Poppin' Arms ~ Dorms

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded. "I get that. And hey, when you get home... good luck. I have a feelin' you could change a lot if you care as much as it sounds like you do, and I reckon that you... that you're a decent enough gal to change things for the better."

Ugh, was that the best she could do? Curio didn't overthink everything she said, why did Brisa have to?

"And, uh. I'd help out if I could, but... y'know. I don't think I'll get a choice about goin' home when the time comes. But if there's anythin' you need a friendly paw for while you're in Cibus... y'can count on me, Curio."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Hey, thanks a lot." Curio smiled, and dug into the cheese and crackers again. She tried to chew it all before she next replied. "I hope I can change some stuff while I'm over there. I dunno why I haven't yet." She grinned. "Maybe I could run for president somewhere. That'll shake up things."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa smiled at the thought of a presidential Curio, or even just Curio on the campaign trail, on soapboxes and shit. She was such a maverick, it was bound to be interesting if nothing else, especially if she was running against humans.

"I'd vote for you," she said, with less irony in her voice than she'd expected. "...I guess I kinda feel like if you wanna fix things, you should pick leaders who've been on the painful end of what's wrong with the world."

She frowned, remembering how Curio had looked in Veritas City, with her scars and missing body parts. What she'd said about survival. About being... tortured.

"I wish you'd had a better life," she said, quietly. "You deserve a lot better than you've been through."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"I'd vote for you," she said, with less irony in her voice than she'd expected. "...I guess I kinda feel like if you wanna fix things, you should pick leaders who've been on the painful end of what's wrong with the world."

Curio snickered. "I'm kidding, of course." She swirled her cup. "Could you imagine me standing up on a podium, shouting in front of a crowd of sweaty old farts?"

"I wish you'd had a better life," she said, quietly. "You deserve a lot better than you've been through."

Curio chugged-- no, swigged her cider. She didn't want to get too drunk. "Eh, shit happens. Doesn't make it any fairer, though. Looking back on certain things, it all seems like a cruel prank at my expense."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's tail flicked. 'Certain things'. Curio had been through a lot, she already knew, but Curio hadn't given up too many details. She wasn't sure whether to push... but she'd spent enough time as a ball of nerves around Curio, and talking about her own shit had really helped her. So...

"What kinda things d'you mean? I get the feelin' you don't tell too many people, but... I promise I would never judge or blab or anythin', if that helps."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"What kinda things d'you mean? I get the feelin' you don't tell too many people, but... I promise I would never judge or blab or anythin', if that helps."

"No, I don't tell too many people." Curio sighed. "I mean, how can you? Sometimes, I wake up and feel like a complete monster." She placed a paw on her chest. She didn't want to say it. If she told Brisa, she was afraid of pushing her away. And she was a lawmaker as well. But laws were different in between worlds. Even if she had no way to defend herself back home, she didn't have to worry as much here. Brisa would understand, right?

"I've only told Diyem this, but that's because he's no stranger to stuff like this." She took a deep breath and let it out. "I've killed people. Humans. In self-defence, but still."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's heart jolted. Oh, Curio.

"Hey," she said, trying to keep her voice soft. "That don't make you a monster."

There was definitely a spike of anxiety at the knowledge that Curio had killed someone but... the regret she felt was palpable, and self-defence was the surest reason a mon could have to end a life. And Brisa had been ready to end a life less needfully in the Pit...

"I'm glad you told me," she continued. "You shouldn't have to carry somethin' like that in your heart alone, save for a confidante you can't even see."

Brisa tried to think what she could say that would tell Curio what she wanted her to know. That she wasn't going to be scared or mistrustful of Curio because of this. That she'd stand by what she said about how Curio could count on her. That she was glad to know her. That she trusted her. Seeing Curio's pained expression, all the words went out of her head.

So she padded closer to her friend and, despite the increasing tightness in her chest, gave her the firmest hug she could.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"I'm glad you told me," she continued. "You shouldn't have to carry somethin' like that in your heart alone, save for a confidante you can't even see."

"I know, I know! I feel like such an idiot sometimes because I have been carrying that weight for so long, but, but--" Fuck it. She downed the whole cup. "They deserved it. For what they did to me, and others. I know, but I still feel so bad about it. And there's basically nothing I can say back home because, you know, killin' humans is a really grave matter." Grave? Even she couldn't laugh at her own puns in that situation. "And when I did talk about it to one Pokemon, I ended up pushin' them away, so--"

So she padded closer to her friend and, despite the increasing tightness in her chest, gave her the firmest hug she could.

Curio stopped when Brisa hugged her. It wasn't the first time, but it was still a shock. She really didn't expect to come so close to Brisa when she first came to Cibus. But now...

She took a few shaky breaths, trying not to crack. She couldn't cry. She always had to be there for others, for them to cry on her shoulder, not the other way around. This was all silly in theory, but in practise, it was so difficult being on the other side of it all.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa held the hug, figuring that maybe Curio needed it. Unless she's just too decent to push you away.

"Whatever happened, y'know I won't judge you for it, right?" she said, gently. "What's in yer past don't change who you are to me."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Y-yeah," she trembled, "thanks." Curio held on tighter to Brisa. It was somewhat of a comfort to know Brisa was so open-minded about it, though Curio still chose to kept certain things to herself.

"What's in yer past don't change who you are to me."

