Don't Worry, Be Happy??

[firstbump]

♥ Who: Ardbert, Gaius, Emet-Selch, Era, Estinien, and potentially others (so, mostly closed except CR?)
♥ Where: Their two houses
♥ When: A span of time after the untempering plot from last week. Various scenes.
♥ What: Dealing with the aftermath
♥ Rating: PG-13 because I'm sure someone will have a filthy mouth.

The days after they succeed feel strange, like a moment stuck in time. But they succeeded, and there are days after. It's a start.

Comments

[firstbump]

Ardbert knows she's in physical pain, which is why he came to her rather than moving her to him. But he had no idea how deep her emotional pain was. Eyes wide, mouth open without sound.

She still came back, but not on her own; Hades had saved her.

Overcome with emotions himself, Ardbert closes his eyes and presses his forehead to Era's, moving his hand to cradle the back of her head. "Oh, Era...."

[astralera]

"After He was gone—" Era chokes on a tiny sob she tries to hold back, voice breaking. "We didn't want to leave him again."

[firstbump]

Hem and Era.

Ardbert's voice breaks, too. "H-He didn't want you to leave him again, either. He wanted you here, with us, as do I...."

[astralera]

Them and Hemera.

"I can't...remember...what happened? Just... feelings..." She shares. "We were so...angry at Him...for being there as if He had a rightful claim. For hurting him."

Even now Era bristles angrily at the recollection.

"He was Azem's first. Mine and yours and hers. Ours... It was like being whole again. Home again... Why would we want to leave?"

[firstbump]

We. He was there, too. Ardbert swallows.

"Ours. We couldn't just leave him..." He whispers. "The last thing I remember was feeling like I was coming home. I can't imagine how it felt for you. For all of us."

[astralera]

It was intimate, she thinks. More intimate than anything she could have ever imagined, and she did that to him without his consent...

She shudders, sniffing back more tears.

[firstbump]

Ardbert strokes his hand slowly down her back, not saying a word. She needs time to think. They both do.