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[he's not sure about that. he's really not sure. he can't make himself envision it. the more he thinks about this, the guiltier and sicker he feels. he should be telling everyone, warning them...it's been how long? and he still can't...

after a lapse:]

...Hid.

Good. It may not feel like it, but that was the right thing. You saw someone you thought was dangerous so you got out of his way. Sometimes that's all you can do.

[the alternative sounds like it would just end in a hurt or worse martin and a pissed off alex-the-existence-eater.]

Is this the first time you mistook someone for him?

[it feels kind of...shameful? to be praised for this? because no matter what, Alex is still family, and family is supposed to supersede everything.

there's another long beat. he almost says D33 reminded me of him, but...holds off.]

Yes. I think so. I don't know.

Alright. If it happens again call someone, okay? Even if it's not actually him. I promise they won't be upset if you do that.

[no wonder martin's up so late, other than... the nocturnal thing. archie'd probably lose his shit momentarily if he saw someone he wholeheartedly thought was shelly.]

Can I ask something? If you don't wanna answer just say.

[after an exhale:] Yes.

How he acts and treats you-- that's allowed within the rules Darkovs follow?

[...]

He never...he doesn't hit or hurt anyone. He never has. And he wouldn't...

That's good to know, but... not really what I asked. He doesn't do this to anyone else?

Well--well...no one else...messed up as bad as I did. So.

That doesn't mean he's allowed to terrorize you.

[it sounds like he's got some pretty bad stuff going on himself. abusive father? something with his sister? yeesh. whatever he's done, martin's terrified of him and as bad as it is... it's not too wild of a concept that he's the one having it all taken out on him. convenient scapegoat and all that.]

...Mmmm, I got another question. You alright to field it? [archie you've asked like 50 already]

Um. Yes. That's...fine...

[maybe. he's starting to worry he's done a bad thing, sharing this. even if...sharing things that bother him...is what Archie said he ought to do.]

Thanks. I'm just wondering how stuff works back home for you, is all. We come from such different places it's hard to understand sometimes...

[he might've asked earlier, but it never seemed like the right time.]

Alex and everything about him sounds like a terribly stressful situation. Can you tell me something good about home?

[if there... even is any...]

[that's because it's a situation for Darkovs, not humans. people.

but...something good?]

...Well. The...walls are very high. It keeps monsters out, even goliaths. So it's always safe to be inside.

And we get fed every day. The Lumas...they take care of us all. That's their job. They do their jobs so we do ours.

Being safe is nice. That's partly why I decided to live in a cave the last few years at home.

[harder to find, too, but martin doesn't need to know that part.]

What about the people? Ones who weren't like Alex. Ones that you didn't feel bad when you saw. There's, uh, your sister, right?

[it's weird, bringing the cave thing up again. a cave sounds dark and sad and scary...but Archie is none of those things.

...well. not most of those things.]

Uh, yes. Regina. She's older than me. I only have one sibling. Some of the others have more.

Alright. [he hums for a moment.] What's she like?

[he's asked this before, but it's a solid foundation to work off, he thinks.]

She's... Kind. And...mostly quiet, but. She knows how to talk to the others. And she's good at making...small weapons. Needles.

[...]

Her hair is very long. She used to make me braid it for her.

She sounds nice. [he almost follows that up with a hope she'll be ported in, but that feels far too cruel. he can silently hope, instead. check the comm lists every now and then.] An' that's a good skill to have. Braiding stuff is harder than it looks! It took me months to learn with Shelly constantly trying to teach me...

[a little tangent, but:] How long'd it take you to learn?

I, uh... [...how long DID it take.

uh.]

I don't actually remember, sorry... It was a while back. Back after I messed up that hunt. She made me do that since I...wasn't doing anything else at the time.

[Martin? depressed enough as to be unmoving? unprecedented.]

[wild concept!!]

Ah. That was good of her. [a very small part of him is slightly bitter he had no support like that, but it's smothered very quickly.] What does home look like? Stop me if I'm boring you.

[he just wants to know more about martin's home. wants to maybe take his mind off alex for a bit before he asks about him again.]

Oh, uh, no, it's fine. I mean... [Martin did call him. he may as well talk.

exhale.]

She...she's tall. Well--maybe as tall as Cassandra? Taller than you. But not Rex, um. Her hair's darker brown than mine, and her skin's whiter, too. Her fingers are really long... I, I think that's because of her conjures. Um...

Your, uh, conjures affect your biology?

[that... makes sense, actually.]

You have those things on your hands because of yours, aye?

[it's interesting-- he knows martin isn't human but it's easy to forget the little things when they look so much like people. which... is literally the point, good job archie, you fell for luma propaganda.]

Right. Mine are...well. Since it's so big, the lance...it gets like that. I'm--it'd be better, uh...maintained, back home. If any Lumas were here to do it, but...it's fine.

I-- yes, I remember your lance. [there's a pause after he says that. was it this martin or the double that he got the lance from? it was so long ago and he was half-conscious for most of it he doesn't remember. well, anyway, power on:] Maintained?

[a pause. that actually worries him enough to disrupt his train of thought.]

What does that mean?

Well... [the apprehension in his voice is for Archie's sake, instead of his own for a change.] If you're conjuring all the time, the wounds...they need care. Stitching. Or...or reopening, if it starts to heal over too much. It helps make sure...next time you conjure, it isn't so messy or painful.

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