[the paper is bizarrely impervious to staining. written neatly in the center, in a careful hand, are the words...
"I suppose so."
that was his friend's response, in a vacant tone. it meant absolutely nothing, and he could feel the man's eyes fixing on him, pointedly waiting for whatever came next. they haven't been on very good terms lately, he and this beautiful, serpentine person... so he'd taken extra care to talk about things that didn't matter, first.
it was back in the Iskaulit, before it was called that. to anyone else, it would have looked like two men sitting off to the side, talking instead of helping the rest of the Drift Fleet scuttle around the empty husk of a ship. to him, they were two ancient, inhuman creatures, and this was something that had been weighing on his heart.
he finally sighed, short and light, and admitted, "I did have something else to talk about." he let two beats sit. "Did you know that Mattias has left?"
he'd loved Mattias, even though the man was only here a short time. it hurt to think about, but it was nothing compared to the frustration that'd eaten it all away. and Tek knew that the other man should have been more... vividly upset, crying or throwing a tantrum over the network, which is why the lavender-eyed man seemed quietly, guardedly cautious.
"...Oh, did he?"
"Mmhm. Him and his friend, about a week ago." a whole week, he admitted. no breaks, no tantrums, no embarrassing outbursts of melodrama. he'd gotten himself very literally beat up, made him feel a lot better.
"I've been thinking about it a lot. Just sort of..." he twirls his finger, continuing, "Running it over, you know. I really liked him, and I really thought that he could make me happy. But now he's gone, and I'm just..."
he finally glanced back at Tek, feeling hollow. "I'm tired of it. I'm done trying. I don't even have the heart to get upset, this time." he paused, bit his lower lip, but didn't give him enough time to talk, not with what he was here to say. "Anyway, I'm here to tell you that you were right... And that you've been right for a long time."
Tek didn't say anything for what felt like a small eternity. he was probably busy deciding if this was a horrible trap or not. he let it sit in the air until the other man decided to tilt his head and finally ask.
"...About?"
"Ah, well..." he was finally a little embarrassed, having to admit this... "Back in Court, do you remember? You took me aside... Told me I needed to get my shit together, to paraphrase. I wasn't putting out a good image, then. I listened, but I didn't quite get it until now."
he smirked, bitterly. "I've spent so much time trying to be human, and I can't even remember why. Isn't that stupid?"
"It happens." Tek told him, surprising him for a moment... he was expecting ridicule (the usual scrape of useless, foolish, obnoxious), but that sounded like forgiveness. his smirk dropped away, as did some of his quiet intensity, as Tek gave him a silence within which to continue speaking.
"I'm done being an apathetic pawn. False gods, real gods..." he looked out again, watched the oblivious others busying around the entrance, "Maybe I am truly meant to be alone. It would make sense, wouldn't it?"
but then, Tek said the one thing he needed to hear. "Everyone is alone."
it was stated easily, weightlessly, but certainly. it wasn't exactly optimistic, but it wasn't any more scathing than it needed to be. Tek was agreeing with him, not not pushing him off into his own world. he was alone, yes, but he wasn't isolated.
"It's not so bad once you realize it."
they stayed quiet for a while, letting that sink in between the both of them. neither of them looked at each other, but he felt like they were suddenly closer through those words than they'd been in a very, very long time. the man's words weren't something he ever would have considered on his own--but because it was Tek, the only other creature who understands what it's like to be him, the only one who's always stayed and never left, he accepted him.
"I'll try not to forget."
he couldn't promise to always live that way, but he could believe it was the truth, and that was what he needed most.
on the card in Caesar's hand, written neatly, are the words... 'Everyone is alone, but we can be alone together.']
That's my place... [Robin speaks up again, not a trace of black left in his bone-white hair.] It's not so bad, there.
no subject
"I suppose so."
that was his friend's response, in a vacant tone. it meant absolutely nothing, and he could feel the man's eyes fixing on him, pointedly waiting for whatever came next. they haven't been on very good terms lately, he and this beautiful, serpentine person... so he'd taken extra care to talk about things that didn't matter, first.
it was back in the Iskaulit, before it was called that. to anyone else, it would have looked like two men sitting off to the side, talking instead of helping the rest of the Drift Fleet scuttle around the empty husk of a ship. to him, they were two ancient, inhuman creatures, and this was something that had been weighing on his heart.
he finally sighed, short and light, and admitted, "I did have something else to talk about." he let two beats sit. "Did you know that Mattias has left?"
he'd loved Mattias, even though the man was only here a short time. it hurt to think about, but it was nothing compared to the frustration that'd eaten it all away. and Tek knew that the other man should have been more... vividly upset, crying or throwing a tantrum over the network, which is why the lavender-eyed man seemed quietly, guardedly cautious.
"...Oh, did he?"
"Mmhm. Him and his friend, about a week ago." a whole week, he admitted. no breaks, no tantrums, no embarrassing outbursts of melodrama. he'd gotten himself very literally beat up, made him feel a lot better.
"I've been thinking about it a lot. Just sort of..." he twirls his finger, continuing, "Running it over, you know. I really liked him, and I really thought that he could make me happy. But now he's gone, and I'm just..."
he finally glanced back at Tek, feeling hollow. "I'm tired of it. I'm done trying. I don't even have the heart to get upset, this time." he paused, bit his lower lip, but didn't give him enough time to talk, not with what he was here to say. "Anyway, I'm here to tell you that you were right... And that you've been right for a long time."
Tek didn't say anything for what felt like a small eternity. he was probably busy deciding if this was a horrible trap or not. he let it sit in the air until the other man decided to tilt his head and finally ask.
"...About?"
"Ah, well..." he was finally a little embarrassed, having to admit this... "Back in Court, do you remember? You took me aside... Told me I needed to get my shit together, to paraphrase. I wasn't putting out a good image, then. I listened, but I didn't quite get it until now."
he smirked, bitterly. "I've spent so much time trying to be human, and I can't even remember why. Isn't that stupid?"
"It happens." Tek told him, surprising him for a moment... he was expecting ridicule (the usual scrape of useless, foolish, obnoxious), but that sounded like forgiveness. his smirk dropped away, as did some of his quiet intensity, as Tek gave him a silence within which to continue speaking.
"I'm done being an apathetic pawn. False gods, real gods..." he looked out again, watched the oblivious others busying around the entrance, "Maybe I am truly meant to be alone. It would make sense, wouldn't it?"
but then, Tek said the one thing he needed to hear. "Everyone is alone."
it was stated easily, weightlessly, but certainly. it wasn't exactly optimistic, but it wasn't any more scathing than it needed to be. Tek was agreeing with him, not not pushing him off into his own world. he was alone, yes, but he wasn't isolated.
"It's not so bad once you realize it."
they stayed quiet for a while, letting that sink in between the both of them. neither of them looked at each other, but he felt like they were suddenly closer through those words than they'd been in a very, very long time. the man's words weren't something he ever would have considered on his own--but because it was Tek, the only other creature who understands what it's like to be him, the only one who's always stayed and never left, he accepted him.
"I'll try not to forget."
he couldn't promise to always live that way, but he could believe it was the truth, and that was what he needed most.
on the card in Caesar's hand, written neatly, are the words... 'Everyone is alone, but we can be alone together.']
That's my place... [Robin speaks up again, not a trace of black left in his bone-white hair.] It's not so bad, there.