[ though he'd asked in an attempt to figure out if there was anything she would want to do, he fast realizes that it's a far from comforting venture to think about - what feels like a pattering of sadness against the walls of his heart must surely be torrential in hers. so it was her husband's idea... ]
Oh, Konoha...
[ gently, he pulls his hands free. it makes it easier to quietly push up from his seat and round the bit of table between them to open his arms and envelop her in a hug. he's tall, and she's seated - it's the only thing he can think to do in the absence of the ability to send her back home, or at least let her see her family. back in tokyo, he'd needed to abandon some of his preference for tactile comfort as he'd been molded into a star, into the image of someone untouchable... yet this is the part of him that will always be true to himself and the people around him.
he squeezes a little at first, the reestablished synchrony calm and warm, enough of a safe harbor to break on. ]
You've been trying to smile this whole time while feeling that way, haven't you?
[Konoha had done quite well for herself not crying when Ryuunosuke had first arrived, just in a burst of emotion over seeing him again, let alone the reminder of their time in Lunatia, how much better it had been for her there than here in Sumerlok, where she has arrived alone.
His hand withdraws, and her fingers feel empty without someone to hold, but then he's there again, and though at first she instinctively winces a bit inwards, guarding a tender chest that has grown achier each day she's been separated from her child... the comfort of an embrace is something she's willing to risk an embarrassing faux pas for, and in the end she reverses course to instead slip into the hold he offers with a half-swallowed choke of emotion, clinging tight to the back of his shirt and burrowing her face against his shoulder.
She's not going to cry, though. Because she did have to smile, if she didn't-]
I waited so long for Komatsu to be born and now I'm not- I'm not with her...
[Even if Lunatia had given her the hope that time might be stopped back home in her absence, it wasn't enough to keep her from longing, from waking up each morning and rolling over to reach for her daughter only to remember that she wasn't there. From worrying over what could be happening if time hadn't stopped. Isn't enough to keep the tears away when he's offering her the warm, comforting pulse of synchrony, tearing down her attempt at a brave front to reveal the worries that have been consuming her since she'd started to accept their stay in this new same-but-different world.]
And this place- It's... They want us to touch again, and what if things...
[Things. Of all the gembonded here, Ryuunosuke would know what she meant and spare her having to say it aloud.]
What if things happen again like in Lunatia, but Gonta isn't here to forgive me...
[ giving her the time she needs to speak what's really on her mind, ryuu's heart hurts for her. while it seems they'd both gotten a taste of home, a slip of time in between the worlds that'd rushed up to greet them, there was no guaranteeing whatever force brought them to sumarlok would behave the same way it did coming or going from lunatia. while he can take a guess, while he can hope, he has no way of truly knowing. her distress matters in a way that can't be explained away. after all, it's not as though the knowledge that time may have stopped would really cure the anxiety and the heartache - konoha is here, without her family.
still, he stays where he is, elbows loosening only let a broad palm skim konoha's back in soothing circles. synchrony like this is unconditional. ]
I've never been married, much less a parent. I don't think I could compare our situations, even though we've both ended up like this again.
[ though he does get an idea of what she's feeling, the empathy that courses through the bond of touch delving deep into the corners he's left open for the people he cares about to occupy, should they need the safe space. while there are many fantastical things he can't do, there are just as many ordinary things he can. ]
But I'd think I'd say... that no matter what, your husband would want you to do all that you could to live without regrets, even if you're apart. So that you could come home safely, with all your strength.
[ if he were a husband, a parent - wouldn't that be his first concern? that his loved one return to him healthy? ]
I know it's not the easiest thing to think about.
[ unlike this kind of manna generation, which has all the ease of breathing. ]
[He says he can't compare their situations, but Konoha shakes her head a little bit into his shoulder, denying that her pain was in any way more important or deep than his. It's part of why she felt comfortable enough to let the smile fall around him in the first place. She knew... Ryuunosuke valued family like she did. Maybe it wasn't in the form of a spouse, a child, but he had his brothers... his father...
And his shirt starts to dampen despite her intent to be strong, fingers tightening in the back of his shirt, shoulders starting to shake beneath the comforting rub of his palm.]
I know he- I know he would, but...
[But it had seemed so simple, for two simple-minded people, to promise that as long as the heart was unchanging that all would be forgiven, that they would simply return to each others' side, confess, and reclaim... But if it's just her- ? Just her, praying that time was stopped so that her sister-in-law didn't have to try to and breastfeed her daughter, or Gonta had to hunt enough does to provide milk for her? Just her, hoping her daughter wasn't growing up without her, forgetting the face of the woman that had longed for her birth more than anything?
She buries her face tighter against his shoulder, accepting his comfort, the words she knows are true... But she can't give it up so easily, trying to find some sort of explanation to encapsulate the crushing sorrow she feels even though she knows... it's better Gonta wasn't here. He hated being around theis many humans, he was less flexible with the technology and magic than she was. It's better Komatsu wasn't here, who knew what could happen to them, but- She has to have some excuse to cry.]
