isawallflower: (when i realized)
𝓡𝓲𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓶𝓼 ([personal profile] isawallflower) wrote2020-11-01 10:20 pm
Entry tags:

RYSLIG; ic inbox

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CHEERYCHERRY.

FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 019.46.820.17

*** CHEERYCHERRY has joined 019.46.820.17
<CHEERYCHERRY> It's Riley!
<CHEERYCHERRY> Please leave a message!
<CHEERYCHERRY> Please be someone with their priorities sorted out properly!


main: CheeryCherry
anonymous: panthera, aed
retired: gflynn (anon)
dead_eyed_wolf: concern (⛈️ i'm awake)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-06-16 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
[God, she's still so scared - but there's a glimmer of relief, too, enough that Mukuro doesn't want to just immediately retreat and leave her be. Especially when that very familiar despair makes itself known. Seeing it on Riley's face, of all people - it hurts in a way she didn't expect, makes her stomach twist with guilt and worry.

--She's hurting herself again.

Mukuro moves forward without even thinking about it, reaching first to take Riley's taloned hand, to stop her from carving into herself any further. She doesn't care if she gets hurt, instead. She can handle it, and the Fog heals. No, in fact, she pulls Riley gently towards her and right into another embrace, with her other arm wrapped around her and her snout resting over Riley's shoulder. The better to murmur to her, very softly:]


It's okay. I promise.
I'm not leaving you alone.
dead_eyed_wolf: sigh (⛈️ in your eyes)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-06-16 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
[She shakes her head a little, shifting a bit so she can more easily pull Riley into her lap. She lets go of Riley's hand, but only so she can loop her arm around her for a more complete embrace. Even her tail curls up and tucks around them, as best it can. Anything to give Riley even a tiny bit more comfort.]

No, I won't.

[Mukuro's voice is as gentle as her touch, trying so hard to keep the wolfish rumble out of it - the last thing she wants is to scare her.]

Riley, I promise, it's okay. You -

[She swallows, wonders if it's better or worse to mention this, before deciding it's better not to make Riley tear her confession out of herself again. So even though she's half-convinced Riley will be angry at her for the deception, if she remembers, Mukuro continues in a near-whisper.]

...You already told me. When you were - sick.
dead_eyed_wolf: unsure (🐺 comes down to speak)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-06-16 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Another little shake of her head. This feels a little like picking at a scab. Like she's hurting Riley all over again. But - it's a wound that needs airing out.]

I saw you fall - you needed help, so I brought you home. You thought I was someone else.

[Someone better, that hissing voice reminds her, but she shoves it aside. Her stupid feelings aren't important right now. No, she's here for Riley, she's here to help clean out this old hurt. She speaks very softly, arms still around the harpy, holding her in a nest of warm fur.]

You told me - what happened. At your sleepover.
Edited (im a mess) 2021-06-16 18:52 (UTC)
dead_eyed_wolf: sigh (⛈️ in your eyes)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-06-16 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[She can feel it, Riley's rapid heartbeat fluttering in the cage of her chest. She can feel how tense she is, like a string pulled so taut it's seconds away from snapping. She's scared - she's terrified, of course she is, she's terrified that Mukuro will - hurt her, or hate her, or expose her to the world.

Of being left alone.

It's an echo of a fear Mukuro has handled many times before. Not her own, but close enough to her heart for it to feel like second nature. She doesn't think twice, doesn't hesitate - just turns her head slightly to nuzzle at the harpy, closing her eyes and holding her just a bit tighter.]


It's okay.

[When she speaks, it's with the voice she used when they were small. Soft and reassuring, even if it's a different recipient, this time. It's okay, I'm here.]

Riley, it's okay, I promise.
I'm not afraid of you. And - I'd never tell.
dead_eyed_wolf: tears (🐺 with animals)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-06-17 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
[Her ears droop, a little, listening to Riley's ragged breathing and desperate fragmented speech. It's so clear how badly she's hurting.]

I know. I know you are.

[There's a pause, where Mukuro tries to think of what to say. She's always been clumsy with her words, always found it so much harder to speak instead of act - Riley feels so fragile under her hands, like she could break at any second, and Mukuro doesn't trust herself to fix anything when all she's good for is destruction. But she has to try. Because she's the one who's here, even if Riley deserves better. Riley needs her to try. So she nuzzles at her again, lets her clutch at her fur, and murmurs quietly into her pointed ear.]

Riley... You're not a bad person.
Bad people don't feel so guilty.

[Not like her.]
dead_eyed_wolf: unsure (🐺 comes down to speak)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-07-05 09:08 am (UTC)(link)
[There are so many things she could say to that.

