![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
songbird9.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
wrfmlogsarchiveWho: Josiah and Song
What: Continuing directly after the previous log (which is still not finished), Song finally gets Josiah alone. Secrets are revealed, and then the sap starts oozing...
Where: Rainbow's End
When: Thursday night, December 17th
Even after the kitchen was cleared of everyone except for him and Song, Josiah didn't make eye contact with her right away. He had done his best to avoid giving away too much about why he left while the others were in the room - it still wasn't something he was sure he was comfortable with talking about. And if he knew his friends like he thought he did, the reactions would be... nothing short of interesting.
Besides all of that, there was still something ELSE to discuss, and he had the feeling that this discussion might take awhile.
Song still wasn't sure how much to expect from him, even now that they were alone. He'd said that they needed to talk, so she hoped that his intent was to trust her with whatever it was that had been bothering him, but she would not be surprised if he gave her only minimal detail.
Either way, though, he'd said that they should talk, so as far as she was concerned, he was going to start it. Unlike him, she didn't think the other topic would take all that long. There was really only one thing she needed to say. Everything else would depend on his answer.
She continued to stare at him patiently. He'd have to say something eventually...
He finally sat down across from her, looking as if he didn't quite know how to start the conversation. After a few moments of silence, he finally looked up and met her gaze, and even though it wasn't noticeable at first, it almost looked as if his eyes - usually the same intense blue he shared with Lilith - had taken an almost greenish tint to them.
He opened his mouth to begin speaking, and then stopped, rubbing his temples. "I... actually have no idea where to start."
"Try the beginning." Her tone and expression were virtually blank, emotions shielded and suppressed while she focused on trying to read him.
He was torn between being as blunt as possible, and giving way too much detail over the reasons why he left. Either way would probably get him a raised eyebrow. He took a moment to collect his thoughts into some sort of decency and then decided to throw caution to the wind. To hell with it, it was going to take a minute to explain everything anyway.
"Other than that one time last year, did you ever speak with Nasser?" he asked finally. The gap in his memories didn't serve him too well on that subject.
"No." She blinked a couple times, clearly not having expected Nasser to come into this first. Granted, she didn't know what to expect.
He reached up to absently touch the three items that lay just over his collarbone, remembering the talisman that had once been there for nearly a year.
"You know that he was the reason behind the whole Calum thing," he said, an almost thoughtful expression on his face. "He wanted something out of it, which was why he sent me after Calum's talisman in the first place. He never exactly told me what though, and I didn't even piece together that was his intention until... much later." Of course, by then it had been too late to do anything about it, and Lilith hadn't been much help in that area either.
She nodded vaguely, saying nothing. She hadn't grasped the full extent of that detail, but she'd picked up the rough idea from what she'd heard of the talisman in past conversations.
Josiah smiled humorlessly. "I figured out what he wanted, though I don't think he intentioned for it to actually happen this way. Guess that's the downfall of being a seer is that the future isn't written in crystal-clear detail." He paused, trying to figure out the best way to proceed.
It came to him after a moment, and he got up from his chair, crossing over to Song. "Guess I'll have to do this by demonstration." He knelt next to her, his eyes serious. "Close your eyes for me."
She tensed slightly and straightened in her seat as he came to her, once again not sure what to expect. It didn't help, of course, that her heartbeat was picking up for entirely different reasons.
But she only did as told, turning in her chair to face him and closing her eyes.
He watched her, distracted for just a few moments before he took a deep breath, drawing up a spell from the grimoire. He quietly murmured something in Italian and abruptly, the sounds of Rainbow's End and Radiant Garden ceased to be replaced by the bawdy laughter of a rowdy crowd, the almost overwhelming scent of perfume and rum and salt water, and the cool humidity of a Caribbean night.
She flinched at the sudden change, but did not open her eyes for fear that it would break the spell. This wasn't unlike her dream magic, in that it delivered her mind to another place, so it was at least not a total shock. Still, she tried to keep her reactions to a minimum and only listen, waiting for a further sign from him, or for whatever it was that he was wanted to show her.