But- What am I supposed to do with all this milk now... Everything aches...
[ though he's prone to flustering easily at mentions of the female body, it seems her worry is just homely enough to draw a quiet laugh out of him. not at her pain, but at the enormity of the situation being boiled down to such a simple thing. plus - it's not as though family matters occupy the same pieces of his mind that his (feigned) knowledge of carnality does. his own mother fed him and all his brothers the same way. bodies do just as they're meant to, and protest when they cannot. mindfully, the flats of his thumbs draw down the divots of her shoulder blades, attempting to press and soothe away some of the aches from that angle. ]
I'm not sure whether or not the gems would have any use for it!
[ the junction of his shoulder and neck are warm at having to think about it, lame or no. at least he's kept some of his sunny attitude about him, hapless smile radiating the same kind of heat. with a little lean forward, he really goes all in on enveloping konoha in a big, soothing hug. she may be one of the only people who has some height and weight on him, but he's no slouch when it comes to being broad!
his squeeze doesn't last overly long. it's more like punctuation for what he wants to say. ]
I know I can't replace your family, or ease your thoughts about your home. But I hope you can rely on me here, Konoha. Your true feelings are just as important.
[ whether it's laughter or the need to cry - they matter. ]
[Maybe it's silly, or simple, but... her shoulders shake and a helpless little laugh hiccups out between her tears once she hears his. She knows it was an awful excuse for her tears, she did... But she's grateful he accepts it, does her the favor of making a little joke that allows her to feel better, even though... okay, no, she wasn't lying, it really did ache not to nurse, and not just in her hearts, but.
The hug provides exactly what she needs to accompany his words. She knows he's right. There's nothing she can do about being separated from her family now except keep on surviving until she meets them again. And she has to- She has to get back, because... Mikuni had said, in Lunatia, that he'd come from a time past her memory, and he had seen her with two babes in arms and another on the way. She didn't want to believe in "other timelines" or "parallel universes", so that just meant... She had to get home. Eventually. Somehow.
And she would just... If this place ended up like Lunatia, she would just have to save her apologies for later instead of being able to seek her absolution each time. Easy.]
Ryuunosuke...
[Not easy, but. He did make it easier, and the gratitude she feels in that moment bleeds easily into his name as she squeezes back on him, more than willing to ignore the wince it might cause in that moment.]
You- You have to rely on me, too... Okay?
[She couldn't replace his family, either, and maybe he was lucky enough this time around to have the other members of his music group here, but... they had a different sort of bond, a shared experience in Lunatia that they had gone through, and... She knows she can be there if he needs it. She does, so-]
[ no matter how bad things get, sometimes it's the silly or the simple that reminds ryuu that they are present and alive, that the small things can have just as much of a voice and impact as the big. it's what gets him through the difficult times, what reminds him that even a broken heart is a miraculous thing when it keeps beating despite the pain. they'll one day return to their families, their friends and their homes, to carry on the important things they need to do. he has no doubt, and that conviction flows fast and strong in his manna, a bright undertow to the pacific calm of his surface. until then, he'll fight in his own way to protect moments like these that serve as a reminder of who they are.
tenn and gaku remind him of his willingness to move forward, but he takes that with him wherever he goes and gives freely to whoever might need it. he'll pull everyone who feels this way along with him, if he has to. the resonate depth of her hearts make him all the more aware. ]
It's less frightening for me too, like this. If I'm going to accept your smiles, I should be able to accept your tears too.
[ honesty is something he's always preferred, even if it wasn't pretty, even if it was never flawless. ]
So, I promise.
[ and human as he might be, he'd move heaven itself to keep it. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Oh, Konoha...
[ gently, he pulls his hands free. it makes it easier to quietly push up from his seat and round the bit of table between them to open his arms and envelop her in a hug. he's tall, and she's seated - it's the only thing he can think to do in the absence of the ability to send her back home, or at least let her see her family. back in tokyo, he'd needed to abandon some of his preference for tactile comfort as he'd been molded into a star, into the image of someone untouchable... yet this is the part of him that will always be true to himself and the people around him.
he squeezes a little at first, the reestablished synchrony calm and warm, enough of a safe harbor to break on. ]
You've been trying to smile this whole time while feeling that way, haven't you?
no subject
His hand withdraws, and her fingers feel empty without someone to hold, but then he's there again, and though at first she instinctively winces a bit inwards, guarding a tender chest that has grown achier each day she's been separated from her child... the comfort of an embrace is something she's willing to risk an embarrassing faux pas for, and in the end she reverses course to instead slip into the hold he offers with a half-swallowed choke of emotion, clinging tight to the back of his shirt and burrowing her face against his shoulder.
She's not going to cry, though. Because she did have to smile, if she didn't-]
I waited so long for Komatsu to be born and now I'm not- I'm not with her...
