#tw; panic

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ He doesn't know which way he went, but he doesn't have a choice in figuring it out. Setä left to go after Ling again and he was too far out to go looking for him by the time he came home from trying to look for the girl. Opettaja is gone too now and the panic that overwhelms him is something so primal, he doesn't know how to resist it so the only thing he can bring himself to do is run.

He's too fast for Revon to catch him and he's begging the man to stay behind and take care of the others and to just be there if Setä comes home because they both know the musician will turn right around and run right back out of the door to search for his bond regardless of his own health.

He can only assume that's what Opettaja is doing right now. Regardless of his own health, he's out looking for his bond. Setä has only been gone for a little over a day, so he has to come home today - doesn't he? He really shouldn't be out in this mess and neither should Opettaja.

On the brighter side of things, Opettaja couldn't have gotten too far but with the way he crumbles at the sight of a leaf that may have accidently been drug in when someone comes back from being out in Wonderland is concerning. He can't blame him. He has assumptions as to why. He can't fault him after everything he knows about that bitch and he still swears on his own Mist that he will gut her clean the next time he sees her for everything she's dared to do to his family.

He can either look in town or look in the forest and if he somehow got out further than that, then he'll just keep moving until he finds him. There is a voice in his head that is screaming at him not to be loud lest they want Gaudium to find them but there is another that couldn't give a damn and if he has to defend himself then he will simply do just that. There is a voice in his head that is much louder that is just proclaiming should Gaudium attempt to trap him than he will just introduce them to what the wrath of an Unlimited being means.

So he's sinking out of the sink and into the trees, lower and lower until he's below their canopy and that's been he breathes in deep and yells.

"OPETTAJA! MISSÄ OLET?! KUULETKOOKO MINUA?!"

(Teacher, where are you? Can you hear me?)

X and ( 1 )  ( 2 )  ( 3 )  

He’s collapsed again. But it’s not the first time since he was released from the hospital a couple of months ago. He can’t get himself off the floor but Alphonse is having no issues with that, even as panicked hands lift him up from the now blood covered tile and get him back on the couch. He’s got him in this weird awkward position with pillows pushed under his back so he’s not completely flat but still close enough. 

He can’t breathe.  He can’t breathe like this.  

His breaths are labored  as he lays there and the only thing his brother can think to do is to lay a cool towel over his face. It’s got to help with something. It’s got to help with the sweat clinging to his skin and the the heat that feels like it’s burning him from the inside out. 

It’s not the first but he’s kept them to himself. It’s not the first but he’s kept them hush hush when he started coughing or felt his chest tighten up again. It’s never been major. It’s never been this. He hasn’t spat blood since the hospital - so today that is the first time since.  He had an attack the last time he had a mental breakdown. He had an attack the last time he screamed.  Raw rage releasing from his lungs reverberating through him for all he was worth. He had an attack then.  

He didn’t think much of it though. He didn’t think to tell his father or his brother because he didn’t want them to worry. He didn’t want any of them to worry .. and Sol - Sol didn’t know the signs. Sol’s never seen his attacks because he wasn’t here the last time he was in the hospital. It’s not his fault. Sol and Verna simply just weren’t here so there was no way for either of them to know when the Moon was about to collapse. 

It’s not their faults. It’s really not their faults. 

Alphonse is squeezing his hand and he wonders for a moment through the pain that’s tearing through his chest if his brother realizes how bad he’s shaking. Probably not considering the lacking body thing, but that armor is trembling and he can feel it against his skin. All Alphonse can think to do is keep him, cool, comfortable and stay by his side....but ragged breaths fail to improve. His chest hurts. His heart feels like it’s being squeezed and he feels like there’s bricks on his chest preventing him from getting a full breath. 

He’s back in that forest. He’s back in that forest, laying on that forest floor, unable to anything else but gasp and wheeze.  He wants his sun. He wants his sister. He wants his father. He can’t breathe like this and Dad knows how to make the pain subside. He needs medicine. He needs his medicine... he must have skipped a dose for his lungs to constrict like this. 

“D -Dad.” He’s coughing just to say the word. “W- Where’s - D- Dad?”  

