[That gives Emily pause. A rather long pause where she shifts the ice pack against her stomach. The shitty fabric of her top is thick enough to soak in the chill and keep soothing her sore stomach even if the ice pack isn't right over a given area.
Honestly, she doesn't know.]
All I want is to hit her back. She offered to take it, but I couldn't yet. [For obvious reasons.] She's fucking crazy.
[Emily is used to people taking her shit, but not like that. Even Matt fought back sometimes, called her on her shit when it got bad enough on the mountain.]
[He's not really sure hitting back is the best way to handle it, but whatever; h. He might've argued, or at least tried to deter her, if he weren't just completely done with this sort of thing going on.
Emily's last comment is a little bit of a surprise, though, and he's slightly confused.]
What do you mean?
[There's a lot of words he could use to describe Maketh, but that's not one he would've gone to.]
[When she hears the word aloud, Emily regrets it. It's tainted now, with the mountain and Josh's mental illness and the wendigos. She's not someone who really regrets shit, but after last year, that stupid prank-- things are changing.
She looks away in the moment the regret hits her, and her gaze falls on her mirror, still on the floor next to the fake silk bag that had wound up getting her fucking punched.]
[He looks away, at the floor, after her first comment; like Emily, his associations with the word--and several others, similar or dissimilar--have to do with the mountain. And he was already thinking about it anyway, if distantly; part of the reason he isn't angrily calling Maketh is that he's guessing she probably freaked out from her own traumas, and he can sort of understand that. It doesn't excuse hitting Emily, but he can still sympathize.
Emily's request draws him out of his thoughts and at gives him something else to think about, even if he's kind of hesitant to agree.]
I... Yeah, sure.
[He's already a curious person and resisting the incredibly strong urges to look at people's mirrors has been difficult. But he'll just... Step over to the mirror and pick it up, closing his eyes tightly and holding it stiffly out to Emily somewhat comically.]
[He barely even gets the words out before Emily leans over --] Fuck, [she hisses -- and snatches it from him. Holds it close. Clutches it in her hand.]
Thanks.
[She's frowning, of course, even as she glances at the mirror to make sure it's still in once piece. (Not even a scratch. What a fucking miracle. Guess Hope isn't useless after all.) She's-- she's not sure if she wants Chris to see it. Out of all her friends, he's maybe the one person she might show, but it's just-- if this is an actual vision of the future, then it means she wasn't wrong when she opened up to Jess all those years ago, trusted her with her deepest secrets, with her insecurities and hopes and dreams. It means she can hope they'll reconcile. And that would be so, so dangerous to share. They'd be a witness to that future, and if she fucks it up, they would know what she lost and how badly she failed along the way.
She just-- she just doesn't know, so she looks for a distraction instead.]
[Okay, good, she has it. He opens his eyes, one at a time, and she's inspecting her mirror; he can understand the protectiveness over it, though he isn't sure if it's because she's embarrassed about it or it's precious to her. Maybe both.
At the question he nods, giving a small smile. He's definitely not embarrassed about what his shows; it's sappy and personal, but not in a bad way.]
Yeah. I've been, you know, hiding in my room. In the most secure of hiding places.
[Three guesses if it's under his mattress.
And he pauses a moment before deciding to ask--]
So um... Yours show something good, or more like... Awkward?
[There's no sarcasm in her answer, no sneer or glare or disdain, none of the usual walls Emily puts up. She can't muster up the energy for them, not when it still hurts to breathe a little and she wants so badly for this vision in the mirror to come true.]
What does yours show, some nerdy awards ceremony?
[Again, it sounds weak as far as her usual teasing goes.]
[He'll accept that answer and doesn't push, even though he's definitely curious and it's not just because of the event's effects. Her question earns a small grin.]
No, but that'd be pretty cool.
[Although...]
I guess it still counts as a nerdy ceremony, though. It's uh...
[He's not embarrassed but it's still weird to say.]
Um, Ash and I are... Getting married, I guess.
[Let the teasing commence; he doesn't even care because hell yeah.]
