|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:30 am
Quote: The Fireflies (6) : In the warm summer nights, little glowing lights begin to bob and dart through the city. Fireflies are mating, so this isn't uncommon in itself; in the past few days you've probably seen hundreds of fireflies. What makes these lights so unique is that they seem to change color; you might see a blue one, a green one, a red one. They flicker randomly, and something just seems off with them. If you come into contact with one, you will find yourself with a strange electric jolt. They cannot be caught, and will flicker away if you pursue too aggressively. This isn't the first time they've appeared in Destiny City, but no one's been able to tell where they came from or where they're going. No matter how quickly you chase them, they always seem to disappear before you can find any answers.
Aliez walked slowly through the grass, his boots leaving soft indents where dew had clung to the grass. The sun was rising, and its light made the glass walls of the greenhouse glow faintly, making it look like something sacred. A sanctuary in a world that was unkind to many.
Vyn was asleep now. His injuries had been treated and his breathing had evened out. But Aliez couldn’t stop hearing the things he’d said… or seeing the things he hadn’t.
With a gentle knock that he wasn’t sure was loud enough to be heard, Aliez pushed the door open and stepped inside. The heat was immediately siffling, and yet as it clung to him, wet and earthy and alive, it gave him a steadiness. As though the air itself was helping to keep him standing.
Andreiya was at one of the planting tables, quiet and focused as always. His presence steadied Aliez just by existing. He didn’t call out right away. He stood in the doorway for a moment, eyes on the floor.
When he finally spoke, his voice was gentle, but raw with fatigue. Careful, like he didn’t want to disturb the peace that Andreiya had around him.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked softly, his voice tightening, but he swallowed against the weight of emotion. “I know there’s a lot to do, and I don’t want to interrupt but I--...” he faltered, paused and took a breath. “It’s Vyn. I think I’m making it worse by not talking about it.”
Aliez didn’t look like he’d slept. They didn’t require as much sleep as humans, but Aliez had clearly pushed past his own limits in his worrying. His hair was still messy from leaning against the wall all night. There were shadows under his eyes, and although his uniform was neat as always, he was a bit slouched as he stood. He looked like he’d been holding himself together for hours and was finally starting to break.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:38 am
For his own part, Andreiya had contributed to the distance. He’d thrown himself into his studies, eager to forcibly break through the mental barriers and scientific speedbumps. It wasn’t that he meant to disappear–because he hadn’t, really, he was just always here. He went to the house to sleep, and then rushed back out to work on his greenhouse. It was easy to lose track of time when his list of things to do and research was never ending.
He was chewing on the end of a pen as he ran the equation in front of him again. By all means, his hypothesis should be probable. And yet, he still wasn’t getting the desired effects.
Usually, he was better at being aware of his surroundings, but Aliez’s voice behind him startled him back into the present and he turned quickly.
He was glad it was Aliez for a number of reasons, the first of which was that his unexpected guest was not a threat. The second was that Dylas was in plain sight, fat and sleeping, coiled lazily around a warm pot.
Andreiya very nearly commented on how poorly Aliez looked but he bit his tongue instead. “I have many minutes, I will share them with you.”
He pulled the chair out from under the fold up table he was using as a work station and gestured insistently for Aliez to take a seat. Andreiya promptly summoned a cool bottle of water–pink in color, so undoubtedly enhanced in some way. He’d become quite proficient with his pomological studies and was eager to share the results of his hybrid engineering.
So much so that he was also quick to drift to a skinny, tree-like plant that was drooping from the weight of the pink half-sized banana-like fruit. He squeezed a few of them thoughtfully before carefully pruning them.
It was more of a demand than an invitation; he peeled the first of three and pressed it into Aliez’s hand. The skin was leathery, but the actual fruit inside was banana shaped while appearing orange-textured.
“But you will eat and drink while you tell me. Where is Vyn, what has happened?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:39 am
Aliez blinked down at the fruit in his hand, and then slowly closed his fingers around it as though it might vanish if he didn’t hold onto it. There was something grounding about the weight of it, of the unexpected texture, the faint smell that reminded him of something warmer than the slow dying of their home.
He sat when asked. Quietly obedient. Grateful. Tired… He reached for the water bottle that was set next to him a moment later, twisting the cap and drinking slowly, as though his body needed time to remember how to function properly. His throat hurt, but the water helped.
