Welcome to Gaia! ::

One subtle tremor spread from his fingertips down to every inch of him at those words, ringing loudly with an echo of the voice of doubt that always nagged at his heels like an overeager dog. She's not wrong. And he couldn't even argue with that. It was just the truth. She'd been there for him when he needed it, and he'd let her down.

Olga had always been taller than him. It'd been a joke. A source of gentle teasing and a lot of well meaning grumbling from him. Even so, he'd never been so aware of it before that very moment.

Or maybe it was just because he'd never felt so damn small.

"Sorry."

It was worthless. Pointless.

But it was really the only damn thing he could give as he stepped past her, head bowed, to restore the starseed to its rightful home.

The starseed slipped effortlessly into the man's chest, and Eurydike saw signs of life creep back into him. He let his hand linger there as Still spoke to him, and it was probably the first and only time he would allow his back to remain turned to any member of the negaverse. It seemed pathetic to let her see the wetness around his eyes.

"I already - " he bit back the words peppered with fire, because they both knew it was a waste of breath. I already know you. Not anymore. He didn't know who this was anymore.

There was a long moment of silence that followed before he answered, his voice raw and low, "Okay." Because the least of what he owed her was not to abandon her any more than he already had. "I - I always got time for you."

'Cept the one time she ********' needed it.

Eurydike glanced back over his shoulder once at the rush of air, and wished there was something he could have done to stop her. Had he tried hard enough? No. Had he done enough? No.

What else could he have done? Anythin' but that you ********' loser.

Frustration and guilt swarmed through him in a potent cocktail, strong enough to choke on.

He wanted to hit something. So he did; he slammed his fist down knuckle-first onto the pavement. It felt anti-climactic. It hardly made a sound, even. So he got up and tried a wall. A garbage can. He tried screaming. He tried kicking. But finally he just stood there, because none if it changed a damn thing. His throat and knuckles were raw, the least of what he felt like he deserved, but it didn't do a damn thing for anyone.

All he noticed was the man he'd saved had vanished. Probably run off at some point during that whole display. Probably scared. Couldn't even ******** save a man right.

Can't do a single goddamn thing right. Not like this, and not as a man either.

So with nothing else to do, he went home. He needed a ******** drink.