Yeah. I don't want to just throw the label on her.
Her names Maria and she's been teaching about how my eyes work and how to actually use them. She used to be a super awesome Huntress known as the Grimm Reaper, super famous when my uncle was in school apparently!
[Don't mind her as she gives him a playful little elbow.]
Well I'll have to take your word for it then. She appreciated people who were willing to use their heads. I bet you both would have gotten along.
Oh! So she's the other person in your world with silver eyes?
[Other than Ruby's mother, who they are decidedly not talking about, no sir. ]
That's really cool. I'm glad you've got someone with some real clout behind them showing you how to do the eye thing.
[Which he still only vaguely understands- but it's not like he can study that ability with the lack of Grimm and all. He chuckles a little at the elbow attack, flashing a lopsided grin her way.]
Guess you'll have to. Sounds that way! You fight smart, you live longer is all I'm saying.
She is-or well. Was. It's complicated. She has some really neat prosthetics that you'd get a kick out of.
[Silver eyes are suffering. Sorry.
The amount of people with mechanical bits is also kind of telling.]
She's awesome. We met her after we crashed the back half of a train fighting some Grimm and she's been travelling with us ever since.
I don't think I would have caught onto it nearly as quickly if I didn't have her talking me through it.
Since I've been here I feel like I've gotten a better handle on it too.
[She pauses on those words briefly. The whole desire to preserve life thing meant just held a lot more weight to her when she had someone she cared about like Varian around. Not that it was something she could even test out here.
Still the thought gets her to return that smile of his with a bright one of her own.]
Pffffft. Great advice. I'll take it to heart. I don't plan on going down anytime soon either way.
Wait. She has... eye prosthetics? I'm guessing this is more advanced than just glass eyes?
[Ruby's world is dangerous and awful, but by god he wishes he could tinker with the stuff there. He could do so much with the tech on offer in a place like that. ]
...You know, I don't even feel the need to question that story. That sounds exactly like the sort of shenanigans you'd get yourself into. But hey, it's good she's there. It's gotta be nice even having someone who understands what it's like to be different, huh?
[He manages to keep the smile there, but the ever-present threat of Neo doesn't fill him with much confidence on that factor.]
Good. I find you sticking around and alive very much preferable.
[She takes a second to wonder just how to describe them.]
Kind of imagine your goggles, but like super advanced and with garage doors for eyelids! She can't see colour but I mean that fact she can see at all is pretty awesome.
[Nailed it. She smiled fondly thinking of Maria and her adventures back at home.]
We do get up to a lot of shenanigans. That's true.
Yeah. The most I had to go off before I ran into her was what my Uncle told me. And that's basically that I was some sort of legendary warrior destined to live a life of battle. I mean that sounds awesome but it's nice to know there's a bit more to it.
[Thanks to that unfaltering smile she misses any sign that he's not all that confident in her answer.]
[Give him a second to imagine that, Ruby. His brain is firing on so many synapses right now- he's got that faraway look he gets when he's SCIENCING in his head. ]
So the glass would react like an optic lens. Amazing. Yeah, with enough wires and assuming she still had the nerves to attach them to, I bet you could make fully functioning eyes. Shame about the colour, though. I wonder if you could tweak it enough to bring it through? Or at least a veneer of it-
[He pauses, blinks and clears his throat- a touch embarrassed.]
Sorry. I'm back. And yeah, if you're gonna get a destiny foisted on you, you kinda want to read the small print.
[Destiny is not his favourite word. Destiny is why a treasured friend has gone off the rails and is a threat to all of them now. Destiny can go jump.]
Well, yeah. Hard agreement there. Much rather you stay alive, please.
[Look. She's smiling like a dope when the oven of his mind gets set to science. She might not understand it on the same level that he does. But him trying to figure it out worked a whole lot like she did when she was trying to figure out how different weapons worked or a new strategy for battle. She at the very least understands the passion behind it.]
From what she told me it sounded like it was specifically her eyes that got ruined when it happened. I've never looked into eye implants myself, but I know hers are super old. She might not have had them upgraded or replaced if there are newer models that do colour.
