[Private Level 2 to basically everyone Tachibana knows well]

[triggerhappytraitor]

Sayoko--

This world's Sayoko is here. Alive.

[[There might be a bit of a note of panic in his mental voice]]

She saw me. Recognized me...!

....and she's a Pillar.



[[Anyone who comes looking will find him in the garage, sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, Garren hovering worriedly at his side.]]

Comments

[vrepit_no]

Can you articulate why you teleported? Were you frightened?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[He hesitates, fiddling again with the still uneaten cookie before shaking his head]] I don't think so... Not-- not like... not that sort of afraid.

[[It was hard to put into words, the feeling that had him panicking. It had been such a shock...]]

[vrepit_no]

[He has an idea what it might be.]

Was it love. She surprised you, but there she was, right in front of you. You suddenly had hope. But she became a Pillar. You couldn't handle the emotional influx and needed to get away before you showed it?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[A long silence as he continues to fidget]]

...I'm not the me she knew. What right did I have to show up in front of her like a ghost? To have the illusion of someone she'd lost back for a short time...

[[he trails off, shaking his head]] With how much it hurt, even just the memories of overlays being with her... how much crueler would this be?

[vrepit_no]

You can't help being yourself. And you didn't have any way to know she was here. You didn't exactly do it on purpose.

Look at me, please.

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[There's a long, hesitant moment before he finally does, expression unsure and unhappy.]]

[vrepit_no]

[He holds Tachibana's eyes firmly, tired empathy creating crows feet around his eyes.]

It is impossible. For you to have known.

[A brief pause for that to sink in. No, don't you drop your gaze, Mister.]

Let me ask you something. When you were in those other worlds. The ones where you saw Sayoko alive and well there. It hurt like the dickens, but would you have rather not seen her? Would you have rather found out after the jaunt that she'd been there and you hadn't had the chance to look at her one more time and hear her voice?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[His hands fidget as he very much wants to look away, but he's already run away once today, which is once more than he should have.

He's silent and still a long moment before slowly shaking his head, eyes prickling with the start of tears he did not want to give in to]]

[vrepit_no]

...Yeah. Come on. I don't care how manly and aloof you are. Come here.

[He reaches out an arm and beckons Tachibana over. Come get a hug.]

Garren? Do you think you could maybe bring a blanket over if he's got one?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[Garren nods, hopping down to toddle off to one of the side rooms, the one Kenzaki had made as Tachibana just blinks in confusion, looking almost lost]] I-- what?

[[He has no idea what Shiro's on about, but he does as instructed anyway]]

[vrepit_no]

Come here.

[As soon as Tachibana's close enough, Shiro pulls him in against his chest in a hug.]

I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to melt if you cry. You've had a bad shock. So take a breath and let me hold you and take care of you for five minutes.

Sayoko's a strong lady. She'll want to see you again. But it's okay not to be ready for that just yet. Relax for a little bit. It won't hurt anything to take a breather.

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[Tachibana's eyes widen and he all but freezes at the sudden, unexpected closeness.

But it's not more than a moment before the tension starts to melt out of his frame at the warmth and the promise of safety that comes with the arms around him. Slowly, his shoulders sag, head leaning against Shiro's chest as something inside him releases.

Just a few minutes. Just a few minutes would be fine to let his guard down... right?]]

[vrepit_no]

There we go. You're safe here. No one's going to see you but me and Garren, and we understand, don't we buddy.

[Shiro helps Garren get the blanket up around Tachibana's shoulders and tucks it into place so it won't slide. Producing another cookie from the air, he offers it to the little pogemon.]

Thanks Garren. We've got him, don't we. We'll make sure he's got his feet under him again.

[He rubs his palm slowly over Tachibana's back, hoping the warmth and motion will help ease some of the instinctive tightness and let him relax a hair more.]

This stuff hits hard and fast and without warning. But we've been through things like this before, haven't we. Breathe, okay? And eat a dang cookie already.

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[There's a small, tired huff that escapes]] Always the people that matter who see me at my worst, isn't it...

[[it's tired sounding, but for once... not especially bitter. There was an odd sort of logic to it all, in a way.

...and he was realizing much rather have it be a friend with their hands on his shoulders as he's falling apart, than a stranger. Even if it had always felt like a failing that it had almost always been Kenzaki there, to see his mentor in such a state.

There's too much tension for it to fully ease, the underlying tightness such a permanent presence that it likely would never unknot, but his shoulders slump fully as he lets himself go just a bit more.


Garren sits down on the floor, lifting up his mask to stuff the cookie in his face before hesitating. With a slow, deliberate motion, he carefully pulls off the helmet, the soft, cartoonish maroon face underneath looking very hesitant and timid before he presses his lips together in determination, getting back to his feet and walking over to his Slammer. Huge emerald colored eyes look up before he closes them ad presses his face against Tachibana's side, lightly nuzzling him.

It's enough to make Tachibana blink over with confusion before he understands the intent of the gesture, one hand drifting over to rest on the back of his partner's head.

Shiro's last request, however, gets a faint huff]]

I'd get crumbs all over you.

[vrepit_no]

That's because we care. And are the last people to judge you.

[Now there's a surprise... He's never seen Garren without the helmet. But the bond between pogemon and slammer is beautifully clear, and it catches briefly under Shiro's breastbone. He needs to spend some time with Gilmore and the gang.]

[Tachibana's protest makes him snort.]

Oh no. Whatever shall I do. Peanut butter crumbs are my nemesis. I'll melt and shrivel away and need to be carried in a jar. Cookie. Eat it. You want me to taste test for you? Even Garren had one.

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[And yet always the first people he worried about judging him...

Another amused huff escapes, Tachibana's shoulders lifting slightly with the sound]]

Later. Let me rest a moment.

[[He so rarely ever rests that it feels... odd to request it. But for once, he feels like he can. It's a feeling he hadn't really had since...

A long, slow breath leaves him as he finally is able to place it. Those timid moments in Sayoko's office, the later, more relaxed ones where the exhaustion had just crept up on him, luling him to sleep even as Sayoko was speaking. Even those in between times when he had arrived to find her room empty, but her coat still hanging up.

It was that same feeling. This is somewhere safe. Safe because someone who cared was there, or would be there soon. Someone who cared that he didn't have to pretend for...

Slowly, another small knot of tension eased from his shoulders.]]

[vrepit_no]

[Shiro's voice softens and drops to a murmur as he tucks his chin down next to his friend's head.]

Sure. Take your time. Not going anywhere.