Going Once, Going Twice

[sailorgenerous]

Who: Rarity and whomever would like to talk with her
What: Rarity getting loose ends tied up before Sans goes on his teleport spree and gets her out of dodge Virgo
When: April 8-10
Where: Wherever you want, though mostly in Virgo
Warnings: We'll see?

It's been an odd, very tense sort of month. There are things happening in the background that Rarity can't quite put her finger on, and it's keeping her on edge. (Of course, it doesn't help that her hands no longer feel right, and her balance is terrible. This is what happens when you have the wrong number of legs, and the wrong just about everything.)

She may be in the penthouse, making tea or putting together different outfits in an attempt to make herself feel better; she may be in the Virgo lobbies or building at large, looking through the museum she rarely ever spends time in or committing the cardinal sin of wearing flats to the club; she may be out and about on the town, usually at a park, though the fashion district has caught her attention as of late, her bodyguard (regrettably) never far behind.

Comments

[panspermia]

The smile melts away, leaving something confused and uncomfortable in its place. What if they could leave. What if the Solstice Bear were real.

"You know we can't do that, Rarity."

There's no justification. It's just a fact.

[sailorgenerous]

"How do you know?" The twinge of pain returns, more insistent this time, and she ignores it. "There must be a way home, even if we haven't found it yet." There are people here to rescue them for a reason.

[panspermia]

The microwave beeps, and Greg uses the excuse to pull out the cup of subpar coffee and avoid looking at her.

"Sure there is." There isn't there will never be you're stuck you need to accept it just give up "But.. there's nothing we can do from here. We just... just gotta hang tight, and let the ones who are working on it figure it out." They won't they'll fail they'll all get taken out and you'll be safer if you have nothing to do with them stay away stay away

[sailorgenerous]

On one hand, he knows about the rescuers - he must have spoken with Sans about them. That's a good thing.

On the other hand, she is sick to death of people preaching the passive route. "Greg." She uses her magic to snatch the mug of reheated tar out of his hands and dump it in the sink. Honestly, there's a fresh pot brewing right now, it will be done in just a minute, and oh, also, quit avoiding her. "We can't just wait for them - we must meet them halfway! Surely there's something we can do from in here - gather information that will help them, or something."

[panspermia]

He flinches as she pulls it away, but still can't look at her. Boy, the fridge sure is fascinating. Look at that. Wow.

"Maybe. I don't know."

He can't seem to register anything further than that. There's a wall in the way.

[sailorgenerous]

Rude.

For a moment, Rarity is flat-out angry at Greg. He never used to do this - he was the one who helped her come to terms with all of the odd occurrences around here in the first place! He was the one who helped her, who warned her that the label wouldn't like her new-old memories, and now-

And now he won't even look at her.

She's missed something - something that changed Greg, and not for the better.

The anger fizzles out. "What aren't you telling me?"

[panspermia]

His eyes dart around the kitchen, equal parts casting for something to focus on besides her and scanning for anyone who might be listening. Like the bananas?? He's stalling, really.

"My... the magic stuff I got... it's not like yours, remember? I didn't have it... before..." He runs a hand through his hair. "They're keeping close tabs on me. Closer than everyone else. If I left, they'd find me, and drag me right back."

Greg takes a deep breath through his nose. "You could probably make it. If you found a way, I mean. But I... I don't want you to end up like the others."

[sailorgenerous]

It makes an awful amount of sense - of course they'd want to keep track of Greg, if they'd given him power. It's Greg's last few words that give Rarity pause. "The others?"

[panspermia]

He twitches a shoulder. "Like Meril and Marty." He looks very, very tired. "Or Kokoro." A deep breath. "Or Krieg, or Gaige, or Lora, or Weasel."

[sailorgenerous]

She knows what happened to Meril and Marty, but- Kokoro was fired, and the others are names she doesn't recognize...

She doesn't want to know. She has to know. "What...happened to them?"

[panspermia]

"Fired, officially." He shakes his head. "Something happened to them. Blanche is using them for... I don't know. But they didn't go home."

He finally looks at her. "This band has been through a lot of loss, Rarity. If you can find a way to stay safe, you take it." Whether with them or against them... so long as she wasn't hurt.

