BEAU

[stormsoff]

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[stormsoff]

[ ... Isaac nods along at the names, and Beau will get a pleasant surge of his quiet happiness over being included in the list. ]

I don't know Phoenix or Ayabe that well, but Lio is good people. Hunter too. Luna is ... [ ... ] She's a good person, but I think being here is taking a really heavy toll on her.

Um. Akira. He's someone you can trust, too.

[disreguarded]

[ aw. it makes her smile a bit, at least. isaac mentioning phoenix gets a little ping of - affection? the familial kind. kind of like how you might feel about a parent. she picks a bit more at her clothes, hoping isaac can't feel that much. it's embarrassing. ]

Akira. Yeah, he seems like a good guy. He made sure I was doing okay after the first trial.

[stormsoff]

[ if isaac picks up on Beau's dad feelings, he doesn't show it. ............ but that doesn't matter because there's a brief ping of amusement in response. of course, his own feelings towards Beau are pretty strongly familial, too. ]

Heh, well... he's the person I went to after my fight with Asch. I didn't know you well yet, but Akira, he ... he did something important for me, back when we first got here. So I knew I could count on him. He's ... one of my closest friends, and a good person.

[ they can trade: isaac is now the one to feel a rush of affection, though this is less familial. he just clearly treasures Akira a good deal. "did something for me," though, is accompanied by a brief spike in ... grief, for whatever reason. ]

[disreguarded]

[ NO DON'T LAUGH AT HER god, all she wants is a nice dad, okay. but - past that, when she feels the amusement, she makes a brief face at him. it's a nice feedback loop of sibling sibling sibling. relief. happiness. ]

Yeah? [ beau asks, softer. she smiles a bit. ] I'll take your word for it. He's gotta be, if you feel like that.

[ A beat, and then she reaches for isaac to get an arm around his shoulders. it's nice to know he has other people to help. ]

I'm glad you've got friends, kiddo.

[stormsoff]

[ DO YOU SEE HIM LAUGHING, IS HE LAUGHING! But ... it is nice. Being around Beau feels so normal and natural he's almost started to take it for granted.

She reaches out an arm, and he goes willingly, leaning into her side and shutting his eyes. They can't sleep, but even this small thing helps, a little. He'll nod, but ... ]

It's weird. Why was it so much harder back home? I really do have friends here, and it's like ... what was I doing wrong before, and how did I fix it? I don't even know.

[disreguarded]

[ she keeps him close, resting her head on top of his. she wishes he could sleep - she wishes she could sleep - but this is good too. ]

We're in a bad situation. I think it makes it easier. [ she murmurs. ] We all have to kind of get along. Us versus the bad. [ sniff. ] Or maybe you just found a lot of people like you, here.

[ a yawn. ] Hey. Weird question - are you an only child?

[stormsoff]

[ oh no. her yawn makes him yawn, too. that’s gonna be contagious.

He nods along to what she says, but there’s some uncertainty and a soft touch of grief there. Whatever’s making him feel that way, he doesn’t comment immediately. ]

Huh? Yeah, I am. Why?

[disreguarded]

No reason, just - I was, too? Growing up.

[ there's a mixed bag of emotions here - sad, angry, defiant, but mostly bitter. ]

It was a whole fucking thing. My dad wanted a boy, and he made sure I knew that -- anyway. Recently they had another kid, a boy I haven't ever met, and I kind of just. I've always wondered if I'd be a piece of shit of a sister.

[ she closes her eyes for a moment, settling against him. there's that sibling bond again, plus relief and gratitude. ]

But uh. I don't think I would be, now. So that's been kinda cool to realize.

1/3

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[ ... ]

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[ You know, feeling each other's emotions was one thing. They've been passing the familial ping back and forth for a couple minutes now.

But somehow, actually hearing it out loud, Beau just outright ... asserting herself as his big sister ... ]

[stormsoff]

[ For one reason or another, his eyes flood with tears, and he has to blink rapidly, looking away. He doesn't actually cry, but dang, he seems close. Beau will just get this immense, intense surge of mixed emotions: gratitude, happiness, grief, confusion. It's a lot.

He swallows, blinking a few more times, and then ventures: ]

... yeah. I ... think you're right about that.

[ sniff. ]

[disreguarded]

[ oh no, isaac. the flood of emotions she feels from him are a little overwhelming, but that's okay. she hiccups out a little laugh at the burst, and shifts just enough to hug him tightly. ]

Thanks. [ she murmurs. ] That, um. That means a lot.

[ he gets relief, and acceptance, happiness, tinges of worry, tinges of pain. a desperate need to protect. safety. ]

[stormsoff]

[ Isaac will actually smile, grinning and elbowing her gently. Which is no small feat with how tightly she's hugging him, but he'll manage it before loosely wrapping his arms around her in return. ]

Were you worried about it? Dork.

[ but he's not missing that last thing--the desperation. Instinctively he tries to send back a feeling of reassurance. They'll protect each other, as best they can. ]

[disreguarded]

Shut up. [ she says, laughing, pinching his shoulder. ] I was maybe a little worried.

[ she rests her head against his. ] Dork.

[stormsoff]

[ He just nudges her again, grinning. ] Who's the dork, geek?

[disreguarded]

Oh, don't you start with me! [ she laughs, grabbing him and giving him a noogie. it's gentle! and she leaves room for him to squirm away if he really hates it. ]

[stormsoff]

Agh, stop, aaaaaa--

[ He'll definitely wriggle wildly in her grip but he's just trying to shove her. But. He's also laughing, so that's a definite victory. ]

[disreguarded]

[ she lets him pull away, grinning widely, and then just settles back, rubbing at the back of her neck. ]

Shit like this makes me feel like I was supposed to be here, you know? Like. I don't believe in divine intervention or anything, I just. I don't know.

1/2

[stormsoff]

[stormsoff]

No, I think I get what you mean. And like ... while I wish you didn't have to deal with this stuff, I'm ... you know, I'm glad you're here. And that we met, and stuff.

[ it's awkward in the way only a teenage boy can be. ]

[disreguarded]

[ it's very endearing, and beau grins at him because it sounds almost exactly what she would've said like, a few years ago. ]

Yeah. Me too, Mr. Wizard. [ she reaches out to ruffle his hair. ] Hey, what were you doing out here, anyway?

[stormsoff]

Oh. Oh, uh...

[ ... Isaac turns pensive, and the grief returns, not intense, but ... abiding. that grief lives here now. ]

... Asch, he planted some sunflowers here. I come out to, I dunno. Keep an eye on 'em.

[disreguarded]

[ ahh, yeah. that grief is lowkey in beau, but it's there too. ]

That's good of you. [ beau says simply. ] That's really good of you, babe.

[stormsoff]

[ ..... huff. ]

I know it's more for me than for him.

[ a moment of unusual self-clarity. ]

But. Thanks, I guess.

[disreguarded]

You're welcome. [ even if it is, she thinks asch would appreciate it. for now, she's quiet, sitting with him. maybe they can just sit here and appreciate the flowers for a while. it makes it easier for her to exude calmness and comfort when he's settled right here with her. ]