[CLOSED] noah pushes nene into the swimming pool

[silentabyss]

Who: Noah & Nene
What: literally what it says on the tin folks
When: 10/1 in the morning
Where: The pool
Warnings: Noah Ebalon is an asshole, also heavy mentions of PTSD... guys it's Noah idk what to say at this point

Comments

[silentabyss]

Me too, but you were the one who suggested it.

[It's her fauuuuuult!]

...I can tell you a story instead, while we just lay here. A... one that's not... awful, I mean. A good story.

[mermaidcursed]

I meant in the near future, not right now!

( she huffs slightly, before sighing- more out of coziness than anything. )

Mm... okay.

[silentabyss]

[Oh FUCK now he has to think of a good story, he did not think this through. Okay. Uh.]

...I... uh... wh-when I woke up from being sealed in the Temple of Time, I met this girl named Yuria. I don't know if I told you about her before. ...she was my second friend ever, Clamor being the first. We didn't get to spend much time together, but... uh... She's— she's way smarter than I'll ever be and she's good at magic, too. She was with me for a lot of the year I spent after waking up.

[And the stories he has from there are decidedly less happy. How does he broach the topic of "oh yeah her sister was in that cult I hate and then she's dead now"? So he doesn't, and instead just says,]

Yuria's probably wondering where I am now. I used to wish she was here, but... uh... not anymore.

[Because that would mean she died.]

[mermaidcursed]

... I know what you mean.

( she had wished so often to not be alone in this place- to have a familiar face to help reassure her. now she knows that if she saw anyone from home here, she'd probably cry.

...

there's no words for how guilty she feels for having summoned hanako to her like this. )

... What's Yuria like?

[silentabyss]

She's... um.

[Like the 30th person Noah has a crush on, it's fine. First crushes and all that... Clamor had teased him about it back home. Oof.]

I think you've seen my drawings of her. She's the girl with the side ponytail and the big round glasses. She was pretty cheerful. I used to wonder how people could be that cheerful. And for being a kid my age, she had a lot of advice to give me too.

[She used to tell him he wasn't scared of others as much as he's scared of himself. Noah supposes that's true.]

You remind me of her in a way. You're both really tough, just in different ways.

[mermaidcursed]

( tough, huh...? nene presses a bit more against noah, cheek on his collar bone, looking down. )

... I don't feel that way at all.

( but everyone needs her to be. to shine and smile and bring a sense of normalcy. so that's what she does- it's all she can do. )

[silentabyss]

...if you weren't tough, you would've given up by now. Like I tried to.

[mermaidcursed]

You're not any less strong for it. For needing help, too. ... You lasted this long. Let yourself rest now, okay?

( as she speaks, she shifts to brush some hair out of his face, voice soft and touch softer. )

We can keep going when we're both ready.