Breaking the Ice [Sara/Hau]

[tsukikoko]

Sara's tone was ever soft and understanding, when she spoke again.
"Why aye, it ain't makin' much sense, is it like?" A rhetorical question, more agreement with him than expecting an answer.

It seemed neither wanted the other to think they were crazy. It was... gratifying, in one sense, that he appeared to be in the same boat as she was. But it was discomforting, too, to know the young fox had been through such an ordeal.
"Per'aps it was a shared dream, like. Well, nightmare..." She exhaled slowly, her gaze holding Hau's. Reflected back at him was apology, understanding and confirmation that he wasn't insane for whatever fragmented memories he might have retained, or for hoping it was just a dream. She didn't want to voice the alternative, but it seemed cruel and dishonest not to.
"Or they're broken memories, ya know? Repressed or mostly wiped from our 'eads, 'oping we divvint remember, like."

A beat of silence as the shifter let her words settle, before she attempted a soft smile of reassurance.
"But, whatever 'appened, we're 'ere now, ya know? Could 'ave been mental manipulation, a dream or owt, but we're still 'ole an' alive." She hoped the sentiment came across more sure than she felt; the whole ordeal had left its mark on her, much as she tried to move past it and was making progress now. Her tail tip flicked. "An' I know you proper now, which is pretty crackin', like."

[Vaitris]

As the words soaked into him, the hair on his neck stood straight and he felt a weird, animal urge to flee. He shuffled his feet, wanting to give in. This was what he'd been waiting to hear. It felt right, like a puzzle piece neatly slotting into its place, but the picture forming was so, so dark.

Part of him still wanted to keep digging, couldn't tolerate not knowing. Whether it was just reckless, morbid curiosity or wary pragmatism, even he couldn't say for sure. The rest of him just wanted to let the memories lie, what he already knew was enough. Enough to know it'd been real in some way, enough to know she'd been there too, enough to know he'd almost died, or actually had. Those facts alone were promising him several long nights of barely distracting, terrible tv instead of sleep.

"But, whatever 'appened, we're 'ere now, ya know? Could 'ave been mental manipulation, a dream or owt, but we're still 'ole an' alive. An' I know you proper now, which is pretty crackin', like."

He nodded, gaze shifting to the side. He heard the words, willed them to be the only truth he knew. But he couldn't forget that someone, or something, was powerful enough to not only take him and do whatever it had to him, but that it could also reach into his head and mess with his memories. That violation of his safety, of his peace of mind, wouldn't go away no matter how much he wished it.

"If-if that's right, how can you look at things so… so nicely?" Not that she couldn't be optimistic and look at the brighter side, but the reality was just so horrible to think on. It was an invasion, an assault. "It's like… " He sucked in a breath but couldn't turn it into anymore words. Maybe she was just naturally strong enough to face it, or she was putting up a front for him, or she'd endured worse. That finally broke the train of his thoughts and his eyes cut back to her, expression contrite. "Sorry."