ic contact;

[coexistent]

"I'm not around, so... leave a message, I guess."

Comments

[coexistent]

Of course I wanna help. I don't want you to get hurt or anything...

[is there really any other way to handle this but that, let be real here.]

[immobileyes]

... Thanks, Roxas.

[ Even though she's really used to walking into walls and tripping over things even when she can see. ]

[coexistent]

It's fine... really.

[he's offering her a small smile, even if it's kind of a wasted effort in this situation.]

Where do you want to go?

[immobileyes]

I was just going to my room... I figured if I sat still, it'd be fine.

[coexistent]

You can sit still on the couch too, right?

[maybe they could watch a movie or something...]

[immobileyes]

... Yeah. I can't freeze the TV.

[ At least there's that?? ]

[coexistent]

[it's a start!]

So... maybe we could sit and watch a movie or something instead. [at least they're together that way, right?]

[immobileyes]

... Yeah. I'd like that.

[ Just don't glance at her at any time, Roxas. ]

[coexistent]

Okay... I think I like that plan better too.

[it's better than her trying to deal with alone, right? so a swift little turnaround towards the sofa is where he'll guide her.]

[immobileyes]

[ And Mary will let him, even if her steps are still a little unsure. Still, though, this seems like a better plan in general, and she plops down almost immediately. ]

[coexistent]

[he'll move slowly and carefully for her, at least.]

Okay... just turn a little more and then you can sit. [he's still there to make sure she doesn't miss and to help her onto the couch while her eyes are still closed.

he's helping, he thinks?]

[immobileyes]

[ He's definitely helping, even if Mary looks about as calm as ever-- which means she's still kind of shaky and uncertain and completely unwilling to move further away from Roxas. ]

... Thanks. [ With this monumental task done, she can finally open her eyes, hoping that at least she's peering in the right direction. ]

[coexistent]

[she tried. she tried really valiantly—and roxas tried too. but they both sorely underestimated their ability to coordinate here.

so when she opens her eyes... roxas will still be right in front of her.

o o p s.]

[immobileyes]

[ o o p s indeed. Because Mary's eyes are indeed glowing a bright red, and unless Roxas has some lucky immunity to paralysis--

Well, she's clapping her hands over her eyes in horror, but the damage has probably already been done. ]

[coexistent]

[it sure has been done.

which means that roxas is just kind of there, frozen in place, because he doesn't have anything equipped that could give him that kind of immunity. this is a troublesome situation for sure.]

[immobileyes]

Roxas?? Roxas!! A-answer me!!

[ ... well, he probably won't be able to for 2-5 minutes, but that's not going to stop Mary from panicking. ]

[coexistent]

[sorry, mary. there's not any response at all in that time frame. she's just going to have to panic for a couple of minutes here.]

[immobileyes]

[ ... it's fine, she's just going to keep her hands over her eyes while occasionally and pretty damn piteously calling his name to see if he'll respond. ]

[coexistent]

[eventually, he'll respond...

though not with words so much as a deep, surprised breath. what... the hell just happened.]

[immobileyes]

[ Well, the good news is he's moving again. The bad news is that Mary is so upset at her medusa powers activating without her say-so that by the time he takes a breath, she's well into hysterics.

It was probably "I'm so sorry" once upon a time. What it sounds like, though is a bit more-- ]

AAAHB SHO ZORRRRREEEEEEEEEEE--

[coexistent]

[the worst news is that because roxas completely lost the last five minutes, he has no idea why she's so hysterical.]

M-Mary? [what is she saying? what is he supposed to do!? he's seen her cry before, but never in hysterics and he is Alarmed.]

[immobileyes]

[ understandably. Mary can't really offer any sort of explanation, except a whole lot of sobbed-out apologies so maybe Roxas will figure out sooner or later.

What kind of girlfriend(????) is she, freezing her own boyfriend(?!?!!!!) like that?? ]

[coexistent]

[the kind of girlfriend(????) who is in a situation she can't control.

but really, mary's so worked up that roxas isn't sure what to do. so rather than overthink it and land himself in a stranger situation and making things worse—roxas just goes with his heart on this one.

since it's something he can do.]

Mary... it's okay... [he doesn't want to see her cry this way, it makes him sad too. so instead, he just pulls her into a hug. will that calm her down a little and comfort her? he's not sure, but... it feels like the right thing to do, so he's just going to do that.]

[immobileyes]

[ It's not really okay. Half the reason Mary could accept being what she was had to be due to the fact that she could control her power. She didn't use it on anyone if it wasn't some sort of necessity (or if that person had teased her past the point of no return) but she'd sworn never to use it on someone who didn't deserve it. And Roxas... definitely hadn't.

Is her grasp on her power really that bad?

But before she can dwell on it, she's suddenly pulled in with a tiny, watery yelp, fingers flying from her eyes (thankfully firmly shut now) to try and grasp at his shoulders. Roxas' instinct is a good thing, though, because after a few minutes of semi-hysterical sobbing, Mary's breathing starts to gain a semblance of normalcy and she finally subsides into soft, hiccuping noises.

Well, it's a start. ]

[coexistent]

[it's okay to roxas, though. even if he's not really sure what happened when mary hasn't been coherent enough to explain, he can take a guess.

and he's not mad about it at all, because it was an accident. in the end, he's not hurt by it, so isn't it fine? what's more important is that mary stops crying. he really hates it when she cries, especially because he doesn't really know how to help. right now, he's just doing what he wants without thinking on it too terribly much.

so he'll remain just like this while she calms down and even into the hiccups. one of his hands runs a gentle, circular motion on mary's back, and he'll tell her what he thinks without ever letting go.]

See? We're fine. Don't... don't be too upset, Mary.

[he's trying really hard here for her sake.]