⇨ THE EPILOGUE

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 61
Where: The Carnival
What: After all the rescues team return, it will be matter of tending to the wounded and getting the hell out of dodge. The Ringmaster can handle the fleeing part, but someone will need to look after those in the medical tent. Or, maybe, you just want to show up and ask what the hell happened.
Warnings: Some messed up consequences of faerie fuckery.

IN REPAIR↴ As the minutes tick past, all four rescue groups will eventually return. Everyone in the carnival is encouraged to help out, ensuring that the rescues and victims both are taken care of after the fact. You can tag in here as rescuers taking care of business around the carnival, victims recovering, or other workers checking in to see what's going on. This log is for general aftermath threads, made by anyone.

Comments

[periphrasing]

Peridot can't really think of any good argument for that? But she's very obviously uncomfortable with the idea.

She lets go of her shoulder and slumps back down in her chair. "Fine. I'm not going to stop you," she says quietly, glancing away and over towards where Steven is sound asleep on his cot. "I'll come up with some excuse to cover you. Don't worry about it."

[mirrortide]

Well, Peridot's expression and words keep Lapis from going anywhere, but she's still standing now. She does give her own slightly hurt look at Peridot, though.

"You're not coming with me...?" She was kind of counting on Peridot to join her.

[periphrasing]

She looks back up at her in surprise, mouth open. She shuts it again with a frown, brow creasing slightly.

"Lapis I--" Peridot curls her tail around herself anxiously, glancing between Lapis and Steven a few times. "I don't want you to go alone but-- Steven--"

You're tearing her apart Lisa

[mirrortide]

Lapis gets that? But Steven isn't even awake right now, and Lapis is just straight up uncomfortable being here. She doen't want Steven here either, to be honest, but she doesn't... want to be alone. It's not the same without Peridot with her.

"Steven's fine, isn't he? Why do you need to stay?"

[periphrasing]

"Because I don't want to let either of you out of my sight!" Peridot bursts out, looking tormented, before immediately slapping a hand over her mouth.

[mirrortide]

Lapis looks shocked for a moment, and then, slowly, she sits back down into the cot, looking like a reprimanded child. "... Sorry I wasn't strong enough to fight off that fae on my own." She says, quietly, but the real sentiment behind that is mostly that she's sorry that she made Peridot worry about her.

[periphrasing]

She immediately feels bad that Lapis looks like she feels bad, but she also can't hide the relief she's experiencing seeing her sit back down on that stupid cot.

"Well, I didn't exactly fight her off by myself either," Peridot points out, smiling weakly. "It took a whole team. It's not your fault, fae are just really powerful, just like we discussed."

[mirrortide]

"I didn't run like I should have when we first saw her. If I had, nothing bad would have happened." Like, obviously Herbert had gotten away, but... Honestly, if she could have switched spots? She definitely would have. In less than a heartbeat.

[periphrasing]

Well she can't really argue with that, either. Sorry Lapis.

"The important thing is that you're back now, and everything is going to be fine," Peridot reassures her. "And look on the bright side! Think of all the great morps we can create using this traumatic incident as inspiration!"

[mirrortide]

"Yeah. And, uh. Sorry. About trying to eat you too." Not that there was much trying involved. Malachite straight up vored Peridot? But Lapis rubs her arm nervously. "If it's any consolation it didn't work great when we did it to that fae either."

Anyway, there. Peridot now knows who the asshole who attempted to eat her is. Surprisingly Not Jasper, perhaps?

[periphrasing]

Peridot makes a flippant hand gesture. "You were being mind controlled. It's not your fault. Also, it's not the fist time I've had to deal with something like that."

Pause.

"Well it is the first time I've been eaten by something, but. My point still stands."

[mirrortide]

"If it's any consolation, it wasn't exactly that great for us either." Peridot is Spicy now.

Also sharp. Very, very sharp.

[periphrasing]

"Mmmmmmm," Peridot hums sort of uncomfortably, not sure if she should laugh at that, or. What...

Though on the bright side, this does give her an easy way to transition AWAY from the awkward topic of near-death by vore.

"Oh! That reminds me. I put your sword in my gauntlet." She waggles the hand wearing the device mentioned. "Sorry for taking it, uh. I know it's yours, but you weren't exactly around to ask for permission to use it. I'll put it back with the rest of your morp when I'm at the trailer next."