“Thank you,” he said quietly as he placed the pink water down. He wished he knew what he could say to emphasise how much Andreiya’s gesture meant to him, but for now he just looked at the fruit again, peeled off a piece, and ate it without protest. His stomach felt weird and twisted from stress, but he trusted Andreiya. He might have been a healer, but he sometimes forgot how to take care of himself.
He gave himself a little while to compose himself, to sip some more at the water and take another bite. He wanted to make sure he wouldn’t immediately unravel if he started speaking.
“He came back last night,” he eventually said, his voice soft. “Bruised, exhausted, barely holding himself together. He wouldn’t tell me where he’d been at first, but eventually said he was out looking for Caedus. Ran into that Senshi who came up to help us when we fought the Hollow. The one who took back Caedus’ starseed from the Commodore. He said he shot him. Again.”
Aliez felt his jaw tighten, but it wasn’t out of anger. It was grief and disappointment in himself. His shoulders curled in a little as he sat there, unable to look Andreiya in the eye.
“I healed what I could. Wrapped his knee. He was in worse shape than he admitted, I think. But it wasn’t the wounds that scared me. It was the way he talked about himself. Like… like it wouldn’t matter if he wasn’t here.”
He looked up at Andreiya now, his eyes were wet but he held the tears at bay. Barely.
“He said the good dreams are sometimes worse than the nightmares. And I didn’t know what to say to that. I just--... I just sat with him until he fell asleep. But I don’t think he really rested. I don’t think he can. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to betray his trust by going to Lyndin, but I’m scared. He’s not okay. And we’re all so tired but I--” He paused for a moment when his voice cracked. It forced him to take a breath and try again. “I don’t want to lose him. Not like this.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:40 am
Andreiya was quiet while giving Aliez time to find his words. He stared expectantly but kept his mouth shut, simply observing. He would not claim that Aliez was easy to read but there were several obvious things to note about his appearance.
The redness in his eyes, and the dark circles beneath them. The unhealthy complexion of his skin. His uniform wasn’t neatly pressed, nor was his hair carefully combed. Aliez carried himself like there was a bag of rocks strapped to his back, and another to each limb. Aliez did not need to speak to have much to say.
Andreiya nodded once when thanked, but beyond that he simply stood like a statue and waited.
And listened.
And frowned.
He hadn’t seen Vyn much of late, but that was expected. He was often here in his greenhouse and simply assumed that the others had buried themselves in their research as well. He hadn’t taken it personally, hadn't even really been aware of the passing of time to such a degree.
“Of course it matters if he is here,” he protested, even if Vyn was not around to hear it. “Why would he say such a thing? Is he sleeping as poorly as you? Your brains need rest and you are denying them. So of course you will do and say silly things. Where is he now?” he asked, looking around the greenhouse as if he expected Vyn to manifest.
He didn’t, so Andreiya’s eyes found Aliez again, only this time he came closer and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“No, I am being ineffective and jumping around too much. Let me try to focus. How can a good dream be worse than a nightmare, what does he mean?” Was that the rambling of an exhausted and sleep-deprived mind? Was it a riddle? No wonder Aliez didn’t know what to say; Andreiya didn’t, either.
“Can you sedate him so he rests? Maybe he will think better after he recharges. Sorry, I think you will have already thought of it. You are very smart.” And very distressed. “But I do not see how it is a betrayal if you share your concerns with the Commodore. How can it be? He is not okay,” he repeated. “If there was any other sickness you could not cure, you would seek him for guidance. What makes this different?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:40 am
Aliez smiled softly when Andreiya protested Vyn’s words with such sincere confusion, as if the very idea was nonsensical. He didn’t know what else he’d expected, but something about hearing it protested out loud soothed a small piece of him that had become frayed with worry.
“He didn’t say it like it was meant to be heard,” Aliez clarified, voice soft. “Not like something he wanted to confess. It was almost like it just slipped out, but still something he didn’t want to burden anyone with.”
He closed his eyes for a moment and leaned into the hand on his shoulder, letting Andreiya keep him grounded. When he opened them again, he looked up at Andreiya, searching his eyes and the expression on his face.
“He’s upstairs in our room. I helped him get settled in bed. I don’t know if he’s awake now,” he shared, pausing for a long moment to sigh. “I could sedate him, yes… but I don’t know if dreamless sleep will help or just make him feel worse when he wakes up. I can try something gentler tonight. I just don’t want him to think I’m trying to control him. I want him to choose to stay. Not just out of duty. Out of hope.”