"You can open your eyes," he told her quietly. When she would open her eyes, she would see around them the sights and sounds of Tortuga at night, long, long ago. People passed by them in drunken revelry or other various stupors while shady figures lurked here and there. Every now and then, someone would pass by who would seem to recognize Josiah and a mixture of fear and respect would appear in their eyes before they quickly continued on their way.
She studied these surroundings cautiously, and studied Josiah more cautiously still. It wasn't exactly hard to guess what all this was about. When had Josi ever been feared except when under Calum's control? She had hoped that his current problems were not so closely tied to the pirate... but she was only resigned, not surprised, to suspect now that such hopes were in vain.
Still she said nothing, only watched and listened.
He looked around the town square as if trying to decide what to do next before he glanced back at Song. "This is nothing except an illusion. A pretty powerful one, and definitely one that I shouldn't be able to do after only having the grimoire for a little over a year." He shifted slightly, the only noticeable sign that he was uncomfortable. "And I never got to see what life was like for Calum. He may have done something similar when he looked at my memories, but it never worked that way vice versa."
He sighed and met Song's eyes again. "At least, not until that final fight."
She tilted her head curiously at that final comment, but wasn't sure how to ask about it. She went for the more general questions. "What does all this mean, then? And what is it that you've been searching for out there?" She gestured at their surroundings, but it wasn't the illusion she meant.
"It means..." He frowned and looked about the town square almost reluctantly. "This illusion is a memory. A memory that doesn't belong to me." He shook his head, closing his eyes as he once agian tried to wrap his thoughts around that. "Everything that he ever did in his life before he was killed, including his mastery over the grimoire - that's all a part of me now. I don't know what happened in that fight that did this, but... I didn't know how much of those memories were going to affect me. So I left."
He shook his head ruefully with a laugh. "Guess I was too scared to stay and risk something bad happening again."
Somehow, she was relieved. Obviously it was something that bothered him, and why wouldn't it? But memories were just memories. As long as that trace of Calum did not influence him dangerously, then the situation was really much less terrible than she'd been starting to believe.
Only that particular 'what if' was an issue.
"Have there been any bad effects?" she asked simply. "Aside from these memories just being troublesome reminders?"
"Well, I haven't been going on quests to change the universe as we know it by using black magic, if that's what you mean," he replied with a grin. The smile vanished just as quickly as it appeared, though, and he broke eye contact with her. "Nothing too bad - before the black magic corrupted him, he wasn't necessarily a bad guy. Stubborn, arrogant, and ambitious - but I can name at least half of the people in my life who would fit one or more of those qualities."
The illusion wavered for a brief instant, and then melted away back in the kitchen at Rainbow's End. He still knelt next to her, but a troubled look was on his face. "It's not knowing what could happen that gets me."
She tried not to react as the scene shifted back. It was something she'd gotten quite used to, so she did a fairly good job of adjusting.
And what Josiah said... that was something she understood quite well.
It was her turn to break eye contact. While she very much wanted to reassure him, she didn't know how. The most she could think to say was that yes, she did understand, but she thought he already knew that.
In accordance with her unusual silence tonight, Song chose actions instead of words. She reached out to touch him, first brushing her hand through his hair, then resting it on his shoulder.
He closed his eyes at her touch. He wanted nothing more than to forget everything bad that had happened in the past year, to not have to feel guilty about the heartache he had caused his friends. He also knew that running away from the problem wasn't going to be much help to anyone - but, like always, he still tried to avoid burdening other people with his problems, despite the fact that he always seemed to be in over his head. If anything, it was because of their help that he was still there, with his own heart and soul intact.
Speaking of which... he opened his eyes and smiled up at Song. "You know, I don't think I ever thanked you for everything that you did for me when I wasn't exactly myself."
