Insert Evanescence Lyrics

[vocalis]

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: Bearings
WHEN: Day 052
SUMMARY: Aoba's late to get back from the party with intel that may not matter anymore.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.


[ Visions of the fund raising party are still in his head, dreamlike as he struggles to wake himself from a heavy sleep. From admist the swirling lights and silken fabrics, there's a sense of urgency. He needs to reconnect. Fragments of memory are flung haphazardly through the network, frantic and scattering. Shards of a broken ice sculpture slide across a ballroom floor, cold, worried.

A string quartet mixes oddly with an off-rhythm beat as his thoughts try settle back into some semblance of order. Thud, thud - his pulse and the threat of a headache mix with the memory of a dreamed up applause in a theater. One not his, but of the man whose mind he entered that night. He had tried to get the information he found out to at least one other host, but there's no recollection of success in his half-awake state.

Finally, a connection is established. A somewhat coherent thought, as he jolts up- ]

Goram Saffit is in contact with H+H1...!

[ He's a little late to leaving the party and joining the current time. A groggy look around his empty room and the pristine state of his bed are a clue. ]

Ugh... I'm afraid to ask, but... how long was I out?

Comments

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Honestly, Sam's more than ready to just stand here with Aoba in his arms for however long it takes. He's no stranger to thinking you've got something settled and done with only to find there's something deeper going on, and having it come back to haunt you. He radiates calm, best he can, murmurs you're okay, but before he can tell Aoba to take as long as he needs, Aoba's pulling away.

With one of the few excuses that'd actually make Sam let go, which he does with an apology and all right, yeah, definitely some curiosity. Though that fades a little at what Aoba says.

There are other things about Aoba that'd give Sam pause before something like hair with nerve endings - the golden eyed version of him that seems to hate Sam, for one, but Sam is still treading lightly there. And anyway, maybe it means Sam's definition of normal is a little askew, but it doesn't change anything that he'd just said. ]

Did I not just say 'just the way you are'? Hasn't stopped being true.

[ And he's just as sincere in that. What he really wants to do is pull Aoba back in again, only this time being more careful of his hair, but he can tell that Aoba's avoiding contact with him. He settles for letting all of that bleed out over the mental link. ]

It's okay to cry, you know. No one here but you and me, and I sure as hell ain't gonna judge. Usually made me feel a little better, letting it out.

[vocalis]

[ He appreciates the calm demeanor and the sincerity radiating from Sam, but Aoba can't help feeling a bit embarrassed for crying. It's still in his nature, engrained firmly into him. He lets his temper flare from time to time in front of others, but never sheds tears. He nods once his face is dry again and finally looks up with a genuine smile, his eyes rimmed with more redness than usual but happier than before. ]

Thanks for saying so.

[ His face relaxes again as he breathes in deep, and exhales slowly. Something Ren would've told him to do were he still at Aoba's side, always reminding him to remain calm. ]

I'm alright. We have a mission to focus on soon, so...

[ So he can't be so emotional or focused on himself. Not right now. Reflection on what he's admitted and Sam's acceptance can come later. For now, they have to worry about the will of the Nest. ]

I have to keep a clear head in case I need to use Scrap again.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Sam echoes that deep breath, in and out, and he spends a last few moments continuing to radiate calm before he pulls back, lifting up his mental walls again. ]

Duty calls.

[ Still, he reaches out to rest a hand on Aoba's shoulder, careful of his hair, and give it a soft squeeze. ] You ever want to talk to someone who might know a little about what it's like, I'm always here. [ It's a little different circumstances than when he usually offers this kind of thing - Aoba isn't one of his veterans from back home, but this is still something difficult they have in common, and Sam can't help but see it as something similar. ]

Let's get back down there, before they decide to leave without us?

[vocalis]

Yes.

[ He nods once with the statement, but then... he hesitates to leave. His emotions are still so mixed, what with all he just admitted. They should get going, like he said. The others probably won't leave this early without them, but-

Before Aoba turns to go, he suddenly reaches for Sam and wraps him in his arms, his eyes shut tight against his shoulder again. It's... a little awkward, but warm and sincere. He holds for a few seconds, desperate to ingrain the moment in his memory. His heart is beating fast in his chest. He lets go again before it threatens to burst. ]

Thank you.

[ It's whispered aloud, but rings clear across their symbiotes. He then hastily picks up his coffee again, a bit red in the face but smiling as he turns for the door. ]