[mirrortide]

Come on, Lapis thinks her joke was hilarious? Normally Peridot is on top of her sense of humour.

"Don't worry about it. At least it saw some kind of use, I guess. It's not like I know how to use a sword. At all." And the last time she tried, she fell on it! Thanks, Amethyst.

Awkwardly, Lapis shuffles over on the cot a bit, and pats the spot beside her, wordlessly inviting Peridot up.

[periphrasing]

She stares with mild surprise at the offered spot. She takes it, of course; clambers up onto the cot where indicated and sits there sort of stiffly, not sure how close Lapis is comfortable with her getting and absolutely terrified of overstepping her bounds and messing this up somehow. She and Lapis don't really have a cuddly relationship, beyond that one incident during the Celebration. This is new territory!

[mirrortide]

It's true. They don't exactly have the most cuddly relationship, but that's... Mostly on Lapis holding herself at a distance. It's not like she minds things like hugs, which is evident by how she treats Steven in particular, but Peridot is definitely different from Steven.

Lapis leans against Peridot lightly. She's glad that Peridot came to rescue her, especially since she hadn't really expected anyone too in the first place. "Thanks. For everything."

[periphrasing]

Peridot's little heart is absolutely atwitter, and it's incredibly gay. There's a teal colored blush creeping up her cheeks, which she's struggling to fight off.

Slowly, hesitantly, she curls her tail back around Lapis, and leans back against her. "Yeah. You're welcome," she says simply, chancing a look at the other gem's face. Her eyes linger. She's wondering what would happen if she gave Lapis a quick peck on the cheek.

[mirrortide]

Well, Lapis doesnt seem to mind the contact that Peridot is giving her right now. She doesn't seem to notice how tense Peridot is at the moment. Or she doesn't care, because she's closing her eyes and relaxing into the smaller Gem.

[periphrasing]

Peridot relaxes after a few moments at least, pulling her attention back away from Lapis and shutting her own eyes. The moment is too good to risk spoiling with a rushed, potentially unwanted kiss. She'd rather just enjoy what she's getting, for now. Which is being able to rest her cheek on Lapis's shoulder.

[mirrortide]

Lapis isn't nearly bold enough to go for a kiss, but she does edge her hand closer to where she last remembered Peridot's being, and, if it's in the same location, gently twine their fingers together.

This is probably the worst form of Gay Chicken.

[periphrasing]

It is, and she gladly accepts the contact.

It occurs to her that she needs to give Lapis her dratini back, but she doesn't really want to interrupt this moment. She's just going to savor it for now, the tip of her tail twitching contentedly as they both sit there. It's totally not her fault if the tuft on the end of it is brushing Lapis's leg, though.

[mirrortide]

What's weird about this entire thing, is probably the fact that Lapis is, in fact, breathing. Slow and steady as her shoulders rise and fall, and, eventually, the low rumble of purring starts. Which isn't exactly a common occurrence to begin with.

Just in case Peridot needed any more affirmation that Lapis is, in fact, in a good mood, just by sitting here with her.

[periphrasing]

...Stars above, it's the return of the purrs. Peridot can scarcely believe her ears, opening her eyes with surprise to look at Lapis to confirm that the sound is, in fact, coming from her. This ALSO is something she hasn't experienced since the Celebration?

She doesn't want to interrupt it. It's a sound that makes her far more giddy than she has any right to be just sitting next to someone, but here they both are. Peridot savors it for another minute or so before speaking.

"Hey... Lapis?"

[mirrortide]

Lapis doesn't really move as Peridot speaks up, and she doesn't open her eyes, but she does respond. "Yeah?" It's comfortable here, against Peridot. It's not the hammock, but it'll do.

[periphrasing]

Dammit, she didn't open her eyes. Why didn't she open her eyes!? That's what Peridot expected based on her definitely correct calculations! She'd speak up, Lapis would respond and look at her, and then Peridot would take the opportunity to plant a kiss on her cheek-- It would have been perfect! It SHOULD have been perfect, a surprise kiss with just the right amount of surprise! As things are right now, if she makes the move, Lapis will be COMPLETELY unsuspecting, and then she'll probably take not being given the chance to say no REALLY badly!

Now Peridot has to come up with some sort of save on the fly. "I-- Ummmmmm. Do you... Maybe want to take a nap here? Together?"

Nailed it.