Storm

Muscle of the Babylon Rogues (Admin is 21🔥🔥)

[BERRY the GROSBEAK 🍓🫐🍓🫐🍓🫐🍓🫐 @berrybluebot]

MISTER STORMS floor IS NICE!!!!!!!!!!! ITS VERY quiet ALL the TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [He starts towards his bed, moving slow, suddenly feeling colder. Maybe he hadn't wanted to separate from Berry just yet.. too late anyhow, he's already on his feet.]

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Tears are already falling down Storm's face, as much as he wishes it weren't so. He hates think he looks weak in front of Berry.]

[He doesn't respond-- couldn't if he wanted to-- instead opting to bury his face in Berry's shoulder as sobs continue to wrack his body.]

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Storm smiles back, the tension in his shoulders relaxing a little.]

thank you. for all of this.

[Slowly, he drags himself to his feet, legs feeling like jelly. In hindsight, maybe sitting on the floor for this long was a bad idea.]

+

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot Yeah, I um.. I might lay down for a bit.

You dont, uh..

You can.. stick around o-on my floor, if you want. Youre always welcome here.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Storm smiles, wiping his eyes.]

I guess so.

[Gaia, he's exhausted. It's been a long.. it's been long however long now. He pulls away a little, covering his beak as he yawns.]

I'm glad youre here, Berry. You make all of this feel.. worth it, I guess. Like it wasnt for nothing.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot Then I found the movie 'Bolt', and I got so excited I just threw it.

[He laughs again, still just a huff of air.]

It hit Bolt right in the head.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [He hums, then breathes a laugh.]

..heh. I remember that. We were gonna watch a movie that night, and I was so focused on finding a good one that I didnt even notice that no one else was looking. Completely missed what they were talking about.

+

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [He remembers that day, he'd been thinking of it when he said that. Fresh out of the looping hallway, five years older, paranoid-- he was a mess.]

[That second part comes at a bit of a surprise to him. He'll have to unpack why later.]

You.. have? What- what have you heard?

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Slowly, he looks up, his red and puffy eyes meeting Berry's. After a moment he looks away again.]

..you only ever seem to see me when I'm at my worst. I- I need you to know that I am /more/ than this, or- or at least I was more than this, once. This isnt all that I am.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Storm doesn't move for a while, crying into Berry's shoulder. When he does finally move, minutes later, it's only to turn his face away from the grosbeak. His voice is shaky, and wet from tears.]

..You'd seen way too much from me lately. Sorry about that.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@whatisknocking its ok mister storm, i promise its gonna be ok

*berry leans its head back to look at him. it doesnt want to leave the hug but there are more important things right now*

not letting you go through that ever ever again

*tears have welled in its eyes, on the verge of dropping*

[Storm @whatisknocking]

[He didn't remember when he made it back to his floor, nor does he know how long it's been since he had. He'd locked himself in his room, cycling between dissociation and active panic. Nothing felt safe. His brother was sick and he was dying and Storm had touched that sick.]

[NIKO. @PancatMessiah]

[@Babyl0nR0gues @SmarterSwallow @PassngrParasite @GoesBigNevrHome @Bucky_Barmes @LionofPride7ds @Boltsicle @whatisknocking]

[If Niko knows anything, it's that being in a situation and not having all the details is worse than blissful ignorance.]

+

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [It's overwhelming, how foreign this feels to him. The feeling of someone holding him, of physical contact. The feeling of someone seeing him, trying to know him. The feeling of being safe.]

[He cant help the way he tears up, losing his composure as his shoulders start to shake]

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Despite agreeing to it and knowing it was coming, the hug still catches him off guard. He tenses, unsure what to with his hands, with himself. Then, after a moment, he lowers his arms to hug to smaller bird back, much more successful in his venture.]

+

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [He's surprised to see Berry so upset. He knew what he went through was rough, but the emotional response still caught him off guard.]

[Berry's question even more so.]

[He stares, wide eyed, before blinking a couple times.]

U-uh.. I..

..yeah. I wouldn't mind that.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [He nods.]

Yeah.

[It's said heavily.]

You had to uh.. you had to remember what the first hallway looked like. And then in the next hallway, you had to pay attention, keep track of anything different, no matter how small..

[He swallows hard.]

It took 55 hallways to get out.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot True enough..

[He fidgets with his hands. It's clear he's visibly debating something.]

[He's quiet for a while.]

..I was stuck in a never ending hallway loop for five years.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot Yeah, I'm.. I mean I'm better than I was before. And it's nice, in a way, getting to see proof that I've made progress. Even if I've.. definitely been setback a bit, after what just happened.

[He doesn't move, letting that space between them grow smaller.]

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [His smile fades into something sadder as he reminisces.]

Yeah? I.. I guess it's been a while since I laughed. Years, probably.. guess things just haven't been funny to me. I kind of forgot what it was like.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [Storm laughs, quiet and genuine.]

Yeah, I don't think I can do that, sorry. They're stuck. I watched too much blue as a kid.

[Storm @whatisknocking]

@berrybluebot [He takes it, pulling himself out and sitting across from Berry.]

Okay, well clearly one of us is gonna have to change.

[He jokes, smiling still. He hasn't felt this light in years.]