𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞.

ㅤ

　　𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵-𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘨 ​​𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮?

ㅤ

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝐌 𝐀 𝐋 · 𝐏 𝐑 𝐀 𝐂 · 𝐓 𝐈 𝐂 𝐄
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ/ᴍᴀʟˈᴘʀᴀᴋᴛɪs/ (ɴ.):

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians With blood still in his hair; under his nails; between his teeth.

[— 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔢. @daedalians]

𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑶𝑾 𝑯𝑬’𝑺 𝑮𝑶𝑵𝑵𝑨 𝑮𝑶 𝑶𝑼𝑻 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑲𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝒀𝑶𝑼; 𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑵 𝑯𝑬’𝑳𝑳 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑯𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑲𝑰𝑺𝑺 𝑴𝑬.

[— 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔢. @daedalians]

𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐌𝐄.
𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐇.
𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

I came to you in the hopes of establishing a mutually beneficial partnership. Kindly pass me the flask to your right.

[MAD MAX. @STHRNHOSTILITY]

M’assistin’ plenty by bein’ere, ain’t I? You’s the one what come t’me for help, not the other way ‘round.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians In his position it is impossible to say no. She needs to hear it, and believe it, to remain his. But the more he sacrifices, the realer this false life becomes.]

...Of course. Don't you know that? Of course I would. To the ends of the earth.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians He is afraid.

Until now, it was easily parsed as fiction. He felt in control of it. The conviction in her voice tells him it no longer belongs to him, try as he might to refuse her.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

Then you ought to be thoroughly convinced.

Are you going to assist or did you come only to bicker?

[MAD MAX. @STHRNHOSTILITY]

I’ll believe’at when I see it.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians I love you.

[It is a clunky phrase in his mouth. Silver words, but with the cadence of a cutlery drawer torn open.

Something tells him it will suffice.]

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians [Stone man; even with the new slump in his shoulders. He drags his fingertips down the curve of her cheek, and tips her head up to look at her.

They are a strange portrait; reaper and cherub. The answer to her question is simple but ugly, and she's faced far too much ugliness.]

[— 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔢. @daedalians]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖔𝖓𝖊.
𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖔𝖓𝖊.
𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖔𝖓𝖊.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

I can multitask.

[MAD MAX. @STHRNHOSTILITY]

Uh-huh. Y’plan on workin’ today?

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

Pity we phased that one out. You would've made an excellent case study.

[MAD MAX. @STHRNHOSTILITY]

Y’wanna diagnose me with the female hysteria while you’s at it, doc? Check off all’em boxes n’one go?

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

I refuse to cater to your neurosis. It won't do any good— for the work, nor you.

[MAD MAX. @STHRNHOSTILITY]

Dust’s a contaminant. Get rid of it.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians Moved by her frailness, or haunted by his own swallowed shame, he reaches for her; his cold hand to her cheek, an ugly smear on porcelain.]

You're still young.

[Not reassurance. Colder, more reflection than observation.]

It had to be you, you know.

[𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. @malpractitioned]

@daedalians [Spidery fingers curl inwards until the unkempt nails bite the palms of his hands. He stands before her, grey and silent and rigid, knowing what she also knows:

there is no one else.

The anger fades into something quieter. Muscles loosen, his shoulders sag. --