vatheon | //To be alive is to be vulnerable \\

Entry tags:

//To be alive is to be vulnerable \\

Who: Guy Cecil (

trepidity) and Zelda Hylia (

breaksthefontech)
Where: Ordo 3
When: Evening of the 16th >>> Morning of the 17th
What: Guy's staying the night. Only awkward things can come from this.
Style: [Brackets and lots of words!!]
Status: Closed, locked, bolted.

[Guy hated feeling cornered.

Even with the work that Zelda had done to calm him down earlier in the morning, the fontechnician still found himself anxious, all his muscles tense and aching. It was as if he was wound-up on an invisible motor, unable to keep himself in his normal state of calm composure for very long at all before having to move; wring his hands, mutter to himself, or just huddle in a corner with his head in his hands and try to breathe. While the other members of the house came and left throughout the day, Guy couldn't get himself to exit the front door.

He knew he wasn't in right sorts. Yes, he was worried about Luke and where the redhead had ended up... but he wanted to have at least part of his mind in order before he left for home.

So he'd spent most of the afternoon and early evening simply wandering the house, steering clear of the bedrooms for respect of not flitting through other people's personal spaces and belongings. For a brief portion of the afternoon, he'd had the study to himself, in which he spent most of the time pacing the same portion of the floor for nearly 35 minutes straight, eyes clouded and fingers digging into his palms.

It was horrendous. He knew it was his fear - it clawed at him every time he caught his reflection in a window or listened too closely to the timber of his voice. Hell, even just acknowledging the change in his body structure was enough to get his heart pounding hard and fast up in his neck, enough to make him feel physically ill. Thank the Score he was usually able to find a corner to seclude himself in when actual panic rose up - in the study or locking himself in an unoccupied bathroom until it passed.

Each time got a little harder.

He hadn't eaten. He hadn't tried, and he had become incredibly defensive and cold when Zelda approached him about it. He really hadn't meant to snap as harshly as he did... but he felt like a caged animal right now. It was a battle for him, to try and keep his mind off that line between discomfort and panic... and the more tired he became, the more difficult that battle was to fight.

It was well into the evening now. Guy hadn't looked at a clock for a while, and frankly he didn't quite care. He had finally lost the energy to keep up his frantic pace through the hallways a few minutes prior and has now resigned to an exhausted slump onto the couch in the main sitting room, lilting against the couch's arm with his hands pressed against his knees.

He looks exhausted. He feels exhausted.

But he needs to get home... right?

...God, how is he going to take a whole week of this...?]

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[She'd been dealing with the logistics of this curse all day, attempting to make sure no one hurts anyone's body and that everyone was safe and taken care of. It was exhausting to say the least. For her own part, Zelda is taking the switch quite well. It's not as if being in the body of a young man is all that strange for her. Still, calming the household took up almost the entire day. She'll have to locate Luke tomorrow, since Guy doesn't seem to be in any sort of shape to do it.

She's put a lot of thought into how they're going to deal with this, and after seeing how Zelos handled things, she's finally come to a decision. They'll simply have to stay together. They can blindfold each other to change clothes and bathe. That way, they won't have the memory of what the other looks like naked eternally seared into their minds. To that end, it's most convenient if they simply sleep together.

Besides, she feels like being near his own body might help Guy calm down a little. He's become increasingly snappish as the day wore on while she flitted about handling business. He wouldn't eat. If she doesn't make him, he probably won't rest either. She doesn't want him to drive her body into the ground, and she doesn't want him to wear himself out emotionally.]

Guy, we should... we should go to bed.

[Whoa, when did she get in the room...

He jumps a little at the sound of his own voice, blinking up at Zelda with more than a little disorientation. Bed... was it that late already??

He lets out a ragged sigh, letting fingers work absentmindedly at a loose strand of hair against his shoulder. He's attempting to sit up a little straighter, show a little more strength than he feels... but it's hardly easy.]

Right... right, I'm sorry-- [Hollow and heavy. Even so, he still attempts a smile, polite and trying so very hard to be earnest, before letting it fall back into that exhausted neutral seconds later.]

Uh. I should find my way home, then. I need to check on how Luke is doing, anyways.

Ah... I'm sorry. For staying here so late, I mean.

I left a note for Luke. He knows we're here. If it's not Luke, then I told them to bring him here. If he hasn't contacted us by tomorrow I will find him. Listen...

[She clears her throat, sitting next to Guy and looking incredibly awkward. How in the world should she explain this? Might as well launch right into it. Distracting Guy worked fairly well last time.]

I think... that Duke and Zelos have the right of it. We should take care of each other while we're like this. We're still going to interact once this curse is over, so... ah... I would rather you not see me...

[Life is suffering.]

And I'm sure you don't want me to see, either! So when we need to change clothing and the like, I was thinking we could, ah, go blindfolded. That would work best if we were together, so we should probably sleep in the same room...

[He looks.... heavily confused as she starts to speak.

Not see her.... not see her as what?

