Stone's Throw

[Diligence]

"I think it came out of a stable or something? It's a bunch of reins and bridles and stuff, but some button-mushroom just wadded them all up and probably stuck them in a drawer or a bag or something for like a year," Dil explains, then scowls down at the absolute tangled mess in his hands. Even beyond the interwoven jam, the poor condition of the leather makes each strip about as pliable as wood.

[Charon Tethras]

"You gonna be able to fix it?" he asks, tilting his head a little. "Surely it's worth a few silver if so." 

[Diligence]

"Some of it? Probably? I figure, worst case, I can rip the metal bits off to sell for smelting back down," Dil replies with a faint grimace. That particular outcome would net him a handful of coppers at best. A Dil sized handful honestly.

[Charon Tethras]

"Ah." So not salvation, just another day of coming up positive on the unending calculus of 'can I eat today'. Charon sighs, getting to his feet. "Then I guess I'd better keep searching."

[Diligence]

"Yeah, guess so," Dil agrees with a heavy sigh. "Oh! Oh! Right, I almost-- I might have something for you? I heard two of the others talking about it but they-- you can see all the colours, right? Whatever that means?"

[Charon Tethras]

"Uh. How would I know? If there's a color I can't see I don't know about it."

[Diligence]

Dil goes very still for a long moment. Then a full minute. "...Char? Is this real?" he whispers urgently, tail and hands twitching.

[Charon Tethras]

"...ye...yes?"  he stammers. "What?"

[Diligence]

"But how would we know?" Dil asks quickly, words tumbling over themselves. "How could we spot mistakes if all the mistakes are things we assume are real and then there's illusions existing or at least we think they exist but that means anything that stands out as a mistake is just put aside as--"

[Charon Tethras]

"Dil!" Charon barks. "Breathe, buddy!"

[Diligence]

Dil pauses abruptly, then sucks in a huge breath of air. And exhales. Inhales. Exhales. Inhales. "...I did the thing again," he realizes weakly.

[Charon Tethras]

He gives a weak chuckle. "Yeah. Yeah you did."

[Diligence]

Dil swallows thickly, head nodding again. "Yeah. I... yeah. Sorry. I haven't miscast like that this often since before school started," he mumbles. 

[Charon Tethras]

"You've been under a lot of stress lately," empathizes Charon. 

[Diligence]

"Yeah, I guess, just..." Dil hisses softly, shoulders hunching just a little. "You're doing fine. I mean, mostly."