* the cage is empty .

get your own bit man

youre on your own sorry

they beating yo ass in the qrts son

how do you expect me to do that .

what do you want .
haven’t you gloated enough .

. . .

Spamton

not when they're still raw and running on fumes . ]

if something happens, we’ll just deal with it like we always do, yeah ?

[ they hold his paw a little tighter, a deliberate, grounding pressure . their face is still flat, but the focus in their eyes is entirely on him . ]

… it’ll be okay .

[ it's a statement, not a question . they need it to be true . they can't handle another catastrophe right now,

[ they're stuck here, soulless and broken, and they're ruining the one good thing they have by crying all over it, aren’t they … ? ]

i-i'm ... i'm s-sorry ... i'm ... i'm g-getting ...

[ a shuddering, wet gasp . ]

... y-your suit ... all ... all w-wet ... i'm s-sorry ...

[ another sob rips through them, shaking their whole frame .

… it's their birthday . they can't see their mom . they can't see anyone in the light world . ]

[ they're not a hero. they're not a vessel .

…they're just a scared kid, and their parents are fighting, and the TV is the only safe place .

the apologies spill out again, muffled and wet against his suit, focusing on the only tangible "problem" they think they're causing . ]

[ a broken, hiccuping sound comes tumbling out, burrowing their face deeper into the fabric of tenna’s chest as if they can hide from their own grief . their hands twist, knotting the material, holding on desperately .

they don’t feel like whatever they’re supposed to be, not right now . ]

[ they don’t know what to say at first . they haven’t been told anything, which annoys them . they make a mental note to talk to their … “partner” soon . ]

melding .. ?
that sounds . um … bad .

[ they gently take his paw in their hand, hoping to further soothe . ]

… is everyone safe ?

// ok smartass /lh

// AND ITS JUST THE PIC YOUVE ALREADY HSOWED ME

// i had to go to the fucking web app to turn on the setting to see

// why tf is it graphic media

hey, hey …

[ they frown, getting up for a moment just so they can lead him to sit down on the edge of the bed, right next to them . ]

breathe . what do you mean they changed it .. ?

… ?

ralsei .. ?

[ sitting up . their expression doesn’t change much, but the look in their eyes and furrow of their brows betrays notable concern for the other . ]

did something happen—?

[ properly, this time .

they don't know how to stop it . it feels like their whole chest is splitting open, yet they can only cling, afraid that if they let go, the fragile sense of safety will snap . ]

[ a sharp, hitched breath . ]

i'm s-s-so ... s... sorry ...

[ … it's been so long since they truly cried . the SOUL always kept them numb, or simply forced a flat, emotionless disconnect . now, with it gone, guard completely shattered, the pain, guilt, and terror finally spill out . ]

… against tenna's chest, hands fisting desperately, tightly into the fabric of his suit . they cling to him like a child, thin shoulders shaking violently with gasping sobs .
the words are broken, muffled, and thick with tears . ]

i... i-i'm s ... s-sorry ... i'm ...

[ the word "yes" shatters the last thread of their composure .

the human makes a small, choked noise, like a gasp punched out of them . their body trembles, knees threatening to buckle .

they don't just step into the hug . they fall . collapsing forward and burying their face …

[ something special … for them . ]

a small, sharp sniffle . their shoulders are shaking .

“i’m not good, i don’t deserve it”, they want to say . but they’re aching for this . they want this love . ]

y-you ...
... y-you m .. mean all of th—that ?

[ they finally look up with tear-filled eyes . ]

. . .

[ kris freezes . their hands, already clenched in their sleeves, tighten until the knuckles are white .

... child .

the words are too kind . too heavy . they don't... they don't deserve that . after everything . after what the soul did . after what they did . ]

. . .

[ they look away, hair falling over their face before their eyes can betray anything . but the hitch of breath and a small sniffle is telling . ]

m-m—mmy birthday …
… Will you celebrate .. with me ?

i-i’m .. doing . bbetter .
ralsei’s helped . . .

[ they hug themselves tightly, weakly . they’re so tired . ]

i j—j-just …
i have something i wanna ask you .

Y—yyeah . that’d be nice .
… it’ll probably . help me warm up a little too . i ..
feel cold all the time, these days .