[She rubs at the back of her head. She wasn't completely lost this time around. Prosthetic limbs and such were common enough back in her world that she could follow along this time around.]
Glad to have you back, captain.
The small print kind of flies past you while you're doing all the crazy destiny stuff too. I'm just glad I have her in my corner, the things she's picked up on since I started travelling with her have completely blown my mind.
[She's not a huge fan of it either, but there isn't much she can do when other people aren't picking up the call.
She'll wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him closer.]
[That dopey smile, bring one out of his own. They'll end up in a dopey smile feedback loop again if they're not careful. ]
Because of the silver eye thing? Seems kinda spiteful. Literally destroying someone's eyes because they've got power- I mean, you said it pretty much painted a target on your head, but I didn't think you meant that.
[Does he have to be concerned about you losing eyes on top of all the monsters and people who want to kill you, Ruby? He's... he's just gonna add that to the list anyway.]
I can bet. Anyone who's survived what she has must have some impressive stories and skills under her belt. And hey, if nothing else, you can learn more about what your eyes mean, right?
[Her very lovely eyes, is the thought that crops up as she pulls him closer, creating another doofy smile.]
[Let's be real. They just walk around smiling like big dopes at one another all the time.]
Yeah... I think it's entirely driven out of spite honestly. Maybe a little fear. I'm not really entirely sure.
[Her shoulders sink softly as she thinks it over.]
I honestly didn't know it was like that for the longest time. I didn't really know anyone who had them. Except for my mom. No one really told me what they could do until after everything at the Vytal Festival but even my Uncle was vague about it then.
I only found out I had I may have a target on my head after being attacked by someone who worked for Salem. ...And then even then I didn't know people with them had been hunted down until I met Maria.
I don't know if it was being kept from me to keep me safe or whether they just didn't know themselves. There aren't a lot of people with eyes like mine around, but with how long Ozpin has been around he must have known.
[She's just going to shrug off that line of thought for now. Talking about Ozpin generally brought down the mood.]
Exactly. What she has told me was amazing. It's exactly what I grew up wanting to do. Learning more about myself and what I can do is always great too.
[And those eyes just look at him with all the brightness and warmth she can muster.]
[Anyone who spends time with them together must be so sick of it by now.]
Sounds like it's a classic case of people lashing out at what they don't understand.
[He casts her a concerned look- it seems so deeply unfair. For her to have an extra layer of awful on a life that was already filled with so much strife- all over something she had no control over. ]
Yeah, well. From what I've learned about Ozpin, honestly never sounds like his go-to policy. You can't protect people by hiding the truth from them, especially when that truth could stop them from getting themselves hurt.
[Now that he has experience with- but at least he can rest easy knowing his father didn't lie to protect himself. He smiles, giving her a gentle nudge with his shoulder. ]
Sounds like you've got yourself a good mentor there, huh?
Or it's people being ordered around by someone who does understand.
[Because her and Maria have a pretty solid guess at who might not like people with eyes like theirs.
She returns that concerned look with an understanding smile. She knew her job wasn't going to be easy but it didn't mean she could stop.]
Yeah... I want to believe he had good reasons for keeping the secrets that he did. I just-Well I can't really be sure until I get the chance to talk to him again.
Yeah. I can't think of anyone better for the job.
[She'll take that shoulder nudge and she tries to lean in against him a little more, but she slips on his shoulder and loses balance, instead kind of half falls down onto his lap with an awkward yelp.]
Ugh, that's an uncomfortable thought. Someone wanting you guys out of the picture and actively hunting you down. That's somehow worse than just randomised hate attacks.
[He gives a nod of his head. He's not convinced, between what Ruby and Oscar have told him, Ozpin sounds like a Grade A avoider. Unlikely to share anything that won't give him a tactical advantage. ]
Maybe we can find a way to get him to answer questions while he's here. He's still in Oscar's head somewhere, right? I don't want Oscar to go away at all, but there's got to be some way to get some answers.