"You can thank me by..." She stopped there, and rephrased the response. "You don't have to thank me. Savior complex, remember? I'm not happy if I'm not solving someone else's problems... or at least meddling in them." She smiled, but her light tone had sounded forced. There was more to it than that, as they both knew... but some things were just hard to say.
"Well, let me be the first to say that you do an awfully good job at it." Still, he tilted his head curiously, not missing the odd note in her voice. There were other things, obviously, that they needed to discuss too. But just like the first half of the conversation, he had absolutely no idea where to begin.
It seemed like it was time, though, for that second part of the discussion, as he'd already explained his problem in more detail than she'd expected.
Which meant that it was her turn to start.
Her eyes met his again, then just as quickly flicked downward. "Josi, I... about... what happened before. About us..." Well, this was starting out a good deal more awkward than she'd intended. She knew exactly what needed to be said. She'd planned it out right down to the letter, but again, getting the words out was not nearly as easy as thinking them.
He didn't interrupt, just waited patiently for whatever she had to say. He had some idea what this conversation was going to be, but he didn't dare make assumptions so early.
"I..." She stopped, took a deep breath, tried again... "I want to be with you. I really do... but if Orpheus comes back, or if I find out where he's gone, I will go to him. You know that, right?"
He blinked in confusion. "Is that what you're worried about?" He peered up at her for a few moments as if trying to figure that out before he laughed suddenly. "Song, I know that. I've always known that. If that's what makes you happy, there's no way in hell I would try to stop you."
For a moment she couldn't even respond. His laughter and his words sent her heart flip-flopping like a drunken butterfly, and it wasn't the least bit unpleasant. She was surprised and a little embarrassed to find herself smiling in return. "Heh. I... It just didn't seem fair to you. I didn't know... and it's not that you're just a replacement, I..." Again, these next words were difficult, and for some reason they almost hurt to say. "If Orpheus hadn't been there, it would have all been you. It was there, I just... didn't realize until..." Once again she was rambling, and managed to catch herself and trail off, looking just a bit sheepish.
He shook his head at her words. "You don't have to feel bad about it. Hell, you don't even have to apologize. I knew about you and Orpheus before I felt this way about you, so I should be the one saying sorry to you." He knew that he should be jealous or angry or something, but... he just wasn't. Before anything else, he wanted her to be happy, and if Orpheus made her happy, then he wasn't going to say or do anything that would stop that.
"Don't say you're sorry for the way you feel," he said with a smile. "I understand." Then he straightened up slightly and kissed her.
If there was ever to be an 'opportune moment' for a kiss that night, this was it.
She fell into the kiss easily, eyes fluttering closed as her heart lifted in a rush. There was none of the guilt or uncertainty of last time, and still it felt so different from being with Orpheus. She had yet to define why, but right now it hardly mattered. This moment was what she'd been waiting for since the day Josiah left.
She was the one to break the kiss, but not at all too soon, and she echoed it with a lighter kiss to his forehead. Then without warning she slid out of her chair, pushing it back as she went, and hugged him as tight as she could.
Even for someone like him, who probably should learn how to define "forever" really soon all things considering, he didn't mind having her for only a brief moment in time. Some part of him argued that that's what falling in love would do to you, but he quickly silenced that part as Song broke away from the kiss. He let her hug for a few more minutes before he finally got to his feet in order to hug her back, kissing the top of her head.
"Sorry for making you worry," he murmured.
She relaxed in his arms and just breathed for a moment, eyes closed, smiling as he spoke.
"Thanks for making me stop," she countered. "And thanks for coming back, even if it's only for a little while."
"What can I say?" he said with a grin in his voice. "Being away from you guys is crazy... although being away from you is worse." While he was saying that, he glanced at a nearby clock on the wall... and winced. When did it get THAT late? Knowing his luck, it probably snowed a good foot while he was inside too. If the universe stopped using him as a chew toy, it would probably implode on itself soon after.
"I should probably leave," he said, although he didn't quite pull away from that embrace yet. Winter nights were the worst.
