bittybat | (no subject)

[At this, Damian nods. It doesn't matter what Dextera's true use may be; Damian won't rain on any attempt to help when Dextera is clearly struggling. If he can divvy up other things, if he can divvy up jobs within a team of metahumans back home, he can get Dextera to help.]

This place is a giant fairytale almost. If that's the case, it can be assumed "true love" doesn't have to be romantic. Not necessarily.

Perhaps all that is needed is an extremely strong bond.

[ dextera nods. he and his brother were able to make it into the forest just fine, after all, though whether or not the reward was a reward as such remains to be seen. he wanted to explore with guren, though. his heart tightens at the memory of such a desire, and he sighs out the tension. ]

The story… the man has seen the hen.

[ he can’t remember the exact wording now, but he remembers that the most recent addition to the story had their hero finally meeting the hen after a long and arduous journey. maybe the hen itself will give the man a choice. ]

We might know how to move next month.

[ he wishes guren could have held on, just a little longer. ]

I've seen evidence of the hen. [Just to further prove a point. There's a shard of optimism here, and Damian is going to cling to it if only for the sake of ending this game.] She has to exist. We'll find her.

But we should wait for more of the story so we can plan how to proceed. I think Jackson is still willing to try searching, too, even if... [Loss.] Annabeth.

[ dextera nods, when damian insists the hen exists—and then again, more firmly (resembling a hen himself for a moment) upon the suggestion that they should wait. it doesn’t feel like biding their time, twiddling their thumbs. it feels like planning, and that eases some of the restlessness itching under his skin.

however, he doesn’t know who annabeth is—the context gives him a pretty good guess all the same. ]

You’re…

[ pause. ]

Thank you, Damian. We’re all lucky you’re here.

[It's honestly somewhat sad how surprised he looks when Dextera says this. The thanks he gets often enough; it comes from being a hero. People thank him for his duty. But saying they're lucky to have him?

He looks away--modestly? embarrassedly? Slowly, he pulls himself back to his feet and glances over all of Guren's things like he's pretending to consider them instead of Dextera's words.] I'll help you organize everything. [Four hands are better than two.

But it'll also extend the time he's here. He remembers all too well the brief, resounding loneliness which came when the four people he knew from home vanished one after another.

He'll probably sleep over for at least one night. """Sleep."""]

[ dextera may not consciously pick up on damian’s intentions, but he’s grateful that damian will be here a little longer anyway. the ache in his chest just won’t subside, and tears keep dripping from his eyes, but having a friend around is a good distraction. especially a friend like damian, who knew guren—and who knows how much he means to dextera, even now. ]

I… appreciate it.

[ he does, from the bottom of his heart. ]

We have a lot of food in the kitchen, too.

[ you know. in case. ]

[It's as good of an opportunity as any. Damian glances at Dextera a moment or two.]

When was the last time you've eaten? [He sounds like an old man! It's fine.] First, we should make something, and then we'll have the energy to organize. [He knows Dextera probably doesn't want or feel like eating--maybe?]

Soup?

[He'll make it is really how it'll go, but he doesn't want to admit that.]

…

[ the last time he ate was probably… just before he realized guren was gone. he called his brother over the next day, and he’s been a little too down since then to actually try to eat anything. his stomach has gotten used to food, but his mind remembers what it’s like to fast.

it wasn’t an intentional thing. (but it does make it easier to forget, in some ways.) ]

I’ve been drinking water. [ an obvious deflection, but he hopes damian will just accept it as it is. ] Soup… that’s fine. We have vegetables.

[Damian looks like a displeased mom, of course, but he doesn't scold Dextera about it.] Being hydrated is good. I'll make some kind of stew. [At least soup and stews are relatively easy... otherwise, he'd be a disaster nowhere near Alfred Pennyworth level.]

You can take a break to eat, then we can come back and finish. Deal?

[ a stew sounds nice. ryo made dextera some strange concoction of hearts and bones to restore his energy when guren just wandered into the woods, and this is something that he’s dealing with better, but ultimately it’s the same shit. ]

Deal. Thank you.