4.1

[sighsheavily]

I can't believe this... I actually like these.

[these being reference to what clothes she's picked at within the room they're holed in for hours indeterminate. she's pulled on a pastel gown and finished fiddling with the fiddlier bits, smoothing out the drapery in front of the floor-length mirror.]

The color is a shame, and I doubt this'd be of use if I get dropped in that bloody maze again, but still...

[it's nice. it feels nice! no more denim and excess buttons...

gads, the rhinestones making cactus blossom patters are kind of tacky, though. she oughtn't complain; it's a step in the right direction.]

Comments

[forgeabettertomorrow]

You...always make me sound so much cooler than I actually am, you know that...?

[He scratches his cheek bashfully. Is...is he blushing?]

[sighsheavily]

[wait, IS he?? she has to tilt her head a bit to see at this angle, eyebrow arching.]

What do you mean? Am I not saying something you would've said yourself? [...] ...Perhaps with more forging metaphors? But I'm no craftsman, you know.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I-I mean...yeah, I guess...!

[He is ABSOLUTELY blushing.]

I think...you make me sound a lot more...heroic...

[sighsheavily]

[she squints, mouth quirking on one side.]

What did you think you were when saying such things yourself, dear? If you say anything remotely close to 'charlatan,' you're going to have to give that lecture you gave me to yourself...

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I just...! It gets me hyped up...! That's all...!

[sighsheavily]

[her mouth splits into a more genuine smile, endeared.]

But you weren't being a liar, were you?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

N...No! I mean...! I may have been...exaggerating a bit but...!

But that's how you hype people...! It's hyperbole...!

[He's getting more and more red by the second.]

[sighsheavily]

[the tables do turn like this sometimes, but rarely for so long. Cecelia turns around in his slackening grip as he flusters, barely blinking as she peers at the beautiful oddity of his fussed face.

she wants to paint it to memory.]

Do you really find it so silly? That it's possible it's not? I mean, considering all of your feats so far...

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Realizing that he's starting to turn scarlet, he whips around and crosses his arms over his barrel chest.]

I-I...I wouldn't call them 'feats!' They're just...! I'm just trying to do right by people...!

You...you talk about me like I'm some great, legendary hero and...I-I dunno..!

It feels undeserved...! I'm just some blacksmith...!

[sighsheavily]

Mm... [she lingers in place before deciding to put her hands on his wait, lest he try to flee. or, like, shoot through the ceiling.]

I don't remember much, so perhaps you know more than I... Do many blacksmiths have the power to raise buildings? Or go about saving their friends and loved ones with such power and abandon?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Psh, please what's your STR stat again, Cece?]

N...N-No. I-I mean...I'm sure there's some smiths out there who are more interested in making sure their clients are safe than making money...

[sighsheavily]

I only know of one who goes so above and beyond.

Must be quite remarkable, honestly.

[she steps in, hugging him around the middle.]

And maybe...the things you say can fuel what you can do.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...I-It...It sounds a lot prettier coming from you...

[Gods, how does he deal with this? A beautiful woman claiming he's heroic??]

[sighsheavily]

But is it still...hyperbole? When I say it?

[you callin me a LIAR??]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

N...Not if it's...your opinion...I guess...

[If she were near his face the heat coming off of it would be incredible right now.]

[sighsheavily]

[she hugs tighter. mumbled against his back, his scar:] Accusing me of hyperbole...hmh...

[forgeabettertomorrow]

G...Geez...is this what it's like when I shower you with compliments...?

N...No wonder you can only take so much...

[sighsheavily]

[she turns her head so she can talk.]

It...can be hard. To accept another's truth. Especially when it doesn't quite...fit in with your own.

But it doesn't make either more true or false, I suppose? Beauty is subjective, but working to save lives...that's pretty solidly good.

And true.

You're a hero in my eyes, Darin.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[She can feel him lock up. His muscles go tense. He only touched on the memory he regained of his brother...of the childhood promise to be great heroes that would change the world.]

[When he awoke, he thought he'd run from it for so long. Wondered what his lot in life even was. What was he doing? What was he even supposed to be?]

[Hearing the love of his life say he's a hero in her eyes...it...sends so many emotions rippling through him. Fear of being unworthy, anxiety over not living up to that vision, a refusal to believe that he's ever done anything even remotely heroic.]

[But...there's genuine pride and happiness buried under all of that. He's a hero to the woman he loves. There's not many people who can claim such a lofty title.]

[He places his large hands over hers wrapped around his middle and she can feel his shaky touch.]

...Even after all of my failures...?

[sighsheavily]

[she smiles a little, squeezing him a bit tighter.]

You wouldn't be a hero without them. From my perspective...it's part of the package. Repeatedly failing, falling...and getting back up. Still doing what's right. What's true.

Heroes don't start out heroic.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...I was afraid...y'know...?

I promised Dromas we'd be heroes. That we'd...we'd use our powers and change our world and....show everyone we weren't monsters...

Then he died and I guess I just stopped...I stopped bothering. I ran from it. I focused on my smithing and just...keeping my head down...getting by...

I don't even know if I ever thought about it...

[sighsheavily]

[if she holds him any tighter and for too long, she's likely to get rhinestones stuck to her face...

still, she remains where she is to let him speak as he must. she gets it: it's easier to talk in company...when not making direct eye contact with said company.]

That...doesn't make you wrong. Or a failure. It's part of the journey. It's called a hero's journey...I don't remember much of the stories, but I can be sure of that.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...After you were gone...when I clawed my way out of the grave I was left in...

...I wasn't...I wasn't very heroic...

[sighsheavily]

If it was even half as bad as what you wrote... You dug your way into a fresh hell. [her head tilts so her temple is resting against his back.]

And still you made it here...with your heart bruised, but still intact.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Heh...I can't tell if you're too forgiving or you're just too forgiving of me...

But I won't ignore what you're saying by spouting something stupid like 'I'm not worthy of your forgiveness.'

I don't want to be that guy anymore...