His voice cracked on the words. There was a weariness in them that festered deeper than just sleepless nights.
Andreiya’s logic, though, his steady reasoning, was enough to allow Aliez to nod even if it took a few seconds.
“You’re right,” he said finally, voice still quiet. “If it were anything else, I wouldn’t hesitate. But this feels like a wound I can’t get to. Something I’m not supposed to touch. He’s looking for Caedus and feels alone in that effort and… I offered to help but… I don’t think I can bring myself to turn him in,” he confessed, his eyes lowered again. “But maybe I can talk to Lyndin. Not to report Vyn, just… to ask what to do… But maybe not today. Just one more day. I want Vyn to feel like he’s not alone before bringing it to anyone else.”
He reached for the fruit again, tearing off another bite. Not because he was hungry but because Andreiya had given it to him. Because it was something that kept him grounded.
“He pierced his ears, Andreiya. Which-- there’s nothing wrong with that just--” he paused to lift a hand to touch his own ear. The thought of holes in them bothered him in a way he didn’t know how to explain. “They look good for him, and I think he’s happy. I was just surprised.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:41 am
Andreiya’s nose wrinkled just slightly, never one to have much success with hiding his feelings. He forced a smile, but there was still something of a grimace on his face. “I am sure he looks good, Vyn has a very sweet face. But if he takes them out they should heal. Maybe he knows that. You can borrow my Source Stone to help.”
It was a superficial solution; obviously pierced ears were not the real problem. Andreiya had bandaids to wounds that didn’t exist.
Vyn was allowed to do whatever he wanted to his body.
Well–no, Andreiya didn’t think he should be allowed to go off and get himself beat up. He’d have run off to Lyndin for help already, so maybe Aliez was stronger than him. Not because Andreiya was a tattletale, but because the thought of something bad happening to Vyn left his heart throbbing uncomfortably.
Absently, he rubbed at his chest.
Poor Aliez. Andreiya could only imagine the weight he was carrying.
“I think it is okay to tell Lyndin ‘Hello, I am afraid for Vyn, he is stretching himself too thin. I think he is being reckless and he will not listen to me. Can you please talk to him. Can you please give him a task that will make him feel useful but not let him be reckless?’ Yes, that would be adequate. That is what I would do. The Commodore doesn’t sleep well either, he will be sympathetic if Vyn is having a hard time. Maybe he will tell you ‘Aliez and Vyn, two of my favorite Commanders, you must set a good example and sleep or else everyone will take after you and we will have no wits about us.’ And he will tell you, ‘Rest now, let me carry this burden. I have strong arms and you have strong hearts and we will solve this together.’ I think about these things all the time, trust me.”
He patted Aliez’s shoulder reassuringly. “You and Vyn are both pushing too hard. I bet even the Commodore would tell you that you need to slow down. He told me that last week. And do you know? He was right. I slept for twenty hours straight and I woke up with the answer to a problem I couldn’t solve before. He is very wise. I think he would be good for the both of you. You are a very good friend, Aliez.”
Andreiya wished he’d been a better one.
So, he drew in a deep breath and held it before closing with a simple, “Do you really think finding Caedus will fix our problems? It is not that I do not trust the Commodore, but I think he is hoping for a miracle. And I think,” he was a bit reluctant to admit it, “If he really wanted Caedus to be found…he might have already done so.”
Andreiya shrugged quickly. “...I think he wants us to find another solution. I think that is why he builds machines and gives us support and pushes us to pursue our studies. But maybe I am a coward. I could not turn Caedus in. I want to. I wish I were strong enough. But when I think of it, I get sick. Maybe Vyn is the same. Maybe he is making himself sick by trying.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:41 am
Aliez let out a slow, steadying breath as Andreiya spoke. His words were so gentle in their reasoning. They felt like stepping stones laid across the dangerous currents of Aliez’s thoughts. He wanted to follow them. He really did.
But…
“I know Lyndin would carry it,” he said, shaking his head slowly, eyes lowering to the half eaten fruit still held in his hand. “I know he’s trying to protect us. He always has.”
His voice wavered a little on the last part, the emotion rising too close to the surface. He swallowed it back and glanced away from Andreiya, just for a moment as if he was afraid of what might show on his face.
