deercountry | Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom

Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom

OCTOBER 2021 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Band playing on moving float with people in masks walking behind.]
[Image Two: Woman in gas mask and elaborate ballgown.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Man looking away while creepy corpse-like woman puts hand on window.]
[Image Two: Two contorted girls crawling across floor with blood flowing out.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Headless horseman with jack-o-lantern rearing on horse.]
[Image Two: Annabelle doll rocking on its own in chair.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE

WHEN: During the daytime every day of October
WHERE: Throughout the streets of Cellar Door and Willful Machine.
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A

The Black Parade has begun in Trench. You will begin to see residents painting skulls and monsters onto their faces, even the ones who abide by practical lifestyles. By the first week of October, you won't see a single resident of Trench without facepaint or a mask of some kind obscuring their face.

"It's for the Black Parade," they say, "It's to keep us safe. You should start painting your face too. You should disguise yourself so they can't find you."

Who, you might ask? Anyone dangerous. It's vague and unsettling, but you think maybe they are onto something. Call it intuition or basic common sense. Stalls pop up all around Trench selling cheap masks and costumes. They aren't exactly Halloween costumes. There's less of a focus on becoming something and more of a focus on looking different than you currently do.

Then the Black Parade really takes off. Black and white confetti seem to fall from the sky and you can hear the distant sound of trumpets and drums. You can feel the earth give small tremors and Trenchies begin to flock to Cellar Door and the Willful Machine. They line the streets and you can see why: a literal parade is coming through. Stages are set with talented musicians rocking out, singing into wireless, floating moonlit mics. Incredible, giant puppets walk through the streets guided by a dozen talented Architects. Other people move about in stilted costumes, elaborate gowns. Some performers set up small, stationary areas to perform for smaller crowds. The sky is filled with massive and unusual kites. Find one among the many stalls or make your own!

Stalls hand out candied applies, foil-wrapped candies, and roasted pumpkin seeds by the bundles. Hot ciders are kept in barrels ready to be served up in tin mugs, with or without alcohol. It's a festive atmosphere that seems to go nonstop 24/7 throughout October but exclusively in these areas. It's a good place to go to avoid some of the haunts of October and to have a good time. Why not get involved? Make your own puppet, float, or costumes, and join in the fun. Chunks of the road are reserved for parades, but others have been sectioned off for people to dance and mingle about. You quickly learn that face-paint and masked/concealed faces seem to be a good way of avoiding the attention of beasts, angry Pthumerians, and other unusual creatures in Trench.

It's not a foolproof method, but October largely celebrates the safety of ambiguity and is one of the few times the practical and pleasure factions get along. Get your face painted up or pick out a costume - it's both aesthetic and life-saving! The Black Parade is held annually every October all October long and is considered a significant Trench holiday. Many people refer to the costumes specifically as "Black Parade" costumes and sentiments commonly exchanged at this time include: Have a blessed and safe Blood Moon; May your Seasons pass unseen; Bless the many faces of cleverness; May you go unseen by the blood; Blessed Black Parade.

QUICK FACTS

1. Halloween costumes you can buy at the store won't be available unless a character intentionally makes one. Most of the costumes in Trench are more or less eccentric make-up looks and unusual masks. They look a lot more like Cirque du Soleil costumes than Halloween costumes.

2. Characters can have multiple costume/face-paint/mask changes throughout the month. No one will be forced into these - but it is strongly, culturally encouraged for everyone's safety to dress up!

LONELINESS KILLS: THE CURSE OF CLOVERFIELD

WHEN: October
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Psychological-based curse, feelings of intense loneliness, mental health.

It is said that the Blood Moon reminds Cloverfield of those he has lost over the decades. They say that the howling wind is actually the sound of Cloverfield's cries and there seems to be some truth to that. He can be seen wandering the Farther Shores and watching the moon. If you seek out Cloverfield and offer him comfort and companionship, he will bless you with a worn picture of a loved one or someone you miss desperately or even just a place you miss...Even if it's impossible for such a picture to exist.

Of course, not everyone will visit Cloverfield. Cloverfield's loneliness begins to curse the city of Trench. Sleepers will be impacted the most heavily as their blood will directly react to this curse. Sleepers who have a good sense of relationship may be able to avoid the curse, but those who often feel lonely or homesick will start to feel worse and worse as the days go by.

