D'ARTAGNAN!!!!! I have been here for a whole day and you have not hugged me once. This is unacceptable. Where are you??? We're fixing it.
[ Okay, so many he didn't see her and didn't know she was back but she's going to hold it against him anyway. At least until she gets a cuddle out of it. Maybe two. ]
[ And she literally is, skipping down the steps of her rover and shoving her arms through her coat. It takes her a moment or two to remember the camp's layout before she's heading off in what she hopes is the right direction. It's a little weird to see everything this time round. Ajna's rovers were much bigger. And also part of her thinks the snow was easier to deal with than the squelching sand that keeps trying to tug her boots from her.
When she finally does find number five she has to spend a good few minutes knocking her boots to the stairs so as not to trail everything inside with her. ]
[ Of course, it's the boot-knocking that gets him answering the door. He throws it open before she's finished, and leans against the doorframe with his arms folded. His lips settle into a little smirk.
He'll look different since she last saw him - longer hair, thicker beard, the scar on his cheek a little more faint. Older. ]
Clary.
You know you can knock with your hand. That's how most people do it.
I was being considerate. [ Satisfied she's got the very last of the muddy looking sand off her boots, Clary finally looks up. For a minute she doesn't say anything, just looks at him, green eyes flicking over his face as she examines it. Then she's crossing the small distance and flinging her arms around his neck with probably enough force to rock him back. ]
It's been a week. [ People don't just age like that in a week. ] Did you go home?
[ Maybe it's because she knows they can do it that makes her a little more clued in. Maybe it's just that the five hours alone when she did it left her haunted. Still, she knows. ]
[ His smile dims just a little at that. At least she worked it out, though, he doesn't have to explain everything. Still leaning against the door he nods, quickly. ]
For months. Eight or nine, somewhere in that region. It's a little strange to me that it's only been a week since I've seen you. It feels like longer.
[ She listens, her face a mask of concern and upset for her friend. She'd only been back five hours that one time and it was like being wrung out inside. She can't imagine what it's like for him. ]
A lot of stuff happened, huh? [ Clary takes his hand and squeezes it. She's never really been good at comfort but d'Artagnan is almost like family to her now. She has to try. ] I'm fine, just trying to remember what it's like in Hotel CDC. I'm sure I'll be doing something eventually.
I'm fine. I had a lot of people looking out for me. [ She gives him a small kind of smile that totally suggests she's still just as surprised by it now as she was then. ] One guy totally flew me up into a tree to avoid most of it. [ Shaking her head a little. ] I mean, I was pretty embarrassed but it beats ending up smushed underneath a bunch of animals.
Were you at the camp? Or were you running into the middle of all the mayhem like always?
I would have just put my pillow over my head. [ She wouldn't. As much as she implies otherwise she's always the one who's running into trouble wherever she can find it. That's probably why she likes d'Artagnan so much.
She smiles when she takes the water, gratefully gulping down some of it. ] It's wet, it's fine. [ She's just glad to be out of her rover with a friend. ] So, you moved? How is it?
They tend to shuffle us about when there's new people anyway, right? Maybe we can ask them to put us back in the same place next time?
[ She offers up a sly little smile. ] I mean, I for one will definitely miss having my own personal chef so I'm willing to fight that case. Pizza pockets just don't have the same appeal any more.
I'm always shuffled. [ She gives him a small grin but it's obvious she kind of hates it. ] But I liked our rover. I knew people in it. It wasn't so ... intense.
[ She'd felt like she belonged there. ] I would. I really, really would. But no keeping an eye on me. I can take care of myself. [ And not flock to bad boys like she's addicted ... ]
It's ... there's a guy there who used to destroy planets before the CDC snapped him up. And I have no idea what Lust's deal is only that she turned up to our rover the first day covered in blood. That kind of intense. [ She's perfectly safe, she knows that. But there's something about not being able to relax that has her on edge.