[The instinct to tease is so, so strong. Strong enough to make her forget about her own mirror, to bring out a smirk that's a lot less wry than it could be. Emily isn't the most romantic person in the world (at least, not that she lets anyone see, but she's definitely not as romantic as, say, Jess), but the combination of being acutely aware of the mutual feelings between Ashley and Chris for so long, and the way he admits the image in his mirror, is just enough to take the edge off all the things she could say right now.]
Dork.
[Weak, that's so fucking weak.]
At least that could actually happen, if you two stop taking five years working up the nerve to say goddamn hello to each other.
((ooc: that should still work whether or not Em and UD house know that Chris and Ash are an ~item~ now, I think?))
[[ooc: Yeees perfect~ It's not secret but they're also pretty quiet about it so Emily could easily either know or not know, whatever you like!]]
[He snorts at the insult because wow, harsh. He's wounded. He will never get over the moniker of 'dork'.]
Yeah yeah.
[He grins a bit more, even if it's directed toward the floor more than at her. He'd offer a better retort, but he's more distracted by the wording of her response.]
Is yours like... Not something that could actually happen?
((ooc: lmao cool, she would know and be ignoring them because sappy nerds god it's about time go be sappy anywhere else but where i am ffs))
[Look bro she just got punched in the gut, give her a break.
Her smirk doesn't dim as much as it could, not until he asks his question. Then she goes neutral, frowning a little.
It could happen. She's just not sure it will.]
I guess technically it could, but it's pretty much impossible.
[She glances down at the mirror, watches the image of herself, proud and confident and powerful. The cover shot of Jessica is right next to her on the wall, and Jess looks gorgeous and fearless and fierce. Her dream, the one thing in life that had been the same when so many other things kept changing.
Emily bites her lips. Why the hell beat around the bush. It must be driving Chris crazy to hear her talk around it with the mirror right there in front of him. God knows she now wants to go looking for his as soon as she gets back to the house. It's just--
It's impossible anyway, so what can it hurt, right? She'd show Matt, if he were here, let him believe he's the spouse the wedding ring in the mirror proclaims she has. It doesn't even matter. (That at, least, she can achieve. Men are easy. Becoming an editor will take more work, but she'll get there too.) Matt's not here anyway, and Chris is the only person in the house who probably doesn't hate her to some degree.
[It is definitely killing him to resist looking at any of these things. He's managed so far, but only because it's so wrong to invade privacy on that level--looking at the name on a love letter is completely different from looking at a mirror that show's someone desires--and he really, really wants to see.
Still, her holding the mirror out to him is more than slightly a surprise, and he hesitates several seconds before deciding she's genuinely offering it. He takes it back carefully, glancing toward her once more before looking into it.
He's not sure what he was expecting, especially with Emily's reaction, but it isn't this. This is... Really nice. A future for not just Emily herself accomplishing her dreams, but Jessica too.]
I don't... It might not be as impossible as you think, Em.
[He offers the comment quietly, handing her mirror back to her carefully.]
O-Obviously Mike was wrong, and she's still... When we get home, life'll go on.
[And if both Emily and Jessica are alive, then there's always a chance this future might come to pass.]
[She scoffs and rolls her eyes as she takes back the mirror.] Sure, Chris.
[Life'll go on, but it won't go back to how it used to be. Jess and Mike will keep dating, rubbing their betrayal in Emily's face. Jess will get plastic surgery to fix all her scars. Emily will get a few good internships and work her way to the top. Hannah and Beth will still be dead. Josh... Josh might be dead, too. Their group of friends will fall apart for good. Everything will be shit.]
Hope sucks at making people hopeful.
[Straightening a little, and wincing with the effort, Emily turns her mirror over and looks at it for a second, the longest she can stand to look at it right now before it starts to hurt in ways even Maketh's punch can't. It's a slap in the face, this mirror. It's what Emily has wanted for years, and it's forever out of reach.]
[Hope pretty much sucks in general, though Chris can't be too annoyed with him because at least he's trying to keep them alive. That's more than he has to do.
