o5 . bone house mingle!

[necrolord]

Who: necrolord and CR!
What: Several teens move into the horrible necromancy mansion, and sometimes they bring their friends.
When: Early March.
Where: Bone House in Gaze.

Content Warnings: Skeletons, discussions of death and grief, violence where marked, vomit where marked. Note all the usual warnings of this character.

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[necrolord]

[ God should, at some point, change out of his soaked shirt. (The smell of brine still makes his skin prickle every time he catches it; it's been so long.) For now he is resigned to the situation, and drops back into his chair. ]

You've been ill. This is my study, which is, I hope, a bit more comfortable than the hall.

[peripheries]

How did I get here...? Where's Paul?

[Kaworu trembles a little, pulling knees to his chest as he looks around the room. His memories are fragmented, broken into pieces that he has to put back together. The battle on the beach feels far away. He remembers seeing Paul there, yelling out his name and then it's darkness and pressure. Even the last few days are extremely hazy.]

[necrolord]

[ He splays his hands in the universal signal of easy, don't freak out. ]

Upstairs and asleep, I hope. He's been in a state, too. The both of you came through that fight a little worse for wear.

I brought you back here to heal.

[peripheries]

[There's a flourish as Kaworu intends to stand, determined to find Paul, only to collapse back down onto the couch with trembling legs. He's much improved but still recovering, like the weakness at the end of a fever.

He shivers, oblivious to how meak he looks.]

Why? [Did you take us.] What happened?

[necrolord]

[ He watches the stumble and fall, and tips his head in resignation. ]

Let's take it slow. There's nowhere you need to be but here. Like I said, Paul is asleep, and he could use the rest.

[ It sounds nice, anyway. ]

It's not a kidnapping. You and Paul needed somewhere safe to recover, and I had the space. Harrow and Gideon are here, too.

[peripheries]

[He hiccups and wipes his mouth, eyes glancing up towards the stairs, longing to check on Paul and make sure he's okay. Make sure that he's not angry with him. But for once, Kaworu can't really blame him if he was.

A sigh and he curls up on himself, wrapping his arms around skinny knees.]

So. Did we win? Did Paul... die too?

[necrolord]

[ The kid curls up, and he settles back in his chair in response. At least this might save them another embarrassing sprawl on the floor, for a bit. ]

Yes to both.

[ He says it low and gentle. ]

Paul went down a little after you, I figure. He got it right in the heart... but he didn't walk away. The beast fell not long after that.

But death is gentle, here. We just wake back up again... as though it were a dream.

[peripheries]

[When he hears those words, he wonders if that's how it felt when Shinji crushed him effortlessly between the fingers of his Evangelion. The truth is, he doesn't remember any pain. Perhaps it was too quick or perhaps his mind spared him the memories.

But now there's an overwhelming weight that comes crashing down on him. It breaks his bones and smashes his flesh into bits. Was it his fault? Did he make that thing stronger? Make Paul weaker? He remembers calling the other boy's name in an unfinished apology.

Kaworu makes a low, pained noise and curls in on himself, pressing his knees to his chest and burying his face into the soft fabric of his pajama pants.]

[necrolord]

[ The kid curls in on himself in a truly pathetic, miserable huddle. The silence hangs for a long and terrible moment. Then John rises, quietly, before him. He reaches out, and smooths a hand across the boy's shoulder.

There is no lurch or steadying pain, this time: it's just a touch. ]

Easy. The fight's done, and Paul is here alive. The recovery won't be instant... for him or for you. But I am impressed with the both of you.

[peripheries]

[At first, he flinches at the touch. Not out of fear of pain but out of fear that it might be something unkind. When there's nothing, he lets himself lean into it a little even though he's certain he does not deserve the comfort he deeply craves.

He shakes his head against his knees.]

I did nothing to be impressed over. [All he did was let that creature in. All he did was distract people from what was important. All he did was get in the way. And then the last few days... he can remember very little but he does know it's true, Paul is here or has been here, at least.]

...Is Paul angry with me?

[necrolord]

[ The flinch is absolutely tragic. But then this scrawny bird-boned child leans into his touch, and John thinks he might be doing this right. He's trying. ]

You stood up to something a thousand times your size. If that isn't bravery, I don't know what is.

[ He blows out a long breath, and, upon further consideration, drops to sit on the couch beside the boy. They make a funny picture, awkward but earnest, God sitting there not quite knowing how to comfort. ]

Paul's only angry at himself. Terrible choice of target, in my opinion. Personally, I'd be angry with the Leviathan. [ Or the gods. ]

[peripheries]

It wasn't the size that was terrifying. It was what was inside its soul. How that thing was made. So much loneliness across all of time and space.

[He wishes the Old Man where here. He would have something to say about what it's like after a battle and how you're supposed to feel. But at least he has someone, now that he understands the pain of loneliness.

Kaworu slumps against the man a little.]

Paul did everything he could. He even tried to save me.

[necrolord]

How it was made?

[ This he echoes in a murmur, but his hand on Kaworu's shoulder is still. So there is useful information here, buried among saltwater and fear. He had hoped but not quite expected as much.

To this last bit, he gives a comforting pat. ]

Don't I know it. He gave it his all. What matters is that he's back with us now... we haven't lost him, or you.