There’s a gentle hand stroking over his head, to smooth down his hair and glide over gold locks as if in some kind of attempt to calm him. Alphonse’s hand squeezes down on his sibling’s but is to ground Edward or himself? 

She'd been having an extremely bad day. Aya was jumping at everything, overvigilent and anxious, then guild member she didn't know grabbing her arm to get her attention sent her over the edge into a panic induced meltdown. The member hadn't meant any harm, they just didn't know the touch would set her off like it did.

So now she was hiding in the woods, in a tree, away from the guild and most of the members.

@teamdestructo

     It hit like a truck almost exactly.

First you have the loss of breath, that tightness in your chest like when something hits your stomach or you fall too hard.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ 𖤓 ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ He doesn't believe that he thought he would get out of the palace alone but the flare prince isn't surprised when he feels a present behind him and sure enough he is met with a set of two very large jade eyes looking at him with concern painted through their vision.

"Isoveli, where are you going?" The boy of white sounds as he starts to look around as if to see if the woman of the sapphire glow is anywhere to be seen - but yet it seems the Northern Lights are also missing.

"Shhhh." The elder prince starts. "Pikkuveli keep your voice down."

And the boy's brows raise as his shoulders slump and he feels a hand reaching out to take him by the wrist and pull.

"There's a light show going on at festival square." He says in a hushed voice. "Now do you want to go see it or not?"

"You know we're not supposed to - "

"Pilvi do I look like I give a damn about what we are and aren't supposed to do?"

The younger is shaking his head at his brother's words as he sighs.

"Alright then. So we leave now before Revon and Safiirin figure out where we are and we'll be back before it gets too dark and no one will ever know."

"But how do we get there? We can't just go out as we are. We stand out like - " And a brownish colored cloak is being tossed to the younger prince as the elder rolls his eyes near all the way to the back of his head.

"- Put that on. We can't wear our own cloaks. They're too bright and you'll stand out like a beacon. Keep your head covered."

They shouldn't be up to this at their ages but it seems some things never change. The young does as he's told, slipping the brown fabric over his shoulders and bringing the hood up over his head to hide the snow colored locks that frame his face as the elder looks him over bringing up his own hood.

"I borrowed them from some of the palace workers and we'll give them back when we get back. Now let's g-"

"-I can't leave without my sword. Mother and Father said I have to bring it every where."

"And where is it?"

"In my room."

"Well it can stay there. There's no way you're bringing the Holy Blade into town and having us not get caught."

There is an uneasy look on the face of the younger, but still he follows anyway. He follows as he always has as they make their ways through the palace halls, and to the closest room with a balcony so the two of them can fly down the city square and the crowd that is filling it is thick and loud.

The elder finds himself taking his brother by the hand and pulling to get them through the crowd as quickly as possible. Festival square isn't that much farther but he feels Pilvi's hand release his own and as he turns around to scold him, a fiery gaze watches in horror as all color leaves his brother's face in an instant and suddenly he's crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Pikkuveli!"

There is no attempt to keep his voice down or curb his tone. This was... this was a bad idea. They couldn't even make it to the square before Pilvi was collapsing like he did just last year. Last Year....

And his mind is filled with panic in an instant. Hands on the unconscious form of white, shaking him as he practically begs his brother to wake up.

"Wake up, Pilv'. Wake up. Pilv' don't do this to me, it isn't funny."

But the younger doesn't budge and he's growing paler by the second. His breathing is slow in that eerie sort of what that he had last year directly after the ritual and they thought he ...

"No no no no no, do not do this to me again."

Is this a side effect of the ritual? Is this a side effect of the Celestial Mother's power? Pilvi never used to collapse like this. They used to be able to make it so much further in town before they got caught - and it's taking everything in him not to scream in frustration as feels all the eyes around them and staring at them.

"Wait - isn't that? That's Prince Usva and - that's Prince Pilvi!!"

Vittu. He doesn't have time for this. He can't let anyone get close to -

He can feel himself panicking as he works to gather his sibling up into his arms and he thanks the skies above that still to this day Pilvi weighs next to nothing. For being fourteen - he better. He's got weight to him but it's nothing he can't handle. He just has to get himself to stop shaking.