“But… that’s the problem, Andreiya. He’ll carry all of it if we let him. And he already gave more than he should have with the shield device. I begged him to let us -- any of us -- offer our energy, and he still…” Aliez let out another breath, trying to steady himself as his hand drifted up to his own arm, fingers brushing the sleeve that hid a healing laceration. “He always does that. Makes the sacrifice before we’re ready. And now I--”
He stopped, lips pressed together as his heart fluttered with shame and embarrassment.
“I didn’t heal mine properly either. I thought… maybe… if he saw that we weren’t okay, he’d stop trying to take everything on.”
A dry, humorless laugh escaped him, bitter with guilt.
“That’s foolish, isn’t it? We talked to him after the debrief. He told us how he is not irreplaceable. That we’re strong. That he puts so much faith in us--”
Aliez still couldn’t look at Andreiya. Not with tears threatening to spill over if he blinked too quickly. Not when his breath shook as he fought to hold himself together.
“If he has so much faith in us, why do I feel like I’m failing him?” he whispered. “How can he be so certain -- so sure -- about things that are supposed to make us feel better, when we're still trying to make sense of all of this?” He paused, took a steadying breath, and used the back of his wrist to quickly wipe away the tears that escaped.
“… But maybe you’re right. Maybe Lyndin wouldn’t see it as betrayal. Maybe he’d see it as… trust.”
Then -- carefully, cautiously:
“I think I know where Caedus is.”
He knew it was a risk, but he’d kept the secret for so long, and it was eating at him from the inside. Aliez didn’t move, letting the silence stretch for a few long moments.
“I’m not certain,” he admitted. “But I know the general area. I’ve spoken to him on occasion since we’ve been here. But Vyn is trying to find him. Alone. And if he finds him first…” he paused on a quiet sob, but quickly clenched his teeth.
“I’m telling you because I trust you,” he said, finally looking up at Andreiya again, eyes wide and wet and filled with worry. “But I need to know you won’t tell Lyndin. Not unless it’s time. Please.” His voice sounded as raw as his throat felt. He wasn’t trying to be the responsible Commander, or the reliable friend. He was just Aliez… tired, worried, and afraid of the fracture between the three people he cared most about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:42 am
For a long moment, Andreiya said nothing. It wasn’t as if he’d forgotten how to speak, just that he had too many words in his mind and none of them fit in his mouth. He suddenly didn’t know what to do with his hands. For a few seconds more, his grip remained on Aliez’s arm, and then he drew back. He crossed his arms over his chest. Planted them on his hips. Crossed his arms again.
“Well!” he finally exclaimed. “Yes, that was foolish of you! All of it! Aliez!” he scolded, but there was no venom in his voice. He sounded stressed and confused, but there was care in the concern.
“Show me your arm! Is it still not healed?” He was already fumbling for his Source Stone. “If you do not feel ‘better’ then the solution is not to deny yourself healing! Have you and Vyn both been hurting yourselves? No wonder the Commodore wants to carry everything!”
No, Aliez was crying, that wasn’t fair.
Andreiya wasn’t very good at comfort, so he had to shove his thoughts down. He didn’t know what to do with his arms, so he wrapped them around Aliez gently, careful not to touch his arm.
“I am sorry. I am frustrated. But I am not mad, I am worried about you. I do not want you to hurt. And the Commodore would not want you to hurt, either. He would not sacrifice so readily if your well being was not so important to him. I will not tell him about Caedus,” in part because he didn’t even know what he would say, but he didn’t want Aliez to get in trouble! And now Aliez had burdened him with his secret and it was already crushing him!
Andreiya’s face colored with distress but there were too many layers and he wasn’t sure how to unpack them one by one because they’d all tangled up together in his mind.
“But I do not know if I should worry about Vyn, or your arm, or you in general, or Caedus, or the Commodore right now, so I am worrying about all of it at once. What do you want me to worry about first?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:42 am
Aliez lowered his head in shame as he was scolded. He didn’t say anything right away, but instead kept the half-eaten fruit turning gently in his hands. Andreiya’s question was so earnest and sincere… and it weighed more than Aliez was prepared for.
“I don’t know,” he finally said, trying to stifle a quiet sob. “I think I just didn’t want to be the only one worrying.”
The words were careful and quiet, like he wasn’t sure he wanted to say them. He shifted slightly after a moment, holding the fruit in one hand while he reached up to unfasten the cuff of his sleeve. He worked carefully, deliberately, but not eagerly as he pulled up the fabric of his jacket.
