puppycrush2 | week three

[RITSUKA TO THE RESCUE]

I'm happy to follow your lead. I've never been to a. . . "mall" before.

[it's just like the market they went to before, only. . . indoors!!]

[and after a pause he asks, tone perfectly casual, though perhaps with a hint of hope in his words]

Is this considered "normal" back where you come from?

...

Oh, I definitely worried you.

[MILDLY]

I don't know what you mean.

[I mean. yes. she definitely did. but he is walking, taking in the storefronts as they go]

You said you wanted to be treated normally. That's all.

[ And she's pausing before gently nudging him into one of the teen clothing stores. Please, salesperson. Help them. ]

I didn't think most people would want to really honor that, after everything.

[PLEASE HELP THEM]

Well. . . I want to.

[MAYBE HE ISN'T MOST PEOPLE!!]

[either way, Will gives her a tiny tilt of his head as they enter the store. once inside, he silently moves towards a rack of coats, positioning himself behind the rack, out of sight of the salespeople]

[and the camera crew!!]

[but the crew is going to catch up with them eventually, so. . . Will reaches into the rack and draws some of the coats apart, nodding to the space he has created inside]

Come with me. I want to tell you something.

[WHEN THE EMBRACE SPACE IS NOT AN OPTION, BE SMART!!!]

[ Wh

Are they going to Narnia??

Can't believe Ritsuka is having serious discussions under a table and inside a rack of coats this week, but this isn't anything too wild, so she nods swiftly and steps inside without bothering to ask any further questions.

Well, this is happening! ]

[and Will easily slides between the coats right behind her. it's cramped in here, but quiet! and safe!!!]

[he waits until he hears the crew circle the coat rack, their confused voices muffled thanks to the privacy the heavy jackets provide. and then their footsteps fade, and Will lets out a breath, content to know that they are completely alone. no cameras. he is safe to speak freely]

[so he lifts his gaze]

[looks Ritsuka right in the eye]

[and says]

. . . when I return home. . . I'm going to assassinate one of the other candidates for the throne.

[AND HE SAYS THAT]

[SO EVENLY]

[with a look of sheer determination on his features]

[ ?

????

??!!?!

Ritsuka thankfully does not yell any of these exclamations, but the look on her face probably speaks volumes, because Will saying it so determinedly was not on her bingo card. ]

Is it that church you mentioned, or--

[YES THAT'S ABOUT WHAT HE EXPECTED. it's fine. there's a reason he hasn't told a soul!!]

[his eyes slip shut, and he shakes his head]

No. Not the candidate from the church.

[though he sure ain't Forden's biggest fan, either. and Forden certainly does not like him]

. . . I told you that I was trying to become king, because the king's heir-- his only son-- had died many years ago. That was a half-truth.

[eyes open again. chin lifted. still determined. it comes so naturally to him, despite how soft spoken and kind he has been these past two weeks when out in public]

The real reason I'm trying to become king is because the crown prince is still alive. He's alive, but asleep, wasting away underneath a curse placed upon him by the man who tried to take his life so many years ago.

The only way to lift the curse. . . is to kill the one responsible for casting it.

So... one of the king candidates is the one who cursed the prince, and the only way to save him is by killing the curse caster. Okay.

[ Okay. That makes sense. Quintessential political king stuff. ]

... I mean, you've got to know I'm the last person who'd judge you for something like that.

Edited 2024-11-26 06:22 (UTC)

That's right.

[YEAH, QUINTESSENTIAL POLITICAL KING STUFF. . . as if a change in regime could ever occur without bloodshed. neither of them are naive enough to believe that it could]

. . . and I know.

[not that he was ever worried about being judged. he only brought it up because. . .]

It's not the same. . . and I know that. [but still] But it feels. . . fair, for me to share it with you.

[so she knows. . . that she is not the only one]

[ She sort of feels a little bad, that she's concerned enough people for them to feel as though they need to come forward with their own secrets. Mark... Asa... Will.

But she can't say she really has any say in what they feel about it or not, or what they choose to tell her. That's their choice, in the end. ]

It'd be nice if we could solve problems without ever having to hurt other people, huh? Or get anyone else caught up in it.

[ But she's past the point of wishing there had been another way. Maybe there's one waiting for her up ahead where she can end this without losing anyone else, but...

She closes her eyes. ]

That's a lot you're going back to.

[heh. . . at that, he gives a small smile. she's right. if all the problems in the world could be solved without bloodshed. . . well. that'd be an ideal world, wouldn't it? a utopia, just like in his novel]

It is.

[she closes her eyes, and he reaches out to her, resting his hand against her upper arm. a show of camaraderie]

But for my country. . . I do what I must.

. . . just as you do, for your world.

[still not the same. the scale is so totally different that he knows he cannot comprehend the horrors she has lived with. but if this gives her some sense of solace. . . even a tiny bit. . . then he'll be glad]

[ Well, it's one more person who won't act deeply uncomfortable in her presence, and she's not really about to look that kind of gift horse in the mouth. She'd like to help get all of them through this game and that means making sure they can handle talking to her.

She puts a hand on his hand. ]

I wish I didn't have to. But thanks, for telling me.

I wish you didn't, too.

[but the world is not that kind. perhaps one day, it may be, but. . .]

But while we're here, you can count on me, okay? As. . . your friend.

Well, the same goes for me. Not that I know how much help I'll be, but...

I can try, right?

[good lord he does not want to put the burdens of his kingdom on her. not even a little bit]

You can, but I think maybe you should focus more on resting first??

This is resting.

Or it will be once we get out of the coat rack and find you an outfit.

[ We're burning daylight. ]

[RITSUKA. . .]

We did come here for a reason. Let's find me a new coat and then get something to eat.

[he hungry!!]

Whole new outfit, Will. That's what they said.

[ He's gonna be so stylin'. ]

You're not going to let me do things halfway, are you?

Nope.

[ That's just a given. ]

[time to climb out of the coat rack, where a flustered salesperson awaits, giving them bewildered looks]

Oh. . . sorry!

[apologetic]

I'd like to buy a new jacket, so if you could help my friend and I out. . .

week three | dates

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