Who: The resurrected and the escorts What: You sure did die a week ago. Time to come home. When: Forward dated to the end of the month Where: The Garden Warnings: death, mentions of mutilation, potential mentions of torture
[It's so nice to be inside where it's warm. They're upstairs in Ezell's room now, which Wolfwood is realizing vaguely he's never been to until now. When they were depressed and high, they stayed in Ain's loft bed the whole time (sorry about that Ain), after all.
Wolfwood's own tail flicks back and forth as he leans against the nearest thing, folding his arms across his chest.]
Yeah, prob'ly. Just cause you ain't a light ball anymore don't mean we know you're 100% okay.
[ Ezell will hand Wolfwood some coffee after he gives Ain the tea. ]
It'll only be for a moment, my love. Just long enough to make sure everything's fine, then we'll all be able to keep you warm after and get some much needed sleep. Okay?
[ He sets his coffee aside to carefully help peel him out of the blankets. ]
[Wheeze. Okay... Ain will briefly set his tea aside on the bedside table and unburrito himself, and unjacket. He does not immediately go for his shirt, wondering briefly if he's going to lift it up and there's going to be blood or something, but he's sure he would've felt that sooner, so.
He... very carefully starts to unbutton it and move it aside, only to stop dead midway down when the pull of the fabric reveals that long, thin, black scar across his waist.]
Haha, you know... I think I'm good, actually. I don't see anything weird! Yaaay...
[Wolfwood watches carefully as Ain gets out of the blankets, because...
He knows what happened to Ain. He saw it with his own eyes. Ezell, on the other hand, does not. Wolfwood still hasn't told him, less because he's trying to keep it from him, and more because he simply didn't want to talk about it, period. He didn't want to inflict that horror on Ezell unnecessarily, either.
It's up to Ain, whether he wants to tell or not. But...it might not be possible to hide now, considering.
Wolfwood decides not to say anything just yet, but instead moves to sit on the edge of the bed as he shifts his gaze over to look at Ezell, sidelong.]
[ Ezell almost misses it. The mood is so lighthearted and calm at first, to the point where Ezell is just folding things off to the side without actually worrying about Ain beyond his illness. Things are good and calm and...
...
The Anxiety(tm) just hits him like a train. And he does notice the black against Ain's skin before he pulls the shirt back down. ]
...Hey. Ain, you can't panic, love. Look at me, you're alright, okay?
[If no one stops him he is going to re-burrito, goodbye. He has those same scars on his fingers from that tree-related death when Wolfwood was comatose, and while it triggers a similar little body dysmorphia... he largely just doesn't care, because he can wear gloves and fingers are meant to get scarred anyway; he's pricked himself on roses enough times, or cut himself on his guitar strings by being silly, or something. Fingers don't really matter.
His fucking midsection? Parts of his body he likes to show off? Yeah no fuck that, dysmorphia triggered, he's going to become a cocoon and die now.]
[That's the problem, with this sort of thing...Wolfwood doesn't know if he should stop him, if he's uncomfortable. Wolfwood understands, in some measure, what Ain must be going through right now. He remembers back when he got really seriously hurt for the first time, and though the serum healed him, some scarring still remained...and that was when he realized that would be just his life, now. He's reached a point where he's largely numb to it, but Ain...
It makes Wolfwood feel ill, because he's just reminded of the moment when it happened. Somehow strangely spared from being as bad as it could have been (IE a gory mess), but he's not sure he'd say it made seeing what he saw any less horrifying.]
Babe...
[He starts, reaching a hand out to put on Ain's shoulder. But when he tries to find more to say...it's clear he's struggling. He doesn't want to say "We need to see" because that's fucked up, but he also doesn't want Ain to just hide away when he could still be really injured.]
...My love, I know you're not. You know I know. [ Ezell reaches out to comb through Ain's hair. The same comforting gesture that he'd always give when Ain isn't feeling his best. But he sits close to him, just to let him know that Ezell is there. Wolfwood too. Both of them, and they're not leaving. ]
Will you... will you let us look? Just to make sure you're not hurt? And then you won't have to again until you're comfortable. We're just worried about you.
It's pretty ugly. It's like the ones on my fingers, but across where he cut me in half. [Just coming out with it, y'know. Ezell didn't know how bad it was until this specific moment!] You don't want to see it. I don't think I lost anything important.