Eventually, their loneliness begins to manifest as a corpse-like version of themselves or the person they care about most. This corpse follows them around everywhere like a shadow. You won't notice your own Loneliness, but other people might, especially palebloods, Night Walkers, and Disciples. These corpses don't seem to care about anything or anyone and at first don't seem violent...But eventually, this Loneliness becomes consuming.

Once it does, you too will contort, and you and your Loneliness will soon be crawling about on all fours, blood floating out of you in thin streams. You'll be lost to your feelings of loneliness, stalking the streets with your Loneliness, looking for companionship. Of course, you're completely corrupt at this point, so your version of finding companionship most likely involves accidentally suffocating someone or other violent actions. Some people may never become violent once they are in the Final Stage, but the blood constantly flowing from them will create heavy blood pollution and may draw in far more dangerous creatures. You really don't want Lonely People walking around!

Better start some conversations - even if these Lonely People are creepy as hell. But, then again, they are just lonely. Hopefully, you will find peace of mind and find your people. Hopefully, you will banish loneliness...For the time being.

QUICK FACTS

1. This curse will impact people who are more isolated than others. Interaction with other people or animals will alleviate the curse and may completely stop it for some.

2. You can stop the curse at the corpse stage by confronting a Sleeper and opening up an emotional conversation about their loneliness. This may not always work, but the more the conversation works for the Sleeper, the more effective. The corpse will fleck away once the curse has been reversed.

3. Curses can continue to come back throughout October, but once you've experienced it once, it's less likely to occur again.

4. The Final Stage of the curse is the hardest to stop and most of the time, it's easiest to just kill the Cursed. It's easier to kill them than talk them out of their loneliness, but it is not impossible to talk them out of it. It requires dedication, patience, and some serious cleverness on how to survive a monster trying to kill you at the same time.

5. Loneliness can be widely interpreted once in the Final Stage. People should generally still look like themselves. How people act in this stage can vary from character to character and should be centric to how characters deal with their loneliness in general. If they're prone to shutting people out, then maybe their Loneliness is aloof and distant. If they're prone to clinging to toxic people, then maybe their Loneliness is accidentally violent. It's open to interpretation.

LEGENDS OF TRENCH

WHEN: All October
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Ghosts, Themes of death.

Unfortunately, not everyone can gain control of their loneliness. As blood is spilled throughout Trench over loneliness, this blood pollution festers and begins to claim poor souls. Corruption leads way to beasthood and people lost to this find themselves transforming into familiar, legendary ghost stories of old-world lore. These Legendary Ghosts come out primarily at night. As the Black Parade established, anyone who keeps their faces disguised with make-up or masks will be completely safe from the Legendary Ghosts. Though if you go after a Legendary Ghost in a costume, you'll only be safe until you attack them. It's not a bad move for a sneak attack though!

...But those who forgot to dress up or felt like such superstitions wouldn't work...

Congratulations, you might come across the path of a Dullahan: a headless horseman carrying a whip made from a spinal cord, ready to throw basins of blood on you and draw in other beasts. Or maybe you encounter a far more subtle Legendary Ghost. Maybe you see a hitchhiker on the side of the road and decide to give them a ride, but when you look in your rearview mirror, they are no longer in your backseat. While most of these Legendary Ghosts are intending to harm you and spread more blood pollution, some just seem to be genuinely lost souls, lost to corruption, lost to their own failures and loneliness. In some cases, freeing them is protecting yourself and others, but in other cases, freeing them is just simple kindness.

You may meet a ghost bride who is waiting eternally for her wedding by one of the shrines in Cassandra. Maybe you meet a ghostly scholar at the Archives in Gaze. The spirits range widely and seem to haunt every corner of Trench - including your own homes. The only real way to deter a Legendary Ghost from your home is by heavily decorating your home with things like jack-o-lanterns, fake blood splatters, fake gravestones, and various other death-centric decor. This seems to repel Legendary Ghosts as they see it as a reminder of their own fate. Some are angered by the decorations while others are terrified by them and seem incapable of telling the difference between real blood and fake blood.

QUICK FACTS

1. These corrupt souls can be saved through blood rituals/magic/ghost banishings relying on blood artifacts. This will usually put the soul to rest - it will not bring people "back to life."