'We all are' comes to mind, but that isn't what this is really about. 'I'm much worse than you' isn't exactly comforting, and the last thing she wants is for Riley to be any more scared of her than she might already be. But - it doesn't matter. Nothing she could say matters, right now; she doesn't need stupid platitudes. Even if Mukuro wasn't awful at talking, Riley can't listen. Not when she's this strung out and panicked. So. Instead, she pulls back just far enough to look Riley in the face, bright yellow eyes steady and piercing.]


Riley.
Look at me.

[Her voice is still low and quiet, but right now, it's demanding her attention. As much as it hurts to see Riley like this, Mukuro has plenty of experience handling panic attacks - she's not about to let Riley just sit here and deteriorate.]

Everything will be okay.
Just breathe along with me for now.
dead_eyed_wolf: contemplative (⛈️ into you)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-07-05 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Riley looks, despite her weak protests, and Mukuro looks back unflinchingly - though she keeps her snout angled slightly downward when she speaks again, to hide her teeth.]

Good. See, you can do it.
Just focus on me.

[She breathes in, slow and deep, filling her lungs almost entirely before starting a controlled exhale. Modeling for Riley.]
dead_eyed_wolf: soft eyes (⛈️ in a land)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-07-06 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
[Mukuro waits, eyes on Riley's all the while. She can be patient for Riley; she'd wait hours if that's what it took. It's not as though she has anything else to do - and even if she did, this is important. Riley is important.]

That's it... good, you've got it.
You're okay, Riley.

[She speaks in a low murmur, soft enough that Riley needs to stay close and focused to listen, but with more warmth in her tone than usual. It's hard to stay distant and dead when you're this close with someone, and when the situation is this close to your heart. They're still so intertwined - Riley was one of the first to break past Mukuro's usual aversion to touch, and it feels almost completely natural now to keep her arms around the harpy in her lap.]
dead_eyed_wolf: contemplative (⛈️ into you)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-07-08 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
I know. It's okay.

[Mukuro murmurs back to her without any hesitation. She knows Riley can't just turn it off - when your emotions overflow that badly, you can't stop everything leaking out the broken cracks even once you calm down a little. You're stuck at reduced capacity for a while. She's had a lifetime of experience with breakdowns like this.

One hand comes up to rub Riley's back - just like the last time she'd come here to help. Just another gentle attempt to help keep her grounded, reassure her that she isn't alone.]


You're doing good. Take all the time you need, it's okay.
dead_eyed_wolf: soft eyes (⛈️ in a land)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-07-08 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Mukuro's maintained a sense of calm through all this - she had to, if she wanted to be an anchor for Riley, adrift in her feelings. But she feels much more at ease when she feels the harpy slowly relaxing, even if only by degrees. She allows herself to touch her snout to Riley's cheek, the lightest nuzzle, before she speaks again.]

Its okay. I told you... I want to help, if you need it.
I don't mind - being here.

[The opposite, in fact. It feels good to be useful - and to be gentle, rather than fierce. It's rare, and she's not as good at it. But she's trying.]
dead_eyed_wolf: sigh (⛈️ in your eyes)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-07-09 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh. Riley clinging to her makes her own embrace tighten a little. It's okay, she's not going anywhere.]

Of course.
I couldn't just leave you there; you were really sick. I was - worried.

[So much so that Mukuro had to act immediately, rather than find someone else to help. For the best, it seems.]

...I - promised. Right...?
To - to help you.
And I - it's the least I could do. To make up for - everything.

[For hurting her, for killing her, for losing control of herself and betraying Riley's trust in her.]
dead_eyed_wolf: tears (🐺 with animals)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf 2021-08-01 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, she said it. They knew, they both knew already - how could they not? - but voicing it made it so much more real. Impossible to ignore. It's so rare for anyone to open themselves up like that, but for Riley - always so tense, always trying to be perfect - it must be so much harder. Mukuro curls over Riley as much as she can, hugging her tight to her fluffy chest. There's guilt like bile in her throat, but how she feels isn't important right now - the only important thing is making sure Riley is okay. As okay as any of them can be, here.]

...I know. And I - I'm sorry, Riley, I didn't mean--

[She swallows a little, and tries again. Because she did mean to, in the end. It had been a very calculated move. Much moreso than her panicked feral fighting had been before it.]

I never wanted to - to h-hurt you. I didn't - I wasn't thinking right, I don't - I don't know. I've never felt - so panicked, n-not - not in ages, I can usually stay calm, I should've been - better.

I'm so sorry.

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-02 05:37 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-03 01:48 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-03 03:55 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-03 06:13 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-03 06:24 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-03 06:50 (UTC) - Expand

cw: hoo boy, see above

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-03 23:27 (UTC) - Expand

cw: Very Bad Parents!!

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-04 00:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-04 01:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-04 02:20 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-04 07:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-08 19:03 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-09 04:23 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dead_eyed_wolf - 2021-08-09 07:07 (UTC) - Expand