[...
But he will reluctantly begin taking his shirt off again, this time sucking it up to fully toss it aside. Yeah, it's bad. That scar is all the way around his body. Ain could have lived if it were on his back, somewhere he couldn't see and therefore wouldn't let his partners see, but it's both in his vision and will be in his vision whenever he undresses. Whenever he showers, or wants intimacy, it's going to be there.
[It’s…bad. Like, finally seeing it clearly for the first time makes Wolfwood’s blood boil. He wants more than anything to be able to march to wherever Suri ended up and rip his head off, but you can’t exactly do that to a god. So all he can do is sit there stewing, which Ezell will feel with the sudden spike of anger from Wolfwood as he very cautiously reaches out towards Ain again, this time to take his hand.]
Scar or no scar. Ain’t gonna change the way we feel about you none.
[ Yeah, sorry, Ezell should be trying to comfort Ain right now, but the realization that Ain died in a much more horrific way than he realized is... uh. It's............... uhhhhhhh-
Ezell's hands raise to his face for a moment and he sits on the bed, trying to find words that aren't more upsetting than the scar itself. Get yourself together, Ezell. Come on... ]
N-no, Wolfwood's right. You're important to us, I... I'd never stop loving you, and there's nothing in this or any other world that would change that.
Yeah, but you shouldn't have to look at it... it's ugly.
[Look at Ezell, he hates it :( Clearly that's what that means — and not that he's like, fucking miserable because Ain just revealed he got cut in half at the waist.
He is scrambling to get back under the blankets now, physical over he is becoming a worm.]
It's fine, I don't see any other new scars, so I think we're good. [Okay, they haven't checked your back, or your legs, or anything like that...] He probably took a memory that I don't remember because he took it. I'm fine.
[Wolfwood watches as Ain bundles back up, reluctant to stop him. They need to make sure he's okay, but that is unlikely to happen if he's unwilling to allow it...and Wolfwood doesn't want to force it.
He looks over to Ezell again for a moment before turning his attention back to Ain, his expression tense.]
We ain't gonna force you to do nothin' you don't wanna do. It didn't look like the forest took anythin' physical, but...
[...]
I dunno. You don't seem like you've been feelin' good, even before just now. Is there somethin' you wanna talk to us about?
[ Wolfwood might be reluctant to stop him, but Ezell sure as hell isn’t. He grabs Ain’s wrist and keeps him there. He doesn’t want to manhandle him too much, considering he isn’t feeling well, but… ]
Don’t you dare lie to us, Ain. We care so so much about you. And no matter what, you will always be stunningly gorgeous to me, because I love you more than there is water in the ocean.
That forest bastard doesn’t get to dictate how pretty you are to me. To us.
[Ain is really trying to make it seem like he's not crying, but he absolutely starts the waterworks full-force when Ezell says that. Don't reassure him! Don't love him!! AAAAA—
He sniffles, and then frees his wrist from Ezell's grip so that he can rub at his eyes with the back of his wrists. There's a moment where he's quiet, just full-on sobbing and hiccuping and trying to calm himself down, and eventually... eventually he goes still, picks himself back up and compartmentalizes, and shuffles to start working his pants off so that the physical can continue.
It's very, very difficult for him to avoid looking down at himself, over the bisection mark on his hips.
But there aren't any other marks, luckily. No injuries, nothing wrong with his wings or the halo that's wrapped around his dragon horns. He looks otherwise normal, save for the new scar.]
Mmm... I'm just scared, I guess. [He finally answers Wolfwood's question, though his fingers are twitching in a way that definitely says he's five seconds from trying to become a burrito again.] I... I don't know, what if I didn't come back from a ball of light? What if it happens again and I'm stuck in that form? I didn't come back from being a lightball when I was back on Elrios...
[Ain starts crying, and Wolfwood's response this time is to scoot closer to Ain's side, reaching a hand out to rub slow circles into the middle of his back. It isn't surprising he just starts bawling right then and there- this is Ain we're talking about- but he knows how much Ain dislikes crying, so the fact he can't hold it back any longer is telling.]
Ezell's right. We love ya, no matter what.