[There's a brief moment of panic when she flops into his lap- because every time he thinks he's cool with the whole romance thing, something like this happens and he realises he's actually still an awkward mess. Still, he manages a laugh that's hopefully not too nervous, reaching out to ruffle her hair a little. Flawless. ]
It is... I think it's the more accurate way to look at it too. Unfortunately.
[She wasn't sure she could trust him either. She didn't know else he could have to hide at the moment but that didn't there wasn't something out there.]
It's not a bad idea. It would have to be something Oscar is okay with before we tried it.
[Ruby just blinks because, yeah, this is a weird position to suddenly find herself in. Her heart is just going to skip a couple beats right up until she feels his fingers playing around with her hair.
Okay. She didn't make a total awkward mess out of this. Yet.]
Yeah, that's me.
[Don't mind her as she reaches up to give his nose a boop.
Oh, yeah, sure. He has to be completely on board with it. It's his body and his mind at the end of the day. He's had enough taken from him without us making that worse.
[He's still worried about Oscar. He likes Oscar, he's a good guy. He doesn't deserve the hand he was dealt. Always wondering if he'd just... vanish. Lose what life he had to Ozpin.
You know what, he was doing pretty good up until the nose boop. He thought he'd had a pretty flawless recovery, but the nose boop proves to be his undoing. A blush spreads across his cheeks as he lets out a nervous laugh. ]
Y-yep. Definitely you. That's ...uh that's you right there.
Let's just give him some time before we bring it up. He's got a bit of a chance to be normal here, I want him to have the chance to make the most of it.
[She wasn't sure if the things with Ozpin for him were progressing here or not, but at the very least he didn't have to worry about the fate of Remnant while he was here.
She's giggling pretty hard when his smooth routine falls to pieces. Don't mind her as she just kicks her legs up over arm of the couch. She lives her now.]
The last thing we need is to make him uncomfortable. If it's the first time since Ozpin appeared that he's finally shut up, then yeah, Oscar deserves the chance to be normal. Or.... normal as you can get here. It can wait, there's no rush.
[She can live here forever, he's not going to complain. He chuckles again, a little softer this time, a little less awkward.]
[Ruby was glad Varian knew more about Oscar's situation. It was a relieving to have someone out on the outside to talk to about it. She hoped Oscar felt the same way.]
Ozpin has been quiet for a little while back at home as well. I know he chimed in once before I arrived here but nothing else.
But yeah, I don't want to rush him. If he has a chance to be free from it while he's here. I don't want to take that away from him.
[That gets a lighter smile out of her. She just enjoys the moment and relaxes.]
[Varian hoped he could provide at least some comfort with that. Sometimes, all you really needed was an outsiders perspective. ]
How nice of him to ditch you when you need him the most. And yeah. Let him have some fun.
[It sounds like all of the guys from Remnant desperately need some downtime. He smiles faintly, relaxing again from his moment of panic. His hand drops for his fingers to play in her hair absently.]
Yeah... If or when I end up seeing him again that's something we'll have to have a talk about.
[They all really could use a long nap and a vacation. She settles in as he starts to play around with her hair. She just smiles softly because gosh, It felt pretty nice. Her fingers hover over to drum on his knee in thought.]
[The thought does trickle in that one day she might actually go home for good, and that causes a pang in his chest he wasn't expecting. That had always been the plan. Work out how this place runs, get everyone home. But Corona doesn't have Ruby in it. And he isn't in Remnant. Oh. That's- that's sure a feeling. ]
[She didn't think much of it when she first said it but the thought thought does hit her like a ton of bricks. If she did go home would she remember to come back? None of her friends even realized she had been gone in the first place. She hadn't said anything to them.
Even if she did remember... She couldn't exactly abandon what she had going on at home. There was way too much at stake for her to do that. She felt herself deflate a little as the thoughts roll through her mind.
She lifted herself up off his lap for just a second, long enough for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him down so they were both laying down on the couch.
She couldn't promise that she'd come back and she didn't have the heart to say as much either. Instead she's just going to try and make the most what time she did have here.]
