ultraviolins | and i saw the heavens and the earth

and i saw the heavens and the earth

[ I won't be the one left behind this time!

Brady's scowling as usual, but with real anger this time. Anger, and a mounting sense of dread. Giving the frosted glass of their new prison a resentful punch only makes his knuckles throb with pain, but that's fine. Maybe it will clear his head a bit, make it possible to think again.

He can hardly stand to look at the knife and the bottle with the ominous markings.]

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[It's impossible to wallow in mortified silence after hearing a response like that.]

I'm not even proposin' to ya! [Why does that even sound like an appealing idea to begin with? He's not quite sure and now seems like a terrible time to try and figure that out.] But anyway, that wasn't what I was saying at all! Of course you're good enough for ma's ring. Hell, I wouldn't be givin' it up unless I thought you were ten times more important!

[Wiping the wet trails from his face with both hands now.]

Wouldja please stop talkin' like you're already dead?

Only ten times more important?

[ Sniffle. Her voice's softened just a smidgen, but that's only because he's yelling back at her. Finding it difficult to actually remain upset when he's upset, Severa weakly nods. ]

Fine, I'll stop saying what we already know is the truth. [ Only because they're never going to get out of this situation otherwise. ]

Fine, a hundred times! A thousand times! Whatever you want, Severa, okay?!

[Deep, struggling breaths to make himself calm the hell down. He's already ashamed of himself for losing control and crying — ugh, why did he have to be such an overemotional loser? That sort of person couldn't help anyone, couldn't keep those he cared about safe and happy.]

It ain't the truth until ya stop breathin'. [He manages to sound firm about this, despite the recent sobbing outburst.] You're still alive, and we got a good chance at makin' sure ya stay that way.

[Optimism from Brady? More likely than you think.]

Fine, but what will happen if we don't?

[ It seems like that's a question she should ask her captor, but as if she gives a damn about what she thinks. Seems better to get an answer from Brady himself. ]

You going to tell my mother I was crying like a baby? I wasn't! I just have to smell your breath and it's making my face burn, that's all!

[Peeking out from behind his fingers for a moment, then they fall away entirely.]

If I told her that, yer ghost would torment me forever — and I'd deserve every minute of it.

[A weak, dumb joke delivered in gruff tones, but he doesn't know how else to field that sort of question when he can barely stand to imagine such an outcome.]

It wouldn't be that bad. [ Can't leave half of the Snark & Bark Society alone after all. ] I can tell you what would look nice in our tent and you can buy it.

You'd have to front the bill all on your own though.

[ Another sniffle. Despite the grim talk, she's seemingly calming down? Don't mess it up, Brady. ]

[That's like asking a person without hands to successfully juggle knives.]

I was basically doing that already, so no worries there. And uh, of course I'd have to get a fancy plaque or statue or somethin' in yer honor.

It'd have to be gold and covered in rubies. [ She never stops. ]

All right, I think I've accepted what must be done.

[ If their offer doesn't work, then she'll have to die. It's not the first time she's seen death, but something about their situation tugs at her mind. Her eyes fall back on the untouched knife in the room. ]

Will I have to do it myself?

[He's about to say some smartass remark along the lines of "but then it won't stand out from all the other shiny stuff in the tent" when she brings up the potential manner of her death.

Brady's quiet for a minute, just until he can set aside his immense discomfort. After all....a 50/50 chance made for better odds than they were used to, but it was no guarantee. He was certainly cynical enough to understand that wishing and hoping rarely played a hand in one's luck.]

....dunno, is that how you'd wanna go out?

Edited (wow such typo much shame) 2013-12-30 10:36 (UTC)

You'd just cry if you have to do it!

[ As if he wasn't going to cry regardless. ] So I'd have to be the one to do it otherwise it'll never get done.

[ Then something rare happens after she says that.

Severa shuts her mouth and doesn't speak anymore. Death is a serious enough topic, but to talk about it even when they're offering up valuable mementos for their lives? It's too much even for her. ]

Yeah, but.....I could still probably do it if things came down to that, if that's what ya wanted.

[He mutters this awkwardly under his breath, not fully sure why he's even saying it. As a healer, he's more than familiar enough with basic anatomy to make figuring out a quick, relatively painless way to end someone's life a frighteningly simple matter.....but the thought of having to do that to Severa is almost too horrible to be tolerated. It's just that, should the worst indeed come to pass, he wants to honor her last wishes, even should they include the request to have her life be ended by his hands.

