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[electricflock]

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[electricflock]

[that couple minutes wait had Muffin half-scrambling half-falling out of the Daffodil cat tree. his cube's little wings are fluttering, mimicking how he's VIBRATING in the middle of the room, hanging onto every pause and word]

Where are you?

[finalbows]

_{[ I am pleased to inform you after several hundred comments of sense-shaking into his head, he does in fact give coherent, non-poetic directions to, roughly, this spot:}

[electricflock]

[it's like one minute later and muffin is THERE]

[BIRDS GO FAST]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ by design, spotting him from the air is easiest. he's visibly pacing around near the edge of the woods-- trading glances to it, like he really would rather be in there than out here. is this the monkey instincts kicking in--

for a guy that's been out in the wind since the day before yesterday, he looks remarkably put together. except one thing.

it's not something other people would notice, but... his crest isn't even made of the same feathers he had, the last time Muffin saw him. They're an adequate facsimile for someone who doesn't have an eye for thar kind of detail, but...

Might be obvious even as he's coming in to land, to someone with Muffin's experience. The shapes, and even something about the shade...

He happens to be glancing into the forest, again, when Muffin arrives like a lightning strike. ]</sub>

[electricflock]

[muffin briefly entertains the thought of landing between angel devil and the forest, cutting him off so he can't run away again...

but he lands near the lakeshore instead. some ten or fifteen feet away from angel devil. he lets the loud flutter of his wings announce his arrival, not saying or doing anything but quick-changing into his Other form. he's watching closely.]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ there's a brief stillness, to him. then the sound of a long breath out.

time to try being more than veils. again.

What IS the good etiquette, after a night like that? Fruit baskets and apology flowers? ]</sub>

...how fare you and your flock? After... what we did?

[electricflock]

Eclair is fine. Dying was... easier than keeping the injuries for him. Biscuit isn't holding grudge and people are giving him lots of food. Tart got enough paypack to be satisfied. Pudding is listening to Tart and me. Crois is still mad.

[finalbows]

_{[ softly, ]}

That's five.

[electricflock]

... was worried about you and missing you.

But my feelings are still hurt.

1/2

[finalbows]

_{[ "that's to be expected." "good. you should be. feel that way forever because it's the right response." "sorry you feel that way, I'm really very wicked"-- ]}

Of course you are. It's natural to feel such a way. Something terrible happened to you and people you hold dear, and the one who made it happen... hardly showed you any true contrition.

...

2/2

[finalbows]

<sub>[ "unfortunately, I have literally zero idea how to even START doing that in a way that doesn't feel like lying--"

he turns around to face him. ]</sub>

I wronged you. You deserve to know a clearer reason why.

...This all happened only because I wasn't honest. With the rest of Rose, about my... mental unpredictability. We even had a talk, once, all together, about things that would make us all overwhelmed or lose our reason in a ritual, and... I could have said, then, that being pulled from my body would bring something hideous forth from me. Instead, the moment we tried to prepare for came, I presented myself authoritatively, and they submitted to my cruel judgment because I was too stubborn to let it go.

And... then... you vouched for me. I was wrong that hurting Daffodil would be "fine." As if it ever could be. I did wrong.

It was all an absolutely needless act. And it wouldn't have happened if... in that moment, I'd returned, to you, a fraction of what you've put forth for me.

[electricflock]

[muffin has his shoulders hunched up and he hasn't moved closer from where he landed]

I'm not... mad at you for panicking or for your strategy. The punishments sucked. Daffodil might have attacked you too I hadn't been there. Tart— let me have my way, but he was still ready for you to hit us.

[finalbows]

...

I know.
You... told me as much. Before that ritual ever happened.

_{[ "what does one do, after the full moon?" ]}

[electricflock]

If you know, why did you leave?

1/2

[finalbows]

I wasn't afraid of your anger, Muffin, I. I..

I was afraid of...

2/2

[finalbows]

I.. was afraid... of the fact you wouldn't be mad about it. I can do practically anything I like, a snap of the fingers! But... I can't be there to stand between you and... me. And I'm not kind. So... instead, I...

[electricflock]

[what does that even MEAN]

So instead you hurt me, l-left, and acted like I was stupid for wanting anything more than that.

[finalbows]

Yes. I did.

[electricflock]

[muffin doesn't want to hurt him more, so he doesn't dig in with the pain effect muffin was under

and... muffin doesn't want to be hurt worse either, so he doesn't ask if angel devil meant it. instead,]

—Come here! Don't stand way over there!

1/2

[finalbows]

_{[ wh. Why would he tell him t ]}

2/2

[finalbows]

_{[ he stifles his tongue.
he comes over. ]}

[electricflock]

I'm going to cry. And you're going to hold my hand.

[finalbows]

<sub>[ Angel Devil's stiff posture changes, slightly. And he offers--

thinks, a second.
he peels off his glove, and reaches to hold Muffin's hand.

Angel Devil when he's putting his focus upon it can hold someone's hand like anyone else. Gently, with a slight firmness as reassurance of not going Anywhere.]</sub>

[electricflock]

[he's going to hold onto that hand, sit down on the ground, and let all the pain, fear, grief, and frustration of the last two days come out]

[finalbows]

<sub>[ angel devil sits with him, holds his hand, and listens. Really listens.

...at some point,
the fluffy arc of Angel Devil's tail has tentatively encircled them as a duo. ]</sub>