[He doesn't fight the contact, nor does he let awkward embarrassment take over. He doesn't even have to question the sudden move- he can make a pretty educated guess of what's running through her mind. Much the same as is running through his.
A small, rebellious thought that he could find a way to follow her home blooms in his head- but he knows he can't. He might be in a pretty terrible situation back home, but Rapunzel is relying on him. If he doesn't find that final incantation, Corona might very well be lost. He can't let himself become the reason for his homeland's downfall. Not again. And he could never ask her to give up what she's doing, either. She's too important for that.
All they really can do is appreciate the time they've got while they've got it. However long that might last. He moves an arm around her, curling into her a little as he lets out a slow breath. It's fine. ]
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A kind of, sort of teacher?
Regardless, they're right. I mean, [he puts a hand to his chest] I know I'm right, so by extension, they're right too.
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Her names Maria and she's been teaching about how my eyes work and how to actually use them. She used to be a super awesome Huntress known as the Grimm Reaper, super famous when my uncle was in school apparently!
[Don't mind her as she gives him a playful little elbow.]
Well I'll have to take your word for it then. She appreciated people who were willing to use their heads. I bet you both would have gotten along.
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[Other than Ruby's mother, who they are decidedly not talking about, no sir. ]
That's really cool. I'm glad you've got someone with some real clout behind them showing you how to do the eye thing.
[Which he still only vaguely understands- but it's not like he can study that ability with the lack of Grimm and all. He chuckles a little at the elbow attack, flashing a lopsided grin her way.]
Guess you'll have to. Sounds that way! You fight smart, you live longer is all I'm saying.
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[Silver eyes are suffering. Sorry.
The amount of people with mechanical bits is also kind of telling.]
She's awesome. We met her after we crashed the back half of a train fighting some Grimm and she's been travelling with us ever since.
I don't think I would have caught onto it nearly as quickly if I didn't have her talking me through it.
Since I've been here I feel like I've gotten a better handle on it too.
[She pauses on those words briefly. The whole desire to preserve life thing meant just held a lot more weight to her when she had someone she cared about like Varian around. Not that it was something she could even test out here.
Still the thought gets her to return that smile of his with a bright one of her own.]
Pffffft. Great advice. I'll take it to heart. I don't plan on going down anytime soon either way.
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[Ruby's world is dangerous and awful, but by god he wishes he could tinker with the stuff there. He could do so much with the tech on offer in a place like that. ]
...You know, I don't even feel the need to question that story. That sounds exactly like the sort of shenanigans you'd get yourself into. But hey, it's good she's there. It's gotta be nice even having someone who understands what it's like to be different, huh?
[He manages to keep the smile there, but the ever-present threat of Neo doesn't fill him with much confidence on that factor.]
Good. I find you sticking around and alive very much preferable.
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[She takes a second to wonder just how to describe them.]
Kind of imagine your goggles, but like super advanced and with garage doors for eyelids! She can't see colour but I mean that fact she can see at all is pretty awesome.
[Nailed it. She smiled fondly thinking of Maria and her adventures back at home.]
We do get up to a lot of shenanigans. That's true.
Yeah. The most I had to go off before I ran into her was what my Uncle told me. And that's basically that I was some sort of legendary warrior destined to live a life of battle. I mean that sounds awesome but it's nice to know there's a bit more to it.
[Thanks to that unfaltering smile she misses any sign that he's not all that confident in her answer.]
Well I'm glad we agree on that.
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So the glass would react like an optic lens. Amazing. Yeah, with enough wires and assuming she still had the nerves to attach them to, I bet you could make fully functioning eyes. Shame about the colour, though. I wonder if you could tweak it enough to bring it through? Or at least a veneer of it-
[He pauses, blinks and clears his throat- a touch embarrassed.]
Sorry. I'm back. And yeah, if you're gonna get a destiny foisted on you, you kinda want to read the small print.
[Destiny is not his favourite word. Destiny is why a treasured friend has gone off the rails and is a threat to all of them now. Destiny can go jump.]
