[ He has no idea if anything he's said or done has had any effect on pulling Gray free from the clutches this place has on her. For a moment, he thinks he sees a spark of clarity in her eyes, a recognition of him as a fellow teammate rather than as some stranger. Then the shadows move in on them like an ocean swallowing them whole and there's no more time to think, only enough time for him to throw his arms around her and shield her from whatever's coming.
Except....nothing comes. Nothing but the soft gust of wind through foliage, and the occasional uneven thud of footfalls against paved streets. Cautiously, he opens his eyes to the familiar scenery of Venera, but whatever relief he feels at having escaped Gray's daydream (nightmare?) is short-lived, dashed as a third sound creeps its way back into his ears.
It's Gray, small shoulders still shaking as she cries, her grief persisting despite the absence of the church surrounding them. And why wouldn't it? It's not like old wounds ever heal completely, no matter how much time passes and no matter how fine things appear on the outside. And after seeing what he's seen, the small glimpse into her past, he knows that she's been through a lot more than any girl her age should have any right to. It moves his own heart, a responding sadness welling up inside him.
So he stays where he is, hunkered down on the ground in front of her, his arms around her tightening slightly into a poor facsimile of a hug. It's not a lot (and probably pathetic by normal people standards) but it's what he can offer right now, the assurance that someone is here who cares about here, and who will remain for as long as she needs. ]
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Except....nothing comes. Nothing but the soft gust of wind through foliage, and the occasional uneven thud of footfalls against paved streets. Cautiously, he opens his eyes to the familiar scenery of Venera, but whatever relief he feels at having escaped Gray's daydream (nightmare?) is short-lived, dashed as a third sound creeps its way back into his ears.
It's Gray, small shoulders still shaking as she cries, her grief persisting despite the absence of the church surrounding them. And why wouldn't it? It's not like old wounds ever heal completely, no matter how much time passes and no matter how fine things appear on the outside. And after seeing what he's seen, the small glimpse into her past, he knows that she's been through a lot more than any girl her age should have any right to. It moves his own heart, a responding sadness welling up inside him.
So he stays where he is, hunkered down on the ground in front of her, his arms around her tightening slightly into a poor facsimile of a hug. It's not a lot (and probably pathetic by normal people standards) but it's what he can offer right now, the assurance that someone is here who cares about here, and who will remain for as long as she needs. ]