[I'm scared, Ain admits, and Wolfwood feels a twist in his heart. He wants to say something, anything encouraging if he can manage it, but Ain continues before he can come up with anything suitable.
And...the two will get to watch Wolfwood's expression shift around in real time, from sympathy, to alarm, to complete and utter confusion because whaaaat the fuck is Ain talking about?]
I'm pretty sure that ain't true. You're the one who said you "almost" died back home. That was literally one of the first things that left your mouth when I met you?
[ Hhhhhhh... reaching a hand out to wipe the tears from Ain's face. Please don't cry, he's so sorry. Like, he's not, because he needs Ain to know that he cares about him no matter what, but also, he didn't want Ain to cry?? ]
You... what? [ Wait, hold on. Glances at Wolfwood, back to Ain. ] Darling, are you... sure that's what you think happened?
...yeah? I... [Sniffle, sob.] I'm pretty sure... Mr. Ancient lit that portal and it sapped my energy, and I didn't come back...
[No matter what happened, no one could "fix" him... or, rather, he was perfectly fine, but Suri reached into his skull and took the memory of that from him. His brain is at war with itself right now, memories of exploring past that point present at the forefront of his brain, but every time he focuses on one he convinces himself it's either fake or was simply him following them around as a little ball of light. Nevermind the talk he had with Ara outside the gates of the amusement park, or healing Raven's wounds with Laby, or reaching down to pick Add up off the ground after his uncle electrocuted him within an inch of his life. None of that feels "real" right now.
Depressed, Ain reaches for the blankets again and starts to cover his legs up, at least. He's naked and cold and wants to suffocate in the pillows.]
Wolfwood is thinking. His brain is working. The dots are connecting, etc etc.]
That don't seem weird to you?
[Like...he knows Ain isn't invincible, but he's far more resilient than just a normal, human person. He has a hard time believing the El Search Party would allow him to just lightball forever, either.
As Ain reaches for the blankets, Wolfwood will reach out himself and help Ain pull the blanket over himself.]
Yeah, yeah. That's enough.
[He's pretty well convinced now he didn't lose a finger, or something.]
[ Ezell reaches over, gently taps Wolfwood, and then shakes his head. Ain is already extremely upset. To learn he'd lost a memory like that would surely just be another blow to his mental. ]
Sorry, love. Let's get you to lay down. I'll make you soup in the morning, and you can just rest. Okay?
[Noooo he's dead and not even Elsword could fix him :( and obviously Add, who has the Biggest secret guilt complex ever, was totally cool with this end result because they Hate Each Other or whatever, yep.
When he's allowed to burrito, Ain flops down onto the bed and bunches the blankets up around himself, completely buried. Not even his eyes are showing. He has forgotten his tea, too, in his effort to become a lump.]
Wolfwood doesn't like being dishonest when Ain has been so forward about how much he wants that honesty between them. He trusts him to tell him like it is, even if it hurts. But...at least for now, he'll defer to Ezell's judgement here.
Instead of saying more, he gets up...and suddenly walks out, but he won't be gone long. He steps down the hallway, scoops both Dachie and Mew (they're in a pile together like ???? because they were probably snoozing), then returns to the bedroom and places them both on Ain. Haha get Dachie'd nerd.
He'll sit back on the edge of the bed again, watching as Mew immediately wiggles his little bean body under the blankets and squishes up next to Ain's neck.]
[Dachie is functionally useless as a comfort creature. He is Put There, and he briefly howl-screams until he simply decides to flop down On Top Of Ain, which will also be On Top Of Ezell's Arms. He is not small, it's like having an entire Husky laying on you.]
Mm...
[He's forced to bring his head out of the blankets before his dumb fuck owldog suffocates him.]
Neither of you are allowed to leave. I want you both here.
[As the Dachies get comfortable, Wolfwood sighs heavily and sits forward to pull off his prosthetic, letting it clatter to the floor beside the bed. It's easier to lay down without it, not running the risk of accidentally kicking and bruising someone with it. He'll lay down at Ain's other side across from Ezell, letting one arm lay across him and the blanket nest he's created for himself.]
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Wolfwood's own tail flicks back and forth as he leans against the nearest thing, folding his arms across his chest.]
Yeah, prob'ly. Just cause you ain't a light ball anymore don't mean we know you're 100% okay.
