bladeascent | Sticks & Bones // IC Inbox

Fair warning for future you, then: I'm probably the reason you learned to be so mouthy.

[Or Krau. It could've been both of them. Maybe a bit of the girls' mafia roleplay...

He sees that Ras is, if not crying, on the verge of it. Vildred carefully rubs circles into his back, trying to comfort him. Brave as ever, to charge into the unknown with his head held high, even though he still has so many questions. All of them are morbid, and all of them can be asked later. It wouldn't be right to start digging into how he died and how the timelines failed and how Diche's magic even works when they'd only just touched on the topic of there being multiple timelines in the first place.

Still...]

I swore I'd protect you, apparently in every timeline we've shared. Of course I'm staying with you. There isn't much point in seeing Orbis without you. When we win, and we will win this time, [whatever happened to not making lofty promises, Vildred?] I'll show you the world you got to save. And if I have to take a few hits for you along the way, I promise they won't be lethal.

[That is not comforting, boy.]

But if you've been the same throughout all of this, I'd say you're still "my" Ras. If nothing else, you're definitely mine now that we're sharing this timeline together, and... If I haven't really changed much, I'm still technically yours, too. I'm just a few steps ahead for once.

[ Unfortunately, Vildred, even if you physically comfort Ras, you cannot expect him to keep it together when you go and say that. He was honestly expecting Vildred to sigh heavily and say he doesn't want to deal with something so serious, or get upset and tell Ras he needs some alone time to think, or... anything other than just kindness and affection. Perhaps it's stupid of him to have not. Kind and affectionate is what Vildred always is with him, after all.

He does not cry, in the sense that no sounds are made, but there are tears that slip from the corners of his eyes. After a moment or two or trying to think of something to say... instead, Ras just leans forward to take Vildred in for a hug. ]

[Poor Ras. Vildred is, of course, receptive to this. He wraps his arms around Ras' much smaller frame and holds him gently, laying his cheek atop the Covenant's head, rubbing his back slowly. Even if they're from other timelines, it doesn't matter, not really. This is still Ras, and apparently, Vildred is still Vildred. All the questions swimming around in the back of his skull are unimportant.

He sways side to side, mimicking the way his mother would rock him when he was tiny and having a fit about something. He wonders if that sort of thing helps or not.]

Hey... everything will be fine, okay?

[There's a lot more to figure out along the way to make it so — questions hanging in suspense, tasks idle, ways to get home not yet found, but... Vildred still feels confident making that promise anyway.]

[ It won’t be. Ras had a feeling that Vildred being Not His meant he’d fail his Orbis again, but… he’s already grappled with that before. It isn’t okay.

However, he won’t turn away Vildred’s comfort. He just lies his head on Vildred’s shoulder with a tiny nod, holding him tightly, as if he might disappear otherwise. ]

Okay. [ … ] Can I still stay here with you tonight? [ Man who fully expected to be kicked out like: ]

What, you thought I'd take over our room? Ras, you live here.

[So yes he can stay,]

You're not getting rid of me that easily. Tragically, I'm making you spend another timeline with me and my really good jokes.

[ Fantastic news, because Ras doesn't want to let go of Vildred now. He did not think this would affect him so much...? He is usually not the sort of person to get overly emotional.

But maybe it truly is because he cares so much about Vildred...?

...

Vildred may have to pry Ras off. ]

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