Private Enough stalling.

Hope the Bard

Stressed-out student
Retired
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May 27, 2019
428
UK
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"Oh wow," he said in response to the biological arm. He hadn't paid close attention, what with the shock of seeing his best friend again. It was a relief to know Jack had managed to regain the arm. He'd remembered the sight of the Fae crumpled in the study, Conrad's own body still regaining its functions after the strong dose of drugs he'd been fed at The Library treatise signing. Escaping the villa with a newly armless Jack had been quite the mess, and stopping the bleeding had been quite the difficult time too. He'd had to escape back to The Library that night after giving the Fae much-needed first aid: if he'd stayed, he definitely would have been accused of grievous assault.

His chest tightened at the painful memory. He'd been hurt many times, but no wound had ever left such an indelible mark on his soul as had the one on his friend's body. He shook his head, trying to clear the memory away as Jack took out a picture of a cute young merboy. He'd remembered an alternate where mermaids had existed, but they had been hideous beings. It still confused him how people had taken all kinds of supernatural beings and made them seem harmless, but having lived on Manta Carlos for a few months he definitely knew they were capable of coexistence. It was a mystery he was still trying to figure out, and perhaps one that he would end up devoting his entire life to.
"I'm glad. You finally got that family life you always dreamed of." He broke into a soft smile, but a hint of sadness and jealousy betrayed him as they leaked into his expression. It was the life he'd never have.

He fell silent.
 

ArcanaFate

aRCANE lORE mASTER
Ranger
May 19, 2018
711
Pronouns
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Jack watched Conrad's eyes glance over his prosthetic arm. It was definitely a pretty thing to look at but the cat fae believed he knew his friend pretty well. "...You know I don't blame you for it, right? My arm." Jack hummed, reaching over with his normal arm and placing it on his friend's shoulder. He added a small reassuring squeeze as he locked his mismatched eyes with Conrad's deep brown ones.

"I would have done the same thing every time, you know. I had a feeling something wasn't right but I'm glad we both got out and survived, regardless of the circumstances. You saved my life, Conrad. I would say I'm in your debt but I technically saved your life first so no fae debts on either side." He snickered, his hand slowly pulling away and resting back in his lap.

"...And I do feel very blessed for my newfound family life, Conrad. But..." He trailed off for a moment, pouring his own cup of tea. A small wave of steam rose from the cup as his finger trailed around the rim. "But it wasn't exactly the same without you around. You're my best friend and having you disappear after everything hurt almost as bad as losing my arm. I mean, I'll be honest, I missed you greatly, but having my arm lobbed off by that asshole was definitely the most painful thing I've ever experienced." He gave a weak laugh and took a sip of the tea and let the cup rest back on the parlor table.

"Conrad, you're... you're going to be around more often, right? You'll come stay from time to time. Have dinner with us, maybe a swim. Whatever you're comfortable with. I just..." He frowned and went silent. "You're always welcome here. Always."
 

Hope the Bard

Stressed-out student
Retired
Super Subscriber
May 27, 2019
428
UK
Gender
Male
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Warning signs went off in Conrad's head. The escape routes he'd thought up on the way here surfaced in his mind at once. Seeing Jack be so heartfelt and genuine felt off. Seeing him so... so serious set something off inside the Librarian's warning systems. He remained silent. This wasn't Jack. It didn't feel like Jack.

All of a sudden everything felt off. The world felt off. His clothes suddenly felt restrictive, and the floor under his feet was no longer stable. Was it made of panels, like it had been for the famous Librarian Irene? Would the floor open up under his feet into a pool of hungry sharks? Something about the invitation seemed almost...awkward. It was unnatural. It was completely unlike Jack to be this way.

He shifted in his chair, body gaining a subtly more alert posture. "Duly noted."
 
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ArcanaFate

aRCANE lORE mASTER
Ranger
May 19, 2018
711
Pronouns
He/Him
Jack frowned again, eyes carefully watching as Conrad didn't seem so receptive to the idea. Did the librarian change so much in three years? Did he no longer like Jack's company? The cat fae shifted, leaning forward while keeping his attention focused on his guest. Maybe a topic switch would help?

"...I just remembered. How's Cassie doing? Is she settling well into her new life?" Cassie, or better known as Cassandra, had been intertwined in both Jack and Conrad's first meeting. The two's first adventure had left them in an alternate universe of ancient Greece during the Trojan War. Both had snuck into Troy via the infamous Trojan horse and ended up finding what Conrad was searching for: a high school history textbook that the infamous seer Cassandra had been using for her unbelieved predictions. They also met Cassie, a time traveler who was stuck in that time period and had no plans to die in the burning city. So, thanks to the duo, a rescue went underway and Cassie had disappeared with Conrad into the Library.

Jack's tail flicked back and forth, a subtle movement as he waited for his friend to answer.
 
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