There was a scab there, on the outside of his arm above his elbow. The skin around it was bruised, but the wound itself was healing, but maybe not as well as it could have with proper attention and actual rest on Aliez’s part. It would probably leave a scar at this rate. But he was very rarely out of uniform, so it would be just for himself.
“It’s mostly closed,” he said, trying not to sound as dismissive about it as he felt. Not when Andreiya was obviously worried. “It’s fine.”
He didn’t look up. Didn’t offer the arm for inspection. Just left it there, exposed for a moment before letting the sleeve fall, but he didn’t tug it back into place yet.
“Debris from the Hollow. A scale that got through even my shield.” Maybe he deserved the reminder that he wasn’t enough to protect everyone. That he needed to keep trying and keep getting better.
“I didn’t mean to get hurt. But once it happened… I didn’t mind,” he confessed, voice filled with guilt. “I thought maybe if he saw it, he’d understand.”
Aliez blinked hard, but the tears still slipped loose. He couldn’t look at Andreiya while he was like this, so he focused his blurred vision on the fruit in his lap.
“I’m not proud of it,” he choked, just above a whisper. “Letting it go untreated. But… I think I wanted him to notice. And I think part of me hoped… if he saw me start to fracture, maybe he’d stop before he did the same. So maybe, for once, he wouldn’t try to carry everything by himself because he’d see we were also capable of carrying our own burdens without complaint.”
Another pause, another breath, a forced shaky laugh that held no humor, just an attempt at giving Andreiya a bit of a reprieve from the heaviness he probably didn’t anticipate, and much less deserved.
“I know it was foolish. I know it didn’t work-- that it doesn’t work like that. There’s so much he doesn’t say out loud. I can’t read his mind, Andreiya. I’m afraid he looks at us like we are children -- that that’s the reason he wants to keep us protected.”
Frustrated by the tears that felt hot on his cheeks now, Aliez pressed the back of his hand against his cheeks and eyes, wiping them away before new tears could fall too far.
“I know it’s not fair to tell you all this. I know you’re overwhelmed. I know you’ve got enough to carry. But I needed someone else to hold it for a while. Just until I can breathe again. Especially since--” he paused to try and regain his composure, but it didn’t quite work.
They’re endangering everyone by covering for him.
Vyn’s words were still heavy on his mind, and he visibly wilted, because now he passed that burden onto Andreiya so thoughtlessly.
“But… please don’t worry about me. I’ll heal it,” he finally decided, embarrassed by what was clearly an attempt at desperately crying for attention and failing miserably. He was a Commander. He should know better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:43 am
Andreiya clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and looked at Aliez like he might have been thinking about scolding him again. “I will worry as I please and you will sit there and let me heal it. You are so silly, how do you heal everyone else but not yourself?”
It was punishment as much as plea, Andreiya was certain of it. Healing one wound would not heal all wounds but it was a start. He withdrew his Source Stone, halfway charged because he’d been using it to encourage some plant growth earlier, and gently pressed it to Aliez’s skin. He started first with the area around the injury, just to warm up a bit before moving the stone to the injury itself. It was warm in his hand and he began to carefully siphon the energy from it.
“You know! The Commodore isn’t the only one who would be worrying about this if he knew. You cannot walk around with your long sleeves and strong shoulders if you want someone to notice you are weak. You are very dramatic but very bad at showing it, Aliez. All of this suffering!”
He grumbled something under his breath but it didn’t really sound like he was speaking anything coherent as much as it was just vocalized exasperation.
“You are mad at the Commodore for getting hurt to protect you and then you do not even take care of yourself? He would not understand this. He cannot read your mind either! You can tell him you need help! I am sure it is because nobody will tell him these things that he extends himself so much! If I thought ‘if my Commanders get hurt then they will not take care of themselves’ then I would most certainly just not let them get hurt, too! Oh, Aleiz,” he sighed again, moving the stone in gentle, deliberate stripes up and down his arm.
His brows were furrowed but he was very focused on healing this as quickly and effectively as possible–especially if he was encouraging Aliez to speak to Lyndin.
“You give yourself burdens to carry just to prove yourself but then hide them like you are ashamed. He wants to protect us because he can protect us. If you want to be stronger, if you want to help him, why do you not just ask? You say, ‘Commodore Lyndin, I want to be of more use. Can you assign me tasks that would take some weight off of your shoulders?’ or you say, ‘Commodore Lyndin, I want to be stronger. How did you do it?’”