But that definitely doesn't mean he doesn't suck at the making people feel hopeful thing.
Chris would normally just let Emily brush off the whole mirror thing, but this time he doesn't feel like he should. He won't push too much more, but...]
But just... Don't write it off, okay? You've got another chance with someone that used to be your best friend. Don't um...
[He hesitates, voice a little less steady when he continues.]
Don't make the same mistake I did, okay?
[There's no way Josh made it back at home, not after what Mike said. There's no changing that the last time Chris and Josh spoke at home they weren't exactly friends, but Jess is alive. Emily and Jess still have a chance.
He shrugs a little, looking away, then back at Emily and shifts the topic quickly.]
[Pressing her lips together, Emily looks away. Way to lay on the guilt trip, Chris. Then again, that does give her the tiniest sliver of hope.
Because he's right. Jess is alive. She's alive, despite her encounter with the wendigo in the mines. And so is Emily, in spite of everything. That in and of itself is nothing short of a miracle.
Emily would be lying her face off if she said she didn't care about Jess anymore, that Emily had completely written off her ex-best friend the moment she started going out with the guy who dumped her. It had hurt so much precisely because she couldn't just write Jess off. And what the hell had all that anger gotten her, in the end? A stupid fight in the lodge. The breaking of Matt's trust in her. Almost getting shot. (Okay, maybe that last one wasn't directly related, but still.)
All of that over a boy who didn't even turn out to be that great of a guy.
She doesn't respond to Chris on his advice, though, avoiding his gaze as she turns the mirror once in her hand and pockets it.]
I can walk.
[And as if to prove it, she stands, grimacing as she supports herself on the arm of this chair. She's breathless once she makes it to her feet, but at least now she's figured out how to breathe without aggravating the bruise that is doubtless starting to color her skin.]
[He said his part so he's fine to let the subject drop, especially because it gives him time to make sure his voice and expression are back to even by the time she answers.
...And it looks like she's telling the truth, in that she can walk, but it definitely looks painful.]
Do you...?
[Need any help? He'll help if she wants it, but he's not sure she'll be interested in that. It is Emily, after all.]
[She's not averse to him helping her. It's more the actual saying of the word 'help' that she objects to. It's like admitting you're not good enough to do things on your own.
But Chris seems to get that, and Emily appreciates it. Not that she'll tell him that. Instead all she does is take a step or two towards him and grab his arm. Even walking that short distance took a lot out of her. If she expects to make it back to the house by nightfall, she'll need a little help.
She hates that, and she scowls the entire time, but she holds on anyway, visions of clawing at Maketh pushing the dim but searing hope of reconciling with Jess out of her mind.]
[Okay, cool. It's a little awkward trying to support her, mostly just because he's awkward in general rather than anything else, but works out well enough and soon they're heading back home.
He'll let Emily handle the whole thing with Maketh for the most part, but he's still definitely going to be asking Maketh what was she thinking. While he finds it hard to believe Maketh is much of a threat beyond losing her temper--and he understands why she might be stressed out--his first priority is his friends from home, including Emily. They all have enough to deal with without having to watch their backs when it comes to people that are supposed to be friends; they've already been through that once.]
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Honestly, she doesn't know.]
All I want is to hit her back. She offered to take it, but I couldn't yet. [For obvious reasons.] She's fucking crazy.
[Emily is used to people taking her shit, but not like that. Even Matt fought back sometimes, called her on her shit when it got bad enough on the mountain.]
She's like some fucked up robot.
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Emily's last comment is a little bit of a surprise, though, and he's slightly confused.]
What do you mean?
[There's a lot of words he could use to describe Maketh, but that's not one he would've gone to.]
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[She snorts, immediately regretting it. The sudden movement of her sore diaphragm sends a jolt of pain through her.]
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[She'd been strange the first time they talked, but considering the situation that isn't much of a surprise.]
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[When she hears the word aloud, Emily regrets it. It's tainted now, with the mountain and Josh's mental illness and the wendigos. She's not someone who really regrets shit, but after last year, that stupid prank-- things are changing.
