18 - Rye

[radiantwingedone]

Who: Zelda and Duke
Where: The forest
Status: Closed
When: Friday evening

[ Duke had bolted the moment he'd seen who had crawled out of the remains of the faerie; not liking the combination of the way the thing had died and the sludge and the arrival.

To be completely honest, he really didn't want to face his friend either, even if he had walked out of the plaza dripping with saltwater, rather than appear as torn as he was - all the wounds he had taken and fallen to transferred to his Krityan form in appropriate locations - from a pile of sludge. Because he didn't want to hear what he had to say, rather afraid of what he might.

Of course, with this curse, with any of the curses he'd experienced, something as mundane as running wouldn't do anything to aid him. That much was clear when he stopped, out of breath, in the forest quadrant, straightened and stared right into the eyes of the friend he'd been trying to outrun. He hadn't been there when Duke had stopped.

And he'd stayed stopped, wide eyed and paler than his usual, as Elucifur told him all the things he thought he might hear from his friend's mouth, all the things he thought about himself while his mood was at its blackest, all of his fears about friends falling into danger and why, making it so obvious with that cheerful voice of his exactly why it was.

Which is why Duke is still in the forest this late in the week, SFC dropped somewhere away from him. He's grimy and dirty, curled up in a slight hollow between tree-roots, and by the leaves on him, he hasn't moved from right there in some time. It doesn't really look like he intends to move anywhere. Even as the light begins the change, he's just shivering a little and closing his eyes in the vain hope that tonight will be different.

Its probably even too small and possibly to insane to really call it a hope. The curses last full weeks, and it hasn't been that yet. ]

Comments

[radiantwingedone]

[ She really wouldn't have to worry about Duke ending up broken if she'd left him alone-

But since none of those particular fears are being voiced, Duke can't voice his argument. If voicing would be a thing that he could even do at the moment. He eventually runs out of energy to sob with - well, not eventually, because Duke really hadn't been taking care of himself, hadn't been eating for a day or two and thus energy isn't really something he has a great supply of - leaving him curled up in silence but for shaky breathing and his trembling.

At least he's too numb and exhausted to do more than stare at whats right in front of his nose right now? ]

[zelda_hylia]

[If she'd left him alone, he would have just dug himself into this hole even further and possibly never find his way out. She's not sure even now if she wasn't too late. When he calms down somewhat, she tries to take his hands.]

Let's go home...

[radiantwingedone]

[ Its probably really close, if he's able to be pulled back from that hole hes dug for himself at this point, it's probably going to take some effort...

That he doesn't seem able to give at this point. It looks like calm, but its probably closer to apathy. He stares at her hands for a long moment, and he's weighing staying versus moving; staying means he doesn't have to get up, but likely means she will say things that he can't wrap his head around right now. And likely she'd just badger him into moving eventually anyway.

So Duke slowly gets up, and it looks like he's going to be a bit unsteady on his feet. He does flinch when he catches sight of Elucifur, but the next time the krityan speaks, he does sound quite a bit more like Duke than how he had when Zelda had first shown up. Definitely Duke's worries and fears. ]

And if they don't die, they'll leave and forget. Which.. is.. worse...

[zelda_hylia]

I will not leave this place at the mercy of the coral. I won't forget. This can all be figured out.

[The redeads corresponding to Duke and Link let out a particularly loud shriek at that. Zelda shivers slightly, wrapping Duke's arm about her shoulders so it's easier for him to walk along with her.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke stays mostly silent, but yes, he does need that help walking. He's tired enough not to jump at the shriek of the .. things, that showed up with Zelda. He does stare blankly for a moment when they pass, but he'll just stare at the ground again after. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[The walk home isn't too difficult to accomplish, even with Duke's fears taunting them. They're both simply too exhausted to keep on being scared at this point. Though Zelda does get Duke sat down once they go inside, she doesn't try to make him go to bed or force him to eat. She does get a glass of water for both of them though, settling next to him silently.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke stares at the cup of water, and it may take a few minutes before he actually gets over his apathy enough that he wants to deal with how dry his mouth and throat are.