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It'll only be for a moment, my love. Just long enough to make sure everything's fine, then we'll all be able to keep you warm after and get some much needed sleep. Okay?
[ He sets his coffee aside to carefully help peel him out of the blankets. ]
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He... very carefully starts to unbutton it and move it aside, only to stop dead midway down when the pull of the fabric reveals that long, thin, black scar across his waist.]
Haha, you know... I think I'm good, actually. I don't see anything weird! Yaaay...
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He knows what happened to Ain. He saw it with his own eyes. Ezell, on the other hand, does not. Wolfwood still hasn't told him, less because he's trying to keep it from him, and more because he simply didn't want to talk about it, period. He didn't want to inflict that horror on Ezell unnecessarily, either.
It's up to Ain, whether he wants to tell or not. But...it might not be possible to hide now, considering.
Wolfwood decides not to say anything just yet, but instead moves to sit on the edge of the bed as he shifts his gaze over to look at Ezell, sidelong.]
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...
The Anxiety(tm) just hits him like a train. And he does notice the black against Ain's skin before he pulls the shirt back down. ]
...Hey. Ain, you can't panic, love. Look at me, you're alright, okay?
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[If no one stops him he is going to re-burrito, goodbye. He has those same scars on his fingers from that tree-related death when Wolfwood was comatose, and while it triggers a similar little body dysmorphia... he largely just doesn't care, because he can wear gloves and fingers are meant to get scarred anyway; he's pricked himself on roses enough times, or cut himself on his guitar strings by being silly, or something. Fingers don't really matter.
His fucking midsection? Parts of his body he likes to show off? Yeah no fuck that, dysmorphia triggered, he's going to become a cocoon and die now.]
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It makes Wolfwood feel ill, because he's just reminded of the moment when it happened. Somehow strangely spared from being as bad as it could have been (IE a gory mess), but he's not sure he'd say it made seeing what he saw any less horrifying.]
Babe...
[He starts, reaching a hand out to put on Ain's shoulder. But when he tries to find more to say...it's clear he's struggling. He doesn't want to say "We need to see" because that's fucked up, but he also doesn't want Ain to just hide away when he could still be really injured.]
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Will you... will you let us look? Just to make sure you're not hurt? And then you won't have to again until you're comfortable. We're just worried about you.
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It's pretty ugly. It's like the ones on my fingers, but across where he cut me in half. [Just coming out with it, y'know. Ezell didn't know how bad it was until this specific moment!] You don't want to see it. I don't think I lost anything important.
[...
But he will reluctantly begin taking his shirt off again, this time sucking it up to fully toss it aside. Yeah, it's bad. That scar is all the way around his body. Ain could have lived if it were on his back, somewhere he couldn't see and therefore wouldn't let his partners see, but it's both in his vision and will be in his vision whenever he undresses. Whenever he showers, or wants intimacy, it's going to be there.
It's nasty. He hates it.]
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Scar or no scar. Ain’t gonna change the way we feel about you none.
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[ Yeah, sorry, Ezell should be trying to comfort Ain right now, but the realization that Ain died in a much more horrific way than he realized is... uh. It's............... uhhhhhhh-
Ezell's hands raise to his face for a moment and he sits on the bed, trying to find words that aren't more upsetting than the scar itself. Get yourself together, Ezell. Come on... ]
N-no, Wolfwood's right. You're important to us, I... I'd never stop loving you, and there's nothing in this or any other world that would change that.
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[Look at Ezell, he hates it :( Clearly that's what that means — and not that he's like, fucking miserable because Ain just revealed he got cut in half at the waist.
He is scrambling to get back under the blankets now, physical over he is becoming a worm.]
It's fine, I don't see any other new scars, so I think we're good. [Okay, they haven't checked your back, or your legs, or anything like that...] He probably took a memory that I don't remember because he took it. I'm fine.
[You are Trying To Hide, the fuck you are.]
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He looks over to Ezell again for a moment before turning his attention back to Ain, his expression tense.]
We ain't gonna force you to do nothin' you don't wanna do. It didn't look like the forest took anythin' physical, but...
[...]
I dunno. You don't seem like you've been feelin' good, even before just now. Is there somethin' you wanna talk to us about?