[sailorgenerous]

It's a good thing Rarity isn't holding anything, or it would be in pieces on the floor at this point. For a moment, all she can do is stare and remember to breathe. Greg wouldn't lie to her about this; somehow, that makes it both better and worse all at once.

"What about you?" she manages quietly. "Blanche gave you magic - is it keeping you safe?" She can hardly believe that it is - Greg is too tired and twitchy for that - but she needs to hear it from him.

[panspermia]

Greg looks away again, teeth gritted. He hates seeing that expression on her, hates making her feel this way. But she deserves to know.

"I'm too valuable for him to hurt. I'm fine. I'm just... just worried about the rest of you, you aren't..." His face screws up. He's not very good at being some big protector. "I'm trying to help, but I'm just one guy."

[sailorgenerous]

Her expression is blank for a few seconds, as two and two come together to make a very terrible four. "You're too valuable to hurt, but we're not," she breathes. "Is that- are we collateral? You behave, or he hurts us? Is that how this works?" It's not an accusation - simply ugly surprise.

Tell her she's wrong, Greg. Please.

[panspermia]

"He never said that," Greg admits. But they know it's there. "He kept Steven safe for me." Another veiled threat, that Steven had been smart enough to escape.

"I can do all sorts of stuff with my powers. Stuff I don't even know yet, but he does. He hasn't asked me to do anything but my job." Yet. "So long as we play, it works out."

[sailorgenerous]

She shakes her head slowly as Greg talks. It's bad - it's worse than she knew, and she'd thought she knew quite a bit. "And what happens when he tells you to do something you don't want to do?" The way things are going, it will be a when.

[panspermia]

Greg doesn't have an answer for that; he's been wondering himself.

After a deathly still pause, he glances at Rarity--not her face so much as the hem of her dress. "Does your magic let you protect yourself at all?"

[sailorgenerous]

The non-answer is not reassuring, but for now, it's answer enough, and Rarity doesn't pursue it.

"No," she says after that pause has passed. "I can move things with it, but that's about it."

[panspermia]

Another moment of silence passes, while Greg chews it over.

"I... I've been able to change things. Make them different. I've never tried it on a person. I don't--I don't want to force anything. But. I can maybe help you get... closer. To who you were." It's only a theory, an idea slowly developing in the back of his mind. But it's something.

[sailorgenerous]

She's only ever heard of one other person doing this - the person who gave her her purple hair and her magic back. "Like the person in the mask," she says quietly. It's difficult to fathom, yes, but certainly not the strangest thing she's heard this week.

She's wanted so badly to do something to help - she wants Greg, who's being so passive, to do something as well - this may just be a compromise. It's risky, yes, but so is doing nothing, and if Rarity is to be hurt, she knows exactly which way she'd prefer it to happen. "I'm willing to try if you are," she says. "A duet, then?"

[panspermia]

"I think so." It makes sense, right? He's never seen how it works, but... if they can do it, so can he, right?

Greg rubs at his face. He's tired. He's scared. He wants to do something. Greg nods at her. "I uh. I'll go get... my guitar..."

[sailorgenerous]

"Wait a moment, please." The coffee had finished while they were talking; she fetches a new mug from the cupboard, pours fresh coffee into it, and magics it over to Greg. "I thought you might want this."

[panspermia]

He takes the cup from the glowing grip of her magic, hesitates, adds a little milk. Just to take away a bit of the bitterness. "Thanks, Rarity." He limgers a moment, taking a gulp and absorbing the scent. "C'mon. We better do this before we lose our nerve." He can't speak for her, but it's a definite risk for him.

[sailorgenerous]

"Of course." She follows him down the hall, teacup floating easily beside her, and shuts the door behind her when she reaches his room. After a moment of consideration, she sets the teacup on a nightstand and magics a pillow instead, shoving it into the crack under the door. "I'm ready when you are."

[panspermia]

Greg's paranoia has peaked with a certainty that no pillow, nor indeed any door, could stop anyone who wanted to from overhearing. Still, he appreciates security blankets as something soothing.

He slings his guitar strap over one shoulder, looks at Rarity, and nods. She's not got her violin, which means singing. He'll match her rhythm.