[Even if Lunatia had given her the hope that time might be stopped back home in her absence, it wasn't enough to keep her from longing, from waking up each morning and rolling over to reach for her daughter only to remember that she wasn't there. From worrying over what could be happening if time hadn't stopped. Isn't enough to keep the tears away when he's offering her the warm, comforting pulse of synchrony, tearing down her attempt at a brave front to reveal the worries that have been consuming her since she'd started to accept their stay in this new same-but-different world.]
And this place- It's... They want us to touch again, and what if things...
[Things. Of all the gembonded here, Ryuunosuke would know what she meant and spare her having to say it aloud.]
What if things happen again like in Lunatia, but Gonta isn't here to forgive me...
no subject
still, he stays where he is, elbows loosening only let a broad palm skim konoha's back in soothing circles. synchrony like this is unconditional. ]
I've never been married, much less a parent. I don't think I could compare our situations, even though we've both ended up like this again.
[ though he does get an idea of what she's feeling, the empathy that courses through the bond of touch delving deep into the corners he's left open for the people he cares about to occupy, should they need the safe space. while there are many fantastical things he can't do, there are just as many ordinary things he can. ]
But I'd think I'd say... that no matter what, your husband would want you to do all that you could to live without regrets, even if you're apart. So that you could come home safely, with all your strength.
[ if he were a husband, a parent - wouldn't that be his first concern? that his loved one return to him healthy? ]
I know it's not the easiest thing to think about.
[ unlike this kind of manna generation, which has all the ease of breathing. ]
no subject
And his shirt starts to dampen despite her intent to be strong, fingers tightening in the back of his shirt, shoulders starting to shake beneath the comforting rub of his palm.]
I know he- I know he would, but...
[But it had seemed so simple, for two simple-minded people, to promise that as long as the heart was unchanging that all would be forgiven, that they would simply return to each others' side, confess, and reclaim... But if it's just her- ? Just her, praying that time was stopped so that her sister-in-law didn't have to try to and breastfeed her daughter, or Gonta had to hunt enough does to provide milk for her? Just her, hoping her daughter wasn't growing up without her, forgetting the face of the woman that had longed for her birth more than anything?
She buries her face tighter against his shoulder, accepting his comfort, the words she knows are true... But she can't give it up so easily, trying to find some sort of explanation to encapsulate the crushing sorrow she feels even though she knows... it's better Gonta wasn't here. He hated being around theis many humans, he was less flexible with the technology and magic than she was. It's better Komatsu wasn't here, who knew what could happen to them, but- She has to have some excuse to cry.]
But- What am I supposed to do with all this milk now... Everything aches...
[... Even if it was a lame excuse.]
no subject
I'm not sure whether or not the gems would have any use for it!
[ the junction of his shoulder and neck are warm at having to think about it, lame or no. at least he's kept some of his sunny attitude about him, hapless smile radiating the same kind of heat. with a little lean forward, he really goes all in on enveloping konoha in a big, soothing hug. she may be one of the only people who has some height and weight on him, but he's no slouch when it comes to being broad!
his squeeze doesn't last overly long. it's more like punctuation for what he wants to say. ]
I know I can't replace your family, or ease your thoughts about your home. But I hope you can rely on me here, Konoha. Your true feelings are just as important.
[ whether it's laughter or the need to cry - they matter. ]
no subject
The hug provides exactly what she needs to accompany his words. She knows he's right. There's nothing she can do about being separated from her family now except keep on surviving until she meets them again. And she has to- She has to get back, because... Mikuni had said, in Lunatia, that he'd come from a time past her memory, and he had seen her with two babes in arms and another on the way. She didn't want to believe in "other timelines" or "parallel universes", so that just meant... She had to get home. Eventually. Somehow.
And she would just... If this place ended up like Lunatia, she would just have to save her apologies for later instead of being able to seek her absolution each time. Easy.]
Ryuunosuke...
[Not easy, but. He did make it easier, and the gratitude she feels in that moment bleeds easily into his name as she squeezes back on him, more than willing to ignore the wince it might cause in that moment.]
You- You have to rely on me, too... Okay?
[She couldn't replace his family, either, and maybe he was lucky enough this time around to have the other members of his music group here, but... they had a different sort of bond, a shared experience in Lunatia that they had gone through, and... She knows she can be there if he needs it. She does, so-]
Promise me.
no subject
tenn and gaku remind him of his willingness to move forward, but he takes that with him wherever he goes and gives freely to whoever might need it. he'll pull everyone who feels this way along with him, if he has to. the resonate depth of her hearts make him all the more aware. ]
It's less frightening for me too, like this. If I'm going to accept your smiles, I should be able to accept your tears too.
[ honesty is something he's always preferred, even if it wasn't pretty, even if it was never flawless. ]
So, I promise.
[ and human as he might be, he'd move heaven itself to keep it. ]