He could have gone on but bit his tongue quickly. “...I am not mad at you. I want you to know that. I am scared for you. And very worried. This is very reckless. And I hurt because you hurt. I have strong shoulders too, you know. I could have helped you carry this a long time ago. Why did you come to me only when you are breaking? I would hold this for you, I would give you space to breathe before it gets this bad. You didn’t have to punish yourself to earn a reprieve. You know that, right?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:43 am
Aliez didn’t argue. He let Andreiya work on his arm and sat quietly as he listened to everything he had to say. The ache in his arm that he didn’t realize was even there started to ease. He must have just gotten used to it and learned to live around it.
He let out a breath that was almost like a laugh when Andreiya called him dramatic. He didn’t disagree, nor did he feel defensive about it.
“I didn’t mean for it to be a punishment,” he said softly. “I didn’t plan it like that.” He wasn’t protesting, but there was a weight of guilt in his voice.
He kept his gaze on the floor between them. Andreiya’s frustration was full of a kind of weary familiarity. It was so full of heart. He was so loud in the way he cared. Not harsh, but heavy in many ways.
“I’m not mad at him,” he breathed. “Not really…” And that was the truth. It wasn’t anger. Not at Lyndin. It was just… helplessness. Fear. Regret and guilt.
“I just didn’t want to be another thing he had to worry about. Not when Vyn is--” Aliez stopped himself, bit and chewed on his lip. He shook his head a little, as though to dismiss his own thoughts and focus on more important things. “He’s worse off than I am. And the Commodore already carries so much. I didn’t want to… add to that weight. I thought if I could hold it together a little longer, maybe I’d find a better time. Maybe he’d be in a place where it wouldn’t… tip the balance of things.”
He looked up at Andreiya then, desperate and apologetic.
“I know I should have said something. To him. Or to you. Sooner. But sometimes it feels easier to worry in silence. It feels… safer. I’m sorry. I didn’t come to you to break. I didn’t come with the intention of burdening you with more. That wasn’t the plan either, I just… couldn’t keep it all in anymore. But I don’t want you to hurt because of me. I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to help sooner.”
He rubbed at his face, using the back of his wrist. Not harsh -- he didn’t want to give Andreiya another reason to scold him. He was just trying to clear the tears that still tried to fall.
He was worried about Vyn. Maybe Andreiya would have better luck with him. Or maybe it would just spook Vyn into running again. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what was right or what would make things worse.
“I will try to speak with the Commodore. I don’t know if I’ll be brave enough to say it the way you would… but I’ll try.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:44 am
Another heavy sigh fell from Andreiya’s lips, but this time it was because he was again leaning down to collect Aliez into another hug. “Easier does not mean better. You are safe with me, why would suffering alone be safer? You are not burdening me.” He left off the ‘much’ because even he knew that wasn’t appropriate, and in the end it didn’t matter.
Aliez could have been the biggest burden in the universe and Andreiya still would have set aside his work to console him.
“I am sorry you have been going through this. I will check in with you more often. I have time for you. You just got buried in your head. And I got buried in mine. And Vyn his own.” It wasn’t easy to be a Commander. He didn’t think he’d earned it. He knew it was granted out of desperation. Lyndin wouldn’t have seen them promoted if they were still on Velencya.
But things were different on Earth.
So, they had to be different, too.
“I just wanted to help, too. But there is no point in rebuilding Velenia if it risks losing any of you. Just because Vyn is hurting doesn’t mean you are also not allowed to hurt. Are you competing? I don’t think so. You can both need a shoulder. Don’t ‘wait for a better time’, I know you. You will make excuses to put everyone else above you and never make time. I will make time for you. You only need to show up. But this is okay. We will figure something out for Vyn. And you. And the Commodore. Help me break it up into small pieces. What do you need to be okay? What can I do to help?” he asked, as if he were making a mental action plan.
He hadn’t released Aliez from the hug but neither had he stopped working the Source Stone along his arm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:44 am
Aliez closed his eyes the moment Andreiya pulled him close. There was no fight in him, no resistance. The hug was warm and familiar and reminded him of the time they had before Earth. Before they knew the state of Velencya. Or the Commodore’s declining health. Gently, Aliez lifted his hand to place over Andreiya’s arm, holding him there. At least for a little while.
“I don’t want to compete,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I just… I know how hard it can be to reach Vyn. How proud he is. How much he hides. I see the way he pulls back when people worry. Like it makes him feel worse. I didn’t want to do that to Lyndin.”