She looks away in the moment the regret hits her, and her gaze falls on her mirror, still on the floor next to the fake silk bag that had wound up getting her fucking punched.]
Um, could you-- could you grab my mirror.
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Emily's request draws him out of his thoughts and at gives him something else to think about, even if he's kind of hesitant to agree.]
I... Yeah, sure.
[He's already a curious person and resisting the incredibly strong urges to look at people's mirrors has been difficult. But he'll just... Step over to the mirror and pick it up, closing his eyes tightly and holding it stiffly out to Emily somewhat comically.]
Please take it before I look at it.
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Thanks.
[She's frowning, of course, even as she glances at the mirror to make sure it's still in once piece. (Not even a scratch. What a fucking miracle. Guess Hope isn't useless after all.) She's-- she's not sure if she wants Chris to see it. Out of all her friends, he's maybe the one person she might show, but it's just-- if this is an actual vision of the future, then it means she wasn't wrong when she opened up to Jess all those years ago, trusted her with her deepest secrets, with her insecurities and hopes and dreams. It means she can hope they'll reconcile. And that would be so, so dangerous to share. They'd be a witness to that future, and if she fucks it up, they would know what she lost and how badly she failed along the way.
She just-- she just doesn't know, so she looks for a distraction instead.]
You got one too, right?
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At the question he nods, giving a small smile. He's definitely not embarrassed about what his shows; it's sappy and personal, but not in a bad way.]
Yeah. I've been, you know, hiding in my room. In the most secure of hiding places.
[Three guesses if it's under his mattress.
And he pauses a moment before deciding to ask--]
So um... Yours show something good, or more like... Awkward?
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[There's no sarcasm in her answer, no sneer or glare or disdain, none of the usual walls Emily puts up. She can't muster up the energy for them, not when it still hurts to breathe a little and she wants so badly for this vision in the mirror to come true.]
What does yours show, some nerdy awards ceremony?
[Again, it sounds weak as far as her usual teasing goes.]
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No, but that'd be pretty cool.
[Although...]
I guess it still counts as a nerdy ceremony, though. It's uh...
[He's not embarrassed but it's still weird to say.]
Um, Ash and I are... Getting married, I guess.
[Let the teasing commence; he doesn't even care because hell yeah.]
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Dork.
[Weak, that's so fucking weak.]
At least that could actually happen, if you two stop taking five years working up the nerve to say goddamn hello to each other.
((ooc: that should still work whether or not Em and UD house know that Chris and Ash are an ~item~ now, I think?))
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[He snorts at the insult because wow, harsh. He's wounded. He will never get over the moniker of 'dork'.]
Yeah yeah.
[He grins a bit more, even if it's directed toward the floor more than at her. He'd offer a better retort, but he's more distracted by the wording of her response.]
Is yours like... Not something that could actually happen?
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[Look bro she just got punched in the gut, give her a break.
Her smirk doesn't dim as much as it could, not until he asks his question. Then she goes neutral, frowning a little.
It could happen. She's just not sure it will.]
I guess technically it could, but it's pretty much impossible.
[She glances down at the mirror, watches the image of herself, proud and confident and powerful. The cover shot of Jessica is right next to her on the wall, and Jess looks gorgeous and fearless and fierce. Her dream, the one thing in life that had been the same when so many other things kept changing.
Emily bites her lips. Why the hell beat around the bush. It must be driving Chris crazy to hear her talk around it with the mirror right there in front of him. God knows she now wants to go looking for his as soon as she gets back to the house. It's just--
It's impossible anyway, so what can it hurt, right? She'd show Matt, if he were here, let him believe he's the spouse the wedding ring in the mirror proclaims she has. It doesn't even matter. (That at, least, she can achieve. Men are easy. Becoming an editor will take more work, but she'll get there too.) Matt's not here anyway, and Chris is the only person in the house who probably doesn't hate her to some degree.
Looking up at him, she holds out her mirror.]
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Still, her holding the mirror out to him is more than slightly a surprise, and he hesitates several seconds before deciding she's genuinely offering it. He takes it back carefully, glancing toward her once more before looking into it.
