minecraft is unrealistic

[vagabone]

Who: Héctor, anyone
What: His spirit is as dead as he is.
When: July 25th
Where: Enso
Warnings: Mild injury, and a truckload of d e s p a i r to start with.

It's mid afternoon, one year and then some after he first arrived on the beaches of the island. The thirteenth month. Thirteen's been said to be an unlucky number. Certainly it's not doing him any favors.

As good and kind as everyone is... it's just not enough. Not every day. There's only one thing that ever will be, one thing which he always seems to be denied, one way or another. Granted, not much about his situation is new, when it comes down to it, but then neither are these deep black moods. There were no failures this year. No bridge. Nothing to try. Everything's perfectly fine until he can't fake it anymore, because everything is not fine.

He had four pleasant days with his family, after so long dreaming of them. Was that it? Is that all he'll ever have? And there's no reason for it, seeing as there's very little he can do someone else can't do better. Of course, if he hadn't been so stupid, he would have had many years with them before being drawn to this world, not only four days... stupid, stupid, stupid. He's always been stupid. It explodes outwards as anger first, for a few minutes, but that's hard to sustain for him. So...

He's just lying on the ground, in the leaves underneath a tree, no smile on his face and cracks spiderwebbing through all the bones of one hand. Don't punch trees if you have no padding on your hands, you won't like the results. He doesn't want to get up, he doesn't want to goof off, joke around, play games, none of that. There's... nothing. No point at all.

Comments

[catpiper]

[The simple request is one she can agree with readily enough, immediately laying down in the dirt next to him.]

Like that?

[vagabone]

[He gives her a nod and a weak smile. It's not his best. Even being strangled by the flower plague, he could find a better smile that that.

Where to begin? How does he describe the very best person in the world, when he aches for her so badly?]

She was so small the last time I saw her. A little ray of sunshine, mi alegría... always laughing and dancing through the house, twirling around just to make her dress swish...

[catpiper]

[She can tell-there isn't any joy in his voice and the expression he's forcing on his face masks something else. It's not difficult to see, even for her.]

You'll see her again. She'll keep twirling and twirling until you find her.

[vagabone]

[The sound he makes, somewhere between a laugh and a sob, does not help. No. He's not fine.]

She's an old woman now. A hundred years old. But when she becomes a skeleton... she'll feel good again. We'll be able to do anything we want, we'll dance for days. And eat mountains of strawberry ice cream.

[catpiper]

[She doesn't know whether it's for the best that he talks about it, but on some level, she thinks, it must help. It's got to. There has to be a way to pull that sad edge out of his voice, so-]

Do you like strawberry ice cream? Is that your favorite?

[vagabone]

I like all kinds of ice cream. But strawberry is Coco's favorite. So that's what we'll do, eat every drop of strawberry ice cream in the land of the dead. No matter how expensive it is.

[They'll become the dreaded Ice Cream Bandits, if they must! Why can't it be now, why does he always have to wait?]

[catpiper]

She'll like that kind of thing. When she meets you, you'll both be very happy doing that.

[Because it does sound nice. She can't imagine Coco not enjoying every second of it.]

[vagabone]

We will be. We'll be happy one day.

[Each breath he takes comes painfully. He wants, he wants. That's all he is, a sorry pile of wanting.]

Oh, I can't wait.

[catpiper]

[He sounds desperate, like he's a few seconds away from going to her now and-]

She might come here too.

[vagabone]

[If he could. If only. Can't go home simply by wanting to.]

No, no, she's an old lady. I don't want her to come here, I don't want to see her get hurt. And she'd miss the rest of our family.

[catpiper]

It's very hard when you miss someone very special.

[Because he doesn't want her here-wants to visit her when she's a skeleton like him and the only way that can happen is with time.]

[vagabone]

It is.

[That's all he says for a moment, thoughts trickling by so slowly. Then he sits up, letting go of her hand and waving for her to do the same. A hug, that seems like a good idea. People around here aren't big on hugging a skeleton, it's nice that she is.]

Do you miss someone too?

[catpiper]

[She follows his lead and-

When he turns the conversation to her, she suddenly understands why this is difficult for him.

There are plenty of people she misses. One in particular that she thinks about without end. But-]

It's okay. He'll find me and I won't have to miss him anymore. When you find Coco, it'll feel that way too.

[vagabone]

I know.

[He says, and sucks in a deep breath. Enough about wanting Coco. It's not helping. It makes him feel like he might burst. He's going to try not to, and keep on hugging this other little girl.]

What's his name?

[catpiper]

Seto.

[The name falls easily off her tongue, despite how long they've been apart. It's a boy she'll never forget.]

He's got a very good heart. He's brave and strong and he can do anything.

[vagabone]

Sounds like Imelda.

[Or, well. Coco herself. But he has a hunch.]

She's all of that and more. Brave, strong, and she can do anything. While singing. The most beautiful voice I've ever heard... and I'm old, I've heard plenty.

[catpiper]

Imelda?

[She's heard that name before and the way he talks about her now-it must be another part of his family. There's so much fondness in his voice.]

Who is that?

[vagabone]

My wife.

[Oh. Hmm. Is anyone else on the island married? He can be sure no one in Ren's empty city is. No one living, period.]

We're married. Do you know what that means?

[catpiper]

[It's a term she's heard before. Laurent had a huge wedding and while she doesn't get it, she's at least seen it.]

It means you had a big party?

[vagabone]

[The teeniest tiniest smile. Heck yeah, they did.]

That's right, you've the general idea. When two people love each other so much that they... they throw a big party to celebrate it, show the whole world how crazy in love they are, and promise to love each other forever and ever.

[catpiper]

You and Imelda will love each other forever and ever? That's how it is?

[vagabone]

Forever and ever. Even after death.

[He's no longer alone, no longer believing she hates him, wants him to wither and fade away for his unforgivable mistakes... Good times await him, if only he could get away from Enso. He rests his chin on the kiddo's head while he talks.]

We... didn't get along for a very long time, but we never stopped loving each other.

[catpiper]

Why not?

[Fighting is weird to her in general, especially when people like one another, but Hector? It's impossible to imagine anyone disliking this good natured skeleton. Maybe she was afraid of his bones.]

Were you fighting? Did you get mad at each other?

[vagabone]

[He's quiet, as he tries to scrape together enough thoughts to answer her question in the least upsetting way...]

Yes, we were. It was all a big misunderstanding. She thought I'd left her forever, because she didn't know I'd... [Been murdered.] I'd died in a big city far away.

But she's a skeleton too, like me, and she knows the truth now. We're not fighting anymore.