reallyaduck | (no subject)

One might think that Mytho would be used to this by now, but to be fair he's never gotten two shards back simultaneously. Still, one might be forgiven for feeling that his harsh cry of emotion (head thrown back and everything) is a touch melodramatic.

A spotlight

(why are there spotlights in the woods?)

falls on a particular patch of ground. Actually, it falls on Fakir, who is standing on that patch. When Fakir ~~sashays~~ steps forward, the spotlight follows him.

Princess Tutu and those two boys are here too, of course, and Duck is probably around somewhere, but Fakir is giving his entire attention to Mytho.

He is not amused.

"Can't Mr. Cat keep you out of trouble?"

Fakir extends his arm to take Mytho's. "Come away now, and stop screaming. I told you to stay away from Princess Tutu."

Fakir leaves the corollary, If you had stayed away from her, you would not now be screaming in soulrending agony, unstated.

As far as Trowa's usually concerned, social awkwardness is for other people.

This whole situation is . . .

working hard to be an exception.

On one hand, Fakir has all the social graces and emotional sensitivity of Wufei on an annoyed day. On the other hand, Mytho's screaming is -- not the most comfortable thing to witness. (Melodramatic or not.)

His eyes flick to Duo, and then to Princess Tutu.

But Princess Tutu, alas, is no longer there.

(Duck, meanwhile, has taken advantage of the moment when everyone's eyes were fixed on the screaming Mytho to dive behind the nearest tree. SHE WAS HERE THE WHOLE TIME. YES. HONEST.)

. . .

Never mind. No help there.

Does she really think she's fooling anyone? Seriously?

Apparently the answer is yes. Duo coughs. "Gosh, where's Duck got to?"

THAT'S YOUR CUE, SWEETHEART.

"Uhhhhhhhh hi!"

Duck sidles out from behind the tree.

"I, uh, I fell over and I think I knocked my head so I don't have any idea what just happened or anything!"

BEST EXCUSE EVER.

"Um is everyone okay?"

Mytho looks dazed and disoriented.

Er. More dazed and disoriented than he usually looks.

"Fakir?" Okay, so he sounds just as confused as normal.

"When did you get here?" Not that this stops him from ~~swaying~~ moving slowly in Fakir's direction.

Duo raises an expressive eyebrow at Trowa over Duck's head.

"Maaaaaybe it's time for us to go."

. . .

Trowa does not eyebrow back, but he doesn't really need to.

Okay then, Mytho. Since apparently it's mutual.

"Probably," he agrees.

Duck looks anxiously from Mytho to Fakir. "But -"

"I think they need a little alone time, Duck." He grabs her hand and makes for the path.

-was this forest always here?

Surely it must have been! Forests don't move.

Trowa is paranoid even when he's not dealing with the aftermath of mind-altering heartshard possession. So this may not actually be his train of thought.

In any case, he follows silently after Duo and Duck.

Duck cranes her neck around to watch the senpais for as long as she can, but her view is soon blocked by relatively dense foliage.

Then she twists her neck back around, rather reluctantly.

"So uh . . . I guess . . . lots of stuff happened. . . . didn't it . . . ."

Duo stares at her.

. . .

The extent to which Duck needs to work on her subtlety is enormous.

(Multiple personalities would be a perfectly plausible hypothesis here, for someone who regards verbal chess with Une as a fun hobby, if Duck weren't such an incredibly bad liar.)

Trowa says: "Yeah."

"You are a magical ballerina princess," Duo says, in a tone that suggests he is not over this yet, and won't be anytime soon.

"And your town is messed up."

Duck whips her head back around in Duo's direction.

"QUACK?"

He knows she's Tutu how can he know that she was super careful and no one else ever guessed and how can he know and -

. . and . . . .

Ooops.

Trowa fails to look surprised.

Duo sighs, and picks up his hat, as it is covering the tiny duck (Duck) entirely.

"You okay?"

"Qwack," says Duck forlornly.

"We saw," Trowa says, in impassive explanation.

Evidence suggests she can still understand English. Or German, presumably.

(Sharing unnecessary information is -- a gesture, maybe, conscious or no. Right now, at least.)

"You want some water? Or just to head back to your place?"

. . . how on earth do you ballet mime water? Duck attempts to cup her wings in front of her like hands holding a cup, and hopes that conveys the idea.

"Sure."