He's not sure what he was expecting, especially with Emily's reaction, but it isn't this. This is... Really nice. A future for not just Emily herself accomplishing her dreams, but Jessica too.]
I don't... It might not be as impossible as you think, Em.
[He offers the comment quietly, handing her mirror back to her carefully.]
O-Obviously Mike was wrong, and she's still... When we get home, life'll go on.
[And if both Emily and Jessica are alive, then there's always a chance this future might come to pass.]
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[Life'll go on, but it won't go back to how it used to be. Jess and Mike will keep dating, rubbing their betrayal in Emily's face. Jess will get plastic surgery to fix all her scars. Emily will get a few good internships and work her way to the top. Hannah and Beth will still be dead. Josh... Josh might be dead, too. Their group of friends will fall apart for good. Everything will be shit.]
Hope sucks at making people hopeful.
[Straightening a little, and wincing with the effort, Emily turns her mirror over and looks at it for a second, the longest she can stand to look at it right now before it starts to hurt in ways even Maketh's punch can't. It's a slap in the face, this mirror. It's what Emily has wanted for years, and it's forever out of reach.]
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[Hope pretty much sucks in general, though Chris can't be too annoyed with him because at least he's trying to keep them alive. That's more than he has to do.
But that definitely doesn't mean he doesn't suck at the making people feel hopeful thing.
Chris would normally just let Emily brush off the whole mirror thing, but this time he doesn't feel like he should. He won't push too much more, but...]
But just... Don't write it off, okay? You've got another chance with someone that used to be your best friend. Don't um...
[He hesitates, voice a little less steady when he continues.]
Don't make the same mistake I did, okay?
[There's no way Josh made it back at home, not after what Mike said. There's no changing that the last time Chris and Josh spoke at home they weren't exactly friends, but Jess is alive. Emily and Jess still have a chance.
He shrugs a little, looking away, then back at Emily and shifts the topic quickly.]
Are you um... Feeling any better?
[It looks like it still hurts.]
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Because he's right. Jess is alive. She's alive, despite her encounter with the wendigo in the mines. And so is Emily, in spite of everything. That in and of itself is nothing short of a miracle.
Emily would be lying her face off if she said she didn't care about Jess anymore, that Emily had completely written off her ex-best friend the moment she started going out with the guy who dumped her. It had hurt so much precisely because she couldn't just write Jess off. And what the hell had all that anger gotten her, in the end? A stupid fight in the lodge. The breaking of Matt's trust in her. Almost getting shot. (Okay, maybe that last one wasn't directly related, but still.)
All of that over a boy who didn't even turn out to be that great of a guy.
She doesn't respond to Chris on his advice, though, avoiding his gaze as she turns the mirror once in her hand and pockets it.]
I can walk.
[And as if to prove it, she stands, grimacing as she supports herself on the arm of this chair. She's breathless once she makes it to her feet, but at least now she's figured out how to breathe without aggravating the bruise that is doubtless starting to color her skin.]
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...And it looks like she's telling the truth, in that she can walk, but it definitely looks painful.]
Do you...?
[Need any help? He'll help if she wants it, but he's not sure she'll be interested in that. It is Emily, after all.]
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But Chris seems to get that, and Emily appreciates it. Not that she'll tell him that. Instead all she does is take a step or two towards him and grab his arm. Even walking that short distance took a lot out of her. If she expects to make it back to the house by nightfall, she'll need a little help.
She hates that, and she scowls the entire time, but she holds on anyway, visions of clawing at Maketh pushing the dim but searing hope of reconciling with Jess out of her mind.]
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He'll let Emily handle the whole thing with Maketh for the most part, but he's still definitely going to be asking Maketh what was she thinking. While he finds it hard to believe Maketh is much of a threat beyond losing her temper--and he understands why she might be stressed out--his first priority is his friends from home, including Emily. They all have enough to deal with without having to watch their backs when it comes to people that are supposed to be friends; they've already been through that once.]