2. While it is mostly Trenchies turning into these beings, Sleepers can also be transformed into Legendary Ghosts. We provide a general outline, but the idea is that people are turning into legendary ghost stories so you can play with your own ideas/canons.

While Trenchies cannot be saved, we leave it up to you if a Sleeper could be brought back to themselves or if they will have to "die" to be cured of their Legendary Ghost status.

3. You can use famous Legendary Ghosts from around the world. We gave a few examples, but have fun with this! The Legendary Ghost-like creature you go with should generally be "ghost-like" / have to do with death specifically. They do not need to be exclusively evil/violent spirits, but many are.

CODING

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The crash is startling enough—jolts Mako into motion, adrenaline flooding coldly into his limbs as he hurries toward the sound—but more startling still is Wu standing there like a lifeless doll, his limbs limp and Fritter inanimate beside him. It freezes Mako's already-cold blood.

He thinks about Guan and soulless eyes, and without another thought is at Wu's side, tugging gently at his shoulder, pulling him away from the wall with concern like saltwater drowning everything else. ]

Wu! Hey, look at me, what's happening, are you hurt? You don't look hurt.

[ Unfortunate that Mako can't yet see the lurking shadow. ]

[ Wu turns his eyes up to Mako, staring at him like he doesn't quite see him. He's still here, but... not. But limp and exhausted, like there isn't a point to keep going.

But he can feel Mako's concern through the touch, a concern that pushes at the loneliness in his chest. His mind doesn't accept it, though. He has to look after you. That's the agreement.

His eyes drop again and he shakes his head, trying to push lightness into his voice. ]

I'm fine! Totally fine. Just, um. Tired. I'm not hurt. It's okay.

[ Okay to leave him alone. Why is he acting like this? He's usually so good at pretending, but he knows he's doing an awful job right now. He's been doing okay, keeping up appearances, but it's all becoming too much ]

You're not fine.

[ Wu limp is kind of a terrifying thing. He's like a ragdoll, letting Mako steer him around, scan over his face for any sign of injury, some reason that Wu is like this. He really isn't hurt, but his face is pale and he's barely meeting Mako's eyes, and Mako's heart is pounding like it was when Wu disappeared all those months ago, worry crowding rational thinking straight out. There is pressure, and then there is Wu, limp, trying to be cheerful and faiilng.

Which is, of course, when he sees the shadow. He looks up from sad green eyes and immediately stops, staring, because attached to Wu is—

The same thing getting everyone in the city.

Shadowed, rotting, like Wu on the pole on the river with Asami, a terrible thing. Mako sucks in a sharp breath, tries to keep his face neutral and fails, and straightens up. ]

...come on.

[ At least Wu is easy to tug away from the wall like this. ]

[ Wu couldn't resist if he wanted to. There's a part of him that wants so badly for Mako to care about him, but who can't believe it. It's a fear that's always there, at the back of his mind, saying Mako doesn't really want this, that he convinced Mako into it, that Mako is just being nice, that he's just convenient, he's there, he's desperate, and maybe that's what Mako likes about him.

He wishes he was less desperate. Desperate to be liked, to be loved, to have anyone care about him for who he is instead of who his family is, what he represents.

He goes with Mako, leaning into him a little because maybe this is the last time he can. Maybe Mako will finally get it, get that Wu isn't worth bothering with, isn't worth his time, his energy. Wu just wants to be wanted. ]

It's really... fine. You don't have to.

Wu. We're going to figure this out, alright?

[ Mako doesn't mean to snap, exactly—he's entirely too conscious of the flickering corpse following them, getting more solid every time Mako glances at it—and he isn't even really annoyed except at the idea that he wouldn't.

Wu's being followed around by the same awful, lonely thing that Ryan was, which means Wu's been feeling lonely, which means Mako hasn't been—

Well. He's going to get Wu upstairs (he pauses briefly to scoop Fritter up) and then they're going to get rid of this thing, no matter what it takes. No matter why it's here. ]

[ Wu moves in a daze because he isn't going to stop Mako from taking care of him, because he's so sure it's going to be the last time. That Mako doesn't want to be taking care of him anymore, that he isn't worth taking care of.

They walk slowly up the creaky stairs to their loft, dark except for the lights Wu managed to find around the city, casting yellow and green light around the large room.