It makes him wonder if anyone has even noticed they're gone yet or - Don't think about it Usva, just fly. As fast as you can. Just get him back to someone. Anyone.

Father is probably working. Mother will lose her mind. Revon is probably still looking for Pilvi so that means he'll be hard to find - he doesn't care about formalities at this point. He's flying through the palace halls as quickly as he can to come crashing into the same room he spends the beginning of every day in.

"Setä Sinfonia!!" He yells practically throwing the words out of his chest in a panic. A title he hasn't uttered in over a decade but he doesn't care right now. Pilvi doesn't have time for him to care.

He watches as the man jerks upright, drops the pen in his hand and turns in urgency, as if a different part of him was brought back from the dead at the sound of such a form of address.

"Usva what - Pilvi!! Put him on the couch. What happened?! Wait - why are you - Did you sneak out AGAIN?!"

"I'm sorry! We wanted to see the light show! I was going to go alone but Pilvi caught me so, of course I took him with me, and we were in the crowd and then he let go of my hand and when I turned around he collapsed. He won't wake up. It's like the ritual all over again. I can't get him to wake up. Do something."

There's tears in the corners of his eyes as he practically pleads with his uncle to act and the man is doing his best to hold himself together as he nods that he's listened. The only thing the flare prince can do is take the hand of that of the cloud as he sets on the floor next to the couch so he doesn't have to leave his side.

"Stay with Pilvi and get those cloaks off. Your Father will have your hides if he knows you snuck out again. I'll be back. Pilvi will be okay Usva. Breathe. Breathe for me and stay with him. I'll get help."

He doesn't know if he's ever seen the musician take off so fast before but he's gone in a blur of brown and orange before much else can be said.

_

He can't go to Liekki in this situation and Palo won't give him the time of day. Helakan is - on the other side of the fucking palace.... so is Ametisti and Mother isn't going to help much. Taivas is with - Helakan as he should be.

Hopefully he hasn't left yet and he's throwing the door to his classroom open in a blind panic, heaving to catch his breath as he locks eyes on the other musician with the complexion draining out of his face more and more with every passing second.

"WAIT."

He sounds in urgency. "You can't go home. I need your help. I can't find Revon. I need someone! Anyone! Pilvi collapsed."

( @aquaticsoul ) ->

🛠️ +

"Pikkuveli?"

"I know. They'll go to him if anything happens. I promise."

He remembers the conversation more often than he'd like to. He remembers her far clearer than he thinks he probably should given how much time has passed, but he also supposes it would be impossible to forget the other half of himself.

He still finds himself wishing that comfortable presence would settle at his right side again. He still finds himself distant, longingly looking for her missing half that had by chance and miracle formed distinctly next to his.

The last pieces of her take the shape of an earring and a necklace. And he knows what he needs to do with that earring, that bind, yet he hesitates to even disclose that he has it in his possession.

The right thing to do is the hard thing. The right thing to do is to give it to Pilvi, but the fact that it's one of two pieces left of her Mist makes it exceedingly difficult to part ways with.

Would she deliberate like this if it were him instead?

He ponders it as he finally puts the gem of blue and white back into its place on his ear. His eyes fall back to the necklace that he'd made for her, brilliant aqua hanging from a dark cord.

They did everything together for the longest time. They should both go to Pilvi together and surely that will make this process a bit easier. He tucks the necklace of aqua into the box where the earring of violet rests.

That looks much better.

The box snaps closed and slides back under his pillow. Cid enters before anyone else, likely to check on him for the thousandth time and ask once again if there's anything he can do.

Usually, Sielu always answers by shaking his head.

Not this time. He cuts straight to his point before the blond has time to even ask.

He'd been prepared for this possibility. He extends the paper he'd written on in the best Wonderlandian he could manage.

[ I am fine. Thank you. Could you get Kumo for me? Tell him it is important, before I make a coward of myself? ]

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ He had been on his way to check on his patient when he was met with straight answers. A note handed to him in messy handwriting and a request. A request for Kumo and he's sure somehow that it must be strange for them to call him as such, when he is coming to find quickly Kumo is not his name.

