Until the wound becomes a window

I'll never get over how much this reads exactly as a tentative 'hey babe remember back in those first days after we just got married...?' overture of marital reconciliation fhdskjahf. like olruggio is having a moment of acknowledging that they've had some rough patches recently but casting the boilfire dragon spell together has it all rushing back, there's a reason he's still here after all these years and he's not going anywhere baby, he's hearing 'it's all coming back to me' playing triumphantly in the background

meanwhile qifrey is sitting there like *soul almost vibrating out of his body* if it were my choice alone I would pluck my still-beating heart out of my chest and lay it in your gentle hands alone to keep forever. but it's no big deal or anything I'm fine this is fine the way things are is just fine.

it only took them exactly 80 chapters, but qifrey and olruggio did finally manage to have the kind of conversation over tea they probably should have had back in chapter 9, so they could have talked things through in private and presented a united front for the kids lol. qifrey literally putting coco between them and using her as a human shield a bit is still one of his quietly worst moments to me interpersonally (affectionate). 'being as mad at me as you should rightfully be allowed to be about this unhinged situation I've dropped in your lap is scaring an innocent child olly please lower your voice 🥺' well why is that innocent child here to hear this unavoidably fraught conversation qifrey fhsadkj. we're all looking for whoever did this. his emotional blackmail game is simply on another level

I think that's why olruggio underlines his role as watchful eye so bitterly in his first scene, aside from the necessary exposition it provides at that point in the story -- qifrey certainly isn't treating him like a friend, nevermind a partner, someone he's chosen to live and raise children with. it's only with jujy's little speech about friendship in chapter 39 that olly really goes '...you know what fuck it he IS still my friend no matter how he's acting and I get to have that matter, he isn't getting rid of me that easy' and unleashes his full sky's kindest most radiant star form in chapter 40. to tragic results as usual but I think it was good for him to get to have that moment anyway; it seemed like he'd maybe been building to a bit of a crisis point of frustration and distress about the state of their relationship and qifrey keeping him at an increasing distance even before qifrey came home with a new kid and a forbidden magic jumpscare. (on qifrey's side there's of course the building horror and desperation of his deteriorating sight and being unable to find any leads on the brimhats, both for his own and his immediate family's sake, and the absolute bullshit he knows they're cooking up out there. and knowing, always knowing, that he's hurting olruggio seemingly no matter what he does. if he involves him more he'll have to carry out the violation of the mindwipe more regularly, in keeping him at a distance he's safer from that but the sense of loss and 'what happened, what did I do, where did you go?' ache with no recourse grows ever deeper. I'd have trouble staying connected in that relationship no matter the love that's always beneath too)

and then of course by chapter 89 the conversation is fully in mutual 'hey babe do you think we should we renew our vows...? <3' territory haha. I do think chapter 40 was a bit of a wakeup call for qifrey as to the state of his marriage as it were lol he does seem to actively work to get it together more after that and get fairer to olruggio in how he does things, even given the terrible framework he has to operate within. the two scenes are like... chapter 9 is 'one' with johnny cash, chapter 89 is 'it's all coming back to me' (either version I guess but I've got a weak spot for the meatloaf and marion ravn one). do you see what I mean.

(olly being placed right in front of the fireplace on the left there tho, almost like it's springing from his head -- that despite the tension he's brought into the story he's also immediately identified with the warming comfort of the fire after the rain... the manga is already quietly like 'no biggie but this guy is literally the hearth the house is built around. I just thought you should know' and I think that's neat)

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Campaign (Podcast), Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Blue/Zero (Campaign Podcast) Characters: Zero (Campaign Podcast), Blue (Campaign Podcast), CC-1812 | Synox, Original Characters Additional Tags: Humour, Fake Marriage, (though probably not in the expected way), Slight spoilers maybe but this is basically the story of Blue realizing ‘oh shit. the leopard WILL eat my face’, and taking Measures about it. In predictably insane ways, this is a Zero torture dungeon and I’m sorry, I do these things to you because you’re my favourite Oni, Jealousy and self-worth issues we should probably be beyond by now but alas, Fair warning: this is all fun and games and then there’s an ‘oh wait yeah shit the fascism’ moment, but it’s a humour piece first and foremost and love and good…ish triumphs, it’s a comedy it ends in marriage and defection, we are actively pivoting to the less wrong side of history if nothing else, If the gala arc of the podcast is the tutorial boss of Blue speedrunning some real shit about comphet, and making it the problem of everyone who loves him, well baby we’ve reached Malenia Blade of Miquella (and she has never known defeat), Are you ready to come along to find out if he can Git Good?, Zero POV Summary:

“Blue,” Zero said, feeling humiliatingly close to tears, “what the fuck are you talking about.”

In which a wedding is planned. Don’t worry about it :)

-- -- --