She sighed at the last bit, but nodded, though she did not move to pull away either...
"If you must. Just don't disappear on me, alright?"
"I can only pull so many disappearing acts in a year's time," he teased softly. He pulled away just slightly, a reluctant look on his face, looking as if he wanted to say something but debating whether he should or not. Other than that, he still held her in a loose hug. "After awhile, it gets redundant."
She smiled again, and while it was vibrant, it didn't last long. There was still pain, or something very much like it, not because of him, but because of Orpheus. Now there were doubts again as well, which she was really too tired to think about tonight.
Later. There would be time to figure it all out later...
"Yes, well, our universe seems to like redundancy. Between the Heartless and the memory issues, I thought that was obvious."
"You'd think of all things, the universe could be a bit more creative," he said, finally pulling away. He smiled down at her. "But I won't leave without telling you. I promise. If I do, you can throw a brick at me or something." He brushed some of her hair back from her face, gently touching her cheek as he did so. "Preferably a styrofoam brick."
"Heh. Maybe I'll just save myself the trouble of finding one and use Amy's Igor."
She leaned up to kiss his cheek, then his lips, both merely brief and feathery touches before she backed away. "Good night, Josiah. And my offer still stands. I may not be Namine, but if there's any way I can help with the memories..."
"People do seem to love using me for target practice." He paused at the mention of his memories (which always seemed to be messed up, no matter how you looked at it) and just smiled, shaking his head. "You'll be the first to know."
She accepted that with a small smile and then gave another sigh, this time out of simple weariness. "Well, go on, get out of here before I decide not to let you leave. I'm already tempted to just lock you in and keep you. I'm sure you'd make an excellent pillow..." She yawned as if to emphasize this point.
"For some reason, I wouldn't object to that," he said before giving her one last brief hug. "Good night, Song."
She said nothing more, only waved him away. If he stayed any longer, she very likely would try to convince him to stay all night. It's not as if there weren't empty beds. Or couches. which could be shared (for innocent cuddling, of course).
Maybe next time.
What: Continuing directly after the previous log (which is still not finished), Song finally gets Josiah alone. Secrets are revealed, and then the sap starts oozing...
Where: Rainbow's End
When: Thursday night, December 17th
Even after the kitchen was cleared of everyone except for him and Song, Josiah didn't make eye contact with her right away. He had done his best to avoid giving away too much about why he left while the others were in the room - it still wasn't something he was sure he was comfortable with talking about. And if he knew his friends like he thought he did, the reactions would be... nothing short of interesting.
Besides all of that, there was still something ELSE to discuss, and he had the feeling that this discussion might take awhile.
Song still wasn't sure how much to expect from him, even now that they were alone. He'd said that they needed to talk, so she hoped that his intent was to trust her with whatever it was that had been bothering him, but she would not be surprised if he gave her only minimal detail.
Either way, though, he'd said that they should talk, so as far as she was concerned, he was going to start it. Unlike him, she didn't think the other topic would take all that long. There was really only one thing she needed to say. Everything else would depend on his answer.
She continued to stare at him patiently. He'd have to say something eventually...
He finally sat down across from her, looking as if he didn't quite know how to start the conversation. After a few moments of silence, he finally looked up and met her gaze, and even though it wasn't noticeable at first, it almost looked as if his eyes - usually the same intense blue he shared with Lilith - had taken an almost greenish tint to them.
He opened his mouth to begin speaking, and then stopped, rubbing his temples. "I... actually have no idea where to start."
"Try the beginning." Her tone and expression were virtually blank, emotions shielded and suppressed while she focused on trying to read him.
He was torn between being as blunt as possible, and giving way too much detail over the reasons why he left. Either way would probably get him a raised eyebrow. He took a moment to collect his thoughts into some sort of decency and then decided to throw caution to the wind. To hell with it, it was going to take a minute to explain everything anyway.
"Other than that one time last year, did you ever speak with Nasser?" he asked finally. The gap in his memories didn't serve him too well on that subject.