.....

Silence from her is rare, and in this particular situation, not a relief in the slightest. Someone not quite so maladjusted might take this as an opportunity to draw Severa into a hug, but Brady just hesitantly rests one hand upon her shoulder in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.]

Brady and Severa have agreed that Severa will be the one chosen to die. They're offering the wedding rings of their respective (deeeeeeead) mothers in exchange for Severa being spared.

DIFFICULTY RATING:

9 for Brady
10 for Severa

[ It's not very comforting, but the thought is appreciated only because she doesn't pull away. She's never noticed before how much strength he has in his grip or maybe that's just the weight of a tired man looking for rest? ]

Maybe if you could just tell me how to do it instead.

[ Her voice is barely above a whisper, but does it need to be any louder when he's this close? ]

Hmm . . . I'm afraid that you've been outbid. You have ten minutes, or I'll take matters into my own hands.

[You have ten minutes to decide how to die and to put that plan into action! When that time runs out, water will begin to trickle in the room from the floor, faster and faster and faster—after ten more minutes, the room will be completely flooded. The person chosen to survive will instinctively know that they won't have any trouble breathing.

Once the person slated to die is dead, their body will vanish, and the water will recede. With a sickening lurch, the survivor will find themselves back in the garden, with the corpse of their partner nearby.]

((Here))

[A nervous shifting of his weight from foot to foot.]

Uh, well......I can show ya where to use the knife, I guess. Bleeding out wouldn't be the quickest way to go, but you'd lose consciousness pretty fast. [He swallows hard.] Should be less painful than drinking whatever's in that bottle.

[Good thing the two of them had already discussed their options in case of failure.

Brady snarls at her, loud and angry to hide the icy fear coursing through his body with every breath.]

Sod off! We'll handle this ourselves, ya hear?! So make like the seat of my pants and split!

[But even so, he doesn't rush over to the knife. He doesn't even look at it. His mind is dominated by only a single thing: She's going to die because of me.]

You think so?

[ He would know better than she. All she's used to doing is cutting up monsters to ensure they won't get back up. The thought of cutting herself to bleed to death twists her insides up so much that she's grabbing at her stomach with her free hand. ]

Gods, this is really sick. I'm getting sick just thinking about it and you're over there calm as can be!

[ It wasn't good enough. Their offered mementos of parents long gone mattered little to this woman and if she couldn't find the value in rings herself, then that meant her life was just as meaningless. ]

So that's it, is it?

I ain't calm! [It's not as though he's detached from the situation — it's a struggle just to keep his voice level while discussing such a bleak outcome.] I don't like it any more than you do. It's just.....ya did ask.

[His hands curl into white-knuckled fists, but the roiling ocean of shame and dread in the pit of his stomach is leeching all his strength away.

Brady hangs his head. He feels sick.]

Severa....

You heard her. [ Even if he didn't, Severa was going to remind him of what was said anyway. ] Ten minutes. How long will it take for me to die by the method you told me earlier?

Well?

I don't have all day so spit it out!

You're very calm about the matter! [ Sniff. ]

I bet you're just relieved that I'm going to do it all on my own if I have to and that's why you're not freaking out. What if I said you had to help me, then what, you big crybaby?!

[Teeth find his lower lip and bite down almost hard enough to break skin.]

Gods, I don't— [But she was right. They only had ten minutes.] Five, maybe six minutes at most.

[A pained, supremely bitter afterthought:]

You'd pass out in three.

[Somehow, miracle of miracles, he resists throwing both hands up in the air. That particular breaking limit has not yet been reached.]

I wouldn't be any damn good to ya as a blubberin' mess, that's why! [And yet tears are welling up again anyway, already on the brink of falling. Blame her bringing up that deeply unsettling possibility.] And of course I'm gonna help ya if it comes to that! What, d'you think I'd turn my back on ya or something?!

[ That's all she needs to hear. Already she's come to the painful decision that she should hit him really hard until he passes out. Forcing him to have to watch her bleed out is cruel, but what if she fails at her task of doing it on her own? ]

All right, you need to tell me what to do and make it quick. I only have four minutes.

[ Somehow she manages to keep her composure in saying that despite what she's asking him. ]

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and i saw the heavens and the earth

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DECISION + OFFER

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latetags this like a jerk don't look at me

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STARES AT YOU