Very slowly sipping and cradling the cup to him. He's back to the hunched up posture he'd been doing after he'd been kidnapped. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[And he'd just started to recover, too. Zelda lets out a heavy sigh, draining her cup and setting it down so that she can hug her knees to her chest. There's no point in trying to sleep, it offers no respite from this curse. They'll just have to sleep during the day.]

Thank you for coming back with me...

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke is perfectly willing to attempt to sleep during the day. Attempt is the key word because there will probably be too many thoughts moving around in his head when he actually settles down to try to actually get it to work. Which just adds more dirt falling into his hole, perhaps. ]

.... [ He.. doesn't really reply to her. Just a blank stare for a little bit, and then most of his focus goes to his cup again. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[She doesn't say anything else. Zelda knows she's too exhausted to try and find Zelos too. Maybe, just for tonight, she'll hope that Lloyd has found him. She leans over again until she can rest against his shoulder, waiting out the night in silence.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ If Duke wasn't feeling too apathetic to think about leaving, this effectively kept him where he was.

He may slip into a drained-exhausted doze while sitting there with her leaning on his shoulder rather shortly after the nightmare-things vanished. Although it may be hard to tell because he's still sitting up... ]

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda dozes off too. It's her stomach that finally awakens her, spurring her to lift her head from Duke's shoulder and rub at her eyes wearily. They should eat. She's not sure either of them can keep much of anything down, so she quietly heads into the kitchen to just make some toast.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke is going to stay put, head bowed and kinda-sorta sleeping. Its nothing that will leave him feeling particularly refreshed, but its better than.. not sleeping at all.

He's not going to budge when Zelda returns with food, either. He's.. not that interested... ]

[zelda_hylia]

Duke, you need to eat a little.

[She's already resigned to the fact that she's going to have to practically force him to eat. Zelda's brought some more water too. She nibbles at her own toast, holding out his plate.]

[radiantwingedone]

..... [ But he's not interested in food.

He's... just going to blankly stare at the plate and toast. Maybe he'll want it, or it will vanish, if he does so for long enough. ]

[zelda_hylia]

Please, Duke. Please...

[She's far too tired to hide just how much the idea of him withering away hurts her. Her hand holding out the plate trembles slightly. How can she possibly take care of all these people? She can't...]

[radiantwingedone]

[ Obviously the answer is that she shouldn't, but then she wouldn't be Zelda. It will take him a moment, but Duke will take that plate and move it closer.

So he can continue to stare at it. Maybe proximity will help him want to eat it.

It may take a really long time before he reaches out to steal a piece of crust. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[She probably shouldn't. She knows she'll fail them, and yet she can't help but keep on trying.]

It's not so bad, right? It will keep your stomach from feeling too sour. It's very absorbent.

[Usually she doesn't feel the need to fill the silence with Duke, but with how incredibly morose he is right now it's difficult to not at least attempt it.]

[radiantwingedone]

..... [ Zelda, he hadn't noticed if his stomach felt sour or not. It was kind of numb like the rest of him.

Although a couple of minutes later he's taking another piece of crust off. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[She lets him eat it as his piece as long as he manages to make it through one slice. The princess herself has two, not feeling like she could keep anything else down.]

We should sleep during the day. They do not come out during the day, and if you're well rested, they aren't as frightening...

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke blinks at her, very ever so slowly, going through that piece of bread.

He doesn't really know if he can get back to sleep, but he could try... ]

[zelda_hylia]

Will you come upstairs with me? I don't... want to try and sleep alone.

[She looks embarrassed to admit it, but she knows if she doesn't make it about her that Duke won't bother.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ .... Accurate.

She gets another moment or two of silence, and then Duke will slowly push himself up stare at the stairs as if having second thoughts based on the effort needed to go up them. ]

[zelda_hylia]

[Once he stands, Zelda takes his hand and moves for the stairs. He can put most of the effort on her body, she doesn't mind. She won't let him fall.]

Will my bed be all right?

[She squeezes his hand lightly.]

[radiantwingedone]

..... dirty. [ Congratulations, Zelda, Duke gave you a word.

He's kinda been lying in the dirt and loam for a couple days, he probably is a bit gross. So this may be why he's passively trying to get his hand back. ]