noblerise | IC Inbox

[It would've been more convenient to go back to their place, so Elliot gets the temptation, but in the long run it's probably best they don't have the feral black Order folks barging into their home at what might be all hours.

Once they reach Jusis's door, Elliot will get up off his resting spot on Jusis and jump down. Once he lands on the ground, he'll transform back to a human and stretch his arms. Feels good to have human limbs and height again.]

If not, I can get the door. I'd just need the key.

[Jusis is grateful that Rean avoids the crowds, though he does protest silently to being carried up to his apartment, even if it's needed. The blond has reached his limit for princess carrying.]

As long as you help support me, I should be able to at least walk the rest of the way.

[He's still a proud man! Once Jusis is set down on his feet, he'll reach over to grab Rean's shoulder to steady himself. Fishing out his key, he's able to unlock and open the door. Although still unsteady, Jusis isn't shaking from exhaustion anymore, so he's found enough of a second wind. After a moment of hesitation, the blond moves so that his arm is across Rean's shoulders instead. He leans against the other man, though not very heavily.]

My room is at the end of the hall. Feel free to use the kitchen if you want something to eat.

Of course.

[Rean gently lets Jusis down, and is more than happy to help support him as they make their way down the hall to Jusis' bedroom]

Mm. And do you want anything? I somehow doubt you've been particularly well-fed these past few days...

[Elliot meanwhile will follow along]

Yeah, I'm more worried about what you've eaten Jusis. How about I cook something up for you?

[Jusis looks perplexed for a moment before remembering that time is fucked up.]

Ah, for me it felt at most a few hours rather than days. Time may have been distorted while I was in there.

[He's walking fairly slow, but only so that he can keep himself from leaning too heavily on his friend. The last thing Jusis wants is to fall on his face the moment they take a few steps in.]

That said, I wouldn't say no to eating something. I might fall asleep while waiting, but I don't mind being woken up if I do.

[Jusis is at least honest about it.]

That so? Well, I'm glad for that at least.

[It's okay, Rean's happy to take this as slowly as Jusis needs. One step at a time, he'll make it there sooner rather than later. It's not like it's a super long hallway.]

Okay, sounds like we'll be prepping dinner for three, then. [...] You gonna be okay in here if I tidy some stuff up, or do you want me to stay?

[Once again, Rean has no idea how the things that come out of his mouth could be misconstrued, but he genuinely just doesn't want to leave Jusis by himself if he needs company.

He knows well what it's like to not want to be left in your own head, after all.]

Yeah, it's been at least a couple days since you went in there. Better get you feed soon, just in case. You like chowder right? I'll make you a bowl of that.

[Aww Rean. Elliot won't really read deeper into Rean's words, since he knows the guy is genuinely concerned about Jusis. He'll reach over and put a gentle hand on Rean's upper arm]

I should be alright making dinner on my own. How about you keep Jusis company once you finish cleaning up?

[He has a feeling both of them would benefit from spending time together, but Jusis might be too proud to admit it]

Chowder is more than fine. I haven't had it since leaving North Carolina.

[Jusis looks at the both of them quietly for a moment, debating. Finally, he gives them a nod.]

I'd appreciate the company, thank you. If you're tidying up, I could use that time to get into nightclothes. I have strength enough to do that much on my own.

[Sleeping in his suit is not his idea of a good night, to be honest.]

[Rean actually seems pretty relieved by Elliot's suggestion— seems that's what he wanted to do anyway.]

Sounds like a plan to me. Let's just get you in here first...

[He helps Jusis the rest of the way down the hallway, only letting go of Jusis once he's sure he's seated on the bed and not likely to faceplant. Jusis faceplanting is an outcome that absolutely no one desires.

Once that's dealt with, Rean pulls away and offers Jusis a small smile.]

There you go.

I'll be back in just a bit, then. Call if you need anything, okay?

[He'll wait for Jusis' okay before heading out of the bedroom.]

[Jusis gives a nod and walks with Rean into his bedroom. It's meticulously clean, most likely thanks to Velvet, but there really isn't too much personalization in this room. The rest of the apartment does have touches of Jusis, but this place is a little less so. About the only things that give his room character are the photos on his desk and what hang from the walls, as well as a couple of trophies on his bookshelf.

One seems to be of his mother, uncle, and a five-year-old Jusis in an beat-up, old frame. Another is the photo taken from Prince Olivert and Schera's wedding. Beside that is a photo of old Class VII. Hanging from the wall to the right are photos that he seems to have been proud of, or at least happy. One's a photo of him in college on the back of a horse during a race. Another, maybe around the same age as the racing picture, is of him and a young woman holding a gold trophy between them for what might be a ballroom dance competition. The last is of Jusis holding up his law license while his mother grins proudly at the camera, her arm around his shoulders.

Jusis is steady once Rean helps sit him down on the edge of his bed. His expression is one of subtle gratitude as his friend pulls away, and he returns the smile with a small one of his own.]

Of course, you have my word.

