chemex | ɪɴʙᴏx [ᴇxᴘɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ]

[He's hung his neatly-sliced shirt up in his closet after washing it-- he hasn't figured out how to fix it, if he can, but he'd like to. He likes his weird little not-Baby-Phat polo, thanks. His eyebrows disappear further into his mess of curls at the offer of a new shirt and his mouth forms a little "o".]

...ah, yeah, the other one is kind of... [He makes a slow slicing motion with one hand, taking two steps into the room and holding the door open.] Wanna come in?

...Sure.

[She takes a few hesitant steps in and toes her shoes off, gently kicking them off to the side before opening the bag and pulling out the shirt. It's not quite the same style as the one she'd ruined, but it is black with a high collar and short sleeves, though the buttons go all the way up instead of just at the collar.

Offering it with both hands, she can't quite meet his eyes as she takes another breath.]

I'm... really sorry.

[He tilts his head, taking the shirt and her hands besides, pulling them upward in a hopeful intent of getting her to look at him.]

...for what? I'm fine, aren't I?

I-

[She opens her mouth, pauses, rehearsed little apology speech stumbling to a halt as she glances quickly back up at him. Her hands curl lightly in his, more from confusion than anything else.]

I attacked you. I almost killed you, then I left you when you were still injured.

[He rolls her words around in his brain a moment, shakes his head, and pulls one of her hands toward him.]

Thanatos. Thanatos attacked me, gave me a cool battle scar, [He puts her hand against the healing gash between his ribs.] and I'm fine. Akechi shot cognitive me in the head point-blank, I promise I've had worse.

[It's clear on her face -- she doesn't agree. She's the one who lost control. It's not like what had happened to Shinji; she'd known what she was doing and still hadn't been able to control it.

Her right hand comes to rest on his chest, a faintly-glowing ring on her finger that she hadn't been wearing before made more obvious by the motion. In spite of herself, she can't help but huff a quiet sound that almost could be mistaken for laughter.]

You would be the type to get excited about a scar. [She leans forward, just a bit, just enough to rest her forehead against the back of her own hand against his chest.] It was me. I'm the one who lost control of my Persona. Thanatos... was just trying to protect me.

Parallel world wounds don't usually scar, it's neat. [He looks at that ring a while, mumbling as he speaks, and looks at her through his eyelashes.]

...yeah? Then how come he only stopped once you knew what was going on?

[She shakes her head, lips compressing briefly as she tries to sort through what had actually happened.]

No, that's not... that happened with you, but not everyone. Scott and Midoriya-kun... I think I knew what was happening, but I couldn't stop him. It's like... he saw everyone around me as a threat, but something about you was different. I was able to get control back.

[She gives him a wan little smile, tilting her head against his chest.]

Maybe I just needed a good shove.

Happy to shove you anytime, then, [He jostles her gently, setting his head on top of hers.]

Is Thanatos one you picked up, or actually yours?

Mmm...

[She closes her eyes and just lets herself relax against him. This is going... so much better than she'd thought, honestly. She'd kind of thought he'd be angry with her, or at the very least, disappointed. Relief isn't an emotion she'd been expecting to feel, not like this.]

Mine, but it's kind of complicated. He's been a part of me for a long time, but...

[Her thumb turns the ring slightly around her finger as she shakes her head again.] He's a part of me.

[Just Protag Things.]

[He noses into her hair, humming.] Hmmkay. That might be part of it..., I've never lost control of Arsène, or Satanael or Raoul, but maybe... Since we're both Wildcards? It sort of resonated, or something. I'unno, I don't make the Persona rules. Nose isn't long enough.

I know people who've lost control of their Personas.

[Just matter-of-fact. Chidori's would try to kill her. Shinji's had killed someone. But it's hard to dwell on things like that when he's making jokes and nuzzling her hair like that; she huffs another soft laugh and glances up to try to meet his eyes with a more genuine smile.]

Maybe you're just special.

[He just hums at that, because-- well, he doesn't really want to think about it. Losing control of Personas, or being special.]

...mmh, come sit with me. Getting almost bisected by a big angry coffin guy, as it turns out, is pretty tiring.

[She huffs another little laugh and steps back, letting her hand rest against his chest just a beat longer before moving across the room with her bag to take a seat on his bed.]

I brought disinfectant and bandages and stuff. Just in case you still needed it. I could try to summon Helel, but...

[Nah. Probably not for the best. She pats the bed next to her for him to sit, opening her bag once again.]

Shouldn't need any for a bit..., [He pads over and flops into a lounged sit, curved carefully to not pull at his bandages.] Got one of the nurses to patch me up. [More like someone came across him laying sprawled in a shallow puddle of his own blood and was like "excuse me sir can you not".]

Good.

[At least he's not like Akechi, who was a little bitch about getting himself patched up. Her eyes linger on the partially-healed wound, and before she can help herself, she reaches out to gently touch the edge of the bandages.]

I... really thought you would hate me. After what happened.

[He shudders, involuntarily, at her touch.]

...why? It wasn't like you did it on purpose.

[She draws her fingers back when he shudders, glancing up to check his expression to make sure it's not one of pain before she touches his skin again.]

Yeah, but I still attacked you. I worked really hard to try to get people to trust me, but...

[She lays her hand flat against the center of his chest, gentle over the bandages.]

I hurt a lot of people.

[It's not pain, so much as it's just... slightly overstimulating? He feels raw, but he doesn't dissuade her from resuming contact.]

...I never stopped trusting you.

I hope you don't regret that.

[She rests her forehead against his shoulder with a soft exhale of breath, closing her eyes once again.]

You'll stop me if it happens again. I know that, I just keep thinking about... a lot of things. I'm tired of thinking about everything that happened, everything that might happen, everything that didn't happen...

[If he regretted trusting people that weren't the most trustworthy people at varying times of their lives he would probably not trust very many people at all. Regrettably, he still trusts Akechi Goro with his life, make of that what you will.]

[He sags into her a little.] ...then don't think about it. Just... vibe.

[Oh, like it's that easy? She tilts her head to gaze up at him with another crooked smile and reaches up to let her fingertips barely touch his lip near where it had split.]

I'd ask if you wanted to help with that, but I already injured you pretty badly.

[He fails to understand her meaning, tilting his head. He doesn't flinch away from her touch, though.] Help... with what?

Not thinking.

[She brushes her thumb gently against his lower lip, raising her eyebrows in what she hopes is an invitation. He had kissed her back at the party, kind of, before all this had happened, and he's the one inviting her to just "just vibe," which she assumes means relax and enjoy each other's company, so...]

Doing something stupid because it's fun, without worrying.

[Please excuse him, Akira.exe has encountered a problem and must stop.]

[He hears her, he thinks. He processes the suggestion slowly, her thumb against his lip a constant gentle reminder. Something stupid because it's fun, without worrying...]

[He swallows.] Uh. I could maybe help? [He's definitely stupid, you could definitely do him because he's fun.]

inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject