Cobalt's Heart - session 2

[we_meet_again]

I carry you with me across these
barren lands, stretched dry and dark between
regions of kindness.

Generous with your warmth,
you have shown me
a path to guide my heavy legs and stumbling heart.

Generous with your patience,
you have shown me
how lucky I was to have something worth mourning.

Comments

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

I'm ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒, Shen's mother.

He talks about you all the time, and there are photos of you on our wall. You've made a big impression on him, you know.

[This time when she says "him," her eyes point at Cobalt, who's in the kitchen making tea. He looks normal, the way you know him, but minus the antlers. He's looking healthy.]



[wave wave, hello]

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

[...not so subtly glancing around to see if he can see any photos--]

Yeah? What kinds of things does he talk about?

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

[one entire wall of the house is absolutely wallpapered in photos, and the collage is so large it goes around the corner into another room. It's very likely you're in some of them but there's no chance you'll be able to spot it from here.]

He's told me many times about a terrible game where many people were injured over the course of the week. He told me about a boy who had only just arrived, who had rolled up his sleeves and done his best, despite not even been around long enough to buy all the powers yet. He told me saw how hard that boy worked, even when he was struggling, himself. Even when his unit was being struck, even when that boy was suffering ill effects of his own.

That was the first time he met you, and you haven't stopped impressing him ever since.

He says you're very brave, and smart, and easy to be around. He says the life you came from was difficult, and the life you live now is also difficult. But in the face of that, you are so, so kind.

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

[................He immediately regrets asking.]

That was all a long time ago, though...

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

Apparently time has done nothing to diminish his opinion of you. He often says he'd like to get to know you better.

Thank you for always being so kind to him.

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

It's no trouble! Things can really change during that much time, though...

[Hn.

Anyway!]

Ah- I guess I should catch up with him in the flesh. If you don't mind?

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

Of course. I'll leave you to it.



[Cobalt's over there waving from the kitchen.]

Hey! Glad you could stop by!

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

Hey. Looks like you've got everyone here.

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

Isn't it great?! I couldn't possibly be happier!

Would you like some food or drinks or anything? There's plenty.

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

I'll take a drink, if you don't mind.

So, how have you been here?

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

[He leads him over to the kitchen, where there's tons of drinks to choose from, from sodas to alcohol to tea or coffee. There's probably even some blood for the non-zero number of vampires in attendance. Whatever Izanagi desires, he will find here, as if by magic.]

Everything's been absolutely wonderful. There's lots of food, everyone I love showed up, everyone's happy and safe... There really isn't anything else I could ask for. It feels like a dream come true.

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

[He'll take some pop!

And takes a long drink after "like a dream come true."]

Yeah? I guess it is hard to get everyone together here like this.

1/2

[we_meet_again]

It's so special. Everyone made it somehow.

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

I heard things got kinda hairy outside, though. You okay?

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

Yep. You know me - always ready for healing duty.

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

Do you ever get tired of it?

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

It's a little satisfying to be able to do something about it, at least.

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

Hmm. Yeah, I can see that. So much of the things in our lives are so monumentally beyond our control, it's nice when we get a chance to feel like we can make positive changes in the world.

It can be hard when we feel obligated to do that, though. Especially when we have our own problems to deal with. Sometimes it can be hard to feel responsible for other people's junk when we already have our own junk to carry.

Do you ever feel that way?

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

Obviously it's different if we're dealing with our own injuries, but... Mm, even those are easier for us to handle, depending on what it is. We can turn off our pain and recover by eating or sleeping, sometimes even mid-game.

Everyone's got a different perspective on it, though. I've been studying medical texts since I got here so I could improve at treatments even for cases that can't be healed by our powers. So in a way I'm already prepared for the idea of having to tend to others even if I'm feeling unwell myself. But there's other people on the unit who will help where they can, but since they didn't exactly "sign up" for it, they aren't going to go out of their way if they're dealing with too much already.

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

I see.

Still, seems like a lot to deal with sometimes.

If there were something people could do to make your life easier, what would it be?

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

...You mean besides tormenting each other in Games?

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

Yeah.

I haven't figured out how to stop people from doing that yet, unfortunately.

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

So it should be something specifically you could do.

Re: Welcome

[we_meet_again]

I mean.

Yeah. I guess so.

Re: Welcome

[bondsofsuffering]

Well... Snacks, especially nutritious ones, are really helpful. Those are the best things for healing us, after all. Sports drinks have electrolytes, which can be useful for rehydrating too.