h2no | IC contact

Was it really that crazy, though?

It was very crazy. It was practically insane.

So stop giving me that look. I hate that look.

What look?

[he continues giving darin the look.]

Is it the look that betrays my confusion about why your reaction was so severe? That's the sort of reaction I'd expect if the door was knocked and the visitor was Atropos.

Are you kidding? If Atropos knocked down the door I'd welcome that! At least I could probably fight off Atropos!

Isn't she a teenager and half the size of you?

....Wait, are we talking about Atropos or Allura?

I've been led to believe Atropos is an inside-out demon woman that's constantly vomiting blood, so I'll let you guess that one.

[he shakes his head, going back to sorting out this pan pizza. there's a lot of veg on it.]

[Darin considers this for a moment as he starts clearing off space to set the pizzas down after they cook.]

...Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can take that. I mean, it'll be gross, but I think I'd vastly prefer fighting that than talk about and sorting out my feelings.

If your feelings are making you hurt yourself and lash out, then I think maybe you need to fucking deal with them!

[he chops a jalapeno a little overly hard. rip darin's chopping board or whatever.]

They aren't making me hurt myself or lash out! I just don't want to deal with them!

There isn't even really anything to deal with!

And easy on that wooden block there, Hammerhands!

You literally just burned yourself. [he stabs the knife into the cutting board. rip the knife and the board.] Take it from me, who irreparably damaged someone I love because I refused to deal with any of my issues, living like that is not acceptable.

[this sure isn't where he expected this to go. he goes back to chopping.]

Who were the friends you went to the zoo with?

I burned myself because I was completely taken aback by your insinuation that the Princess and I could ever--...

That she'd ever--...

That her and I wouldn't be a monumentally bad idea! It's not like I did it on purpose!

[He huffs like the giant brat he is.]

...It was the Princess and her team.

Her and you what?

[nope, he's lost.]

That we'd ever be in a relationship!

...You know I was just talkin' about you being roommates? Being roomies doesn't automatically mean you... y'know, do anything.

[he sighs, shakes his head.]

Right, so I'm assuming you have feelings for her, then. Are you worried about them not being reciprocated? Or is it the other way around?

... ... ...

[/SWEATS]

W-W-What?! No! I just thought that you were implying we'd be in a relationship! Why would we move in together otherwise?!

Are you kidding me?! She annoys me to no end! Even if I did, somehow, have some kinda romantic feeling for her, she's a princess! A space princess! That's so far out of my league she might as well be in outer space!

...Besides, I have no intention of falling in love or anything. I couldn't, in good conscience, let someone get that close to me.

Friends room. People that don't like each other room. The way it works here is complete strangers end up together. [he shrugs.] I guess it's not a concept that's all that common where you're from?

[he doesn't say it in a condescending way-- rather, he's assuming darin doesn't know because he just hasn't had any experience with it. through his specific circumstances or otherwise.

and that... was the answer he was hoping against hope wouldn't come.]

Is there any way whatsoever you can interact with her without feeling terrible about any of this?

I mean, her and I in a big house like that seems...

I don't want people getting the wrong idea. For her sake.

[Because he doesn't care what people think of him. He just wants to protect her.]

She's my friend. I admire her greatly. We have a good time together. But I can't let it get any further than that. She deserves...

She deserves the best. She deserves someone who won't break her heart. Even if I did stand a chance and, let's face it, she's a beautiful star princess and I'm just some blacksmith, I couldn't act on it.

They won't. Unless you give them reason to, by acting the way you did?

[he frowns, finishing up the pizza. fiddling by making the veg on it stupidly symmetrical.]

You're not just some blacksmith, you worked damn hard to be the best one in Alvale, did you not? You think your tutor would let you go five seconds lettin' you think of yourself like that?

That's how I act! I can't help that!

[Darin runs a hand through his head.]

A blacksmith is still a blacksmith, Arch. Royals in Alvale don't exactly look to the manual trades when picking suitors. There's still a gap between the classes the size of a canyon.

[Darin sets out some plates and a place to put the hot pizzas when they're done, then slumps into a stool.]

This isn't about class though, Arch. I mean, if you want to get technical, Diomuhr is the king of the Archfiends. So, I guess I'm a king in a sense. Or at least a prince. But no, the point is...just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean there's no chance of me turning ever happening.

I couldn't subject her to that.

You can always change, you know.

[he rubs his beard, leaving the pizza for now. it's really neat. like, obscenely neat. even all the cheese gratings are parallel.]

She's not a royal from Alvale. You're right, though, it's not a class thing. This isn't going to be one of those tortured by something you can't have, is it?

[because oh boy has he had more than enough experience with that.]

...Does she know?

But I'm so charming as I am.

[Darin falls silent for a few minutes. Finally, he speaks up.]

...No. I've made my peace with it. I made that peace years ago. I promised myself that I could never fall for someone. That my future was a solitary one for a reason. It sucked at first but...I'm more than comfortable with it. As long as she's happy, that's really all I need.

[He does raise an eyebrow at that last question.]

About Diomuhr?

Making peace with it is easy enough before you're faced with it.

[which... feels like it's the case, here.]

Yeah, about him.

...Yeah. Fair point. I can't really argue that one.

[He shifts a bit. It was alarming at how well Archie could see through him, sometimes. Struggling with feelings like this wasn't Darin's strongest suit.]

...Yeah. She knows. She wouldn't leave me alone about why I try to keep people at arms' length. I thought maybe telling her would scare her off but...

She's as stubborn as I am.

[he has a lot of experience with putting on masks.]

That's not a bad thing. You said you were happy because of your friend's interventions.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject