awakenerd | Aurora - Rean Heart

Aurora - Rean Heart

You float in a void--darkness around you, above, below, in every direction, nothing. You stand on nothing, you even breathe nothing. But you do not feel in danger, you are not suffocating. You are simply existing in… Nothing.

Crow | Towa | Dusk | 80H | Rufus

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh hm bad.

Rean wraps his arms around Dusk, holding him tightly, the kind of gently confining pressure that usually helps panicking animals. If Dusk lashes out that's fine, this is a part that's hard to hurt.

But there is... Calm in him, if Dusk doesn't outright reject it there's a sort of soothing pressure to his embrace. Not suppressing emotions, but projecting safety

"..."

[He doesn't lash out. Not for this. He's not as lost as he was after he took Article 12, at least not in the way that makes him afraid of those around him.]

[No, he needs grounding, he needs comfort, and a human presence is that. He may be holding on too tightly, but he is holding on, leaning into the comfort as he screams and breathes harshly, trying to get all that's in his head OUT, trying to calm the storm, and get himself together.]

[But safety....]

[Safety helps.]

[He's never had a lot of safety.]

He's held onto and Rean's fine no matter how tight he clings. He pets his back, slow soothing circles. Calming. Safe. The landscape may be pretty bleak but even the howling winds seem to die for now, letting Dusk's screams be muffled into Rean's shoulder or tossed to the emptiness, but either way he's not letting go of Dusk for now.

"You're all right. You're safe."

[It]

[Takes a few minutes]

[The screams die down first, then the harsh breathing, and then the shaking that had started at some point. The last part is putting the pieces of his head back where they go because....fuck.]

That...

That hit a lot harder than I was expecting...

Which is saying something, I expected a truck.

[Breathless and quiet.]

He pets Dusk's back and hair still, soothing and calm. Just a little chagrined.

"Yeah, I see that. I'm sorry."

Even he didn't anticipate that. He's keeping hold of Dusk though, gentle and concerned.

"Take your time."

[He shakes his head.] I asked you to do it. I'll be fine. Just....

Takes a bit longer than normal for my fine, that's all.

Well he keeps hold of Dusk, back to those slow circles on his back.

"I'm not surprised. You have a lot to deal with."

To be fair, that's probably why I can deal with a lot.

You have a lot to deal with too.

"Such is life, it seems."

Unfortunately.

[There is a long few minutes he's just gonna. Sit here. Letting himself calm down. Process All That because that sucked a lot.]

[Then he looks up at Rean.]

[And then he's gonna shit and pull him into a proper hug instead of his clinging, shaking thing.]

Oh. He adjusts to this proper hugging, no longer patting Dusk's back but still holding him warmly.

"Sometimes fortunately."

Doesn't mean I don't want to help with the bad stuff.

Let's be fair, you want to make my bad stuff better too.

"As much as I can, yes."

I know. At least I think being there helps.

I mean, getting adopted by a bunch of probably insane substandard soldiers did wonders for my mental health.

"I think it does too.

Family can be a strange thing that way. Comforting and bizarre and uplifting and what you make of it."

Yeah. Family is good at stuff like that.

[But....]

Your problem doesn't have so simple a solution.

"You've only seen the bad. It's not always bad, to be bound to someone. Whether it's a problem or not... Changes with time."

I know it doesn't have to be a problem.

[Waves his hand in the air with the faded Command Seal.] I volunteered to be one of those people, remember? But that doesn't change the times that are bad.

"I know. I've never forgotten that. It's one of your cuter moments.

And no, it doesn't change those. But does it need to?"

.....I'm not sure if promising to be soul bound to someone counts as cute.

It means saying there's good moments doesn't mean the bad moments have to be just accepted like that.

"Kind? Courageous? Compassionate? You were especially cute when you just arrived though, not that you aren't now.

And maybe they don't have to be accepted... But they make up what and who I am. Even if I dislike some things I cannot reject what shapes me. I think you're much the same."

Well....

Someone had to put in the effort and there's enough people who are stubbornly antisocial. [Blushing a tiny bit.]

And you still wouldn't be happy if I was content with the bad things, would you? [Raises an eyebrow.]

Cute....

"You do have me there. I would not be satisfied if you said you were content with such things."

So I really don't know why you expect me to be okay.

I care about you a lot, you know?

"I know. I appreciate it too."

Aurora - Rean Heart

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk

Re: Dusk