Sleuth Diplomacy [Finished]

[Vriska]

Vriska decided to give up on today. She should just go home and go to bed and sleep until the world stopped screwing her over. So she'd sleep till she died, then. Simple, elegant, easy.

Or just sit. Sitting sounded nice. And... a staring contest? 'Are you serious?' she wanted to say. 'Grow three extra pairs of eyes and then come see me.' Except then he'd win. Heh. Come see me. She could almost smile.

The iron in Rwaht's voice was solid and unyielding. There was no doubt that Vriska would do what he said. Her mouth opened and shut as Vriska scrabbled to translate the colors and jumble of languages in her head into terms he could understand as she tried to ignore the part of her that was delightfully and thoroughly listing every way and reason she was being utterly retarded. "I..."

Rwaht won. Vriska looked away, looking down into her lap. For a moment it looked like she was about to curl up again and just shut him out. "I stopped it. It was over. And now it's going to start all over again. What made you think I wanted that?"

[Rwaht]

The look Rwaht gave Vriska was unchanging. Constant. It betrayed nothing, though what was going on behind it was far more conflicted; Rwaht knew pain, but he had been forced to face his. His pain had, after all, been his own fault. Vriska was blameless. He couldn't criticize her for wanting to run away.

That did not change the fact that life did not permit such. He had tried to run, too, long ago. Cowardice. He'd tried to turn all his pain into skill with a sword, and it had worked, until he'd been forced to face that life was unfair, that his sister had been born cursed while he'd been blessed, when she deserved so much more and he deserved none that he'd been given. His arrogance had blinded him, and upon realizing it the knowledge of his own stupidity burned eternally, sharp and unyielding.

Jackal ... I failed you so. Have I failed her, too? He thought, watching the Oocca as pain threatened to gleefully knock out all those supports she'd managed to wedge in place beneath the sprawling mass of complexes that she'd been left with. She was right, of course. This had been Rwaht's doing, from start to finish.

Just another of my sins.

He wasn't entirely sure what to say, or at least what he could say that would make Vriska's pain abate, would help her understand. He realized that nothing would. There was only the truth, and it made poor comfort. But it was all Rwaht had.

"Nothing stops, Vriska. Nothing ever stops."

He hugged her, slowly. One arm wrapped around her, while the other held loose at his side. Keeping her free. If Rwaht could give her nothing else, he could at least give her that.

[Vriska]

Clinging to Rwaht, Vriska considered telling Rwaht 'Kind of like your mom.' But that would have been in poor taste, all things considered. The thought made her chuckle into Rwaht's chest. That chuckle took root and eventually, huddled close to Rwaht with her head by his chest, Vriska was shaking with laughter.

"How pathetic are we?"

She sat up, laughter still bubbling to the surface occasionally. "Two fully-grown knights mired in deeper angst than a mob of teenaged girls." Vriska stood up briskly, stretching and shaking off the bad mojo. "We need to do something. Something fun."

[Rwaht]

Rwaht didn't say anything, just held her close. Even though she laughed, he couldn't bring himself to smile. He had to admit, he wasn't terribly good at this. He wouldn't want to have to rely on Rwaht Orin if he ever needed to have a breakdown. He watched her stand up, remaining silent, his face still an iron mask. Finally he smiled. It was a lie, but no one would be able to tell that. He was a masterful liar.

He could not forget whenever she hurt. He could not forget that it was his fault. He never would. But she could never know that, or it would only fester in her heart. So his face, and his heart, stayed like iron, even as they smiled.

"You're right. Any suggestions?"

[Vriska]

Rwaht actually smiled. Woah there, stoneface, slow down or you might pull a muscle in your face. Still, despite everything she could chalk today up as an overwhelming success just for that one moment.

Vriska could hear the sound of a bell tolling the time in the distance. "Uh oh," she said. "I just remembered I am extremely late for an arrest. We'll talk later."

On her way out Vriska paused to blow Rwaht a kiss. "Take care, you mutt. All work and no play turns most captains gay. Well, assuming you like the ladies in the first place."

EXIT

[Rwaht]

Rwaht nodded calmly and saw Vriska out of his home. When she was gone, and looked fairly stable, he shut his door. The false smile immediately slipped away, and he went about his business, methodically sorting through the papers that Vriska had disturbed. Then he got back to work.

As he always did.

Thread complete

[Rwaht]

Thread's been finished, Rwaht and Vriska get 20 rupees. ba-boom.