He doesn't look at Mako, like if he doesn't look at Mako, he won't tell Wu to leave, to stop all of this, that he doesn't want this anymore. He's so sure it's going to happen, because everyone leaves him, in the end. It's a painful type of loneliness, a type that he wants to rail against, but doesn't have the energy to ]

[ It's hard to listen to the dragging of corpse-Wu's feet on the stairs, and Fritter is oddly subdued in Mako's arms. The loft is quiet and cavernous without light and music in it. As much as Mako's been craving silence with the Black Parade outside their house at all hours, right now he'd much rather Wu say anything at all.

He has to fix this. Even if he's the one who caused it, even if he's breaking his promise to be there for Wu. Clearly that's the case, or else the sad, silent corpse that twists Mako's heart every time he looks at it wouldn't be following them as he steers Wu over to the couch and presses him down into the softest corner. ]

Stay there.

[ This time, Mako's voice is gentle. He looks up at the hovering, silent version of Wu standing by the arm of the couch and pointedly deposits Fritter onto his Wu. ]

I'm going to make us tea, and then we're going to talk about this. Got it?

[ Fritter curls into his arms, and Wu holds her close. At least Fritter chooses him. At least she would choose him above anyone.

Because she has to. Because she comes from you, those awful thoughts rear up again, and the corpse steps closer to him, its hand landing on the back of the couch, so close to him.

He doesn't look up at Mako. Doesn't want to see the disappointment in his face, doesn't want to listen to what we're going to talk about because he doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't want Mako to leave him, but everything in his brain has convinced himself that that's what's going to happen because he's unloved and unlovable. Unwanted, the one who people had to put up with, had to take care of because of what he is, not who.

And he made Mako take care of him.

His fingers sink into Fritter's fur for whatever comfort he can get ]

[ Mako maybe rushes a little through heating up the tea, ignores the flaring whispers when he holds a flaming hand under the kettle to heat it up more quickly. He keeps an eye on Wu the whole time, watches that pale sad shadow press closer, lean down over him like a threat as Wu curls a hand into Fritter's fur.

Mako doesn't usually fill the silence, but under the clink of the kettle and pulling down the chipped set of gold filigree mugs he'd found and brought home for Wu, he says, quietly, ]

It's not just you. This is that loneliness thing, right? That's what's happening.

[ Loneliness is exactly what Wu is feeling. Loneliness that's exacerbated by Mako being here, showing him what he could have, if he was just better, different, someone who could be good enough for him. ]

I... don't know.

[ Because these feelings aren't new. They've been lurking there, in the background, since they got together, worse since the month when everything was the desert and Mako threw himself into his work and left Wu to pick up the pieces of himself by himself. Sure, they reconciled, then, but that doubt is still there, tickling the back of his mind ]

Okay, well, I do.

[ Steam billows up from the kettle, and Mako busies himself momentarily with pouring the water over the leaves in careful circles. It's a bit clumsier than normal, but he piles everything onto a tray he's used to bring Wu breakfast in bed a few times and carries it over, pressing it all onto the coffee table with another glance at the dead version of Wu.

Mako really hates that thing. Hates that Wu is so subdued, is barely answering him. This is going to be hard, but he can't just leave Wu like this, hurting and alone and afraid like he was in May. Mako's going to fix this, and the worry tightening his ribs around his lungs like a band will go away.

He settles on the couch a little too close to Wu, pressing his knees into Wu's thigh. ]

How long have you been feeling this way?

[ Wu twitches, like Mako is suddenly there, because he wasn't quite aware of his approach, even with the tray set down in front of him. He finally looks up at Mako, and that same pain twists in his gut.

He loves Mako so much. So, so much, and it hurts to think that Mako doesn't love him, too. That it was all in his head, or that Mako didn't care as much as Wu does, or that Mako doesn't need him like Wu needs him. Those thoughts hurt, and looking at Mako's handsome face hurts, and he wishes that things were like they used to be, when things were fun and light between them.

When was that? It was never fun. It was always awful, from the moment Wu kissed Mako with his own blood still on Mako's hands, to the week he was left in limbo, wondering if he'd ruined his relationship with the best friend he's ever had, to the days when another Mako took him captive, keeping him away from his friends, to dying the day after they first had sex, to the month in the desert, to making choices too difficult for the two of them to make alone.

