Session Start: Sun Apr 27 18:43:56 2008
Session Ident: #lunar-iog2
<Trune> ==Lude Begin!==
<Trune> >> The afternoon sun is just beginning to dip in the sky, the faintest orange tints decorating the sky. Despite the hour, the city is abuzz with activity, and it goes without saying that the infirmary is active with all of the injured recovering there.
<Trune> >> As the infirmary nurses mill outside of the infirmary compound, assisting the less-injured combatants and civillians, Niri tears out of the building like a bat out of hell, completely oblivious to everything around her in her attempt to escape.
* Niri is rushing down the hallway of the infirmary from the direction of the private room Mikel was given. She isn't exactly running, but she's moving quickly, head down and not really looking where she's going. She can be heard muttering to herself under her breath, "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."
* Niri stumbles out the door of the infirmary and nearly crashes into Trune.
* Trune skids to a stop, nearly bowling into Niri as he does so with a rather surprised look on his face.
* Niri pinwheels, regaining her balance and looking sheepishly at Trune. She stops muttering to herself long enough to shrug and apologize. "Sorry, Trune...wasn't watching where I was going."
* Niri is looking particularly red in the face and perhaps somewhat upset about something.
* Trune blinks in confusion, eying Niri for a moment, before his confusion seems to melt into geniune concern. He pulls out his whiteboard and writes in haste, flipping to Niri: 'What's wrong?'
<Niri> Hmm? Nothing, nothing. Nothing's wrong. So uh, what's up?
* Trune gives Niri a skeptical look, but at the same time his shoulders seem to untense. He wipes off the whiteboard with the sleeve of his shirt and writes another message: "I was looking for you. I need your help with something."
<Niri> Oh? *Niri brightens, looking glad for the change of subject.* What's that? *She falls into step next to Trune.*
* Trune 's expression remains serious, perhaps even almost determined. He stops his walk for a moment though; the message he's writing on the board appears to be lengthier than usual. When he flips the board over to Niri, his handwriting seems to grow smaller and smaller as it nears the bottom of the board: "My dad said I might be able to use telepathy. I can use it with the elementlors easy, but it's hard with everyone else.
<Trune> "I need another way to let people know things in an emergency. I wondered if I could practice with you."
* Niri blinks in surprise, but then she brightens. "Hey, that's a great idea! You really think you can do it? Yeah, sure, I'd be glad to help you give it a try. Where should we go?"
* Trune brightens as well, happy that Niri is accepting of his idea. He erases his message and writes another: "Big oak right near the infirmary. Very quiet."
* Niri nods and heads in that direction. She seems to lose a little of her unease, though some of it still lingers underneath the surface.
* Trune glances at Niri from time to time as he walks, watching her carefully, but seems to remain silent -- well, even more silent as a mute can be, and walks towards the predetermined spot.
* Trune finally reaches a large, towering oak. The tree itself is huge - the leaves are rustling in a gentle breeze and the sounds of birds can be heard high up in the branches. The area around the tree is surrounded by grass and small flowers.
* Trune plops himself down near the base of the tree, setting down his backpack gently. A soft mew is heard from the back pocket, and Molly wiggles her way out, proceeding to attack a random bug flitting between the grass.
* Niri smiles at Molly, then turns to Trune. "So, what's the plan?"
* Trune erases the board once more, writing yet another message. The board itself is starting to look a little dull: it could use a good cleaning: "It's mostly all me. Just focus your thoughts. Not too much. Too much of an opening may not be wise considering."
* Niri frowns. "Hmm. You have a point there. Are you sure this is a good idea?"
* Trune frowns himself, pondering. His takes a deep breath and clears off his board, writing another message upon it: "Vytor said he believed in me. I want to help him. I'm willing to risk it, but if you're not I understand."
<Niri> Well, I believe in you too, Trune. I DON'T believe in the virus. But if your dad helped you contain it...maybe it's safe. I just wish we could know for sure, or else Tanan is going to give me hell about it later, you know? *She sticks her tongue out.*
* Trune shakes his head, writing, "Thought you weren't going to talk to me without him. You're being naughty."
<Niri> ...Well. You're right, I'm really not supposed to. But with the virus contained, at least temporarily...and besides, left Tanan behind so I could uh, have a private conversation. I was just going back to get him, I guess, when I ran into you.
* Trune 's grin grows ever wider and he writes a single word on the whitebord: "Naughty. :)" ...Smile includes, of course.
* Niri shrugs, looking a bit uncomfortable and red in the face again. "Hmm. Anyway, I'd love to help you, but now that I think on it...I dunno if it's such a good idea, or more importantly, I doubt the others would think it is. I'd rather not be party to you getting punched repeatedly in the face."
