Butterfly Glands and Neurological Differences

"So, kiddo," Drifter started, approaching Tenno as they sat on the ledge. "You called, what's up?"

Tenno shook their head, laughing a bit. "Don't start like that. C'mon, you're me, you know exactly why I called."

It's true, a meeting of the minds had crossed Drifter's thoughts more than once, just to check in, to make sure they're still doing OK. It was weird, at first, but they rationalized it was just taking care of themself.

"Sure, yeah. You doing okay?" Drifter cut to the chase.

"I'm alright, things haven't gotten worse if that's the question." Tenno shrugged, not fully looking at Drifter. "Haven't been too invasive?"

"I've barely heard a peep from you since this started," Drifter sat down beside the Tenno, "I guess it gets quieter when you actually meet the other yous. Eleanor said she felt more certain of herself after meeting her Nun self."

"Yeah, I suppose." Tenno looked over. "They seem happier, I think? I dunno."

"Wait, you mean the warframes?" Drifter tilted their head.

"Yeah, I don't know what you're doing, but there's.. There's less resistance, during transferrence, and sometimes even a kind of joy when we're working together." Tenno elaborated, looking back out at the open sky. They had found a quiet place on Earth to sit, away from the fighting, away from anything, really. The old temple that held the first frames had been long abandoned at this point.  

"Huh, that's, really good, actually." Drifter nodded, following Tenno's gaze up to the sky. "You take away their pain here, I heal it in the past. Suppose that makes them feel you're safe too. Different, but safe."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Tenno laughed, before their shoulders dropped entirely. "They're doing good by you too, you seem lighter."

Drifter paused, looking over the kid beside them. They looked exhausted, older, with the dark circles under their eyes, and the stress lines on their face. Drifter placed a hand on Tenno's shoulder.

"Anybody here to help you, kid?" The question hung in the air. The shoe dropped with a heartbreaking resonance.

"Only help I get is Ordis and what alliances I can make. Except whatever you choose to do in the past, I'm more on call making sure people don't die." It was a cold laugh as they shook their head. "Gotta help everyone else first."

"No?" Drifter found their voice quicker than they anticipated. "Kid, you don't have to be facing this on your own, I mean Lotus should at least—"

"Should, but that's different. People talk to you like an equal, like someone who matters, and not just in the saving people from their own mistakes kind of way." Tenno countered, shaking their head as their eyes stung with tears. "Who have I got? Really? Who doesn't have some twisted ulterior motive?" Tenno's voice was cracking with every word.

Drifter's grip on their shoulder tightened. Drifter pulled Tenno in for a hug, and the kid just clung to them, taking deep, shuddering breaths.

"You have me, and you have Ordis.. I know that's not many, but it's enough to start." Drifter tried to reassure them, their own eyes starting to sting with tears. "But you've been lonely for a long while, huh?"

Tenno nodded, trying to keep themself from breaking all the way down, letting themself be held for the first time in a long while.

"Yeah, I mean, I get that I can be helpful, but.." Tenno laughed, trying to scrub the tears off their face already. "I mean, the last time someone was looking out for me while I was in danger like that was.. Was Loid, Lotus kept pushing and Ordis wasn't there."

"So it feels like you gotta hide this from everyone else cause they're depending on you, huh?" Drifter knew that feeling all too well, but it had been dispersed more and more as they hung out with the Hex and Triad. "You gotta be able to depend on someone else too, eventually. The worlds can wait for a little bit when you sleep."

"I haven't been…" Tenno sighed, pulling away. "I haven't been sleeping, there's just so much to do and not nearly enough time to do everything."

Drifter gave Tenno that one look, you know the one, the one where you're expecting a lecture but someone's biting their tongue because they know you know better than what you actually did. The lips pressed into a thin line, the one eyebrow raised, and the steady tone of "I know I did not hear that from you."

"Kid…It can wait. I promise. Whether you do or don't, it all winds up the same anyways, remember?" Drifter evoked the pain in the ass philosophy of Eternalism. While Tenno shuddered at the thought, they knew Drifter was right. "Be the you that sleeps, and that talks to someone about the shit that's bothering you."

Tenno sighed, relenting and looking back out at all the stars.

"Yeah, right, supposed Saviors of the system weighed down by their own memories." Tenno sighed, "The Hex really got to you good, helping you through a lot of this. I hope I get a turn soon."  

"You will, kiddo, like right now." Drifter offered, patting their shoulder. "Let me have it. I didn't get to see the war after all."

"You really want that?" Tenno raised an eyebrow, watching as Drifter leaned back on their hands.

"Why not?" was the challenge that came. "We gotta take care of ourself. And sometimes it helps just to talk about it, not everything all at once, but pieces. And not in that Refractory bullshit."

Tenno sighed, laughing with a nod as they looked back out at the stars. The stars seemed brighter tonight, for the first time in a long time, truely beautiful. A comet passed them by.

"The refractory is bullshit isn't it?" Tenno sighed, rubbing the back of their neck. "You never met Adis, either.. But he gave everything for us to be here."

"You miss them," Drifter nodded, listening. Tenno laughed, shaking their head.

"That's an understatement, we were.. Promised? Bound, to one another before Adis passed. He was my best friend."

The rest of the night would pass all the same, the Tenno speaking about Adis, letting themself finally feel the grief that had been keeping them up at night. And Drifter listened, nodding and talking with Tenno like they were any other person. That's what Tenno had wanted after all.

So they listened until the sun rose, and the Tenno sighed.

"Yeah, okay, you're right… That helped a lot." Tenno sighed, looking more exhausted than when they started, but remarkably lighter. The tension they held sitting upright was gone, allowing them to slouch a little.

"Right?" Drifter chuckled, "Now it's time we both got some sleep." Drifter got to their feet, offering to help Tenno up.

Tenno took their hand, nodding. As Drifter hoisted Tenno up, there was a flicker of a sibling's familiarity in the face that looked like theirs.

"And remember, kiddo, taking care of yourself is just as important as the rest of the system."

 "Right.. Didn't someone say that the worst thing we could do is make feel like someone isn't seen?"

"You'd like Quincy." Drifter laughed, nodding. "Yeah, kid, he did say that. So let yourself be seen too, even if it's just.. Well, you looking back."

"You're still older by a few years," Tenno teased, laughing a little. "But I hear you. Thanks."