{You took my life and wrecked it

[shadowthief]

Who: Inej or Klaus + Various
When: Month of September
Where: Cadens / Solvunn + Nocwich / the Horizon
What: Various threads through the month.
Warnings: Inej: stealing; murder; descriptions of touch aversion, anxiety, depression, PTSD; heavy trust issues, paranoia; mentions of past instances of prostitution, slavery, and sexual assault. Everything will be clearly marked if-when it comes up.
Klaus: flippant references to child abuse/neglect/violence, mentioned and played out use of drugs/alcohol/other facets of addiction, mentions of death/the dead/ghosts, descriptions of depression/anxiety/panic attacks/suicidal ideation/PTSD; will clearly mark if-when it comes up.

but I've been resurrected

Yeah, baby, I'm the Comeback Kid

Comments

[demoexpert]

[ The look sends the flood gates open and Wylan just lays it all out, everything he has been bottling up. ]

Because I don’t think he wants me anymore. The last time I tried to kiss him he pulled away uncomfortably. I told him I missed him and that didn’t seem to do anything either. He doesn’t even flirt with me anymore. Jesper flirts like he breathes, Inej.

[ He looked at her sadly. ] He’s so happy here and I don’t want to mess that up for him if I’m not what he wants anymore. I just want him to be happy.

[shadowthief]

[Well. Maybe he needed this conversation more than anyone, Inej included, had realized at all, if the way he just suddenly pours it all out in one go. Like he’s ready to burst if he doesn’t. Like he’s just been waiting for someone to give him permission for it.

She doesn’t interrupt his spiel, instead waiting until he’s done before she makes any comments at all.]

I don’t think that’s true…

[She frowns a little. It doesn’t make sense with what she’s heard from him, either, really? She’s a bit confused and it shows.]

I don’t know why he would have pulled away, but… I’m sure he’s got his reasons.

[That aside— her tone is much more sure this time, a level of certainty that really doesn’t have much room for argument.]

But I do know this: He cares about you, Wylan, deeply. And you both owe it to yourselves to capture this moment in a bottle, okay?

[She thinks about it for a moment and, catching his hand in hers, adds, in a way that makes it obvious she’s quoting someone or something: ]

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”

[Her eyes soften and she squeezes his hand gently in her own.]

Do you understand?

[demoexpert]

[ Wylan smiles softly at her. It's nice to have someone to talk to about this. He never really had anyone he could talk to, besides Jesper really, and that had still been relatively new. ]

I think so?

[ He thinks she understands what she means by that. ]

I wish I had your conviction, every time I talk to him I just can't help but wonder why he even bothers. [ Sorry, Inej, you're going to get all his insecurities now. ]

[shadowthief]

You know what you want… now you just have to be as direct as possible about it. With yourself, as much as him.

[Because if Wylan isn’t honest with himself first, he can’t be honest with Jesper either.

She will handle his insecurities with gentle hands. At that comment, she smiles softly.]

You’ll never know the girl I used to be, Wylan… most of my conviction is in my faith, with my Saints. The rest? [She leans in a bit, careful of the way the movement that might tug at the soreness in her side. She smirks.] Mostly out of spite.

[demoexpert]

I suppose you're right. [ He's not sure why he's surprised, he was always the one that made the first move with Jesper.

He grins at her. ] Well, then, I wish I had your spite sometimes.

[shadowthief]

He doesn't want to hurt you... he's happy to have you in his life in whatever way you wish. But I think he's scared to push.

[Because it is a lot to come into fresh and new, without having been there from the beginnings like she and Jesper; Kaz and Wylan both walked into something unexpected when they arrived here, it takes time to adjust and figure out how to move forward. But moving forward does need to be the end goal, regardless of the shape it takes.

She grins back.]

I'll let you borrow it, if you like.

[demoexpert]

Sometimes it would be nice to be pushed a little. [ Not too much, but at least he would know Jesper still wanted him. ]

That would be nice. It's a good motivator. [ He looks down for a moment, weighing something in his mind. ] Kaz is trying to teach me how to read.

[shadowthief]

I know what you mean. [Hmm. Is she going to have to meddle to get the two of them to just talk this out? Don't test her. She'll do it!

She smiles a little, but there's no hiding the confused pinch of her brow; it's pretty obvious she didn't know about it before this moment.] How's that going?

[Kaz. As a tutor?]

[demoexpert]

[ She's probably going to have to do that, maybe. ]

It's...going? I don't really know, he's a good teacher. Surprisingly patient, but it all still just looks like scribbles on a page to me. [ He doesn't want to disappoint Kaz so he's going to keep at it though. ]

[shadowthief]

Really? [She sounds... amused and surprised, all at once. She hums a soft, entertained tone.] I didn't think patience was one of his favourite virtues...

[Then, she remembers something and lights up a bit with the thought.] There's a girl in Thorne I'm learning a new language with, but it isn't spoken or written at all, it's all hand shapes and motions. Maybe you could help me practice between lessons.