You laugh until you cry; you cry until you laugh

[sailorgenerous]

Who: Virgo musicians - Ghost Quest people and their friends
What: When eight musicians go missing, what happens to those left behind? What happens when those eight come back far worse for the wear?
When: Feb 1st-3rd and after
Where: Virgo HQ
Warnings: Talk of torture, violence, brainwashing, etc. It's ugly in here, folks.

The past three days have not been kind. The hauntings were odd, yes, but when your friends went missing without warning or a trace - well.

How have you been coping? Have you been coping?

And then they came back just as suddenly, and...it looks like your worries were not unfounded.

This isn't good, is it.

Comments

[sailorgenerous]

Rarity wants to interject, but she can see Sans thinking and she stays silent.

She's not sure whether to be glad she did.

She remains silent a few moments more, trying to process what Sans has just told her. He's right - she does not think it's possible to go through life completely apathetic, especially since Sans hasn't.

Even if he doesn't realize it, or doesn't want to.

"But you do care," she tells him gently. "You care enough about what's happening here to stay and take me to task when I chose to be violent." It's still embarrassing, but this is not about her right now. "And you care about Greg, too - enough to worry about whether your friendship is honest and whether he's hurt." She's reaching a bit on that last part, but she's certain enough she's right to continue on. "You don't have to care as much as he does - honestly, I'm not certain anyone can. You just need to care a little. And you do. And that's enough."

[exhumerus]

He doesn't look surprised at what she says, or react beyond continuing to stare at the table ahead of him. He isn't sure she understands, but he didn't think she would. He's even vaguely cognizant of the fact that the reason that no one else understands it is because its a construct of his perpetually ill mind.

That just doesn't seem to make it better, though, when it comes to practicality of it. If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, etc.

Part of him just disagrees, that it's okay to just care a little in the face of someone who cares so much more. It isn't fair. He's already gotten far more loyalty out of Greg than he deserves. And in a way far deeper than the memories of this life, he is accustomed to letting people down.

"Well, y'know...everything has its expiration date. I've been me my entire life. I already know how this will go."

[sailorgenerous]

"Do you."

She's listening to him give up - on his friendship with Greg, and on himself. On a normal day, this would be one of the most upsetting things she hears all day; unfortunately, today is anything but normal.

"Because from what I've seen and heard, nobody has been able to predict anything that's been happening lately. How do you know things will turn out the way you think? The only way you'll fail for certain is if you don't try, and I don't think you'd do that to Greg - because you do care about him." It all comes back around.

[exhumerus]

On a normal day, he probably wouldn't be saying this stuff at all. That counts for something, he guesses, even if it just means he's so tired he can't keep up the momentum of his persona.

The fact of the matter is that he did give up on himself, and it was years ago already. Everything about who he is in this world is telling him it's true. Caring about something has never changed the way it shakes out, or stopped him from from giving in and giving up. Trying just meant that he had something to be disappointed about losing.

"Yeah. But when you're as sick in the head as me that doesn't count for a hell of a lot."

He doesn't look at her.

[sailorgenerous]

She's out of her depth.

The realization hits Rarity like a ton of bricks. She doesn't know how to handle this. Sans is hurting just as badly as Meril is; the major difference is that Sans' version involves less screaming. That doesn't make it better; the problem is, she doesn't know what will.

"Sans," she tries, and falters. The rest of the words simply will not come. Instead, she stands up, moves her chair around to his side of the table, sits next to him, and very gently pulls him into a hug.

[exhumerus]

Oh...um. Oh. Okay.

Sans just kind of lets it happen. His reaction isn't bad exactly. He just...wasn't expecting that? And now he isn't really sure how to react. He exhales, and then chuckles faintly.

"Hey, I'll take it," he says. He's come this far.

[sailorgenerous]

Honestly, she's not certain what to say either. There's a light, easy reply to this, and Rarity doesn't know what it is. Instead, she just squeezes him - just a little bit, and gently - and then lets go.

"I know I can't do much," today has thrown that realization into sharp relief, "but if you need anything, do let me know."