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Don’t you dare lie to us, Ain. We care so so much about you. And no matter what, you will always be stunningly gorgeous to me, because I love you more than there is water in the ocean.
That forest bastard doesn’t get to dictate how pretty you are to me. To us.
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He sniffles, and then frees his wrist from Ezell's grip so that he can rub at his eyes with the back of his wrists. There's a moment where he's quiet, just full-on sobbing and hiccuping and trying to calm himself down, and eventually... eventually he goes still, picks himself back up and compartmentalizes, and shuffles to start working his pants off so that the physical can continue.
It's very, very difficult for him to avoid looking down at himself, over the bisection mark on his hips.
But there aren't any other marks, luckily. No injuries, nothing wrong with his wings or the halo that's wrapped around his dragon horns. He looks otherwise normal, save for the new scar.]
Mmm... I'm just scared, I guess. [He finally answers Wolfwood's question, though his fingers are twitching in a way that definitely says he's five seconds from trying to become a burrito again.] I... I don't know, what if I didn't come back from a ball of light? What if it happens again and I'm stuck in that form? I didn't come back from being a lightball when I was back on Elrios...
[Haha, what?]
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Ezell's right. We love ya, no matter what.
[I'm scared, Ain admits, and Wolfwood feels a twist in his heart. He wants to say something, anything encouraging if he can manage it, but Ain continues before he can come up with anything suitable.
And...the two will get to watch Wolfwood's expression shift around in real time, from sympathy, to alarm, to complete and utter confusion because whaaaat the fuck is Ain talking about?]
I'm pretty sure that ain't true. You're the one who said you "almost" died back home. That was literally one of the first things that left your mouth when I met you?
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You... what? [ Wait, hold on. Glances at Wolfwood, back to Ain. ] Darling, are you... sure that's what you think happened?
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[No matter what happened, no one could "fix" him... or, rather, he was perfectly fine, but Suri reached into his skull and took the memory of that from him. His brain is at war with itself right now, memories of exploring past that point present at the forefront of his brain, but every time he focuses on one he convinces himself it's either fake or was simply him following them around as a little ball of light. Nevermind the talk he had with Ara outside the gates of the amusement park, or healing Raven's wounds with Laby, or reaching down to pick Add up off the ground after his uncle electrocuted him within an inch of his life. None of that feels "real" right now.
Depressed, Ain reaches for the blankets again and starts to cover his legs up, at least. He's naked and cold and wants to suffocate in the pillows.]
Can I cover up now?
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Wolfwood is thinking. His brain is working. The dots are connecting, etc etc.]
That don't seem weird to you?
[Like...he knows Ain isn't invincible, but he's far more resilient than just a normal, human person. He has a hard time believing the El Search Party would allow him to just lightball forever, either.
As Ain reaches for the blankets, Wolfwood will reach out himself and help Ain pull the blanket over himself.]
Yeah, yeah. That's enough.
[He's pretty well convinced now he didn't lose a finger, or something.]
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Sorry, love. Let's get you to lay down. I'll make you soup in the morning, and you can just rest. Okay?
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When he's allowed to burrito, Ain flops down onto the bed and bunches the blankets up around himself, completely buried. Not even his eyes are showing. He has forgotten his tea, too, in his effort to become a lump.]
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Wolfwood doesn't like being dishonest when Ain has been so forward about how much he wants that honesty between them. He trusts him to tell him like it is, even if it hurts. But...at least for now, he'll defer to Ezell's judgement here.
Instead of saying more, he gets up...and suddenly walks out, but he won't be gone long. He steps down the hallway, scoops both Dachie and Mew (they're in a pile together like ???? because they were probably snoozing), then returns to the bedroom and places them both on Ain. Haha get Dachie'd nerd.
He'll sit back on the edge of the bed again, watching as Mew immediately wiggles his little bean body under the blankets and squishes up next to Ain's neck.]
Let us know if you need anythin'.
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As Ain burritos, Ezell is going to find his spot on the bed and wrap his arms around his blanketed boyfriend. Sleepy time... ]
You can lay down too, Wolfwood. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kick you out or nothing.
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Mm...
[He's forced to bring his head out of the blankets before his dumb fuck owldog suffocates him.]
Neither of you are allowed to leave. I want you both here.
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I ain't goin' anywhere. M'stayin'.
(no subject)