forum Stronger than Some // Roleplay with Crocs

Started November 01, 2019 by Deleted user

tune

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"'Night, Ray." Her words were slowing again, more rapidly this time, as sleep snuck up behind her with a baseball bat. "'S good t' see you again."

"It's good to see you again, too," he mumbled, sleep coming to him much slower, with a pillow instead of a bat.

When Khione woke from her nightmare, it was violently. She jerked straight up, hand reaching for the gun she kept under her pillow before she paused. This wasn’t the couch, or Rico’s bed. You’re at Ray’s place. She reminded herself, over and over again as she pressed her hand to her chest instead, willing her heart to slow and her heavy and panicked breathing to quiet. She didn’t want to wake Raymond.

It was too late for that. Raymond grunted slightly as his eyes opened and he sat up, yawning loudly.
"Mmmhph?" he said, turning to Khione with a slightly confused expression.

“S-sorry.” Khione stuttered out, curling up to hide the trembling as well as she could. “Go back to sleep, Ray.” ”What are you doing all alone, Frost? Don’t you know pretty girls should be careful around here?” Scrambling for the sleeves of the hoodie, she pulled them up, pressing her fingernails into her arms to try and clear her head using the pain.

"You don't stutter," he mumbled, his confused expression changing into a frown. "What was the dream about?"

She shook her head hurriedly. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Just something that happened long enough ago I should be over it.”

"That's not true," he insisted, shaking the last bit of sleep from his eyes and focusing on Khione. "When there's things to get over, you get over it. This is something serious."

She didn’t respond for a bit, what was only maybe a minute but felt like a thousand. “God, I-I can still feels his hands. It’s been years. I should’ve gotten over it. It’s been long enough.” ”You don’t get to run, sweetheart.” At least it hadn’t been the other nightmare.

Raymond frowned, conflicted between anger and sadness. He was too tired to be angry, so he just scooted the rest of the way over to Khione and wrapped an arm around her shoulders again.
"I….when did this happen?"

“Started after…I first joined the Reapers. He knew. Right after o passed.” She whispered, still shaking her head. It slowed the other shaking. “Last time was…out of nowhere. Right after Rico and I moved.”

"Why didn't you even tell me?" he asked, beginning to gently rub the shoulder his hand rested on. "I could have helped you. Maybe not prevent it, but….still."

“Nothin’ t’ be done. Just had to ignore it. There were more important things to focus on.” She said, the running of her shoulder a bit more comforting than she’d expected. “I had things to do.”

"That doesn't make any sense," he said, his hand pausing from rubbing her shoulder. "Having things to do doesn't mean you don't ask for help."

“Too busy. I don’t need help, anyway.” She said, managing to take a full and steady breath. “I’m supposed to be strong. That’s my job. Strong enough to be in charge. Can’t do that if I need help.”

"Being strong has nothing to do with needing help," he said, his voice catching a bit more heat than usual. "And if you didn't need help, you wouldn't have nightmares, Khione."

"I don't need help. I'm doin' fine, Ray. I handled everythin' fine. 'S fine." Fine fine fine. Liar liar liar. But she really did believe it was fine. That she was fine. This was fine for her, so what else was she supposed to think?

Raymond's jaw clenched about midway through what she was saying, keeping his frustration down. He pulled his arm back to his side and laid down again, rolling over so he was facing away from Khione. If she wasn't going to talk, he was just gonna go back to bed since he didn't see the point in arguing with her.

Khione stayed there for only a moment longer before standing, the trembling becoming just a bit more noticeable as she did. Stop. Stop shaking. Stop being weak. The reminders did nothing. "I'm goin'…somewhere. Maybe outside." She said, a vague enough sentence. She needed time alone to compose herself, because apparently, Raymond's presence did nothing but make her vulnerable. Made it just how obvious her own lies to herself were.

"You should put some shoes on," he said, his voice sounding strangely distant. This amount of emotion coming from him only happened when he was tired. It was…difficult to see her like this. She was all shaky, and she was hurting herself because of how hard her nails were digging into her arms. Maybe she thought hiding her hands would mean he wouldn't notice, but he did. "It's too cold outside for you to be walking around barefoot.."

"Shoes. Yeah." She nodded a few times, grabbing her phone off the nightstand and tucking it in her pocket as she took a few steps towards the doorway. She lingered there, feeling like there was more to be said. If only she could figure out what it was. With a shake of her head, she continued down the hall, footsteps pausing at every doorway as she habitually checked to make sure she wouldn't be jumped. On some level, she knew she wouldn't, but on another….