"No." She blinked a couple times, clearly not having expected Nasser to come into this first. Granted, she didn't know what to expect.
He reached up to absently touch the three items that lay just over his collarbone, remembering the talisman that had once been there for nearly a year.
"You know that he was the reason behind the whole Calum thing," he said, an almost thoughtful expression on his face. "He wanted something out of it, which was why he sent me after Calum's talisman in the first place. He never exactly told me what though, and I didn't even piece together that was his intention until... much later." Of course, by then it had been too late to do anything about it, and Lilith hadn't been much help in that area either.
She nodded vaguely, saying nothing. She hadn't grasped the full extent of that detail, but she'd picked up the rough idea from what she'd heard of the talisman in past conversations.
Josiah smiled humorlessly. "I figured out what he wanted, though I don't think he intentioned for it to actually happen this way. Guess that's the downfall of being a seer is that the future isn't written in crystal-clear detail." He paused, trying to figure out the best way to proceed.
It came to him after a moment, and he got up from his chair, crossing over to Song. "Guess I'll have to do this by demonstration." He knelt next to her, his eyes serious. "Close your eyes for me."
She tensed slightly and straightened in her seat as he came to her, once again not sure what to expect. It didn't help, of course, that her heartbeat was picking up for entirely different reasons.
But she only did as told, turning in her chair to face him and closing her eyes.
He watched her, distracted for just a few moments before he took a deep breath, drawing up a spell from the grimoire. He quietly murmured something in Italian and abruptly, the sounds of Rainbow's End and Radiant Garden ceased to be replaced by the bawdy laughter of a rowdy crowd, the almost overwhelming scent of perfume and rum and salt water, and the cool humidity of a Caribbean night.
She flinched at the sudden change, but did not open her eyes for fear that it would break the spell. This wasn't unlike her dream magic, in that it delivered her mind to another place, so it was at least not a total shock. Still, she tried to keep her reactions to a minimum and only listen, waiting for a further sign from him, or for whatever it was that he was wanted to show her.
"You can open your eyes," he told her quietly. When she would open her eyes, she would see around them the sights and sounds of Tortuga at night, long, long ago. People passed by them in drunken revelry or other various stupors while shady figures lurked here and there. Every now and then, someone would pass by who would seem to recognize Josiah and a mixture of fear and respect would appear in their eyes before they quickly continued on their way.
She studied these surroundings cautiously, and studied Josiah more cautiously still. It wasn't exactly hard to guess what all this was about. When had Josi ever been feared except when under Calum's control? She had hoped that his current problems were not so closely tied to the pirate... but she was only resigned, not surprised, to suspect now that such hopes were in vain.
Still she said nothing, only watched and listened.
He looked around the town square as if trying to decide what to do next before he glanced back at Song. "This is nothing except an illusion. A pretty powerful one, and definitely one that I shouldn't be able to do after only having the grimoire for a little over a year." He shifted slightly, the only noticeable sign that he was uncomfortable. "And I never got to see what life was like for Calum. He may have done something similar when he looked at my memories, but it never worked that way vice versa."
He sighed and met Song's eyes again. "At least, not until that final fight."
She tilted her head curiously at that final comment, but wasn't sure how to ask about it. She went for the more general questions. "What does all this mean, then? And what is it that you've been searching for out there?" She gestured at their surroundings, but it wasn't the illusion she meant.
"It means..." He frowned and looked about the town square almost reluctantly. "This illusion is a memory. A memory that doesn't belong to me." He shook his head, closing his eyes as he once agian tried to wrap his thoughts around that. "Everything that he ever did in his life before he was killed, including his mastery over the grimoire - that's all a part of me now. I don't know what happened in that fight that did this, but... I didn't know how much of those memories were going to affect me. So I left."
He shook his head ruefully with a laugh. "Guess I was too scared to stay and risk something bad happening again."