At his second statement she rolls her eyes but there's a fondness tugging at her mouth. ] Okay, god, fine. [ Conversationally. ] I guess I do have a big brother spot to fill.
[ Said with some distaste. A man who destroyed planets before anyone forced him to? God, what sort of life had he led? Already, d’Artagnan dislikes the idea of Clary staying there.
Of course, then she goes on to drop that little bomb into casual conversation, and he stops short. Suddenly smiling, he looks down. ]
Big brother, is it? I see. I suppose I could do that. It doesn’t sound so bad.
[ She'd said it without thinking but then he smiles and Clary's own turns a little sweeter, a little more childlike. It's true. Whenever she'd been younger and thought of the brother she might have had, it would have been someone like d'Artagnan. Someone who cared about her and would defend her, but also someone who laughed and joked with her like he does. It gives her a pang in her chest to thing about it. These things don't work out.
Immediately she puts her glass of water down and stands up, holding out her arms. ] Okay, it's hugging time. [ Because she'd missed him, because he'd gone home and he looks so sad, because comfort is important in a place like this. ] C'mere.
[ He certainly doesn’t object. Reaching for her, he pulls her into his arms and keeps her there.
He really has missed her. He remembers being intensely worried about her at first, wanting to get a message to her and then resigning himself to just hoping she was safe, wherever she’d ended up. She’s certainly not safe here, but at least here he can watch out for her. ]
You say things that are incredibly sweet. I’m very glad to have you back, Clary.
[ It's easy to let herself be held by someone like him. D'Artagnan is kind and sweet and so very noble that she finds she can never distrust him. He has no ulterior motive, no bad bone in his body and it's so very soothing after so long a time of second guessing. So she lets herself be hugged and clings back just as much, the same soft smile lighting up her face as she finally pulls away. ]
Well, I couldn't stay away for long, could I? [ She's so glad she's back with this crew. If she can't go home, at least she's here. ]
Now, let's stop being sappy. Have I missed any gossip?
[ Honestly, it's as if you think he pries into other people's business and then spreads their secrets around. And he may well do the first of those, but he definitely doesn't do the second. ]
I don't really remember, Clary. I haven't been back here that long myself. You would be better asking Alina, perhaps.
Oh c'mon. Alina's not the gossip. That's all Sturmhond. [ She grins as she's saying it. For all her teasing and taunting though, she genuinely likes the other man. ]
I'm going to have to start making new friends if I want any juicy details about what's been going down with the crew.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
DAY 108.
D'ARTAGNAN!!!!! I have been here for a whole day and you have not hugged me once. This is unacceptable. Where are you??? We're fixing it.
[ Okay, so many he didn't see her and didn't know she was back but she's going to hold it against him anyway. At least until she gets a cuddle out of it. Maybe two. ]
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Clary? I didn't know! I'm at my rover, come and see me!
FROM: dartagnan@cdc.org
Number 5. I moved. Can you come now?
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Number five. Got it. I'm on my way.
[ And she literally is, skipping down the steps of her rover and shoving her arms through her coat. It takes her a moment or two to remember the camp's layout before she's heading off in what she hopes is the right direction. It's a little weird to see everything this time round. Ajna's rovers were much bigger. And also part of her thinks the snow was easier to deal with than the squelching sand that keeps trying to tug her boots from her.
When she finally does find number five she has to spend a good few minutes knocking her boots to the stairs so as not to trail everything inside with her. ]
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He'll look different since she last saw him - longer hair, thicker beard, the scar on his cheek a little more faint. Older. ]
Clary.
You know you can knock with your hand. That's how most people do it.
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It's been a week. [ People don't just age like that in a week. ] Did you go home?
[ Maybe it's because she knows they can do it that makes her a little more clued in. Maybe it's just that the five hours alone when she did it left her haunted. Still, she knows. ]
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For months. Eight or nine, somewhere in that region. It's a little strange to me that it's only been a week since I've seen you. It feels like longer.
Are you all right?