It was never easy. The moments of levity were there, yes, but that wasn't their relationship. Their relationship was hard. Why would Mako want that, with him?

But Mako asked him a question, and Wu owes him an answer. His eyes drop away again ]

A, a while. [ Always, to varying degrees. But it being this bad? Debilitatingly bad? Only the last day or two, when the loneliness of everyone around him built up inside him, coupled with his own insecurities to create this shell of himself, this corpse that inches closer, reaching out a hand for Wu ]

[ Mako reaches out first, curling a hand around Wu's jutting knee with a wave of—something. Guilt, maybe, or anger at himself for the misery in Wu's voice, in his face. Mako did this to him, and that shouldn't even be surprising because Mako is proven to be terrible at relationships. He's too selfish, clearly, to maintain anything good.

And Ange called him nice.

Mako swallows, tightening his grip. ]

I'm sorry. Should've noticed. When, uh. When did it get bad?

[ Those feelings travel through the touch and make Wu feel worse. He hunches in on himself, feeling his own guilt at making Mako feel bad. Mako shouldn't care. He doesn't need to care about Wu. He doesn't need to pretend.

But it feels good, for him to ask. For Mako to pretend to care. Wu can pretend, too, that he means it. That he loves him like he says he does. He sniffs a little, looking down at Mako's hand, strong and solid around his knee. ]

A few days. [ It grew and built and blossomed in him, feeling the loneliness from everyone around him, the grief from his friend's death, from not doing enough, not being enough.

He wants to lean into the touch, he wants to throw himself on Mako and have Mako hold him like he used to, but he can't get himself to move. He can't do that to Mako, can't make him take care of him anymore than he already has. ] It's, it's okay! I'll be okay. Just, um. Just need a minute.

[ It's a lie, such a blatant lie, and his voice doesn't even sound convinced ]

Would you knock it off?

[ Mako doesn't snap this time, but his hand goes tight on Wu's knee, trying to pull him back out of the clear spiral he's dropping into. Mako's seen him do this before, saw it in that terrible mall after the coronation and then again in Deerington in the desert. ]

Stop telling me you're okay! You're obviously not okay, and believe me, pretending that you're fine just makes it worse. Talk to me, Wu. That's the only way we're going to fix this.

[ Even if he doesn't snap, the words make Wu curl in on himself more. He doesn't want to talk about it, not with Mako. He wants Mako to leave him be, he leave him alone because it's just going to get worse, just going to be worse whenever Mako finally does break up with him.

In his mind, it's already happened. Mako's already decided he's had enough. He can see Mako walking out the door, and that image passes between them, of shouting, of heart break, of Mako slamming the door behind him as he walks out of Wu's life, because that's where he should be. Not here, not with Wu, who's holding him down, holding him back, not nearly enough, not enough for him. ]

[ This hasn't happened very often after those first few days. Wu was showing him things by accident near-constantly then, but he's learned to control it enough that Mako isn't getting a one-way ticket to the Inside of Wu's Head Show once a day, and it's been a relief.

Seeing something again now, seeing it like this, is kind of a shock, especially because—it isn't like Mako hasn't done that. He did that to Korra, didn't he? Failed to support her, fought with her at every turn, drove her away instead of listening—and Wu thinks he's going to do the same thing, this has to be his imagination because Mako doesn't remember doing this.

The image ebbs, and Mako lets out breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, his chest tight. ]

Wu. Is that... how you think this ends?

[ Wu makes a soft, choked sound, covering his eyes. He doesn't want to cry, doesn't want to seem weaker than he already is, doesn't want to give Mako another reason to leave him.

He knows he shared the image, the thought, and he wishes he hadn't. If the idea wasn't already in Mako's head, it is now. ]

You, you don't have to pretend, Mako. If you don't, don't want this anymore, I, um. I understand. I'll be okay. I'll be fine.

[ It's a lie, such a lie, but Mako is nice, and caring, and he would stay because he thinks Wu needs him, not because he wants to. ]

[ It's the throne all over again except this time, Mako's not flushed hot with embarrassment watching Wu make a fool of himself. This time Mako is mostly sad, and a little hurt in a way he can't possibly delve more into. Wu looks miserable, hunching down just like he did then, except this is worse because instead of flinging his own feelings everywhere he's trying to make himself small and accomodating and—

Mako breaks. ]

Why would I be pretending! Would you stop putting words in my mouth?