But what if that would be in her present? What if she had to kill again? And who? Once, she was so close to doing that to someone that didn't even deserve it. She still didn't know what she'd see when she'd meet her shadow.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Curio tightening her embrace was the cue Brisa needed to hold the hug for as long as her friend needed it. She felt a twinge of guilt as she began to enjoy the contact for herself instead of purely to comfort Curio, but... that wasn't wrong, right? It was okay to enjoy this.

She waited until Curio released the hug, and tried to look her in the eye without her stupid goddamn heart fluttering.

"You're my friend," she said. "So I'll stand by you. Count on it."

 

[NebulaDreams]

For now, this was fine. There was no harm in easing into the whole truth later on. Curio gently let Brisa go.

"You're my friend," she said. "So I'll stand by you. Count on it."

"Thanks." Curio sighed. "I'm really not used to this. Y'know, needing people. I don't--" she glanced at the hamper. "Oh, wait, this meat's gonna get cold, isn't it? Well, it's not quite meat, but it's more like a paste. What is this called again?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"It's paté, it's meant to be cold!" she said, with a dry chuckle. Brisa let the heaviness—and tenderness—of the previous moment pass from her mind with relief as she went back to the hamper. If Curio needed to talk about that other stuff, they'd have plenty of opportunities to come. Why not enjoy what they had while they could, right?

"Needing people." Curio... needed her?

Brisa shook her head clear of the thought, and idly pressed a chilled cider to her warm face. Stop thinking and feeling things. Just... Enjoy this.

Brisa tried to relax and simply have a good time while they were together. And, all in all, she did. They finished the meal together. Then they chatted a little. Then Brisa let slip that she didn't know how to text, and Curio taught her how to use her badge, although she kept calling it a phone. She was... happy. Actually happy. For over a whole hour straight. She even let herself forget that soon, this too would be forgotten.

Eventually the conversation came to a close as Curio's tiredness —and the cider—caught up with her. Less affected, Brisa stood to head out and take further stock of Destiny Village.

I am looking to purchase some liver. Does anyone else want to see what fooderies are in this town?

"Sourdough, huh? And a carnivore with a vocabulary. I'd bet that's Bahamut. Alright, I'll take it. Be seein' you then, Curio?"

She looked back with a fond glance before she made to leave. Maybe rooming together would be a good thing after all.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"It's paté, it's meant to be cold!" she said, with a dry chuckle.

"Ah, of course." She squinted at the cold meat. "Is this what rich people put on their crackers? God, I feel like royalty here."

Likewise, Curio talked with Brisa for a bit as they ate. By the end of it all, Curio was ready to fall into a food coma, not helped by the cider. Brisa was about to leave -- it was nice having her here, and she didn't regret opening up to her. The decision to room with her was a great one.

Curio wanted to sleep though. She felt tired and a bit overwhelmed. So she settled into bed and looked at Brisa as she headed out.

"Sourdough, huh? And a carnivore with a vocabulary. I'd bet that's Bahamut. Alright, I'll take it. Be seein' you then, Curio?"

"Yeah, see ya," she said with a faint smile.

<><><><><><><><>

 

[Dragonfree]

The Corviknight in the guild lobby had told him they were rooming together in pairs or triples, and given that, Dave figured his best bet was Owen. Not that he'd had anything against the people he'd shared the Hidden Quarters with back in Treasure Town, but Brisa'd spent half of her time out on the roof possibly avoiding him and he gathered she already had a roommate anyway, and Cynthian was apparently a tortured soul traumatized by Dark Matter literally burning everyone he knew or something, and while Dave wasn't sure if Cynthian would actually try to talk to him about it if they had a room together, he would really rather fucking not.

So he'd asked about Owen instead, and the Corviknight told him he was in the dorm.

Dave headed warily down the corridor, looking at the nameplates. They had the dumb fucking food names on them, because of course they did - he'd been sent on his way with one that read 'Scotch'. What was Owen's again? Some kind of berry...?

It didn't take too long to find 'Tamato'. He knocked on the door with a paw. "Owen?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Come in!" Owen called.

Owen's room had finally been set up. The shelves on his side were lined with books that he apparently planned to read through, as well as a few manuals that looked like fighting guides. They even had pictures.

"Oh, hey, Dave," Owen greeted. He was on his belly, tail up and flame just over his head as a reading light. "How's Destiny Village been? Did you know the library lets you rent ten books?!"

Owen's lump, Shady, rolled across the bed and over to Dave to greet him, occasionally hopping. It seemed that it shared Owen's natural enthusiasm.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave looked at the lump. Hopping? Could Squiggly do that? Was this some kind of developmental milestone that he was somehow failing at? What the fuck was Owen doing differently?

"Hey," he said. "Uh, I heard we're supposed to pick roommates...?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Yeah. I don't have one yet, but--oh! Did you want to sleep with me?" Owen asked, tilting his head. Now giving Dave his full attention, Owen closed his book after leaving a bookmark inside and sat up.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Owen. You mean room with you. Not sleep with you. And yes. To the former." How old was Owen again? Did he even want to know? Good fucking god. He was already starting to have regrets.

 

[Namohysip]

"What's the difference?" Owen asked.

A Shadow claw rose from Owen's shoulder and flicked him on the side of his head.

"Ow--" Owen snorted, rubbing at the spot. "I was just playing around... Alright. Yeah, you can room with me. Do you need help setting anything up or, you know, putting stuff down in the right place?"