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A lot of stuff happened, huh? [ Clary takes his hand and squeezes it. She's never really been good at comfort but d'Artagnan is almost like family to her now. She has to try. ] I'm fine, just trying to remember what it's like in Hotel CDC. I'm sure I'll be doing something eventually.
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A lot happened. A lot changed. It was the day before the stampede.
[ Suddenly he stops, looking at her with alarm. ]
The stampede. You would have been caught in it, are you all right?
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Were you at the camp? Or were you running into the middle of all the mayhem like always?
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There were earthquakes here, and all our defences were broken apart. I had to try and help.
[ He has gone to the kitchen automatically, but he glances back at her now. ]
You'll want something to drink?
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And sure. [ She's following him like she didn't actually go away at all and she's been duckling him all this time. It's easy. ]
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[ Believe him, if he could've slept through that, he would have. Too much had been going on for him to stay in his bunk. He's not that heartless.
After a moment he comes back to her side, a glass of water in each hand. He doesn't have anything more fancy than that now. ]
Here. I know it's not much.
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She smiles when she takes the water, gratefully gulping down some of it. ] It's wet, it's fine. [ She's just glad to be out of her rover with a friend. ] So, you moved? How is it?
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He likes his new rovermates well enough. Niko had been a friend already, and Kirihara seems all right.
But all the same... ]
Alina moved out. I wasn't really expecting to move as well, but it wasn't my choice to make.
It's all right. If I'd known you were back, I'd have asked them to put me with you again.
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[ She offers up a sly little smile. ] I mean, I for one will definitely miss having my own personal chef so I'm willing to fight that case. Pizza pockets just don't have the same appeal any more.
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[ D’Artagnan shrugs his shoulders. Maybe that means it was his turn. He focuses on her, though, eyes fixing on her. ]
Would you like that? Seriously, because I’ll ask if you would. I liked living with you before. [ A little smile. ] Meant I could keep an eye on you.
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[ She'd felt like she belonged there. ] I would. I really, really would. But no keeping an eye on me. I can take care of myself. [ And not flock to bad boys like she's addicted ... ]
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[ What does that even mean, Clary? D'Artagnan eyes her strangely. ]
I'm always going to look out for you, so you can stop that argument before it starts.
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At his second statement she rolls her eyes but there's a fondness tugging at her mouth. ] Okay, god, fine. [ Conversationally. ] I guess I do have a big brother spot to fill.
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[ Said with some distaste. A man who destroyed planets before anyone forced him to? God, what sort of life had he led? Already, d’Artagnan dislikes the idea of Clary staying there.
Of course, then she goes on to drop that little bomb into casual conversation, and he stops short. Suddenly smiling, he looks down. ]
Big brother, is it? I see. I suppose I could do that. It doesn’t sound so bad.
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Immediately she puts her glass of water down and stands up, holding out her arms. ] Okay, it's hugging time. [ Because she'd missed him, because he'd gone home and he looks so sad, because comfort is important in a place like this. ] C'mere.
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He really has missed her. He remembers being intensely worried about her at first, wanting to get a message to her and then resigning himself to just hoping she was safe, wherever she’d ended up. She’s certainly not safe here, but at least here he can watch out for her. ]
You say things that are incredibly sweet. I’m very glad to have you back, Clary.
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Well, I couldn't stay away for long, could I? [ She's so glad she's back with this crew. If she can't go home, at least she's here. ]
Now, let's stop being sappy. Have I missed any gossip?
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[ Honestly, it's as if you think he pries into other people's business and then spreads their secrets around. And he may well do the first of those, but he definitely doesn't do the second. ]
I don't really remember, Clary. I haven't been back here that long myself. You would be better asking Alina, perhaps.
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Oh c'mon. Alina's not the gossip. That's all Sturmhond. [ She grins as she's saying it. For all her teasing and taunting though, she genuinely likes the other man. ]
I'm going to have to start making new friends if I want any juicy details about what's been going down with the crew.
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