Somehow, she was relieved. Obviously it was something that bothered him, and why wouldn't it? But memories were just memories. As long as that trace of Calum did not influence him dangerously, then the situation was really much less terrible than she'd been starting to believe.
Only that particular 'what if' was an issue.
"Have there been any bad effects?" she asked simply. "Aside from these memories just being troublesome reminders?"
"Well, I haven't been going on quests to change the universe as we know it by using black magic, if that's what you mean," he replied with a grin. The smile vanished just as quickly as it appeared, though, and he broke eye contact with her. "Nothing too bad - before the black magic corrupted him, he wasn't necessarily a bad guy. Stubborn, arrogant, and ambitious - but I can name at least half of the people in my life who would fit one or more of those qualities."
The illusion wavered for a brief instant, and then melted away back in the kitchen at Rainbow's End. He still knelt next to her, but a troubled look was on his face. "It's not knowing what could happen that gets me."
She tried not to react as the scene shifted back. It was something she'd gotten quite used to, so she did a fairly good job of adjusting.
And what Josiah said... that was something she understood quite well.
It was her turn to break eye contact. While she very much wanted to reassure him, she didn't know how. The most she could think to say was that yes, she did understand, but she thought he already knew that.
In accordance with her unusual silence tonight, Song chose actions instead of words. She reached out to touch him, first brushing her hand through his hair, then resting it on his shoulder.
He closed his eyes at her touch. He wanted nothing more than to forget everything bad that had happened in the past year, to not have to feel guilty about the heartache he had caused his friends. He also knew that running away from the problem wasn't going to be much help to anyone - but, like always, he still tried to avoid burdening other people with his problems, despite the fact that he always seemed to be in over his head. If anything, it was because of their help that he was still there, with his own heart and soul intact.
Speaking of which... he opened his eyes and smiled up at Song. "You know, I don't think I ever thanked you for everything that you did for me when I wasn't exactly myself."
"You can thank me by..." She stopped there, and rephrased the response. "You don't have to thank me. Savior complex, remember? I'm not happy if I'm not solving someone else's problems... or at least meddling in them." She smiled, but her light tone had sounded forced. There was more to it than that, as they both knew... but some things were just hard to say.
"Well, let me be the first to say that you do an awfully good job at it." Still, he tilted his head curiously, not missing the odd note in her voice. There were other things, obviously, that they needed to discuss too. But just like the first half of the conversation, he had absolutely no idea where to begin.
It seemed like it was time, though, for that second part of the discussion, as he'd already explained his problem in more detail than she'd expected.
Which meant that it was her turn to start.
Her eyes met his again, then just as quickly flicked downward. "Josi, I... about... what happened before. About us..." Well, this was starting out a good deal more awkward than she'd intended. She knew exactly what needed to be said. She'd planned it out right down to the letter, but again, getting the words out was not nearly as easy as thinking them.
He didn't interrupt, just waited patiently for whatever she had to say. He had some idea what this conversation was going to be, but he didn't dare make assumptions so early.
"I..." She stopped, took a deep breath, tried again... "I want to be with you. I really do... but if Orpheus comes back, or if I find out where he's gone, I will go to him. You know that, right?"
He blinked in confusion. "Is that what you're worried about?" He peered up at her for a few moments as if trying to figure that out before he laughed suddenly. "Song, I know that. I've always known that. If that's what makes you happy, there's no way in hell I would try to stop you."
For a moment she couldn't even respond. His laughter and his words sent her heart flip-flopping like a drunken butterfly, and it wasn't the least bit unpleasant. She was surprised and a little embarrassed to find herself smiling in return. "Heh. I... It just didn't seem fair to you. I didn't know... and it's not that you're just a replacement, I..." Again, these next words were difficult, and for some reason they almost hurt to say. "If Orpheus hadn't been there, it would have all been you. It was there, I just... didn't realize until..." Once again she was rambling, and managed to catch herself and trail off, looking just a bit sheepish.
