[closed] a long time coming

[stonefaith]

Date & Time: 10/03, RIGHT AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE CATACOMBS
Location: Startin' off at Koltira's lake but probably eventually ALL AROUND THE CITY, they're bar-hopping.... or, er, scavenging, given the recent bombings....
Characters: Koltira Deathweaver (deadelfwalking), Bariyan e Kodhi (stonefaith)
Summary: Bariyan cries a lot and makes some long-overdue apologies, Koltira is forced to put up with this sad sack of shit
Warnings: N/A

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[ The one good thing about the bombs is that it's temporarily alleviated Bariyan's (very recent) money problems. Clean-up of the destruction has hardly even begun, yet -- which leaves Bariyan free to pick through the ruins and collect alcohol that he would have otherwise had to pay for.

He's got about seven bottles and a bucket of ice when he's through. And that's what he shows up at Koltira's lake with, a few hours later -- having had to walk the whole way over -- though at that point the seven bottles have gone down to three-and-a-half, and Bariyan is well on his way to being stupid drunk.

Which is nice. Bariyan hasn't gone drinking since... before Darkov.

He pauses to look around -- at the broken trees, the scorched land, the ruined framework of Koltira's cabin, where he spots Koltira's silhouette -- and then approaches over one of the bridges. He all but drops the bucket at Koltira's side, melted ice splashing out over the sides, and nudges it towards Koltira with his foot. ]

You. The rest. Is yours. I've already drunk.... [ Bariyan coughs, and makes a vague gesture with his hand. Then he reaches down to snatch up the half-empty bottle. ] Except this one. [ He steps back, and takes a long drink. ]

Comments

[deadelfwalking]

[he's already onto another bottle. This is the best he's felt in ages, and with that feeling comes another relieved sigh.]

If you mean what I sensed from him ... well, he is human. His body, at any rate. But his soul has expanded, somehow. I felt an enormous amount of pure spiritual energy.

[slumping against the wall, his long bangs falling over into his eyes. If only he could sleep.]

More truly, though, I think you brought back a frightened child who deserves a chance to be happy. And I think you have given him that chance.

[shrugs.] But that is only my inconsequential, outsider's opinion.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan falls silent to contemplate these words, and he remains silent for a while, except the clinks associated with the setting down empty bottles and reaching for new ones.

He would not disagree with deserving. But he did not know that that was ever enough to justify what he had done. There'd been many people through worlds and time whom hadn't deserved to die, but that did not mean that any of them deserved to come back... in Bariyan's increasingly hesitant opinion, anyway.

He shuts that down, and the rest with it. ]

No matter. It's done. I am obligated to live with this, whatever choice that I have made.

[ And, gods willing, the only ruination that would come of this would be contained within himself. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[A withdrawal. Ah, well. Koltira is grateful that Bariyan spoke as much as he did. His posture is even more ridiculous now; his face fully obscured by the pale curtain of his hair. The alcohol has accumulated well in his veins, and he feels great.

To this end, he lifts his current bottle and speaks, only half-aware of himself.]

You shall not live with it alone, Bariyan.

[stonefaith]

Will I?

[ He never felt alone when he was with Martin, but without the boy he only felt more alone than ever, these days; worse than when he'd returned to the world, worse than wandering those mountains alone knowing that everyone he knew and loved was long dead or, in many cases, worse....

He sighs, and turns to put his back against the wall, allowing himself to look back over to Koltira. ]

Never mind.

[ He gets back up and walks over to the fridge, opening it, holding the door in place with his foot. There's only a few bottles left; Koltira's gone through quite a lot in a short while. Bariyan picks up the remainder and carries them back to Koltira, setting them down in front of the other man.

As he reseats himself, he laughs, shortly and without much mirth. ]

We're going to have to move on, soon.

[deadelfwalking]

[when Koltira gets to his feet, he actually staggers and sways--just a little, but it's enough to make him grin like an idiot. He's drunk, fully and truly, and that means one important thing: he's no longer in pain.

As such, he keeps on speaking without thinking, too elated by the situation to mind what he's saying.]

Aye, let us go. Perhaps I can find us more fridges.

[as he starts moving, again, with a very slight wobble that clearly delights him--]

And you will not, for you have my friendship, Bariyan.

[he laughs, too, but for him it's genuine, as warm as is possible with his dark, echoing voice, full of pleasure and gentle self-mocking.] Though I realize that may be cold comfort.

[ha, ha, cold comfort. He made a joke.]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan simply stares at Koltira as the other man staggers away. He's drunk, but his misery is a limiting factor; enough that he's quite surprised by Koltira's behavior.

After snatching up one of the last remaining bottles, Bariyan follows after Koltira, a little hesitantly, drawing up alongside the other man with both hands shoved into his pockets. He cocks his head to the side and frowns. ]

No, that's... all right. [ He pauses to open his bottle. ] I appreciate it. ...Thank you for listening.