rupert

[unrecked]

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[agleam]

[please save aikawa but anyways, here they are at his room! shamelessly copies this from my app again help

the walls and floor (pretend there's no bookcase in this picture but everything else is there,) are made of stone. somehow, it doesn't feel cold despite that, though that might be due to the warmth emanating from the fireplace. though the flames that flicker there aren't real, they still give off heat. similarly, the flames on the sources of light don't appear to be real. the rest of the light in the room comes from the window resting just above his desk, which always shows a field of wildflowers.

his bed sits on a thick rug, with more than a couple pillows resting near the headboard. A few feet away is an armoir, and a decoration on the wall (it's easy to tell the swords are not real). there's also a sofa near a bookcase. the spines of the fake books contained on the shelf seem to vary between books about history, politics, adventure novels, fairy tales, and mythology. the clock sitting on the wall makes a soft ticking noise every so often, adding to the noise of the crackling fireplace. a woven tapestry sits on the wall above the fireplace.

porridge hops off the bed when he sees there's company and comes towards him, tail swishing around.]

You can set them down anywhere... Thanks again.

[unrecked]

[RUPERT'S ROOM IS SO CUTE HELLO. I hate that there is now a "dragon" going into this room.

As a Bat, Jason is naturally nosy. So he immediately starts sweeping his eyes around when he gets inside, looking at everything. It gives him a more definite idea of where to place Rupert in time. Seeing people's rooms is interesting. He feels like he's stuck at the Renaissance Faire. He'll put the books down in a minute.

He's distracted by the tapestry, expression strangely soft and curious, until Porridge meanders over. As much as he'd hate it if he realized, his own tail swishes low back and forth. He reaches down to give Porridge some pets, but, like, careful of the claws. Twinsies.]

What's up, buddy?

[agleam]

[he just kind of tosses the books onto his bed like a true teenage boy, though not sloppily enough to bend the pages or damage them in any way accidentally. doing this means he misses the way jason is looking around, but he turns back in time to see him giving porridge his well deserved pets. he glows a little brighter for a moment.]

Careful, Porridge. If you get too comfortable he might call you fat and spoiled again.

[he will never forget, but he at least sounds like he's joking.]

[unrecked]

Tell him you are fat and spoiled, and you love it.

[He rubs under Porridges chin for a second before going back to his duty of being nosy and putting the books away. He is somehow more neurotic about this than most, so he settles the books very neatly on the couch near the arm. There.]

Not bad. Reminds me of Dimitri's room a little. Your room back home like this?

[agleam]

Stop besmirching my dragon's honor.

[he watches as he sets the book down, still trying not to stare too much, before he nods.]

From what I've heard of the place they come from, it seems like it has about the same level of technology, so that makes sense. [the medieval fantasy vibes...] It was a little like this, yeah. I think this one is a little bit smaller, but I don't mind it.

[unrecked]

[Once he's finished with the books, he goes back to nosily looking around Rupert's room. He doesn't dig, or get right up on something, but it's clear in how he looks with his eyes that this is something he probably does a lot. Studying. Being aware of his surroundings.

His tail swishes at the tip back and forth curiously.]

Bigger? I thought it was supposed to be "former" prince?

[agleam]

[he glances towards him, the light coming off him dimming - little spots of gray appear on his person instead, spreading for a moment before he takes a breath and they disappear. still, it sounds a little stilted when he continues.]

...It is, just not for the reason you're thinking. Castle's still standing, so the room's still there. It's just that it's... empty, now.

[unrecked]

[Hmm. He watches Rupert without taking his eyes away, not worried about staring. He thinks about the glow, and he thinks about a former prince, and then thinks about an empty room.

Going out on a limb, he asks:]

Back home, are you alive?

[agleam]

Yes.

[it's a little bit quieter than his normal tone of voice, almost subdued. porridge paws at his ankle, concerned, and he picks him up so he can go set him on the bed. while he's doing that, back turned to him, there's something tense in the set of his shoulders as he speaks.]

I'm the only one who still is. It's a long story.

[unrecked]

[His lips thin. Hooray that Rupert is alive, but at what cost, right? If he feels guilty about the world saver teasing, he doesn’t show it.]

I’ve got plenty of time to kill.

[Tell him.]