He shook his head at her words. "You don't have to feel bad about it. Hell, you don't even have to apologize. I knew about you and Orpheus before I felt this way about you, so I should be the one saying sorry to you." He knew that he should be jealous or angry or something, but... he just wasn't. Before anything else, he wanted her to be happy, and if Orpheus made her happy, then he wasn't going to say or do anything that would stop that.
"Don't say you're sorry for the way you feel," he said with a smile. "I understand." Then he straightened up slightly and kissed her.
If there was ever to be an 'opportune moment' for a kiss that night, this was it.
She fell into the kiss easily, eyes fluttering closed as her heart lifted in a rush. There was none of the guilt or uncertainty of last time, and still it felt so different from being with Orpheus. She had yet to define why, but right now it hardly mattered. This moment was what she'd been waiting for since the day Josiah left.
She was the one to break the kiss, but not at all too soon, and she echoed it with a lighter kiss to his forehead. Then without warning she slid out of her chair, pushing it back as she went, and hugged him as tight as she could.
Even for someone like him, who probably should learn how to define "forever" really soon all things considering, he didn't mind having her for only a brief moment in time. Some part of him argued that that's what falling in love would do to you, but he quickly silenced that part as Song broke away from the kiss. He let her hug for a few more minutes before he finally got to his feet in order to hug her back, kissing the top of her head.
"Sorry for making you worry," he murmured.
She relaxed in his arms and just breathed for a moment, eyes closed, smiling as he spoke.
"Thanks for making me stop," she countered. "And thanks for coming back, even if it's only for a little while."
"What can I say?" he said with a grin in his voice. "Being away from you guys is crazy... although being away from you is worse." While he was saying that, he glanced at a nearby clock on the wall... and winced. When did it get THAT late? Knowing his luck, it probably snowed a good foot while he was inside too. If the universe stopped using him as a chew toy, it would probably implode on itself soon after.
"I should probably leave," he said, although he didn't quite pull away from that embrace yet. Winter nights were the worst.
She sighed at the last bit, but nodded, though she did not move to pull away either...
"If you must. Just don't disappear on me, alright?"
"I can only pull so many disappearing acts in a year's time," he teased softly. He pulled away just slightly, a reluctant look on his face, looking as if he wanted to say something but debating whether he should or not. Other than that, he still held her in a loose hug. "After awhile, it gets redundant."
She smiled again, and while it was vibrant, it didn't last long. There was still pain, or something very much like it, not because of him, but because of Orpheus. Now there were doubts again as well, which she was really too tired to think about tonight.
Later. There would be time to figure it all out later...
"Yes, well, our universe seems to like redundancy. Between the Heartless and the memory issues, I thought that was obvious."
"You'd think of all things, the universe could be a bit more creative," he said, finally pulling away. He smiled down at her. "But I won't leave without telling you. I promise. If I do, you can throw a brick at me or something." He brushed some of her hair back from her face, gently touching her cheek as he did so. "Preferably a styrofoam brick."
"Heh. Maybe I'll just save myself the trouble of finding one and use Amy's Igor."
She leaned up to kiss his cheek, then his lips, both merely brief and feathery touches before she backed away. "Good night, Josiah. And my offer still stands. I may not be Namine, but if there's any way I can help with the memories..."
"People do seem to love using me for target practice." He paused at the mention of his memories (which always seemed to be messed up, no matter how you looked at it) and just smiled, shaking his head. "You'll be the first to know."
She accepted that with a small smile and then gave another sigh, this time out of simple weariness. "Well, go on, get out of here before I decide not to let you leave. I'm already tempted to just lock you in and keep you. I'm sure you'd make an excellent pillow..." She yawned as if to emphasize this point.
"For some reason, I wouldn't object to that," he said before giving her one last brief hug. "Good night, Song."
She said nothing more, only waved him away. If he stayed any longer, she very likely would try to convince him to stay all night. It's not as if there weren't empty beds. Or couches. which could be shared (for innocent cuddling, of course).
Maybe next time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}