[ It just makes him curl further into himself, wanting so badly for this to be over. It doesn't make any sense. He gave Mako the out. He can leave. He can leave, but he's staying. He's getting upset, and Wu doesn't want that. He doesn't want that at all. He just wants Mako to love him, to take care of him, to be with him and let Wu help him like he's helped Wu for so long ]

I'm-- I'm-- that's not what--

[ But it is, isn't it? Mako never did that. He never said that. He's refusing to say it, even now ]

I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing.

[ The tears are flowing freely now, and he wants to throw himself at Mako, to have Mako hold him close, but he isn't quite ready to do that, not quite ready to risk that rejection ]

[ Wu crying is a heartbreaking thing. It was back then when Mako first saw it and it is now: he looks like a mess, all red-eyed, trying to curl away from Mako like Mako's the thing making this happen and Mako guesses—really—that he is.

Is he really the thing Wu is most afraid of? Him storming out and leaving, the same thing that happened to Korra? It's a strange thing to think, maybe because Mako... maybe didn't know he was that important. Didn't know he took up so much space in Wu's head, didn't know Wu loved him enough to make him freak out like this. He doesn't know how he feels about that, but it isn't bad, not really.

All he knows how to do is reach out for Wu's thin, shaking shoulder, frowning hard, and tug him into a hug whether he likes it or not, pressing his face fiercely into the messy mop of Wu's curls, half-styled like he didn't even really try today.

Mako should have noticed.

He hugs Wu a little tighter, his heart twisting. ]

You're freaking out because of that thing.

[ Relief washes through him when Mako holds him close. He presses in with a desperate whimper, fingers clinging to Mako's shirt. He's shaking, shaking with tears and fear and relief all at once. He doesn't want Mako to leave him. He doesn't want to lose this relationship, this love, this man who takes care of him not because he has to, but because he wants to. Because he loves Wu. Because Wu gives him something that he wants, too.

Wu's crying into his shirt, sniffling and tearful and he wants to believe Mako, that he wants him there.

But-- that thing. The time like Manabu and Raleigh and Childe and Ryan all had. The things that haunt them, that stalk them, that make them feel so alone and sad, that make them break like Manabu did. Does that have him, too?

Well, he would certainly be lonely without Mako. Desperately lonely. He loves his friends, loves them, is so grateful for them, but he doesn't need them, not like he needs Mako.

Mako always tells him he would be fine without Mako, but Wu doesn't think he's right. He doesn't think he would be fine without Mako, at least not for a very, very long time. ]

I love you.

[ It's quiet and choked, pressed against Mako's chest. ]

I love you, I love you, I'm sorry, I didn't-- [ mean to doubt you, mean to make you worry, mean to hurt you, but he did all those things, he did them and he holds on tighter, hoping that Mako can forgive him, that Mako won't leave ]

Hey, hey—

[ Mako drags a hand down Wu's back, pulling him closer still, tugging until Wu's mostly in his lap. He sounds so sad and frantic and scared, and it's those quiet little words that really get Mako, really make him press a frantic flurry of kisses against the side of Wu's head and then stay there with his nose mashed into Wu's ear, his fingers curled as tight as he can get them. ]

I got you, alright? You're fine. I love you too.

[ Wu takes a shaky breath, closing his eyes and just focusing on the feeling of those kisses. Mako wouldn't be kissing him if he didn't mean it, right? Mako says what he means, most of the time, almost all of the time, and Wu trusts him.

Right?

He holds on tighter, pressing closer, his body huddled in Mako's lap, arms wrapped around his shoulders, burying his face in the crook of Mako's neck, breathing in the scent of him, so steady and familiar. He's safe. Mako loves him. That's what matters.

Slowly, he nods, to show Mako that he understands, because he doesn't trust his words right now, doesn't trust that he'll be able to say anything because he's still crying softly, his heart in his throat ]

I got you. I'm not going anywhere.

[ Mako's murmuring these words directly into Wu's hair, pressing kisses between syllables. For once, he knows exactly what to say, because he's done this before: if not with Wu then with Bolin, small and scared and crying. ]

Is this really just about me? If it is, I get it. I know my track record in this stuff isn't the best, but—just. Talk to me, alright? If you're feeling like this.

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