week 6, sunday

[vigilantics]

[ well, at least she doesn't have to find him considering she dragged him away with her. she's not entirely sure where she's going here since she mostly just wanted to get out of there as fast as she can. ]

Sorry. There were probably people there you wanted to talk to.

[ it's said after several minutes of silence. ]

Comments

[vigilantics]

[ she shakes her head. ]

I-- let's get to the woods first.

[axilium]

... Sure.

[if that's what she needs.]

[vigilantics]

[ she's going to be quiet for the rest of the walk there. ]

[axilium]

[he isn't quite sure of why she wants to go to the woods, so once they reach the outskirts, he stops and waits.

... honestly, this place makes him uncomfortable—he doesn't exactly have good memories of forests, when they've generally been where his life fell apart—but he assumes steph has her reasons.]

[vigilantics]

[ once there, she lets go of him and just walks forward. she still doesn't say anything, and just stares ahead.



before punching a tree as hard as she can. and again. and again. ]

[axilium]

[...

he really should stop her, but he feels like she needs this, and—well, he's in no place to criticize unhealthy coping methods. so, as long as it doesn't seem like she's seriously injuring her hand, he just watches instead.]

[vigilantics]

[ he will

probably have to step in at some point. ]

[axilium]

[PLEASE...

but fine, at some point, he'll reach out to grab her.]

Steph, that's enough.

[vigilantics]

Hm?

[ she just looks at him. ]

[axilium]

That's enough.

[he repeats.]

[vigilantics]

[ and, unsurprisingly, that's what does it. she wails, dropping down to her knees before curling into a ball. ]

[axilium]

[he's not the right person for this. he doesn't know how to comfort others—he's never had to do it in his life. even after irina died, he and elcia kept up their barriers.

... it ruined their relationship. looking at steph, it feels as though this is just as fragile; that he'll destroy this with a single touch.

...

but this time, he won't run away. gently, he lowers himself onto his knees as well and places a hand on steph's shoulder.]

[vigilantics]

[ stephanie doesn't react at first to the touch. she just cries, her body shaking, as she lets out seven weeks of frustration that culminated in the worst possible way.

she does eventually shift. it's slowly at first, but steph is then moving until she's pressing her face against his chest. ]

[axilium]

[... looking at her, he gets a sense of why she keeps telling him that it's okay to be upset—because that's what he'd think to her, if she tried to hold it in even now.

he stays where he is, and lets her cry.]

[vigilantics]

[ they're going to be here a while.

but at some point, her tears dry up and she's left just sniffling against him. steph doesn't move yet, but she at least says something. ]

Your shirt's wet now.

[axilium]

... Your tears would be magical if it wasn't.

[vigilantics]

I look like a mess.

[ presumably, but she definitely does, although it's still covered.

steph doesn't actually care about that though. ]

[axilium]

[...]

I'm sure Hikage will still love you.

[it's a joke. he doesn't know what else he's supposed to say here.]

[vigilantics]

[ that gets a small laugh out of her, although it's weak. ]

Will you still love me?

[axilium]

Well, I guess so.

[vigilantics]

You could say it without the "I guess."

[ while she doesn't sound like she's joking, she somehow doesn't sound too... serious. mostly just tired. ]

[axilium]

Don't get too greedy, Steph.

[...]

[vigilantics]

Hmm... yeah, I guess I am.

[ and with that, she leans back so that she's not pressed against him anymore. shockingly, her face is puffy from all of the crying. ]

[axilium]

[wow, amazing.]

... Tell me you didn't bust your hand.

[vigilantics]

It's cool, I didn't hit it that hard.

[ her hand is definitely bruised but

ain't the worst thing to happen! ]