[The blond waits until Rean has left before getting back up. He's a little shaky in the knees, but after walking around he feels steadier. Jusis almost reaches for his pajama pants. However, on remembering that he's going to be covered in cats, he decides to put on pajama shorts instead. He quickly changes out of his suit and into his pale green PJs. Though, once Jusis returns to his bed, he just... lies down. He's not asleep, too tired for even that, but he's definitely lost the rest of his energy to stay sitting upright.]

[Rean does look around at the things Jusis has on the walls, but doesn't let his gaze linger too long. What he does take in, though, he recognizes as being things that must bring Jusis joy. After all, Rean has his own small collection of similar photos and the like, even framing at least one of the exact same picture, and they bring him joy as well. He's glad to see Jusis surrounds himself with these things in his most private space, even if it is more sparse than the rest of the apartment.

He leaves the room with a nod, and proceeds to go handle the bit of cleaning up he said he'd do.

His first stop is the bathroom, where he does his best to clean off any dirt and grime his clothing may have picked up in Alcatraz, and also patches up a couple of bruises and cuts he sustained while fighting. He knows he could ask Elliot to heal these up, and he probably will later, but for now they're really not bad enough to interrupt his cooking for.

With that handled (and his face splashed with some cold water for good measure, because he is also pretty wiped after this whole ordeal), he moves out into the main apartment. If he sees anything obviously out of place, he does his best to tidy it up— straightening piles of paperwork, marking and closing books left open, small things like that. He's not here to organize Jusis' apartment, just make things a little neater so it's less overwhelming when he inevitably has to get back to work. Having a neat space always helps Rean, anyway.

He does go and poke at Elliot to see if he's sure there's nothing Rean can do to help, but he's quickly ushered away, so Rean heads back towards Jusis' room as promised.]

Am I good to come in?

[Last thing he wants to do is walk in on the poor guy while he's changing. Better safe than sorry.]

[Out in the living room, there seems to be some photos hung on the wall that show he's starting to embrace his single dad life. There's a concert photo taken that Fugo has participated in, and there's a couple of others with either of the three kids in the Order. If nothing else, it clearly shows that Jusis is proud of them.

Jusis' thoughts have certainly been wandering in his momentary solitude, mostly in that he's been trying to process everything that's happened. He didn't see all of that strange prison when they left, but he gets the sense that some things... happened. Things that Jusis should probably talk to them about tomorrow, or at least some time in the near future.

He looks up when he hears Rean's voice through the door.]

It's fine, you can come in.

[Rean's sure to take in all of the photos he finds up in the living room, as well. It's really sweet just how much Jusis has taken to the kids...

...Speaking of kids, they still haven't heard from Ash. God, Rean really hopes he's okay. He has faith he will be, Ash isn't someone who'll go down easy, but still...

He's brought out of those thoughts, at least for the time being, when Jusis responds.]

Coming in, then!

[He opens the door, steps inside, and goes over to take a seat in Jusis' desk chair after a moment's hesitation. He does consider sitting on the bed beside him, but decides Jusis deserves the space to sprawl out. For now, anyway. The Cattening cometh.

He's quiet for a moment, just letting a silence hang between them. When he does speak up, his voice is uncharacteristically soft, like he's not entirely sure he wants to break that silence yet.]

...Hell of a day, huh?

[Jusis uses his pillow to help prop himself up more comfortably against the backboard of his bed frame. This way, he can at least continue to rest while being able to look at Rean as they talk.

He's equally quiet, though his friend's question earns a soft chuckle.]

Very much so. It's... going to be a lot to unpack, but I've yet to back down from a challenge.

[...]

If it's all the same to you, I don't want anyone to feel as if I'm fragile. Or that they can't talk to me about what they saw or heard. I'm not entirely certain what went on in that place, but....

[But he doesn't want them to treat him differently because of it. He's not made of glass. Jusis will accept their support more readily than he did previously, but he doesn't want it to reach a point where they believe he can't do anything himself.]

Oh, I'm sure. I don't envy you there.

[But at that last bit, Rean tilts his head a little, as if he's confused by the suggestion.]

...You know I've never once thought of you as fragile, right? And what happened in there doesn't change that.

It was... a lot of puzzles, mostly? Puzzles led by what seemed to be ghosts of your past. It was all a bit fragmented, and I'm sure I really only have the basic outline of a lot of things. Still, I feel bad that I didn't get to hear it from you. Feels a little bit intrusive, knowing things about you that you didn't get the chance to tell me.

[...]

I still want to hear it all from you, though, whenever you're ready. I still want you to have the space to make that call on your own, and I'm not going to let that place take that from you.

What I will say, though, is that from what I saw? You're not fragile at all. It takes a lot to shoulder the things you have and keep standing.

I just don't want you to feel like you have to shoulder it all alone. I want to be here to help you carry those burdens— not because I don't think you can, but because I want to be a part of your life, no matter what that may mean.

Does that make sense? [He gives a tiny smile.] I'd make a joke here about 'lapsing into my native language,' like you did for me, but I don't really speak any other languages well enough to pull it off, I'm afraid.