* Trune slowly lowers his whiteboard and nods slightly, but the dissapointment in his eyes is easy to see.
* Niri blinks, then puts an arm around Trune's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. I know this has to be only temporary. In the meantime, try to rely on the Elementalors as much as you can. You can speak to them telepathically and they can pass on messages."
<Niri> Can they speak to us telepathically too? Then they could relay things that much faster.
* Trune shakes his head, as if to say he doesn't know.
<Niri> Well, that's an idea worth trying too.
* Trune taps his pen on his whiteboard a moment, then writes: "Hard to summon them. Hard to do anything...Want to help. Tired of things not working. Can't fail this."
* Niri hugs Trune around the shoulders. "You HAVE been helping, Trune. And don't think that I don't feel useless either. You saw what happened with Vytor."
<Niri> If I'd realized sooner that Rogar was just toying with us, that he was just trying to distract and trick us...if I hadn't been so stupid as to think I was important to his plans...
* Trune quirks a lip, pauses, and whaps Niri on the head. Only this time it's a lot lighter, though the intent is still there.
* Niri glares a little at Trune. "Say what you like, you can't deny that today has sucked and I've been a total screwup.
* Niri buries her face in her hands and mutters something unintelligible.
* Trune actually glares back, and writes on his board, "You are not."
* Trune then holds it in front of her face, waving it around a little bit for emphesis.
<Niri> Trune, Mikel almost DIED. And it was because of ME.
* Trune gives Niri an incredulous stare, and angrily writes something on his whiteboard, flipping it towards her: "YOUR fault? YOURS?"
<Niri> He wouldn't have taken a bullet if I hadn't been there!
* Trune 's just shakes his head in disbelief. Again he scribbles something on his whiteboard, and he shakes his hand out midway because damn, he's been doing a lot of writing: "We all knew the risks. He chose to do it. What he did was not your fault."
* Niri shrugs, looking at the ground. "That's...what he told me, yeah. But I can't stop thinking about what would have happened if...if..."
* Trune doesn't bother erasing the board this time. He just writes the words on the bottom: "It didn't. He helped you, you helped him."
* Niri nods slowly. "He's going to keep doing this, though. And I can't stop him. Someday...I won't be able to help him, and he'll be gone."
* Trune shakes his head at Niri, obviously disagreeing with something.
<Niri> ...What?
* Trune really erases his whiteboard - the board itself was becoming so smudged that his writing was starting to become illegible, but after a few good rubs Trune writes another message. When he flips the board to Niri, a lot of his anger seems to have vanished, "You're his friend. You've helped him before. You'll help him now. That's just the kind of person you are. You won't fail him. Or Vytor. Or anyone."
* Niri sniffles a bit. "...Thanks, Trune."
* Trune looks away for a moment, as if trying to hide his face for a moment or perhaps collecting his thoughts.
* Niri doesn't seem to notice...she seems rather distracted, as if troubled by something else.
* Trune finally straightens, biting his lip. It almost seems that he's shaking ever so slightly, and then he suddenly writes another message on his board. He flips it to Niri, "You should tell him all of this."
* Niri blinks. "Who, Mikel?" She suddenly reddens. "I uh...I did." She looks very uncomfortable, and not at all happy.
* Trune 's eyes flick away for a moment, and he nods, though the nod doesn't seem to be aimed at Niri in particular.
<Niri> ...Disaster of a conversation though. *She mutters this*
* Trune then pauses for a moment, and seems to scribble something on his whiteboard, and writes something below it. Once he's finished, Niri can see it's a cute, but crude, little drawing of Trune and Niri back at the spire, with Trune uncerimoniously dumping a kitten on Niri's lap. Next to the picture is an arrow with a :( face by it, and below the drawing are the words, "Can always try again."
* Niri cracks a wavering smile, that slowly turns into a grin. She shakes her head. "You didn't mess up all that badly back then, you know."
* Trune erases his board and writes the words, "Liar. :)"
<Niri> Oh come on, Trune. You've always been there for me, at least trying to make things better, and I've known that. Well. Maybe not early on, then you wanted to tear my hair out, I'm sure.
* Trune can't help but laugh - granted no sound comes from this laugh, but it's obvious that's what he's doing. He quickly writes a message on his whiteboard, "You were annoying! Annoying! Less so now. Less biting of ankles."
* Niri snickers. "Just you wait. We haven't gone up against Zophar yet. Gonna poke him in the eyes."
* Trune 's eyebrows raise and he once again doesn't bother to erase his board as he hastily writes, "Steal his lunch money?"
<Niri> ...Poke him WITH the Sword of Althena, of course.
* Trune silently ohs.
