The Skarmory watched Ivy inspect the drink. "It tastes how you want it to. If you really want it to be great, and you believe it hard enough, then it just might taste as you expect. No promises though."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Seyka the big bird

Ivy lifted the cup for a moment, and then she took a huge gulp. She hummed as she moved the fluid around in her mouth to understand the taste. Her expression went from a smile, to concern, to a blank face and then a frown.

Ivy decided the drink was not good, and she spilled what she drank right back into the cup and pushed it to Seyka.

"Ivy wants a different drink. Seyka can have that one."

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"That's fair. At least you tried it," Seyka said, nodding. "Question for you, Ivy. Do you think we're all going to die? Everyone seems to be getting excited over that big guy in the sky, though I don't particularly mind it."

Seyka looked at the cup. "At least it's not weird like that other time."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Ivy doesn't know. Ivy has never died before. How do you die?" Ivy asked, resting her head on her flower. "Is it fun?"

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Mmm, I don't know. From what I've seen, you die when you stop living. Ha, I know that sounds obvious, but it's true."

Seyka stared at the ceiling. "I knew someone who could answer that though. Where I came from, my father died before." The Skarmory smiled. "Ah, I suppose I should say adoptive father. You know, our team fought someone who looked just like him recently. They even had the same name, but they looked a little different."

"It was a little awkward," Seyka said. "But forget about that, anyway, as I was saying, dad would die sometimes, but he'd always come back. He didn't seem to like it though, but who knows. Maybe dying is fun."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Dying is fun? Oh, Ivy wants to try dying then! Can Big bird show Ivy how to die?!" Ivy asked with her face brimming with curiosity and intrigue. There were a few mon looking her way in concern and confusion.

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"I'd show you, but I don't think we can," Seyka said, shaking his head. "My dad, Ho-oh, could do that because it was just something he could do. I don't know how, it was almost like something he was good at. But here, I don't think we can just do that, you know?"

The Skarmory looked thoughtful. "Well, you're a shade though. Maybe you could do it."

"But, speaking of dying."

"How about a quiz instead, Ivy. Don't worry, I'll try to make it fun!" Seyka lowered his voice and looked at Ivy with a grin. "Alright, so let's say you were given an opportunity. If you say the word, the whole world will be saved instantly and everyone will be happy for tens of thousands of years."

"The tradeoff- the big deal- is that everyone, you and me included, die. Uh, to clarify, I mean everyone on team spectrum. I'm assuming you're with us, but even if you're not, just assume you die anyway."

"Oh, oh, wait, one more caveat," Seyka added excitedly. "You're the only one who will know. If you say yes, you save the world, but boom, everyone drops dead, not knowing why or how." Seyka made a face. "The unknowing martyr! It's so dramatic."

"So, would you take it?"