He hesitated. Pressed his forehead lightly against Andreiya’s shoulder as he continued to let the Source Stone work on his arm.
“I thought… maybe if I could prove that I was okay, even when I wasn’t… it might give him one less thing to worry about. And maybe it’d make it easier for him to focus on helping Vyn. Because I can’t reach him, Andreiya. Not the way I want to. And I don’t know what will happen if he keeps going like this. Alone.”
He sighed, pressing his face more into Andreiya’s shoulder.
“I’m scared,” Aliez admitted. The words came out more fragile than he meant for them to. “I’m scared of losing them. Of not being able to protect them. Of saying the wrong things. Or trying to help and only making things worse. I know the Commodore is strong, I know he’s done this longer than any of us combined… but I also know what it’s like to pretend everything is fine.”
This time, he took a slow breath and leaned back enough to look up at Andreiya. “I’m tired of pretending everything is fine,” he admitted, but after a moment shook his head. “You’ve already helped. More than you know. I don’t need a plan yet. Just… could I stay with you a little while longer?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:45 am
“You can stay with me as long as you want,” Andreiya offered freely. “If you want something to do, you can look over my notes for me. Or we can talk. Or you can sample the fruits I have been growing. I will not force you to do anything. We can sit in silence. Do you want to pet Dylas? He is fat and lazy and will not bite, and his scales are soft and smooth. Sometimes I wear him on my neck. That is my secret, so you must keep it. He likes it, he goes to sleep there. And he is my assistant, but has much to learn. I am teaching him. You can whisper your problems to him and he will hold them. He is very smart.”
He didn’t release the hug, though had drawn back just enough that Aliez could easily see his face to find the truth in it.
“But you can whisper your problems to me, too, and I will hold them. Better than he can, because I have hands. And I can give you good advice. He will sit there and judge you but he is cute so it is acceptable. I will not judge you.” Probably. He would try not to. He didn’t want to hurt Aliez, or anyone he cared about.
“And you will not need to pretend to be strong around me. I know you are strong. So you will not pretend like everything is fine because I like to fix problems and if you pretend like there are none then there will be no one to help you fix them. So I am glad you have come to me with these problems you carry.”
He was sincere, just a bit inexperienced with offering such counsel.
“Let me help you be okay. And we will help Vyn be okay, and we will help the Commodore be okay. But if we are going to do any of that then it means there must be a strong foundation. So what can we do to help Vyn? What is he doing, what should I be worried for? –What can I do to help? If the answers escape you now, we will figure them out. We can sit in silence, too. But I will be here for anything you need, Aliez. I promise. And it will not be too much for me.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:45 am
The image of Dylas curled like a scarf around Andreiya’s neck while he walked around doing research brought a smile to Aliez’s lips. It was sweet to think about Andreiya’s routine. It made things feel a bit more normal.
“Don’t worry,” he promised. “Your secret’s safe with me. I wouldn’t betray Dylas’ trust like that. Or yours.”
He didn’t move away yet. The Source Stone was still radiating warmth across his skin, but the wound looked like it had been almost completely erased, and for that Aliez let out a quiet breath. There was embarrassment and shame still lingering in his expression, but Andreiya was doing such a good job with distracting him. He just wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of being healed.
“I don’t know what to do for Vyn,” he admitted. “I’ve tried offering help. Giving him space. Being there. Stepping back. I don’t know which version of me he needs. I don’t know if he knows, either.”
Aliez reached up, his fingers drifting over the place where the wound once was, skin still warm from the Source Stone. There was no scar. No proof of the ache he’d made himself live with since the Hollow had attacked them. He shifted then, this time standing from his chair, setting the fruit on the table with the pink water, so he could wrap his arms around Andreiya in return.
“I just want him to know we’re still there for him. Even when he pulls away. That he doesn’t have to be fixed to be loved. And I want the same for you. And for the Commodore. And maybe someday, for me, too. Thank you for making time for me, Andreiya. I know you didn’t ask for it, but you did it anyway. We don’t have to make a plan yet,” he sighed, feeling more at peace now that he had a chance to work out some of his emotions. Not perfect, but getting there.
“But I’d like to stay for a bit. I would like to look over your research as well. I used some of the ointment I made from your plants on Vyn’s wounds. And gave some tablets of medicine to Lyndin for his pain after the Hollow. They seemed to work well, but I will need to run more tests.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
