"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"
[ Yang doesn't notice it quite to the overwhelming extent that Naoki does-- honestly, what alerts her is his reaction, and she shifts Zwei quickly off her lap and hurrying over to where her boyfriend is curled in a panicky ball. ]
Naoki?! Hey!!
[ She's resting a hand on his back, rubbing anxiously, but not sure if this will actually help or not. What happened? ]
[At first, Naoki flinches-- but he recognises her touch and her presence, it's just that everything else is so overwhelming. His breath shudders and his teeth clench tight together.]
There's something--
[He tries to explain because he can feel her worry too, though it's a small flicker at the edge of a dense cloud of negative presence that's bearing down on him.] Kh...
Hey... [ Slowly, gently, she moves one hand up, to run her fingers through his hair. ] Focus on me, okay? I've got you.
[ She can ask questions later, but he's answered one-- there's something happening, and whatever it is, it's affecting him pretty powerfully. So Yang takes a deep breath and concentrates on feeling as calm as she can. She may be one small flicker in a sea of negativity, but she also wants him to know she's here. He doesn't have to face this on his own. ]
[Naoki's breaths are ragged, sometimes stopping altogether before escaping him in a laboured huff. He turns into her, his head leaning against her chest, his eyes clamping tightly shut.
It's too much, he wants to tell her, at the same time he wants to tell her not to worry. Clenching his jaw, he tries to do what she says, though it's almost impossible to attempt to tune out the overwhelming spiritual sense as the ghosts flood into the colony.
Still, as they disperse, he can manage to focus a little more. Little by little.]
[ Yang's not going to move away until he fares a little better, keeping him tucked close against her-- protectively. She can feel it a bit now, too, some sort of weird, uncomfortable pressure... but it's not causing her the same sort of agony it's putting him through. ]
[Eventually... eventually, Naoki's breaths manage to calm down and his scrunched brow begins to untense. He doesn't immediately open his eyes, but one arm lifts away from himself to find its way around her waist.]
[ It's a low murmur, and Yang presses her lips to the top of his head, arms still tight around him and fingers pressing soothing patterns to his back. If he's not ready to move, or talk about it, he doesn't have to. ]
[ Not to the extent that he can, but she can only imagine what that's doing to him, so back to concentrating on all of the warmer emotions. Love. Calm. Either way, she's keeping him close. ]
[Naoki breathes in deeply and shakes his head, hand curling tight against her back. He hates it. This. He doesn't exactly like sensing emotions or otherwise on a regular day.]
...Thanks, Yang. [Her emotions, while unable to wipe out what he senses completely, provide something for him to latch onto. And he's grateful for it.]
[If he thinks about dealing with this alone, something in him shakes. He hasn't moved away from her yet, is still holding onto her, but his voice is steadying.] ...I've never been hit with that much... negative energy all at once.
[He shakes his head, then brings one of his hands up to his neck, touching just below his horn.] I've got to figure out the way to block this out, somehow. [If this happens again and again, in a vital time he's not going to be able to do anything when someone he cares for is in trouble. Right...?]
[Naoki lets out a barely audible sigh as that hand covers his. He looks up at her.]
I've got to figure this out on my own. [He can understand where her concern would be coming from. She doesn't want to leave him to do this by himself. He's grateful for that.]
...But it helps me keep focused, when you're here.
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Naoki?! Hey!!
[ She's resting a hand on his back, rubbing anxiously, but not sure if this will actually help or not. What happened? ]
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There's something--
[He tries to explain because he can feel her worry too, though it's a small flicker at the edge of a dense cloud of negative presence that's bearing down on him.] Kh...
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[ She can ask questions later, but he's answered one-- there's something happening, and whatever it is, it's affecting him pretty powerfully. So Yang takes a deep breath and concentrates on feeling as calm as she can. She may be one small flicker in a sea of negativity, but she also wants him to know she's here. He doesn't have to face this on his own. ]
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It's too much, he wants to tell her, at the same time he wants to tell her not to worry. Clenching his jaw, he tries to do what she says, though it's almost impossible to attempt to tune out the overwhelming spiritual sense as the ghosts flood into the colony.
Still, as they disperse, he can manage to focus a little more. Little by little.]
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[ It's a low murmur, and Yang presses her lips to the top of his head, arms still tight around him and fingers pressing soothing patterns to his back. If he's not ready to move, or talk about it, he doesn't have to. ]
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It feels horrible.
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[ Not to the extent that he can, but she can only imagine what that's doing to him, so back to concentrating on all of the warmer emotions. Love. Calm. Either way, she's keeping him close. ]
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...Thanks, Yang. [Her emotions, while unable to wipe out what he senses completely, provide something for him to latch onto. And he's grateful for it.]
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[ She's a fierce protector, this one. One who's still very worried about him, but determined to do what she can to ease him through this. ]
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[If he thinks about dealing with this alone, something in him shakes. He hasn't moved away from her yet, is still holding onto her, but his voice is steadying.] ...I've never been hit with that much... negative energy all at once.
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... Ugh, what's happening to the colony now?
[ She doesn't want to run outside and check if it means letting go of Naoki. Nope. Not an option. ]
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[Similar, though the ones back in the Vortex World didn't have this degree of negative energy. It has to be a lot of them, too.]
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[ WHAT IS IT WITH THIS PLACE AND GHOSTS-- ]
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[While attempting a small, grim smile.]
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[ She's about .8 seconds away from carrying him. ]
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[Naoki shakes his head. Her I'll look into it has stopped that from happening, okay??] I don't wanna just lay around.
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[ That's the absolutely last thing she wants. ]
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[He shakes his head, then brings one of his hands up to his neck, touching just below his horn.] I've got to figure out the way to block this out, somehow. [If this happens again and again, in a vital time he's not going to be able to do anything when someone he cares for is in trouble. Right...?]
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[He clutches at the horn on the back of his neck now, wrapping it around it, and he can almost feel the parasite stirring.]
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[ Yang trails off, setting her hand over the one wrapped around his horn. So it's not really something she can help with?
... But she doesn't want to let him handle this on his own, either. ]
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I've got to figure this out on my own. [He can understand where her concern would be coming from. She doesn't want to leave him to do this by himself. He's grateful for that.]
...But it helps me keep focused, when you're here.
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[ She won't budge, unless he starts writhing in pain again, and then he's getting hauled to a bed whether he likes it or not. ]
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