<Niri> Well...I came out here to think, but I'm no closer to any answers. Guess I feel a BIT better though. *She sighs a bit and gives Trune a rueful smile.*
* Trune can't help but smile back, but his smile fades for a moment, and he glances down at his whiteboard. He manages to look up and the smile returns, though it seems just a tad forced. He writes something down on the whiteboard, flipping it to Niri, "Seriously, talk to him. Tell him how you feel. That may help him."
* Niri hesitates, struggling with what to say, before she finally blurts out, "But...I don't KNOW how I feel! That's the problem!"
<Niri> I said something I didn't mean to say, it came out all wrong, it CAN'T be true. But...now I'm wondering if I have any clue about any of it.
* Trune hesitates for a moment, looking like he wants to write something on his whiteboard, but relents.
* Trune then finally sighs and uncaps his pen, scribbling something down. He flips the board to Niri, "I think you know deep down. But you got to reach it on your own. Can't give you the me version."
* Niri shakes her head. "We're...we're just friends. That's all. I mean, it /couldn't/ be anything else. That'd be wrong."
* Trune quriks an eye, as if to say, 'why?'
<Niri> Why couldn't it? Well...well...he belongs to Emili! *Niri looks at him as if this should be obvious.*
* Trune shakes his head, and writes another line on his board. He hesitates again, but then flips it towards her, "You won't know unless you ask."
* Trune pauses a long, long time. Finally he writes slowly on his board, and while he doesn't flip it towards her, Niri can read it from her vantage point, "...think he likes you too."
* Niri looks horrified at that. "Wait a minute...even if it IS true that I...that I feel that way, I would NEVER ask! I would never do that to Mikel!"
* Niri pauses as she catches a glimpse of the board's next message, then looks away. "...No."
* Trune nods just slightly.
<Niri> I...seriously doubt that. There's just no way.
* Trune flips his board towards himself, and then turns it towards Niri, "GO ASK HIM."
* Niri turns away. "...Makes me sick to my stomach to think about doing that."
* Trune writes something on the whiteboard, and flips it towards Niri. He turns his head away from her as he does this. He has to wait a while for her to read it, considering she's faced the other way, "You're scared. But, it's better to know for sure, then to let someone you care about slip away."
<Niri> I...
<Niri> I'll think about it. Gotta decide...if that's really how I feel, anyway.
* Trune puts the board down on the ground and nods, seeming to accept this answer for now.
* Niri leans over and hugs Trune. "Trune, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be making you deal with this right now. I'm being awfully selfish."
* Trune stiffens just slightly for a moment, but then relaxes and hugs her back. After a moment, he pulls away. He doesn't have his whiteboard in his hand, but he mouths something to Niri with a faint smile.
* Niri nods, letting Trune go. "We're gonna get Vytor back."
<Niri> Even if...even though we'll have to go to the icefields to do it.
* Trune nods, picking up the whiteboard once more and determination once again seeping into his face, though there is some other emotion mixed in there that Niri can't quite discern, "We will save him. No matter what."
<Trune> «ooc: assume he wrote something on it he's not speaking obviously »
* SisterBlowjobGayo is now known as Gayo
* Niri nods, getting to her feet. "Thank you, Trune. I'm...gonna go be by myself for a bit. Do some thinking." She gives him a wavering smile. "But I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for...for listening. You know you can come to me anytime you need me to return the favor, right? And...I'm really sorry about the telepathy."
<Niri> I'll let you know if for any reason Tanan and the others okay it, but I kinda doubt they will.
* Trune writes on his whiteboard, "They won't. But thanks for even considering. Wasn't thinking myself. Don't want anything to happen to you."
* Niri gives him a rueful smile. "Thanks. I wouldn't have worried about it either, but everyone's been beating into my head the notion that I need to think more about my own safety."
<Niri> Kinda told Mikel that next time he should just let me die. He uh...wasn't amused with that suggestion.
* Trune gives Niri a sour look to suggest he's not horribly amused either.
<Niri> Yeah, yeah, I know. I've rethought that suggestion myself.
* Trune 's sour expression leaves pretty quickly at that statement, and he looks relieved.
* Niri waves and begins to walk off. "Later Trune. And...thanks again."
* Trune begins to say something, only he stops midway, apparently forgetting momentarily that he can't speak. He puts a hand on his throat for a moment, looking down. Finally, he looks up, and waves a goodbye to Niri before she leaves.
* Niri nods in return and is gone.
* Trune 's hand remains in the air for a moment, then slowly lowers, shaking. In that instant, the act is over, the curtain falls, and Trune can't hide the utterly crushed expression now filling his face. His shoulders quake, and he buries his head in his hands.
<Trune> ==Lude End==
Session Close: Sun Apr 27 21:20:54 2008