tfln #4 return of the terrible choices

[muskeg]

you know the drill. have at it, swampians.

Comments

[hoodwinker]

i really haven't lived, have i

i won the corn dog war. but i'll still take some candy, if you don't mind.

[hapertas]

let's ask minsu to make some. i bet you he knows how!

of course! you should have candy to celebrate your victory. you really didn't get hurt, right?

[hoodwinker]

i'm fine. after getting clawed by a demon, this is nothing.

[hapertas]

wait.

getting clawed by a demon?

[hoodwinker]

oh, you didn't hear about my very not-smart day.

[kwang definitely has discretion. he's grateful.]

[hapertas]

no, i did not. care to tell me?

[hoodwinker]

there's a new demon in the swamp and we had a bit of a disagreement.

he thought he had a right to be an asshole. i disagreed.

[hapertas]

jiho, that seems dangerous. are you all right now? did you get it patched up?

i don't like the sound of this. what was he saying or doing?

[hoodwinker]

rook took care of me. kwang patched me up.

he was on rook's couch.

[look it sounds ridiculous BUT THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLICATED. FEELINGS. STUFF.]

be careful around him. he's not to be trusted.

[hapertas]

wait, he was in the house?? and he hurt you?

i'm so glad those two took care of you.

[ He'll be saying his thanks soon! ]

what do you think we should do?

[hoodwinker]

me too.

i don't think we should do anything right now. i think he would love it if we tried.

[hapertas]

i guess that makes sense. but is he really living here? i want everyone to be safe.

[hoodwinker]

he was in the house, but i haven't actually seen him since.

with as much magic is as is woven around the house, i'm not convinced he could hurt anyone who didn't strike first. but i feel like he's pretty good at getting people to do that.

no offense, but you might want to keep him and neve separate.

[hapertas]

oh, i get it. so he provoked you. i don't like the sound of people getting driven to defend themselves that way, not that it would've been better if he hadn't tried that and you'd gotten hurt another way.

i think you're right about the house, or that's what i've always thought. i guess that's why i worried so much when you said it.

i'll remember what you said about neve, too.

[hoodwinker]

good, thanks.

but if it ever comes to that, let me know.

[hapertas]

right. thank you for that and for telling me, jiho.

i'm really sorry you got hurt.

[hoodwinker]

i was impulsive. and believe it or not, something good came out of it.

[hapertas]

everyone feels like that sometimes! you shouldn't get punished for that. also, weren't you defending someone's couch?

oh?? what's that?

[hoodwinker]

it wasn't really about the couch.

he knows rook. they have history.

and rook...means a lot to me. in a way that makes me willing to fight demons for him.

[hapertas]

oh! i understand even better now why you'd react like that. i'm sorry, jiho.

rook knows he's here?

[hoodwinker]

he does. i'm keeping him away from levi too.

[hapertas]

ok. look after yourself too, all right? if you need someone to help, i'll volunteer! or maybe rook would? you could help each other.

[ Sorry, Jiho, it's killing him inside: ]

so, you like him a lot, huh?

[hoodwinker]

more than i expected. especially since i tried to attack him at first too.

i'm taking up knitting. for my anger issues.

[hapertas]

you work really hard to keep everyone safe.

does he make you happy?

oh, knitting! i like knitting. do you think it's helping?

[hoodwinker]

this is embarrassing.

and so are my knitting skills.