#coldermiser

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“Snow... You’re trembling...” He hadn’t seen his friend like this before, and it was worrying, to say the least. Damien wasn’t sure what to expect at all, but he couldn’t stand aside and do nothing. “I’m going to come a little closer, okay?” 

Making New Friends

@coldermiser

“...Scary isn’t the word I was gonna use.”

“Oh, no no. Don’t worry about me. I suppose I’m just confused because I do not recall meeting your brother.” Maybe that was for the best. A bird chirping overhead brought his attention to why he was outside and he looked up at Snow Miser. “If you aren’t doing anything, would you care to walk with me? I have to get to my office soon.”

The game was over, and a rather drunk Damien was sprawled on the couch beside a rather tired assistant. The shot glass had been swapped for the tumbler, and said tumbler had been refilled twice.

"Never have I ever... Eveeer.... 'm a terrible friend..." Damien murmured, head lolling back. The assistant looked worried as she turned to him.

"No you aren't. You're a great friend," she tried to argue, but Damien sat up slowly. He looked very sorrowful right now.

"Noo no. I-I... I am. Iz m'fault Mark an' Will don't talk. Should've known somefin was wrong... Ahcould've stopped it..." Tears were starting to fall. Ever since he had mentioned the two in passing, it was nigh impossible for him to get them out of his head. It had been two years since he had gotten this wasted, and both his best friends were at his side. Now, neither talked to the other, and he was stranded in the middle, trying to remain friendly with both. "They... They could've talked. I could've saved everyfin..."

"Damien..." The assistant sighed as Damien dropped his head onto her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what was going on at the time. You're a great friend." When she didn't get an answer, she decided to continue. "Like... You insisted Yen go to the doctor when they kept acting like nothing was wrong... You asked a complete stranger if you could mind his dog when they mentioned they had to work. Or remember how you forced Saria to take a break from her assignments?" Damien gave a weak nod and a sniff. "Let's see... You took extra time off while attending meetings out of town to check in on Riley; and you let a bunch of gangsters crash your party and agree to find you a partner when you finish your term. Then there was the time you told a bedridden Marion stories to keep their mind occupied after their leg injury... Oh, and don't forget how you let a snow elemental give the entire city a snow day, or how you and Reika kept sending each other cute photos of animals...." The assistant paused, peeking down to gauge Damien's reaction. Half-lidded eyes peered up at her. They were puffy and red.

"You think 'ey hate meh?" It was a genuine worry in his intoxicated mind.

"Of course they don't. I promise you they don't." She gently patted him on the head, before carefully pushing him back toward the couch. "You have a whole bunch of friends who think the world of you. That's only the tip of the iceberg, but it's nearly 2am and I really need to sleep." She glanced over her shoulder as Marion poked their head into the room.

"Get some sleep, you numpty."

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What kind of relationship does your muse want with mine? {accepting}

@coldermiser

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Of course, of course. When explained like that, Snow’s sudden disappearance made perfect sense, especially in somewhere like California. Without warning, Damien pulled Snow into a hug, ignoring the cold.