[Jusis doesn't speak. Instead, he silently listens to Rean, taking in his words. From the sounds of it, they've gotten fragmented glimpses of his past. Perhaps enough to paint a certain picture, but not necessarily the whole thing. Moments in his life that should've come from him by talking to his loved ones, rather than displayed like it's some sort of show of guilt.

However, at least one thing is clear at this point. He feels ready to talk about it with Elliot and Rean. Even after all of that, neither of them left him or judged his feelings as inherently wrong. They both still want to know who Jusis is, and that he's deserving of their time and care. It's... A lot to take in, but he's trying, slowly yet surely.

Though, Rean making that little call back to their previous conversation does get a smile out of him.]

I believe the language you speak most fluently in is sappy speeches. However, I did understand what you're getting at.

[Even if it sounds suspiciously close to a confession of romantic feelings. That just feels strangely familiar, so he can bet that his past self had been subjected to that once or twice before.]

It's going to be a lot to talk about, but... if you're both serious about having me in your lives, and I don't doubt anymore that you are, then I need to take steps to show you that I'm equally committed. Not out of obligation or some kind of fairness, but because I want to. As I've said, you and Elliot are important to me.

I'll see how I feel about how much I want to discuss tomorrow once I've slept. Not just to make sure my head is in the right space, but I'm also liable to pass out asleep in the middle of talking if I get into any of it in depth tonight.

[Rean can't help but laugh at that.]

Okay, you got me there. Sorry. It's like I told you before... I just can't help myself.

[There's definitely a warmth and a light to his eyes as he continues.]

I'm glad to hear that. And don't worry about taking your time— I'd rather you be in the right headspace for this, and I'm sure Elliot feels the same way. If that takes some time yet, so be it. We're here when you're ready.

...Just try not to faceplant into your chowder and we'll call that a win for tonight, yeah?

[Speaking of chowder, Elliot will return to Jusis's room, carrying a tray with three soup bowls and some bread. He can't really knock with his hands full, so they will hear Elliot's voice]

Um, room service!

...Can someone please open the door? My hands are full.

[For a very brief moment, Jusis wonders if it'll take more energy to teleport outside and then teleport Elliot in here. Obviously the answer is yes. He really is tired if he's entertaining thoughts like that for even a second.

Well, the blond is about to get up to get the door for Elliot if Rean doesn't stop him first.]

H-hey!

[Yeah, no, Rean is definitely stepping in and stopping him. Being that he's the less exhausted of the two, he's on his feet much faster.]

Listen, I know I just gave you a whole speech about how you're not weak or anything, but at least for tonight? You are letting us dote on you.

[He flashes a bright, if bone-chilling, smile at Jusis and heads over to get the door.]

Sorry about that, Elliot. Come on in.

[He can hear Rean through the door, and he gives a small headshake. Honestly just what he expected from these two. When Rean opens the door, he'll smile]

Eheh, it's no problem! Sounds like our patient is being as stubborn as I expected.

[He perhaps asked Rean to look after Jusis to prevent him from doing something like trying to straighten up the place okay.

He walks into the room properly. He sets the tray on the first flat surface he can find and busies himself with bringing a bowl of chowder to set on Jusis's nightstand with some bread. He'll then also pour a cup of tea for Jusis as well, bringing it over]

Go ahead and grab your stuff Rean. There should be plenty for all!

[In addition to the two bowls, the bread and the team - Rean will also notice there's a can of tuna on the tray. ]

[...Is he supposed to find that dangerous smile threatening or hot? Or a little of column a and a LOT of column b?

Jusis is going to ignore that and settle back down on his bed either way.]

I'm afraid that my stubbornness has gotten worse now that I'm part unicorn, part bird.

[Neither of those animals like being confined, even if it's the healthy choice. It doesn't help that Jusis is a bit too used to taking care of himself even if he's unwell or injured.

He moves to sit on the edge of his bed as Elliot places the food on his nightstand. The blond isn't risking getting food on his sheets and making it unpleasant for everyone involved, thanks. He'll take the tea from his friend.]

Thank you, Elliot. The tea is very welcome, though I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding everything in the kitchen.

Okay, yeah, I'll grant you that one. Animal instincts are hard to resist.

[Especially when you're Rean and have no dignity whatsoever. Speaking of which— IS THAT TUNA?

Rean's eyes light up like a kid on Christmas before he stops dead for a second and looks suspiciously at Elliot.]

...Are you just teasing me with this, or...?

Ahah...yeah. I know that well. I'm regularly having to keep my cat curse in check...

[Though since he has SOME dignity when he's not being a useless gay, he does it better than Rean does.

Speaking of...]

I'm not teasing! Today's been a really long day for all of us and I thought you'd like a treat. [....] Just make sure you brush your teeth before you kiss me, okay?

It's easier to keep it in check so long as I'm not startled.

[Okay, and his protective instincts are lot sharper because of his unicorn side. He's definitely noticed that he's gotten more protective over his team and his loved ones since this curse was inflicted. It'll probably be fine.

Jusis gives Elliot a Look.]

Bold of you to assume I'd let him in this bed if he didn't brush his teeth after eating it.

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