(no subject)

[awakenerd]

Who: Rean, Crow, and Randy
When: day 28
Where: the garden

[Rean's been passed out since princess maker, so a good 40 hours at least. When he wakes up... well he's immortal but here's never been in a position where there's no ambient mana he can use to even function basically. He feels fuzzy and almost like he's sick for over an hour, and he runs into more than one wall and that's all so absolutely unreal to him he finally texts Randy and Crow a simple word Garden. It takes him three tries to spell it right before hitting send.

And he'll be there next to a chalk circle full of symbols.]

Comments

[ruinatings]

No.

[No he's not done yet!! And he doesn't want to be hugged, but he's not far gone enough to shove Randy or anything, so he's just leaning away from it.]

Don't defend him! If he's going to be a leech he can just go back to the void and give me my brother back!

[Oops maybe Randy's not the entire issue here. Maybe. As if that wasn't obvious.]

[crimeson]

[Randy flinches and goes quiet for a moment, but he's not letting go.

Then, softly.]

Please.

[awakenerd]

[Well. Damn. He doesn't know quite what to say now, so he just makes one of those soft noises while his brain processes.]

[ruinatings]

...Fine.

[He doesn't wanna chill but he's realising how worked up he is and, more, he doesn't like hearing that tone in Randy's voice. So he stops squirming and instead tries to catch his breath.]

[crimeson]

[rrrrelaxing, just slightly, hunching enough he can tuck his head against Rufus' shoulder.]

Thanks.

[awakenerd]

[He can feel how upset Randy is, and nothing Rufus has said seems... Wrong. And it sucks.

Right now anything he could say would probably make things worse. But is it better to resolve things now or is it better to wait until everyone has cooled off?

In the end he decides he'll have a lot of chances to talk it out with Rufus, and the person Rufus probably most wants to see right now is already holding him.]

We can finish talking later.

[That's to Rufus, but also Randy.]

I think Crow and I are going for a walk. You've given me a lot to think about. I need a little time to come to terms with it, but thank you.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow puts his hand on Rean's shoulder-- it's not meant to be a comfort so much as a presence, I'm here. ] Let's get out of here. [ It's all he has to say out loud-- there's nothing he can add to this conversation that would do any good for anyone, and there's already been way too many feelings flying around this room. ]

[ruinatings]

Mmph.

[He has nothing to say to you two!! Especially Rean. It's just frustrating to hear Rean be positive about the experience. If Rufus tried to respond now, he'd just be a mess.

He kind of already is. But he manages to keep from losing it worse, at least til Rean & Crow have left. After that the tension drains so unless Randy catches him Rufus is letting his legs go out from under him so he can sit right there on the floor and fight the urge to scream or cry.]

[crimeson]

[it's a little bit like catching him, sinking down as well, slowing their fall so it's at least smooth. he's not letting go, but he's not starting up conversation either. just... holding Rufus.]

[ruinatings]

[That's fine for now. Rufus needs a bit to get himself together, but at least he's eventually holding Randy back, painfully tight.]

[crimeson]

[yeah... yeah let's just hold each other kind of frantically on the floor of Ginger's living room.]

[ruinatings]

[It's a solid plan. Only Snake might see them.]

...I'm sorry.

[crimeson]

[Randy pauses, as if trying to find words.]

... It makes me happy. Having you in my corner. But this time was me forgetting how he is.

[ruinatings]

Even so. I warned him quite explicitly. He has no excuse for being stupid this time.

...But I shouldn't have lost my composure.

[crimeson]

I think... he was getting pretty close to fading away when he called me.

I didn't realize, that you'd warned him to clear up the relationship part first. And I also assumed wrong.

[he doesn't want to be making excuses but when they're there...]

...Yeah. You weren't wrong to call him out, I think, even if I'd rather you hadn't. But you went a bit far, there.

[even so, not pulling away.]

[ruinatings]

Mm. And yet I'm not sure I regret it. Except that it also hurt you.

[awakenerd]

Yeah.

[Annnd leaving Ginger now. To give Randy and Rufus some space. Though once they're out he's exhaling roughly and raking a hand through his hair, looking distracted. Feeling a bit distracted too, thinking about what Rufus said.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow's going to sling an arm over Rean's shoulders. ] C'mon, let's go to my cabin.

[awakenerd]

Oh. Sure.

[He looks up at the arm around his shoulders and smiles. He's pretty... Calm over all, for having been yelled at so much. There's definitely quiet thoughtfulness but he's not acting like he's mopey.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ You are absolutely absorbing this as your new reality, aren't you? Crow sighs. ]

You know he was trying to hurt you any way he can, right?

[ He's not going to say it was a lie, but it was an attack-- a deliberate, cruel one. ]

[awakenerd]

[Well Rufus wasn't wrong. Rean's oblivious and that can make him pretty cruel on accident. He just doesn't know how to fix it except to try harder.]

He was trying to protect someone important to him. I think it was... Brave.

[bad_crowmance]

So then try to be more self-aware. But you're not a bad person, and I hope you realize that.

[awakenerd]

[Haha]

I don't think he thinks I'm a bad person.

[He looks out the windows as they walk, thoughtful.]

But I did hurt someone he loves by not being careful. Anyone would be frustrated.

[Whether or not Rufus or Crow or anyone else thinks he's a good or bad person is really not the issue.]

Anyway, look at you trying to cheer me up. You big softy.

[bad_crowmance]

Hey, who's soft?! I'm just making sure you don't end up moping because some jerk threw a tantrum at you.

1/2

[awakenerd]

[Laughing a little.]

You're soft. But... Thank you.