[agleam]

[he glances back towards him, a little surprised, before he sets porridge down and takes a seat on the bed himself. while he speaks, he glances towards the ground, expression tight. brief ripples of darkness pool over him every so often.]

...There was a monster. Well, is, not was, and I don't even know if monster is the right word, it's like - a force. It's not something you can really fight against in the traditional sense or even something you can touch, just... something you can hear and feel. The person who brought it to us said it's called the Despair.

[unrecked]

[Slowly, his arms cross over his chest. The tail slows its sway, but it's there. His focus remains on Rupert without wavering.]

What does it do? The Despair.

[agleam]

[he takes a little breath, shifting so porridge can climb onto his laps and receive pets.]

It makes people give up. [...] Brave, strong people, people I've known for years, since I was a kid - they'd just lay down and let it take hold. I don't know if it's magic or some other kind of power that it has, but they just... disappear. They fade away into nothing.

[unrecked]

[Well, the name fits. Shockingly, Jason does not joke about this. In fact, he looks rather serious and somber. His eyes glance away, idly looking into the middle distance over the room.

He hesitates almost, then slowly looks back at Rupert.]

...My mom. What she was sick with... it was that. [...] Not your Despair. It was depression. She medicated with drugs. I would say people don't actually disappear back home, but... if it's bad enough...

They usually do, in another way. So I get it... kind of.

[agleam]

[he keeps his eyes towards the floor as porridge nudges at his hand, but he glances back up at jason says that. it feels important to not stare at the ground during that kind of confession. he takes a breath as he hears the entire story, and while it's different enough from his own experience that he can't entirely connect to it, he does nod, concerned and sympathetic. his voice is sincere when he speaks next.]

...I'm sorry. It's not something anyone should have to see.

[unrecked]

[For once, he doesn't tell Rupert not to apologize. It's a lost cause mostly, but also he gets it.]

It isn't. You included.

[Natural, human depression and Rupert's Despair might not be exactly the same thing, but... they're similar, it sounds, in the essence.]

You feel helpless, watching it happen. Weak because you can't do anything to stop it.

[agleam]

[after another long moment:]

I don't think you're weak. And I definitely don't think you did anything wrong. What happened to her... It isn't on you. It doesn't sound like it's anybody's fault.

[unrecked]

Well, I was a kid. So I was weak, that much is true no matter what you say. Most kids are. There wasn't anything I can do. She made her own choices, but... I still did things that didn't help. Since I didn't have any other choice.

[He peers at Rupert.]

But the same can't be said for you. Right, World Saver?

[This time, the teasing isn't so mean.]

[agleam]

Okay, but you can't blame yourself for being a kid...

[he just kind of flops back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. there's anger in his tone when he continues, but it's not directed at jason.]

I know exactly whose fault this is. That thing didn't always exist, and it came to us because someone brought it. [...] But no matter whose fault it is, I still have to figure out a way to stop it before it can take anyone else. It was too fast, before, but... I have more time here to think of something that'll work.

[hopefully.]

[unrecked]

[He returns to listening, still standing mostly because he doesn’t know how to act with his own body when it has… grown horns and scales and a tail.]

You could make a deal with one of the staff. But you’d have to kill to get help like that probably.

[Which he assumes Rupert would not enjoy.]

If you know who did it, then you at least have a lead.

[agleam]

[he pauses, surprised, and then shoves himself up so he can look at jason. little flashing red lights show up on him.]

I'm not going to kill anyone. That's not even an option.

[unrecked]

[Rupert is being serious, but the reaction brings a lopsided smirk to Jason's face.]

Dunno. You can say that, but ol' Nightman doesn't seem to give two damns whether you say yes or no.

[agleam]

[with a frown:]

Sure, but if the shadow thing happened, that wouldn't be me.

[unrecked]

Wouldn't it? Sure, it jumps inside you, and I'm not agreeing that isn't fucked up, or that control is completely gone. But it sounds like it tailors itself to you. With Sieghart, it used what was already there.

[He shrugs one shoulder.]

With Clementine, it told her it'd help AJ. Now tell me, if Mr. Shadow came to visit you and said it'd get rid of the Despair, would you not take it? Knowing your hostage also comes out free? It's a lot to think about.

[agleam]

I wouldn't, but it wouldn't matter. Sieghart said no and it still did whatever it wanted.

[he sighs.]

And in the end, it made him do things he wouldn't have done ordinarily.