YAN-PARA au master post

[earthflames]

WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOX.

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[beautymark]

[It takes him a moment to focus, but once his does he zeroes in on Archer's hand, staring at it however he moves it. He's sure Archer is real, but for once that's the only thing he knows is real.]

...Everything's in my head.

[tracings]

That would be a convenient explanation, wouldn't it? Unfortunately I can see it too, so our predicament isn't that simple.

[beautymark]

[Keeps watching Archer's hand, a little afraid to look anywhere else.]

You can see it? The fish? And all the colours...

[tracings]

[He doesn't miss a beat - he keeps waving is hand, but after a couple beats he starts pointing very deliberately. Left. Right. Up. Up again. Down.]

Regrettably, yes.

[beautymark]

[You have his complete attention, Archer's Hand.]

But it's not real.

[tracings]

[Sloowwwly starts drawing circles in the air with his fingers. He's almost curious to see if you'll get dizzy from this]

Well if you have another explanation for this, then I'm all ears. For now, it's real enough.

[beautymark]

[He might. He might just.]

It's not. I know it's not. You shouldn't be able to see it.

[tracings]

[yeeepp, gonna keep that up, then. For science.]

Look, I know they say insanity is saying the same thing and expecting a different result, but you don't have to live up to that.

[beautymark]

But--

[He'd argue, but he's busy suddenly stumbling sideways.

Victory for Archer's fingers.]

[tracings]

[Watches Diarmuid list to one side, almost in disbelief.]

...are you serious?

[beautymark]

[Just

Sits, heavily. And yet he's still staring.]

Can't look at it...

[tracings]

[He has half a mind to haul Diarmuid back to his feet, pick him up, and drag him off, but Archer thinks better of that plan. He can't let impulse get the better of him again, and for all his mocking he knows that at some point, he'll be kicking a hornet's nest.

So instead he lets Diarmuid stay put, choosing instead to watch Diarmuid's back, because he doesn't like the look in these fishes eyes.]

...we can't sit here. Something wrong, and we need to figure out what sooner than later.

[beautymark]

Of course something's wrong.

[Reluctantly, slowly forcing himself to accept looking at the scenery.]

I told you, it's not real. Only usually there's only a few things that aren't real and a lot that are. But now there's just fake things, and you.

[He reaches out and grabs a fish, rolling it between his hands like dough.]

....I usually can't touch it, either. But you always bring these.

[tracings]

I bring those things?

[He grabs at a fish himself, because he's critical.

Also why fish]

[beautymark]

[They feel like they're made out of construction paper, only if you squish them it's more like play-dough.]

All the time. Everyone has something... When you do something bad, they have teeth.

[tracings]

...then I'll do my best to not unleash the kraken.

[a sigh]

Are you ready to go now?

[beautymark]

A kraken?

[Good job, you have given him ideas. There might be something big and shadowy in the river now.]

[tracings]

[Oh my god no you did fucking not]

...I'm not explaining that further, you'll get more stupid ideas.

[Yep, we're going. Now. Grabbing Diarmuid's arm. Come on. No krakens. Please.]

[beautymark]

[He only gets up because Archer is pulling on him. But of course he doesn't like being suddenly grabbed, so the world is instantly plunged into a stormy kind of darkness.]

Wait, don't--

[tracings]

[He sees this, and this is most certainly the opposite of what he wanted. Startled and just a little frustrated, he can't help but snap]

Don't what?!

[beautymark]

[It's reflexive to flinch, and he squeezes his eyes shut against the changes that fear brings. There's sharp, cracking thunder and lightning, and the fish all double in size, twisting into grotesque, toothy monsters.]

I don't like this. It's not supposed to be the whole world!

[tracings]

[Congratulations, Archer, you did the exact opposite of what you said you'd do in less than a minute flat. He has a moment, a split second to realize that he needs to stop setting new personal records like this, and he tries to even the tone of his voice in response.]

It doesn't look like you have that choice. Calm down before something else happens.

[beautymark]

I can't! Cu says to look at real things and wait for him, but there's nothing real to look at and he's not here!

[Quickly descending into panic, now that he's been set off. There is not much that helps these fits at home, and none of the things that do are available here. All they have is a landscape quickly turning warped and a many-tentacled thing crawling out of the river.]

[tracings]

Then look at me!

[Or his back, at least - remember that thing about being a big, damn hero? He can't drop it - not in an impulse moment, like now. He steps in front of Diarmuid, swords drawn, watching the tentacles ooze towards there]

[beautymark]

It can't touch you. It can't touch if it's not real...

[Nevermind that they could touch the fish. "It can't touch you" is key phrase in his process of keeping himself together, so he's clinging to it even when it's blatantly not true.]