ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦.

⠀⠀ so⠀ i'll⠀take⠀ the ⠀night⠀ shift . ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

&⠀ i'll⠀never⠀ see ⠀you⠀ again⠀ if⠀i⠀ can ⠀help⠀ it ⠀ . ⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( arms folding around his neck comfily. )

yaaaaay . . .

carryme.

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

( pressed right into his chest. )

there. holdin' ya.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( her face scrunches at the gesture. he definitely does that regarding her a lot. )

i'm sure she loved you. i always wished i had a little sister.

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

ehh . . . i tried.

( he makes a little squish with his fingertips. like he does when he's calling someone tiny. )

gap was a lil big. mom hovered her a lot, but not me.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( scooped up! all her ribbons flop over in a mess. )

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

awww.

( a warm giggle, imagining the sight: tall, lanky jax, & a little girl. reminds her of her brother when things were a little sweeter . . . the good parts. )

were you two close?

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

( it brings a little giggle from his snout. )

yeah. little brat, real tiny. never got to see her get big.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

aaaaaaaaaaa...

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

no no. now i'm gonna

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( she tries not to look at them as they speak. she knows how it feels to be seen in those moments, too much, too much. )

aww. you have a sister . . ?

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

.. normal.

( his head tilts. he wonders if the word sounds fake from his maw, a clear oversimplification for something he knows isn't right. )

mom, dad, boy and a girl. normal family stuff. i had a dog when i was little ...

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

neverminditsok.

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

. . . ?

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

@jaxtheveiI

holdme.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

ah . . . i guess you're right.

scary to think about, though . . .

what . . . what was your family like?

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( she internalizes his switches all too well. she said the right thing. she said the wrong thing. she was being good. she was being bad.

& to think he probably thinks the same about himself when it comes to her . . . )

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

okay.

( like a switch flipped, his ears unstiffen, smile suddenly no longer forced on his lips. he gives a real chuckle, soft, and pulls just a little away to give her proper space to breathe. )

you're right, anyway!

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( she stares at him with atomic pits for eyes, both big-eyed & all-too-readable. then, squeaks as she's jostled around; how pathetically easy she can be maneuvered. just like her real body.

but she snuggles into him, ribbons seeping between his back & the mattress. )

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

's okay. it's in the past, now . . .

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( she shrinks away as he shifts closer. she never knows how to respond to the incongruity of his words, but . . .

maybe he did mean it. that he would kill anyone who did that to her.

. . . )

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

( the hare-like stare remains upon face, he doesn't laugh along at her faux - chuckle, though he does try to. it just doesn't leave him. )

i'd kill him.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

ha ha . . .

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( with his smile, her heart sinks, watching helplessly as his expression changes. part of her feels like she can't breathe. she tries a slow breath, ribcage lightly inflating before releasing. )

it's okay. at least i . . . won't have to worry about him anymore, right?

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

( his ears stiffen, grin sinking away into his unfortunate blank face. big eyes stare at her; but he's not scrambling off of her or anything. just looking, frozen there.

no, he doesn't like that answer. he doesn't like how -

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

. . . he was going through a hard time, but he always had a short fuse.

( the knives. the hammer. the hole in the door. )

i tried to be on his good side, but . . .

i guess he eventually got tired of me, too.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( she covers her face with one of her flimsy ribbons to hide her embarrassment. now he's teasing her!

but at the question, she begins to nervously fidget.

he won't like this answer. )

i, ah, had a brother . . .

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

well, 𝑛𝑜𝑤 i know!

( giggling in reply; she does always do that.

they flop their ears side to side again, smiling cheekily, like they somehow knew all along. families are something they can find a way to relate to .. )

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

& i was so young when i
behaved twenty - five,
yet now i find i've grown into
a tall child.

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

how —— how'd you know it was my family?

( a silly thing with her: always outing herself with a question. )

⠀

[ً 𐙚 𝓃𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦. @maskwept]

⠀

( the first comment makes her chuckle, a little reminder of the years between them. but some days, she feels so much younger than him . . . which was frustrating, considering how immature he could be.

but he had his moments of wisdom. rare, but there. )

⠀

[ᅠᅠ𝜗𝜚ᅠ𝓡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. @jaxtheveiI]

⠀

being twenty is always weird.

( as though he's not a mere 2 years older than that . . .

but he's right, he thinks. it IS weird. )

my family didn't talk a lot either.

⠀