TAKSHAKA

[soulping]

[The room you step into looks like it could be a miniature ballroom, complete with stained glass windows and vast, ornate mirrors.

Your team's column is set into one wall, easily accessible but as impregnable as ever. One of the mirrors may prove almost as interesting, if you can tear your eyes away from your trapped teammate. Through it, you are somehow able to see every other team's column and what is inside, though nothing beyond that.

The floor beneath your feet polished, patterned wood, inlaid with the pattern of a grand sundial in your team's colors. In the center of the pattern stands a pedestal, upon which sits a collection of colorful glass ornaments. It looks like there's room for other items, but there's nothing else to be found just yet . . . ]

Comments

[friendshipismusic]

. . .

It's a feeling.

[barrette]

[ she gets a cold chill. ]

Robin is sick, and Swan has done enough, so... so one of us will...

[friendshipismusic]

[... she takes a deep breath, thinking things through quickly—she bites her lip before responding]

I will. I will ... give up my happiness.

[because there is no way to be happy in this situation.]

[barrette]

What if you don't get it back?

[ she would sooner do it to herself than see Finch joyless forever. ]

[friendshipismusic]

[well, she'd do the same thing over sparrow :(]

There is no way that I could go without happiness forever with this team.

[barrette]

...Okay. I trust your choice.

[ Sparrow manages a small smile and reaches for Finch's hand to squeeze it tightly. ]

I'll do the next one.

[friendshipismusic]

[squeezes her hand back, tightly.]

I will leave it to you. Please be careful, Sparrow.

[And with that, she's following the instructions needed and concentrating hard on the feeling she wants to give up—her happiness.]

[infiniteregress]

My thanks, dear heart.

[You feel the emotion sllllowly draining away, and as it does so, the shard steadily becomes brighter and brighter.

When all of your happiness is gone, the shard vanishes.]

[friendshipismusic]

[it feels unfamiliar, but with that, she goes to ... sit down next to robin. calmly. sort of.]

[swordedpast]

[instantly]

That makes this easier. You should give up your concern for me.

[friendshipismusic]

[firmly:]

I will not. I will not give up my concern for anyone, no matter what you may say.

[swordedpast]

[petulantly]

Stupid.

[friendshipismusic]

Shouldn't I be saying the same thing?

You are my friend, and I love you, but you've been stupid as well.

[swordedpast]

I've only been doing what I need to. In order to protect you, to protect my team...

That's my reason. So I'll do whatever it takes.

[friendshipismusic]

And I will not let you, because you're disregarding our feelings in the process of doing that! Our feelings are just as important as our well-being, you cannot have one without the other. Our feelings are important to our well-being.

[swordedpast]

If you'd just stop worrying about me, I could protect both!

[friendshipismusic]

No you couldn't, because that's not how it works!

[swordedpast]

You're so stubborn.

[sulks]

[friendshipismusic]

As are you.

[brb giving up my happiness with the reasoning that it can't stay away forever because takshaka makes her happy

you butt]

[barrette]

Swan!

[ giving him the worst glare she can muster. ]

[swordedpast]

This would be way easier if you all could give up your concern for me!

[barrette]

...Go look after Robin. She needs someone by her now.

[ get to your corner young man, we don't have time for this shit ]

[swordedpast]

[ He glares, but starts to slink away to go back to Robin's side. ]

[corvitae]

[look I might be down and full of burning and wooziness, but:]

Swan, stop!

[swordedpast]

What.