action and text; @bacura

[mellowyellow]

[It's late on the seventh when Masaomi wakes up on a church pew. At first, he can't bring himself to do anything other than stare at his hands. Slowly he raises them above his head, takes in the palms, flips them over, hesitantly touches the backs, slides his fingers down his own arms.

He's whole.

Suddenly, he digs his nails in. It hurts, and he pulls back, leaving harsh red marks. Masaomi sits up then, still staring like he can't believe his own senses.

He's not crying. You're crying.]


[It's not until the eighth that he sends out another text. No ominous snapshots this time.]

Didn't cut it as a carny.

Comments

@action

[notthatjason]

[Jason is no good at waiting, never had been. So, he does stop by the church on an almost hourly basis...but he never sticks around for long. He can't, he thinks of others out there that might fall into the same kind of trouble and not being there to help. Or he realizes the hour and that he's needed at combat training.

He wants to be there for Masaomi, the way he was there for him when his legs were all wrong, but it's hard to sit still. It's hard to wait for your friend to come back. He remembers all that time searching for Leo, waiting for him to pop up and show them that his plan had worked after all.

It's his fourth or fifth trip back to the Church, probably just as Masaomi is coming out. As soon as he sees him, Jason is rushing over. He grips his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. It's not quite a hug, he's not sure if Masaomi would appreciate that, but it's definitely a sign of affection and relief. Quite possibly also validation that this is real and not a hallucination -- after all in this place you can't be too sure.]

You're back! I was so worried!

[mellowyellow]

[Honestly, that firm grip on his shoulders is probably the only thing that keeps Masaomi's jelly legs from dropping at the sight of his friend. To step out of the church and see the same dark sky and the same cold woodland frame that familiarly attentive face... It's both a let down and an instant relief. He's still here in this godforsaken abandoned town, but more importantly, he's still here.

Masaomi clasps his palms around Jason's outstretched arms, squeezes tightly. He has no idea what face he's making, but he hopes it at least resembles the smile it's meant to be.]

...Fashionably late, I guess?

[notthatjason]

That seems to be your style.

[When he'd been pacing around, he'd thought about all the things he wanted to say to Masaomi about how stupid that was or how he shouldn't have gone out alone. But he's reminded as he looks into Masaomi's shaky, sad smile that he's not dealing with one of his legionaries or a fellow demigod. He's dealing with someone from a fairly normal life that's just experienced a pretty brutal death and been brought back to life.

His own expression softens and he tosses an arm around Masaomi's shoulder, side-hug style.]

Guess it's my turn to walk you home, huh?

[mellowyellow]

[Ah, the side hug. That perfect tool that is just intimate enough to prove you're all buddies while being playful enough to mask any real emotion you hold toward the persons in question. Masaomi chuckles under his breath, not resisting as he's pulled into it. Jason's arm is a little heavy, and it's warm too.

It's real.]

Tell me. You do this for all the dead girls, don't you?

[notthatjason]

[Jason doesn't even miss a beat.]

Only the special ones.

[In the time he's known Masaomi he's learned that the other seems to like deflecting with humor. It reminds him of Leo. He knows not to take THESE comments seriously, but he also wants to make sure there isn't more than needs to be said, because he also knows what happens when you deflect too much.]

I hope I didn't leave you waiting too long. Are we going straight to the Invincible or did you want to make a detour?

[mellowyellow]

[Masaomi, on the other hand, is determined to not learn at all. As long as he keeps ignoring the glaring issues parked right in front of his nose, he won't start crying like a baby next to the guy who's been worried about him for days. It sounds like a nice trade off to him.]

Take me to the comfiest pillow you know. [His teeth shine through his tired smile.] I'll introduce it to my face.

role reversal from the other hobbling home thread

[notthatjason]

I think I can arrange that.

[He'll make you a whole fort of them if you want. He considers the last time they were out like this, hobbling back to the Invincible.]

I think I also owe you a jello cup too.

perfection!

[mellowyellow]

[The mention of jello stalls him, nearly trips him up even, and throws off his practiced grin. It's not until he hears the word that it occurs to him he hasn't eaten in days.]

Two cups!

[notthatjason]

Two cups. [Jason considers this request.] You liked the...lemon-lime jello, right?

[mellowyellow]

The superior flavor, yes.

[Extremely confident about the most inane things: Masaomi Kida.]