driftfleet | (no subject)

R, really??

Yeah. Sure.

We're friends, right? [She doesn't like the way he seems so grateful for every scrap. He should have more than that.]

[ Should, but doesn't yet. Even tiny shreds of attention or kindness, even annoyance are precious treasures to him. He covets them all equally, but being told he has a friend? That's way higher a tier than he's ever considered, and he stares in surprise for several long seconds--before nodding, speechless. ]

Are you okay?

I...y-yeah. I'm fine. [ Sniffle. ]

[Oh, Sascha... She stops walking not that they were going very fast as it was and she steps in to hug him.]

[ Oh my god, Kitty you're just making all his dreams come true today. Sascha was expecting maybe to be told to buck up, that he shouldn't get teary-eyed at being told he has a friend--but instead he gets that, and he actually freezes up for a moment in disbelief.

There's no way this is really happening--it has to be some sort of dream. Who would want to hug someone like him no matter the reason? He must be imagining things...

Even so, his arms very slowly raise after a moment, hesitating as if he's not sure he's allowed to hug back. ]

[She'll hug a little longer until he gets the hang of it. His situation has to be rough. She feels for that.]

[ It's gradual, but eventually he'll have his arms wrapped back around her tightly, face buried in her shoulder. He's still stunned and having a hard time wrapping his mind around it all, but after a moment he'll sniff one more time and close his eyes. ]

[She starts rubbing his back.] It's okay. [Softly.] It's going to be better here.

It's already better. [ Which comes out muffled since he murmurs it into her shoulder, voice soft. ]

Good. You didn't do anything to deserve the bad. It just happens like that sometimes.

Even if I'm something that's supposed to eat from other people...?

That's not something you chose. [As far as she knows.] Existing isn't something that should be wrong.

You just can't feed on people without their consent or in a way that would hurt them. [Which goes beyond feeling pain.]

I don't like doing that. [ Hurting people or biting without consent, that is. ] I always try to behave.

[Try not. Do!] You have to do better than trying.

I know, I know... [ He wants to think he can guarantee!! But he's really not sure. ]

I don't want anything to happen to you. [She doesn't want to be the anything that happens. She's had to stop killers in these settings before. People she'd bonded with and then had to fight to protect others.]

....

I don't want anything to happen to you either. [ It comes out as a surprised murmur, because he honestly hadn't expected those words. They're not normally what a vampire, him or not, hears from anyone. ]

[She smiles even though he can't see it with their positioning.] You seem like a good guy, Sascha.

...Thanks, Kitty. [ He might not be able to see it, but he'll mimic the action all the same on his own end after a moment, before his eyes close again and he buries his face into her shoulder in silence. ]

Just calling it like I see it. [Rubbing his back.] Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm...

[ he exhales, rubbing his nose against her. ]

Just...happy.

[Okay, she's allowing that nose rubbing but if there is any snot you owe her a shirt, buddy. Sigh. Okay, maybe a free pass today.]

It's different than I imagined it.

[ His nose is nice and clean, don't worry c: he wouldn't rub his boogers on her. ]

What is...?