#YEAH WELL AS LONG AS THEY DONT BRING UP DYING NEXT TIME DFNJG jk isa would still listen even if it breaks his itty bitty heart

[crystalknuckle]

...hundreds!? an echo of disbelief -- an explosion of concern, actually -- on the tip of his tongue. he instead bites down on it, letting his silence urge them onward.

it's a struggle, but he listens intently, patiently. they're... allergic to pineapple. okay. just how bad of an allergy isn't specified, but the backpedal means something. there's no way they could've treated a reaction, so... oh. change--

he doesn't he's bunching the sheets, too focused on the fact that siffrin. died. he-- he must've, right? the rest of them watching helplessly (terrified, probably), while he clawed at his throat, gasping, choking, until his very last breath--

even if he knew he'd come back, did isabeau know at the time? did bonbon? (...were all of his loops... like that?)

he swallows down a wave of nausea, blinking rapidly. "huh! who would've thunk!! note to self: no pineapple upside-down cakes for your birthday! good to know."

the pause between attempts is a blessing. he seriously needs to pull himself together! they aren't even finished yet, either; they've moved on, onto...

stars? he took him to see the stars? "i did?" it makes sense, though-- explains the way they reacted at the favor tree, expecting isabeau to offer for the nth time. but, why? wouldn't they have gotten sick of it? sick of him, doing the same things?

"it sounds nice. i would've, um, liked that, i think. or, well, i'm assuming i did, like that?" is this even the right approach to go with? they say it was nice (he's a little jealous of... himself, in that case?), but up to what point? "what'd we--? no, ah, nevermind," a shake of his head, lips pressed into a line. sif said one question!

he lays a hand on their pillow, "that's plenty, don't sweat it," tone nowhere near as soothing as he'd like. "and thanks. if you're serious, then i'll have to try extra hard to create new nice memories. balance out the old ones, one hangout at a time!"

there's no logical reason to squeeze, but he does so without thinking. as if it'll, who knows, make up for his urge to pull them into one, or something? (it doesn't). the exhaustion's lost its warmth, too; he's just... drained. with so many emotions to sort, he can't-- he doesn't know where to begin. not for a lack of trying, he really, really is!

hah... he really is useless. two for two, sif.

"...i mean it," he murmurs, burying into his cushion, "there's obviously, a lot, for me to catch up on, but i'm with you. no matter what." was that too much? not enough? "o-oh, you're good, by the way. nooo response needed! i just. don't want you to forget, that's all."

One thing you're willing to share. Haha, well, if that's the case... Nothing comes to mind~!

That's a joke you don't voice. Again, not even all that funny either. You promised! You're going to answer!! What's a little internal commiserating before you do? It's healthy! Probably!

"One thing…" You echo, before a lap of frustration has you going, "Isa, there were hundreds—" Oh, that's not... You kind of just let that out, huh. Well, it's good thing you remember each one then! You do not tell him this. "But... Okay."

Urgh. Of course he would throw the question back at you. Suddenly, even if he says otherwise, one question doesn't feel very fair if you can only offer up one thing in return. You bury your face in the pillow while you contemplate. Argh, well played, Isabeau…!

Okay then. Good or bad. Well, you can say right away don't really want to talk about the bad. But something good feels too lighthearted given he clearly knows what happened. You rattle off a few frivolous things in your head, things you think barely satisfy such a question.

You told me about wanting to become a fashion designer! Did you know Odile wasn't really researching anything? We saw a ghost. You kept running straight into that blinding tear in the hallway and I had to pull you away. Okay definitely not that one. Ahem. Think harder, something has to be good enough…

"I'm allergic to pineapple." Despite its absurdity, you look up at him as if all the bones in your body are terribly serious. And they are. "Did we know that?? Did I ever mention that...??? Bonnie brought pineapple slices for snacks. And I..."

Well actually you don't have to say that part he probably gets it!!! You shake your head and sputter out an apology. This doesn't count. This is just something he should probably know to make sure it doesn't happen again (they were kind of good before they killed you!) A tangent to distract him from the real answer when you get to it. Very intended.

"Sorry, that's... not my answer. I'm thinking..." Let's see... We built a bomb to throw at the King, and we did, and yes it felt just as cool as you can imagine it did... Oh! You met the Change God...? Ehh, maybe not that one. Yet. Um...

"You took me to see the stars, the night before we left for the House." Huh? Oh, yeah. Well, this one is nice, but, you didn't really mean to say it out loud. What is with you? You keep slipping up! Saying things you're supposed to think!!!

You suppose it works though. If anything, it brings it full circle. He mentioned it earlier too, didn't he? Although the way he phrased it made it sound like it was your offer, but you definitely remember it being something he did for you.

"It, uh... It happened a few times. The same time. Just, during different loops." Stars this is a pain to describe. You still remember how you felt the first time, and start to regret how jaded you felt on repeated events. He didn't know. Does now, but you won't tell him it meant any less as it continued... You don't like thinking about it like that, actually. It meant and means a lot still. No matter how your overall circumstance made you feel. No matter the repetition.

"It was nice." Your grip on the pillow tightens. You don't know if you should say anything more. It feels like cheating. Just saying the joke at the tree here earlier felt like cheating. But it suffices as an answer, right? No follow up questions, right? Would you even allow those...? Uh... No comment.