nysalogs | ( catch-all )

[ Percival isn't much of a hugger; in fact, the action surprises even himself, because he acts on instinct rather than reason, and he can't think of anything else that would be appropriate in such a situation.

And perhaps, a small part of him craved that very human, very comforting gesture. He can touch again, he can embrace her like this, and it seems like the right thing to do, when they're both still very obviously hurting despite being restored externally. ]

It's alright. No one can see you. [ Because that's what matters, that no one see her cry. He leans down and lightly strokes her hair. It's odd, to be so close and familiar like this to someone he hardly knows well, but it soothes his troubled heart. ]

Worry not, your secret is safe with me. [ Whether she was referring to her tears, or the reality of her death and revival, both apply. ]

[Sometimes it's more difficult to cry in front of your close friends than anyone else.

Yona doesn't want to cry in front of Hak, because she doesn't want him to think she's weak. She doesn't want to cry in front of the other people she's met from this planet, because so many of them have already dealt with her from before her haircut, before she knew how to do anything on her own, and she doesn't want them to keep feeling like they have to take care of her.

But Percival...? She doesn't know him well, but he's kind. Kind enough to let her do this, but distant enough not to throw it back in her face either. And most of all, he understands. He understands how she's feeling, because if he's here right now, then that means they both went through the exact same thing.]

Thank you...

[She doesn't know what else to say to him, exactly. I'm sorry doesn't really cut it when you know the person in front of you has just died.]

—I'll keep your secret, too. If... if you need to.

[He doesn't seem like the type to cry, but.

Everyone cries sometimes.]

[ Likewise, perhaps it's because he doesn't know her particularly well that Percival feels more inclined to treat the subject with sensitivity. There are also (thankfully) not many others who would understand what they'd just been through. He's never been good at providing comfort to others, preferring to avoid coddling and instead encouraging them to find the strength to persevere, but right now, he too is tired.

He's taken aback by her offer, pulling back a bit and pausing. ]

It isn't a secret, per se, but I'd rather not have people worry unnecessarily, so I appreciate the gesture.

[ He reaches into his pocket, where, in addition to his clothes being strangely restored to a pristine state, he still has a small handkerchief. He offers it to Yona, all the while the little dog near his feet gently puts her paw on Yona's foot in her own show of comfort. ]

I understand.

[It's not a secret by necessity, but she'll keep it regardless. Yona understands his desire not to worry anyone.

When he pulls out a handkerchief, she accepts it with a small, watery smile, and dabs at her eyes. A moment later, when the puppy's paw comes to rest on her foot, she looks down and notices the animal for the first time.]

—eh? You have a dog?

However, with that being said, if you... need to talk about anything... I'm willing to listen.

[ Everything is still fresh and pretty shocking to him at the moment, and though he may not be much of a crier, he isn't impervious to feeling quite shaken over everything that's happened.

He looks down, almost forgetting that he has a dog with him in the first place. ]

Apparently so. She was waiting for me when I left stasis, a gift from the Natha Orbiters. [ a gift he never even asked for?? he's not even an animal person. He hesitates before asking his next question. ]

Something seems very different about you. Your hair, for one.

...thank you. I'm wiling to listen too, if you need to talk. It's... good not to keep this sort of thing to yourself.

[In theory, anyway.

In practice, Yona might keep it secret unless prompted otherwise - so maybe if they just talk to each other about it, they can avoid going utterly silent and just letting it fester.]

...she's very cute...

[She kneels down and pats the top of the dog's head.]

Oh. Um... [She doesn't quite look up.] ...the kidnappers didn't cut it, if that's what you're wondering.

Not good... I suppose so.

[ His voice is a bit pensive, though not exactly disagreeable. His entire life, he has depended only on himself, but he remembers well that his comrades in the Grandcypher, his fellow dragon knights, and now, the people he's come to know here, that no one is a one man island. ]

You wouldn't happen to be in the market for a new pet, would you?

[ It's hard to tell if he's joking or not, but the dog certainly seems to like Yona, leaping up into her arms without an invitation.

He lets out a sigh of relief, because that was indeed his fear, but that leaves more questions than answers. ]

Then... why?

I don't think my housemates like dogs very much... I'd better not.

[Or maybe it was just Mephisto they didn't like? Either way, she's smiling, so she's probably joking.]

There were a lot of things I remembered while I was... Um, asleep up here. Cutting my hair was one of them.

...

It sounds kind of confusing when I put it like that, but to be honest, I don't completely understand it myself.

I already have one dog in my household... it will be annoying to make room for another.

[ But even while he says that, he reaches over to give the dog a small pat on the head. She's so excited to have a cute girl holding her that she settles pretty quickly in her arms. ]

Oh.

... Could it be that you experienced both a revival and one of those... stasis-based memory updates? I've never met anyone who has gone through one, but I know of their existence.

[Yona smiles, not fooled for a moment. "Annoying" might be the word for for it, but he's only considering it annoying because he's actually thought about how to make room for a new dog. That shows he's not planning on getting rid of it anytime soon.]

She seems like she's well-behaved. I'm sure she won't be too much trouble.

[That said, she's not letting go of her right away, either. As long as they're not splitting up, it's fine for her to keep holding onto the dog, probably.]

...I think that may be it. Before, back when my hair was long... there were a lot of things I didn't know about that some of my friends did. They told me about them, but I did't have the memories to match. Now I do.

In a way it's... better, I think? Because what happened down on the planet seems like a longer time ago than it was.

She has clearly taken a liking to you. Feel free to visit her whenever you like.

[ And maybe be a positive female influence on her, probably. This poor dog is going to live in a house full of dudes... sad.

Percival looks at her thoughtfully. The tears have dried up, but she's still a bit puffy around the edges of her eyes. ]

It may be better, but it means you've had to deal with not only dying and facing The Storm, but this as well... ?

You'll need a lot of time to rest. [ Missy ]

Have you given her a name yet?

[Yona will be by often. ...often enough that Percival might get tired of her, even. Time will tell.]

I think I'll take a couple of days off from work when I go back down there. [And maybe stay up here for awhile to clear her head before even thinking about going back to the surface, honestly.] You make sure to get some rest too, though. Your own memories of what happened are probably more vivid than mine.

I haven't. We are open to suggestions.

[ "We", because obviously the dog has to agree too. ]

Yes, I think for once we can afford a bit of rest. I'm in no hurry to return to my duties back on El Nysa.

[ Also: ]

It's not a bad look on you.

Hmmm...

[Time to stare down the dog and try to figure out a fitting name. ...the dog is pretty well-behaved so far, honestly. And very cute. She deserves an equally cute name.]

What do you think about "Seo," girl?

[if it was a boy dog she could call it soo-wan...]

Oh - thank you. [Yona smiles, and this time, it reaches her eyes.] It's easier to take care of when it's short. ...have you ever thought about a haircut? Long hair looks good on you, but short hair might be nice, too.

It's a dignified name. If she likes it, then it's acceptable to me, too.

[ She does indeed seem to be perfectly fine with it, though Seo seems to be happiest about snuggling into Yona's chest.

He's fine with the conversation taking a more lighthearted tone. It makes the concept of having normalcy again less abstract, more doable. ]

I have not. Unfortunately, I'm in an unspoken competition with my brother, who is still in stasis. I hope that with time, I will have the superior mane.

( catch-all )

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crawls back here in shame... sorry for the wait

wraps around you like an anaconda

ah... i'm caught

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