synopsychic | An Itch You Notice When It's Gone

Giving Rappy time to hop clear, he gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a proper hug. "It's okay if you want to cry," he assured. "If the tears are coming... don't hold them back. It just hurts more later."

Rappy knows an incoming hug when he sees one. Not wanting to get squished, he hops free from Dakki's arms with a little peep, and skitters off to fetch a box of tissues. He has a feeling that tissues are going to come in handy.

Dakki lets herself sink into that hug, head dipping and forehead resting against Tachibana's shoulder. "I-I'm not crying. I don't cry." And oh, it hurts, it does... it hurts more sharply, even, now that someone's there to hold onto. And she's holding on. "Not, not over something like this. I sh-shouldn't."

"Don't be ridiculous," Tachibana chided fondly, shifting to hold her more closely. "That guy was your friend, wasn't he?"

"He was!" As she protests, her head lifts. "But I've lost friends before, and he's not... he's not dead, he's just... gone. So I shouldn't be upset." For all that she is trying to logic her way out of the feelings that she's having, her eyes are still wet with tears, if Tachibana looks. She's averting them, at any rate.

"That doesn't mean it hurts any less," Tachibana pointed out. "Or that you shouldn't feel anything."

He was quiet a moment before continuing, voice softer. "And sometimes... it hurts a little worse, when you know they've just vanished."

"I don't want to hurt like this..." And maybe that gets to the core of the matter. Her head dips again and her fingers curl, digging into his clothes. "I don't want to hurt over someone who's ridiculous and scary and impossible and, and...." The more unkind ways she thinks to describe Zed, the harder it is to keep her tone even. Her voice crackles the slightest bit.

"Noone wants to hurt. But it happens. And fighting against it just makes the hurt last longer. You can hide your tears against me, if you don't want them to be seen. I won't tell anyone."

That's such a kind offer. How could she not take him up on it? With that promise given to her, she lets out a funny sort of gasp, before dissolving into tears. Her vocal synth wasn't perfectly designed for this, just as it wasn't perfectly designed for singing. There are little skips and catches, betraying that she's a CAST. But her tears are hot and real and genuine, and starting to soak Tachibana's shirt.

As long as she needs it, he'll hold her, gently stroking her back a in soft, hopefully comforting way, much like he did for Garren when he was upset.

It's a sudden cloudburst of sobbing, heavy and overwhelming and then, done almost as suddenly as it began. A few unsteady breaths, and she slowly loosens her grip upon him. Rather than leave her face buried against his shoulder, she turns her head and rests her cheek instead. "...thank you." Her voice is small, and she sounds tired and rung out, but there's a tension gone from her.

With what seems like the worst of the outburst done, Rappy edges back in, clutching a box of tissues.

"Feel a little better, having gotten it out?" he asked, voice soft, arms staying gently around her in support.

"Mn. A little better." She gives a very small nod, and looks over to Rappy, having had the feeling that he was there, concerned in his own way. He offers the tissues up, and she releases some of her hold on Tachibana and reaches down to grab one.

...upon realizing just how soaked the shoulder of his shirt is, she uses the tissue to sort of dab at that damp spot. "I, er, I didn't mean to... I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Tachibana assured, giving her shoulder a small squeeze. "I've got another 5 just like it back at the garage," he joked lightly.

"Well..." She finds herself laughing in spite of how emotionally wrung-out she feels. "It's the principle of the thing?"

Rappy's just... gonna keep holding up the tissues. Honestly...

"Don't worry about something like that," he assured again, tone fond. "We're family, right?"

"We are. Right." And that's a warm and comforting thing to hold on to, feeling as sad and unsure as she does right now. She reaches down for another tissue, and uses it to dry her eyes.

"...c'mon, c'mon, there's a nice place to sit now, pii, we should all sit." And he's just going to hold onto Dakki's leg and tug her gently towards the rec room/living room space that she'd so recently set up.

"Oh... oh, right..." A step is taken in that direction, though much of her focus remains on Tachibana. "I was going to invite you over to come see. But..." Well. Does it need to be said?

Tachibana nodded, giving her shoulder a pat as he finally let go. "Gave it an upgrade, huh?" he observed, looking around, a faint, soft smile tugging at his expression. "Like a proper house, but still distinctly your style." High contrast to his own little mess of rooms, really...

"Like my apartment, but.... better. Like what I wanted it to be, once my pay grade was high enough." She smiles at the idea, bittersweet though it is. "We get to have so much here, if we really want it, don't we...?"

It's pretty easy for Rappy to tug her over to go have a seat on the nice couch. Hopefully Tachibana will follow.

And follow Tachibana indeed does, nodding to Dakki's observation as he sits down. "We do, yeah. If we can figure it out what we want... we can make it happen."

Dakki does sit, and Rappy wastes no time hopping in her lap. Without even having to think to do it, she hugs the bird pogemon. "As much as I wanted a bigger home... I think what I most wanted was somewhere for my friends to be, too." And now she has one less friend to bring here. Her head dips, and Rappy gives a little peep as she squeezes him tighter for a moment.

Tachibana reaches out, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Is that your way of saying I should come visit more often?" he joked lightly, tone fond.

"...yes." There's a bit of delay in her answer, because it's a blunt admission even for her, but it's true. "I'd like it if you did, Tachibana."

Rappy takes this as a chance to give him a little poke with his wing. "You spend so much time in your workshop, pii! Come see us!"

The poke was a bit unexpected, and the blinked, looking down at Rappy. For the barest moment in his mind, the pogemon was replaced by a certain other boisterous individual, Kotaro's pouting voice complaining how he never came to visit unless Hirose all but hauled him away from work.

There was a long, hesitant pause as the reflexive protests failed to materialize. Instead, there was a small, self depreciating smile as he looked back up at Dakki. "Habits are hard things to fall out of. But I'll do better, remembering to come visit."

Rappy looks right back up at him, serious and unblinking. He meant that poke and he meant those words. It's very gratifying when they seem to actually get through to Tachibana, and he fluffs a bit.

"Thank you. And I'll try to think to invite you more often, too." The intent being there, that counts for so much... but the bit of him that was like Almast is prone to getting caught up in the moment. She smiles, then closes her eyes and lets a bit of her weight lean against him.

An Itch You Notice When It's Gone

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