[ for a moment, he just stares at yves, clearly taken aback. glances at penny, where she's stopped moving on his bed, the egg, all the strange surroundings...
and gives a shaky little laugh. ]
How could I not be a little overwhelmed? Last I knew, I fell asleep in my room and woke up here where we're all supposed to be dead, in a place none of us recognize, and Iris's dumb arm is here and I don't know if that means he's supposed to be dead or not, too. I don't even know where to begin processing all of this.
that sounds about right. it's even scarier to think that his death came so suddenly that it's even more of a shock to just wake up dead. yves walked headfirst into his death - it's a blessing, in a way, in comparison. ]
... c'mere. That's a lot.
[ and he's just going to lean forward and give laurence a hug, because that's a lot for anyone to process. ]
[ surprised, laurence stiffens at the touch. it's not often that the elders in the tower reach out to him in comfort, everyone too focused on living normal lives and behaving as the tower tells them to bother. and he's seventeen, after all, just a few years out from adulthood in the tower's eyes.
...he melts into the hug easily a second later, quietly relieved to have someone who cares enough to even try. ]
I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. At least back home, I could try to help someone, but my powers won't even work here.
[ when laurence melts into the hug, yves easily adjusts his hold to make it all the more comfortable for him. he gently rubs his back, making a soft, understanding noise ]
It's okay.
You don't need to know right away. It's alright to take a second just to gain your bearings before having to worry about how to look after other people. You can let yourself be looked after for a bit.
That's what balance is. Helping others when they stumble, but knowing it's okay to stumble too.
But I don't even know how to do that - look after other people. The last times I've tried, I...
[ well. it's hard to get the words out, ashamed as he is. ]
I wasn't there for someone when I could've been, and now he's gone. That old lady wouldn't even answer me anymore... and now we're in this weird place. How are we supposed to look after anyone if we're already dead?
[ when he struggles a bit, yves gives him a little reassuring squeeze in the hug. brief, but a little like he's trying to help hold him together. ]
Because it's not over yet. [ softly ]
But it's okay. Really. Or... it'll be okay, eventually. You can take your time to feel everything you need to feel, without worrying about the future right now.
[ softly. mumbled, more than anything, because it's a little embarrassing and he feels kind of childish for needing to be reassured at all. but it's just so much to process. ]
I don't get it. How are you so optimistic about this? It's not like we can back if it's true we died.
[ it is so much to process, especially if you already haven't experienced what seems like 'the outside world'. if all you've ever known is this tower, how can you process death and chaos and such little explanation? ]
Just 'Yves' is okay.
[ he pulls back a little, still keeping his hands on laurence's shoulders but offering up a smile ]
You might think my reasoning is a little simplistic... but I was prepared for death to be fire and brimstone. Or worse, I thought it'd be so, so lonely. [ and that scared him so much more ]
But... this isn't that. And even if things don't make sense, I've gotten to reunite with some people I really wanted to see. I got to meet you, even though I'm sorry the circumstances aren't better.
But we have a roof over our heads and comfy beds and food. So... I'm choosing to be happy about that, before tackling what's next. Because even in life, I didn't always have all these things.
I'm... really glad we aren't here alone. And that you have people you know.
[ still feels a little lonely being so out of his depth without anyone else who even knows what a demiflora is, but they aren't alone, and that's good enough. ]
I guess you're right. The afterlife could be worse.
[ it's not fire and brimstone. it's not even an empty sky void anymore. he shouldn't complain too much just because it's something strange and unlike the tower. ]
What is next? Those "networks" and stuff? Is that working out yet?
A little bit. It's trust building with people, and making allies. I already found someone who wanted to join my handyman guild! [ yaaaay ] And a few people who said they'll share information.
There's a lot of good people here, who all want to get to the same results of everyone flourishing. So I have a bit more faith than usual that things will work out.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ for whatever happened with the curse. he's only read stories about such things, but they never seem to end well. ]
Maybe. I... don't really know much about souls or afterlives.
no subject
It's okay.
[ and then earnestly: ]
I'm not gonna baby you, Laurence. You're clearly a smart guy with a good heart.
But if this is getting overwhelming, you can tell me so. And we can take a second.
no subject
and gives a shaky little laugh. ]
How could I not be a little overwhelmed? Last I knew, I fell asleep in my room and woke up here where we're all supposed to be dead, in a place none of us recognize, and Iris's dumb arm is here and I don't know if that means he's supposed to be dead or not, too. I don't even know where to begin processing all of this.
no subject
that sounds about right. it's even scarier to think that his death came so suddenly that it's even more of a shock to just wake up dead. yves walked headfirst into his death - it's a blessing, in a way, in comparison. ]
... c'mere. That's a lot.
[ and he's just going to lean forward and give laurence a hug, because that's a lot for anyone to process. ]
no subject
...he melts into the hug easily a second later, quietly relieved to have someone who cares enough to even try. ]
I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. At least back home, I could try to help someone, but my powers won't even work here.
no subject
It's okay.
You don't need to know right away. It's alright to take a second just to gain your bearings before having to worry about how to look after other people. You can let yourself be looked after for a bit.
That's what balance is. Helping others when they stumble, but knowing it's okay to stumble too.
no subject
[ well. it's hard to get the words out, ashamed as he is. ]
I wasn't there for someone when I could've been, and now he's gone. That old lady wouldn't even answer me anymore... and now we're in this weird place. How are we supposed to look after anyone if we're already dead?
no subject
Because it's not over yet. [ softly ]
But it's okay. Really. Or... it'll be okay, eventually. You can take your time to feel everything you need to feel, without worrying about the future right now.
I've got you.
no subject
[ softly. mumbled, more than anything, because it's a little embarrassing and he feels kind of childish for needing to be reassured at all. but it's just so much to process. ]
I don't get it. How are you so optimistic about this? It's not like we can back if it's true we died.
no subject
Just 'Yves' is okay.
[ he pulls back a little, still keeping his hands on laurence's shoulders but offering up a smile ]
You might think my reasoning is a little simplistic... but I was prepared for death to be fire and brimstone. Or worse, I thought it'd be so, so lonely. [ and that scared him so much more ]
But... this isn't that. And even if things don't make sense, I've gotten to reunite with some people I really wanted to see. I got to meet you, even though I'm sorry the circumstances aren't better.
But we have a roof over our heads and comfy beds and food. So... I'm choosing to be happy about that, before tackling what's next. Because even in life, I didn't always have all these things.
no subject
I'm... really glad we aren't here alone. And that you have people you know.
[ still feels a little lonely being so out of his depth without anyone else who even knows what a demiflora is, but they aren't alone, and that's good enough. ]
I guess you're right. The afterlife could be worse.
[ it's not fire and brimstone. it's not even an empty sky void anymore. he shouldn't complain too much just because it's something strange and unlike the tower. ]
What is next? Those "networks" and stuff? Is that working out yet?
[ how long do things like that even take ]
no subject
A little bit. It's trust building with people, and making allies. I already found someone who wanted to join my handyman guild! [ yaaaay ] And a few people who said they'll share information.
There's a lot of good people here, who all want to get to the same results of everyone flourishing. So I have a bit more faith than usual that things will work out.