Well, yeah. Hard agreement there. Much rather you stay alive, please.
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From what she told me it sounded like it was specifically her eyes that got ruined when it happened. I've never looked into eye implants myself, but I know hers are super old. She might not have had them upgraded or replaced if there are newer models that do colour.
[She rubs at the back of her head. She wasn't completely lost this time around. Prosthetic limbs and such were common enough back in her world that she could follow along this time around.]
Glad to have you back, captain.
The small print kind of flies past you while you're doing all the crazy destiny stuff too. I'm just glad I have her in my corner, the things she's picked up on since I started travelling with her have completely blown my mind.
[She's not a huge fan of it either, but there isn't much she can do when other people aren't picking up the call.
She'll wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him closer.]
I will, I promise.
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Because of the silver eye thing? Seems kinda spiteful. Literally destroying someone's eyes because they've got power- I mean, you said it pretty much painted a target on your head, but I didn't think you meant that.
[Does he have to be concerned about you losing eyes on top of all the monsters and people who want to kill you, Ruby? He's... he's just gonna add that to the list anyway.]
I can bet. Anyone who's survived what she has must have some impressive stories and skills under her belt. And hey, if nothing else, you can learn more about what your eyes mean, right?
[Her very lovely eyes, is the thought that crops up as she pulls him closer, creating another doofy smile.]
Good. Good. I'm uh- glad.
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Yeah... I think it's entirely driven out of spite honestly. Maybe a little fear. I'm not really entirely sure.
[Her shoulders sink softly as she thinks it over.]
I honestly didn't know it was like that for the longest time. I didn't really know anyone who had them. Except for my mom. No one really told me what they could do until after everything at the Vytal Festival but even my Uncle was vague about it then.
I only found out I had I may have a target on my head after being attacked by someone who worked for Salem. ...And then even then I didn't know people with them had been hunted down until I met Maria.
I don't know if it was being kept from me to keep me safe or whether they just didn't know themselves. There aren't a lot of people with eyes like mine around, but with how long Ozpin has been around he must have known.
[She's just going to shrug off that line of thought for now. Talking about Ozpin generally brought down the mood.]
Exactly. What she has told me was amazing. It's exactly what I grew up wanting to do. Learning more about myself and what I can do is always great too.
[And those eyes just look at him with all the brightness and warmth she can muster.]
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Sounds like it's a classic case of people lashing out at what they don't understand.
[He casts her a concerned look- it seems so deeply unfair. For her to have an extra layer of awful on a life that was already filled with so much strife- all over something she had no control over. ]
Yeah, well. From what I've learned about Ozpin, honestly never sounds like his go-to policy. You can't protect people by hiding the truth from them, especially when that truth could stop them from getting themselves hurt.
[Now that he has experience with- but at least he can rest easy knowing his father didn't lie to protect himself. He smiles, giving her a gentle nudge with his shoulder. ]
Sounds like you've got yourself a good mentor there, huh?
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Or it's people being ordered around by someone who does understand.
[Because her and Maria have a pretty solid guess at who might not like people with eyes like theirs.
She returns that concerned look with an understanding smile. She knew her job wasn't going to be easy but it didn't mean she could stop.]
Yeah... I want to believe he had good reasons for keeping the secrets that he did. I just-Well I can't really be sure until I get the chance to talk to him again.
Yeah. I can't think of anyone better for the job.
[She'll take that shoulder nudge and she tries to lean in against him a little more, but she slips on his shoulder and loses balance, instead kind of half falls down onto his lap with an awkward yelp.]
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[He gives a nod of his head. He's not convinced, between what Ruby and Oscar have told him, Ozpin sounds like a Grade A avoider. Unlikely to share anything that won't give him a tactical advantage. ]
Maybe we can find a way to get him to answer questions while he's here. He's still in Oscar's head somewhere, right? I don't want Oscar to go away at all, but there's got to be some way to get some answers.
