sticksandbones | 001 𐫱 come morning light

Huh? No, it's been... months. I'm almost positive of that.

[He'd ask Add, but... Add wasn't there for some of it. Maybe he'll ask Caoimhe, since her memory is so good. Things for him to do later, since they're coming up on the house now. They'll have to get the desk up the stairs and all, gonna be hard to have a conversation about timelines while saying shit like "to the left" and "watch out for the weird painting on the wall I don't remember buying".]

[One of the dynamos manages to hold the door open... but hmm. actually, about that—]

Even excluding this place, we haven't been in Elrianode for at least a month. [they've been through Pruinaum, Tirnog, the Abyss... there hasn't really been time to go back to Elrianode, if they kept backtracking they'd never make any progress.] We were getting ready to leave Magmelia again, weren't we?

[he glances between Chung and Elsword... ok, Elsword probably won't be much help, but surely he can at LEAST remember they've been in the Demon Realm. back him up here.]

... Excuse me?

( but- chung looks between the two, frown deepening. who cares about moving furniture when his mind is starting to feel entirely like static and his chest hurts? )

But... we were only just preparing to enter the Demon Realm entirely. I'd just arrived and reunited with everyone a few days ago. What are you talking about?

[Well, luckily they get up the stairs and into the room. Moving furniture is annoying...

Elsword clues into Chung's emotional state pretty quickly as they make it into Add's ~~room~~ future lab. As soon as the desk is on the ground and not about to be dropped on someone's foot, he focuses more on the topic at hand. They can finish this later.]

Um... [This is a bit difficult. Elsword has memories that Chung doesn't... but if Add says they're true, they must be. It means his untrustworthy memory isn't screwing him over for once.] ...we've gone through a lot of it. You were there when we saved Master Rosso in... [...] In wherever that place was called. And you were there with us in the Abyss.

...

Uh, but it's okay if you don't remember! I don't remember a lot of things. [elsword that is entirely unhelpful]

Varnimyr. [he's used to filling in the blanks dwbi.] After we brought back Rosso we ended up at the bottom of the Demon Realm ocean, Rigomor, and returned to Elrianode to regroup. That was the last time we've been there. Since then, we've traveled through the Pruinaum region into Tirnog and dealt with both Berthe and Ran. It took a few weeks to recover from the trip down to the Abyss...

[... but the more he lists off places and events, the more distressed Chung appears to be. The less he seems to be following along, too.

The dynamos put their cargo down next to the desk, circling back to Add's side. All but the one by Chung huddle over Add's shoulders as he expands his holoscreen into a full chart, frowning at the results.]

Nothing appears to be abnormal... elevated heart rate, breathing, no detectable damage...

When you said you'd just reunited with everyone... are you referring to the first time you set foot in Elrianode?

( this is- this is all too much. was everything so loud before? )

I- yes- we'd dealt with that man, Hennon, but-

( vaikal swoops over his shoulder, desperately trying to put weight on him but- it is too small. he still doesn't know where the little dragon came from. chung squeezes his eyes shut (why does he feel so unsteady?) so much is gone, why is it gone-

and this place with it's oppressive eyes in the fog, the laughter in the treeline, his father, no map, the clear bloodshed (his friends are hurt they're hurt and he couldn't help)-

it's all too much.

he can't breathe. )

S- stop. Please-

[Elsword's Friend Senses are tingling and they are commanding him to hug. It's an immediate kick into action, not a single thought in the knight's head as he claps his hands on Chung's shoulders and steers him toward Add's bed, sits him down upon it, and then sits next to him to squeeze him tight.]

It's okay. We don't have to talk about it now. [Looks at Add.] I understand it's a lot. But you're here with us now, so you don't have to worry about it.

[There is the barest hint of mirrored panic showing on Add's face before Elsword takes charge... it really is a good thing Elsword is here, because Add's solution would've been to start digging through his medicine pouch. He looks between the pair and his holoscreen, awkwardly standing off to the side.

... they really should talk about it, though. This seems important. They should figure out what caused this, if something else happened to Chung, or...

but he should still do something now. He feels way too awkward standing around doing nothing. Add sighs, waving Dynamo off his shoulders. He hesitates briefly before sitting down on the bed as well, bookending Chung's other side... not quite shoulder to shoulder, but if he leans over a little Add probably won't run away from the physical contact, maybe.]

Dynamo, grab something for us to drink, would you? [this is already a difficult challenge for a bunch of hovering syringes to manage but he believes in them... maybe Fel will be down there, girl help they have no hands and the boys are stressed]

( touch- touch is good. vaikal on his shoulder. elsword hugging him. add is beside him. his chest still hurts, his breathing is still heavy and unsteady, but he can at least hold onto them. he's not sure how long he stares at the floor, unfocused, but eventually-

eventually he can force a smile. just like when they first split up. the sort of smile you wear when you want desperately to cry but you can't because everything comes first, everything will always come first- )

I... I'm sorry. I suppose it's been a very overwhelming day. I'll recover, I promise.

( also yes of course fel is in the kitchen. that's her domain now she just deigns to share it sometimes. she'll make them tea- or better yet, hot chocolate. )

[Add is not properly in the hug and will feel a hand reaching around for his shoulder to pull him in... tug tug. Do not underestimate his will to cuddle right now. Both of you need it.]

It's okay to be sad. [This is aimed at BOTH OF YOU.] You can just be that, you know.

[Because he can't. Because he walked into the El and came out forever changed. Someone here has to feel the things Elsword cannot.]

I'll just hug you until you feel better.

[There is a hand tugging at him, drawing him in towards the inescapable group hug... and perhaps he's just too tired to resist, after everything he's been through. Everything they've all been through, apparently, some of which he can't even be certain of. He leans into Chung's shoulder, a strange warmth transferring from pauldron to cloth and skin.

... he feels even more awkward now, but. the only comfortable position at this angle is to bump their heads together... so...

but if it helps Chung, he'll allow it. just for a little bit.]

It's a lot to take at once. Don't feel like you need to rush it. Just breathe for now, count backwards from ten and you'll feel better. [he is NOT responding to any of the words Elsword just said tho fuck that]

Edited (YES this matters to me shut up) 2023-08-26 01:42 (UTC)

( after a moment, chung rests a hand on both of the other's backs. he's tired, too- his armor feels heavier than it should, and his shoulders sag uselessly. he wants to bite back an almost despairing "i can't, though, not with all i carry"- but. he's not the one who lost himself to the el.

it wouldn't do.

so he tries to smile again. )

Right. Okay.

[Elsword is somehow gonna bonk you both with mental health even though he also has none. Good Goddess.]

Maybe we can all go fishing together later. It helps get my mind off of things, anyway.

... That would be nice. I do like fishing. The river here... it's very pure. It reminds me of home in a way.

( there's a gentle squeeze to add's hand. you aren't getting out of this, buddy. )

001 𐫱 come morning light

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cw: panic attacks

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