WEEK 5

[killerwaves]

WEEK FIVE

21 Vacationers

The weekend sure was something, wasn't it? Tempers flared, explosions burst, and some were treated to an immersive sand bath experience. Come Monday at least, things seem quieter though not in the unnatural still way—the distortions on the islands have receded sometime in the night (with some impressive firework-like booms that may have stirred your sleep, at that; and the waves seem a little higher this morning) and the various amenities on the island have been made orderly again. Though, as always, some traces remain in the landscape; the waterfall looks like it has seen better days, though it's no longer in danger of coughing up debris on your head if looked at wrong.

This week like the rest brings new locations for you to explore, on Kakapo's Nest though it seems like only one of them really fits the vacation vibe. Hope you like snow!

!

WEATHER ALERT:

Bulletin:
Starting Monday morning and continuing throughout the week, pollen counts will be elevated. This is expected to last until late Thursday

!

TASKS:

Breathe Freely:
Enjoy the great outdoors with a fellow vacationer! It's never too late to appreciate nature.
(REWARD: RARE!)

(( Yes, only one task this week which is memshare with someone else. Have fun!
REMINDER: Task submissions are due Friday by 9 PM EST/6 PM PST. ))

(( OOC: Murder proposals are due by Tuesday at 4 PM EST / 1 PM PST, for the current week's murder, which is the last week of standard murder, week 6 being endgame!!

Also, as always, your admins can be contacted for a chat. ))

MONDAY • TUESDAY • WEDNESDAY • THURSDAY

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Comments

Let's just say this happens Tuesday

[gluttoning]

[There's something insulting to the loss, like rubbing salt in an open wound. Beel's never heard Temenos this quiet, but he can recognize that familiar pull of sorrow, of rage, that simmers ice cold rather than passionate and hot.

It all flashes in time in a moment they're together, on the way to explore the new island, and it's enough to make Beelzebub halt in his tracks with a fist pressed into his hair to try and calm himself. The wrath isn't his. The anger, the pain, it isn't his. But it's so raw, and the guilt so heavy, it's hard to not feel empathetic.]

...Temenos. [His look of distress is subtle, drawn back.] Did you see that?

o7

[dupiety]

[Temenos is still at Beelzebub's side, head bowed and arms tightly crossed.]

Regrettably.

[His tone is even and full of his usual nonchalance, but on closer inspection, he's trembling. Every time he thinks he's able to start properly healing, the wound is reopened and guilt digs in deep.]

[gluttoning]

[...

A hand slips to Temenos's shoulder, gently guiding him to face Beel.]

Hey...

[Words escape him as his mouth thins.]

Look at me?

[dupiety]

[Temenos looks at him, but he stays quiet beyond that. The very same pain is evident in his eyes, however, and it's shut him down into silence. Just as it had in the memory.]

[gluttoning]

[His hands lift to cup against either side of Temenos's face.]

...It's okay to let it hurt. It means you loved them.

[He can't tell him not to blame himself. Beelzebub knows firsthand how impossible that can feel. But...

Maybe just letting himself feel was a small enough step to take.]

...I'm so sorry, Temenos.

[dupiety]

["Everyone gets lost from time to time. What's important is...that when you do, there's someone there to lend you a hand."

Throné's words for him at the time replay in his mind as Beelzebub speaks to him now. He lets out a shaky exhale and finds the strength to speak.]

Thank you, Beel. I am...likewise sorry that you had to experience that with me. I've tried not to dwell on it much. Gloom has never suited me, after all, and I eventually brought the truth we all sought to light. Their sacrifices were not in vain. But...

[His hands rest on Beelzebub's arms.]

I miss them terribly.

[gluttoning]

[He lets the melancholy sit in the air, silent, letting his thumbs run idly against Temenos's jaw. Then, with an exhale, he guides the cleric into his arms, holding him tight.]

Then miss them. Even if it might hurt... it means you still want to remember them.

Maybe the people you've loved would want you to find your own truth in that.

[dupiety]

[Ever since Roi disappeared five years ago, Temenos hardened his heart against the cruelty and uncertainty of the world. It's become so hard to speak openly about his sorrows, preferring to keep them hidden from others. He never wanted anyone to worry about his woes. They would just cloud his judgment and make his job difficult, anyway.

His walls have been chipped at bit by bit during his time here, however. Wang Lu had offered his shoulder after the trial that nearly killed Beelzebub, and he had taken it to calm himself down.

Something in him finally shatters and gives way completely as Beelzebub pulls him in for an embrace and says those powerful words to him. He leans in easily, pressing his face into Beel's chest to...allow himself to weep. The grief, the anger, the guilt, the longing- he releases everything that had been tightly bottled up inside into the light.

It's okay to let it hurt- to miss them. And so he does.]

[gluttoning]

[There's no words - only a low hushing when Temenos starts to break down, holding him tighter and letting them sink to the ground with Beelzebub holding their entire weight the whole way down. He can't take the hurt away. He can't bring Temenos's loved ones back. Not the pontiff. Not Roi. Not Crick.

All he can do is be here. A reminder of the present, to let him feel his pain is safe enough to let out... before his heart twists itself in two.]

[dupiety]

[The comfort and security that Beelzebub provides is something that Temenos couldn't possibly hope to express his gratitude for in words. He clings to that warmth as emotion consumes him...until the ache begins to dull and there are no more tears to shed.

What awaits him at the end is a long-overdue sense of catharsis.

He quiets down for a moment, releasing the tension in his grip and settling his breathing to something calmer. He's exhausted, but he feels lighter now. Better.]

I...suppose I truly did need that.

[...is the first thing he says upon lifting his head up. Of course, that's not all he's going to say.]

Thank you, my dear Beel. [That's not enough, either. Just as he suspected.] I love you, so very much.

[gluttoning]

[They stay like that for a while, until the shuddering finally starts to even out, Beelzebub's hand rubbing against Temenos's back as he catches his breath and calms himself.]

...I love you, too. [He tucks the sleeve of his jacket against his own fingers to start wiping Temenos's face clean. It's not perfect, but it'll do for now.]

Tell me more about him sometime. About Crick.

[dupiety]

[He manages a smile as Beelzebub cleans him up. He'll have to freshen up later- perhaps take a nap to rest his eyes. They already sting from all the tears.]

...If you would like, then I would be happy to tell you.

[The subject doesn't seem quite so daunting anymore.]

But I will say now, I daresay he would have had quite the conniption fit if he knew how close to a demon I've become. [In spite of that...he laughs.] But he'd come around. He always did.