[There's a brief moment of panic when she flops into his lap- because every time he thinks he's cool with the whole romance thing, something like this happens and he realises he's actually still an awkward mess. Still, he manages a laugh that's hopefully not too nervous, reaching out to ruffle her hair a little. Flawless. ]
Graceful.
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[She wasn't sure she could trust him either. She didn't know else he could have to hide at the moment but that didn't there wasn't something out there.]
It's not a bad idea. It would have to be something Oscar is okay with before we tried it.
[Ruby just blinks because, yeah, this is a weird position to suddenly find herself in. Her heart is just going to skip a couple beats right up until she feels his fingers playing around with her hair.
Okay. She didn't make a total awkward mess out of this. Yet.]
Yeah, that's me.
[Don't mind her as she reaches up to give his nose a boop.
Also totally nailing this.]
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[He's still worried about Oscar. He likes Oscar, he's a good guy. He doesn't deserve the hand he was dealt. Always wondering if he'd just... vanish. Lose what life he had to Ozpin.
You know what, he was doing pretty good up until the nose boop. He thought he'd had a pretty flawless recovery, but the nose boop proves to be his undoing. A blush spreads across his cheeks as he lets out a nervous laugh. ]
Y-yep. Definitely you. That's ...uh that's you right there.
[Oh nooooo, he thought he'd been so smooth. ]
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Let's just give him some time before we bring it up. He's got a bit of a chance to be normal here, I want him to have the chance to make the most of it.
[She wasn't sure if the things with Ozpin for him were progressing here or not, but at the very least he didn't have to worry about the fate of Remnant while he was here.
She's giggling pretty hard when his smooth routine falls to pieces. Don't mind her as she just kicks her legs up over arm of the couch. She lives her now.]
Mhmmm~! Ya dork.
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[She can live here forever, he's not going to complain. He chuckles again, a little softer this time, a little less awkward.]
Guilty as charged.
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Ozpin has been quiet for a little while back at home as well. I know he chimed in once before I arrived here but nothing else.
But yeah, I don't want to rush him. If he has a chance to be free from it while he's here. I don't want to take that away from him.
[That gets a lighter smile out of her. She just enjoys the moment and relaxes.]
In a good way, trust me.
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How nice of him to ditch you when you need him the most. And yeah. Let him have some fun.
[It sounds like all of the guys from Remnant desperately need some downtime. He smiles faintly, relaxing again from his moment of panic. His hand drops for his fingers to play in her hair absently.]
I'll take comfort in that fact, thanks.
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[They all really could use a long nap and a vacation. She settles in as he starts to play around with her hair. She just smiles softly because gosh, It felt pretty nice. Her fingers hover over to drum on his knee in thought.]
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I would pay real money to see you giving him a good talking to.
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Maybe I'll wake up for a little bit and get the chance to. I'll give you the play by play of how it goes.
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[The thought does trickle in that one day she might actually go home for good, and that causes a pang in his chest he wasn't expecting. That had always been the plan. Work out how this place runs, get everyone home. But Corona doesn't have Ruby in it. And he isn't in Remnant. Oh. That's- that's sure a feeling. ]
Be sure you come back. I wouldn't wanna miss it.
[Or her. ]
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Even if she did remember... She couldn't exactly abandon what she had going on at home. There was way too much at stake for her to do that. She felt herself deflate a little as the thoughts roll through her mind.
She lifted herself up off his lap for just a second, long enough for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him down so they were both laying down on the couch.
She couldn't promise that she'd come back and she didn't have the heart to say as much either. Instead she's just going to try and make the most what time she did have here.]
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A small, rebellious thought that he could find a way to follow her home blooms in his head- but he knows he can't. He might be in a pretty terrible situation back home, but Rapunzel is relying on him. If he doesn't find that final incantation, Corona might very well be lost. He can't let himself become the reason for his homeland's downfall. Not again. And he could never ask her to give up what she's doing, either. She's too important for that.
All they really can do is appreciate the time they've got while they've got it. However long that might last. He moves an arm around her, curling into her a little as he lets out a slow breath. It's fine. ]
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