He was right this whole time when he heard Kaze call him Pilvi damn near a year ago. He was right this whole time but he didn't dare call him such a thing when Kumo hasn't given him permission to do so. He just needs to figure out when he's going to approach the subject.

There's a smile and a nod as indigo lifts to look at the Misterican of blue before him. He's finally working with him and he's finally speaking for himself - even if he still doesn't have the voice to do so.

"Oh, I don't know where he is exactly at the moment. Last I knew he was taking a bath, but I'll check to see if he's done for you."

The blond gives the - if this man was one of Kumo's teachers then he has to be older than him by quite a bit but he certainly doesn't look like he is - then again Kumo doesn't look very old either.... still he gives the older man a smile.

"I'll be back in a minute."

The engineer leaves to make his way towards the room that the swordsman has come to call his own and there a knock at the door before he cracks it open to see if he's sleeping perhaps. He seems to sleep so much nowadays and he still hasn't quite figured out why yet -

But he doesn't seem to be here? Perhaps he's still in the bath? He can always knock and just tell him to come when he's done. Sielu said it was important after all and he's not the one who needs to judge what a Misterican decides is important to another. So steps carry him down the halls but for some reason his stomach twists the further he goes.

Something suddenly just has his whole body feeling off and something in the air is tense and is that crying? The closer he gets the louder the sound becomes until he realizes it isn't crying it's Kumo crying. It has him taking off into a dead run until he finds himself in front of the door he was headed to anyway and he pushed the door open without invitation.

"Kumo I'm sorry to barge in you but are you o - "

Indigo fills with the sight of the half dressed man weeping into the arms of the smallest of the Amestrians but Kumo's back - Kumo's back was - what was all over Kumo's back? It looked like the scar -

"K- Kumo your back- What is - "

He can only stare in horror as his friend releases his hold on his other friend to push away from him and now he can see Kumo's chest as he comes to face him and it's ... the scars have spread out. His skin looks like ... like glass. Like he's shattering.

That's not possible.

People don't shatter.

Why does Kumo's skin look like glass? What is -

The shame that is plastered across the Misterican's face is hard to miss and it shatters his own heart upon seeing jade eyes look at him while filled with both so much shame and so much fear. Kumo looks terrified and suddenly the technician has forgotten all about the reason he came to get him in the first place.

"I'm sorry." The word sobs out as the swordsman just lets himself sink to set on the floor fully. "I'm sorry Cid. I was scared. I'll tell you everything. I love you. " He pauses to pull a breath between hurried words. "I love you. Please don't be mad. I love you so much. Please don't get mad at me. I was scared. I didn't want - to upset you but now I'm going to anyway. I'm sorry Cid. I swear I didn't mean any harm. I - "

"Kumo stop." The blond starts up again as he crosses the space between himself and his friend only to slowly come down to the floor and set in front of him. Gently does he take trembling hands into his own.

"I don't know what is going on, but we're going to get through this. We'll figure it out. You're not alone in this and I'm going to help you however I can, okay? But I need you to put your shirt on. Sielu is calling for you. He said it was important. We can talk later, alright? Will you come with me for him?"

There is a long intake of breath pulled up through a sniffling nose as a head of white nods. Bare hands wipe against his eyes in an attempt to clean himself up.

"Joo." He starts. "You can go and I'll be there in a minute. Just let me get dressed."

A soft smile first and the engineer moves to reach his arms forward for the first time in some time to wrap them around the weeping man in order to give him a quick embrace.

"I'll tell him you're on your way then."

And it doesn't take long to get back to the medical wing so that he can poke his head into the room where his patient waits. The blond is taking a seat for the moment giving him a smile.

"He was just getting out of the bath." He explains. "He said he'll be here once he's done getting dressed."

Reassurance and confirmation that he did the requested task and he wasn't just bullshitting the man but it makes him wonder how they will react to Kumo's back and chest. Do they know? Did he tell them? Knowing Kumo - probably not. He probably only told Kain.

There are footsteps a moment later as a body of white swings around the corner met with jade eyes still slightly pink from crying as pale lips stretch out into a false smile.