the subject of dennett

"I always will." He murmured in reply to the unspoken words, pulling her close, almost as if trying to hide from something. “I really did miss you."

Vivi shifted her hands on his back; her arms encircled him as if in complement to how he hugged her, looking as though she were trying to shield him from something. "I missed you too," she told him quietly. "I hope... you've been okay..?"

"Doesn’t." she says solidly, face blank. “Like Strike’s not been able to?"

"Why wouldn’t it?" tried Vivi — perhaps in part just not wanting to talk about herself. Still, she came to a still at Torie’s question. “N-Not… exactly like him, I don’t think. It’s complicated."

"Cause it’s always not good or okay or whatever." She starts to tug hard on her hair, the arm with the cast wrapping around herself. “Oh. Kay kay."

She frowned, gaze flickering between the cast and Torie's face for a moment. "...Do you want to talk?" She paused a moment, unsure entirely what she meant herself. "About it -- or, uh, anything?"

"Doesn’t." she says solidly, face blank. “Like Strike’s not been able to?"

"Why wouldn't it?" tried Vivi -- perhaps in part just not wanting to talk about herself. Still, she came to a still at Torie's question. "N-Not... exactly like him, I don't think. It's complicated."

Victorie frowns a bit, sniffling and tilting her head to the side. “Vivi?"

She pressed her lips together, giving a short, apologetic nod. “Are you… okay?"

She shakes her head, shrugging afterwards. “It doesn’t matter. Where’ve you been?"

"It does, though," she insisted lightly, taking a few steps towards Torie. "I've... just not... been able to be around. I-I'm sorry."

He turned back to face her, an unreadable expression on his face. “Hug me. Don’t get mad, just hug me."

She didn't need to be told again. She nodded once before wrapping her arms around him, hardly even thinking twice about it. "I wasn't mad," she murmured a clarification, "I-I was scared you wouldn't..." She trailed off before the words forgive me.

He looked unimpressed, shaking his head, “Then you should have, yeah?"

She swallowed hard, trying to push away the desire to shout and cry. "I tried," was all she managed to say back to him at first. "When I could. I-I really did, Strider."