...]

[...o h.....

...Oh.

Oh god he didn't even th--

that

...

...]

[Okay...

...

Okay, he might be absolutely drained but even he can see a bit of an... awkward problem with this plan.]

I, uh. I don't think blindfolds would be necessary... u-unless you wanted them. I mean, it's not like it.... that is, I trust you-- [His face is already flushing, uggh. He presses his lips together, forcing back that awkward chuckle that wants to peek its way up - dammit words, sort yourselves out...

...]

But uh. Zelda, last I checked there was... well, only the one bed.

[He wasn't against sleeping with another person, but...

...

Would she be alright with that?]

I-is that strange? I've slept with Zelos and Duke before... and, well, we are in each other's bodies right now so it's not like we can get any closer.

[Oh. Well when she puts it that way... her brain might have just vacated her body for a moment.]

[......

WELP his mind just took a detour straight for the gutter.]

.... Uh....

N-no, no, it's not strange.

[He clears his throat, feeling the flush from his face quickly creeping up his ears.]

As... long as you're alright with it? I think it, uh... it should be fine.

Right. Let's head up then, I'm sure you're as tired as I am.

[She stands and offers a hand down to Guy. If not for how incredibly uncomfortable the rest of all of this was, she'd think it was nice to not have to worry about frightening him with her touch.

Unfortunately, the downfalls far outweigh that particular benefit.]

[Maybe not that much. The awkward tension was horrendous at the moment, but... he's sure it could be far worse. They still had their heads, and could think clearly... well, for the most part. Maybe they could figure something out amidst all the stammering and blushing.

He's not about to admit that seeing her flustered is a tad adorable. Especially not when she's in his body. Instead, he just chuckles quietly, offering a gently amused smile as he takes her hand. Sleep would do both of them good, he supposes. He'd seen her in and out of the house more than anyone else - god, was the woman ever off her feet during the day?

He lets her lead the way up the stairs, keeping an awkward silence as they both slip into the bedroom. His eyes wander a bit - he was only in the room for a short while this morning, and even then he wasn't really in his right mind. So he quietly observes. The things across her nightstand. Open curtains. The windowboxes...

...Oh. Hey, he recognizes those flowers. He'll just wander over there, then, being careful not to touch anything.]

Aren't these looking lovely...

Heh. I didn't know you grew sunflowers.

[His memory of what he left behind? It might just be a little fuzzy....]

[She has to chuckle at his mention of "sunflowers". Did he not know what sort of seeds he'd left behind, or is his mind that out of sorts?]

They're gailardias - the seeds you left for me. I planted them.

[It's not too surprising that he didn't realize it. Usually they wouldn't bloom until next year, but having the Song of Storms to help them sprout sped the process up. She takes off the shoes and socks she'd hurriedly pulled on before leaving Guy's apartment, though she leaves the shirt as it is. It might be a little hot to sleep that way, but she'll live. At least the sweat pants are comfortable.

Picking up the harp on her bedside table, Zelda moves to the window and opens it, playing the strains of the Song of Storms. No storm seems to be forthcoming while she's in this body, though.]

I suppose I'll have to water them the old fashioned way tomorrow.

[Gailardias...

That's right. That's right, he'd made sure to leave those, back when he knew he was vanishing. He's surprised to see that they've grown so fast already.

He glances over as he hears the harp play, but his eyes go straight back to the flowers quickly enough. So ironic, that they shared a name in the end...]

Well. I'm sure they can stand one night on their own.

[His tone takes a gentle dip - almost nostalgic, in a sense - letting a hand idly trace against the edge of the windowbox.]

A flower that blooms in adversity... if I remember you correctly?

[This would always be an odd reminder, then, wouldn't it? For him, at least.

He's not sure how he feels about that.]

That's right. They're fairly hardy, but I still don't like to leave them be.

[The same sentiment applies to the man himself. She doesn't attempt to bring up the shared name, watching Guy take in the flowers silently. It isn't hard to guess anymore why he might flinch at hearing his formal name, not after seeing his reaction to her own story. The exact details are still unclear, but she can wait for him to be ready to tell her.

Her eyes finally travel to her own tousled hair and she covers a smile. Oh, she couldn't expect Guy to have bothered with brushing it in his current state, but it's still amusing to look at - provided no one else sees her looking like such a wreck, of course.]

Stay there, all right? I'll fix your hair. You can't sleep on it like that.

A gentle type of care, then? No wonder they're doing so well... I'm sure they might not be used to such a considerate hand.

[It's quiet - almost a mumble under his breath. Is she meaning more than she's letting on in her words? He can't quite tell. But if she responds with confusion, he can deal with that. He has no problem just playing the fool for a bit.

And then she makes the comment about his hair, which gets to turn around with a very oblivious expression. Why did she sound so amused?]

--Huh?? Why, is it that bad?

[If he was watching her, he'd be able to discern easily that she had been referring to him as well. She doesn't look confused in the least, though her expression changes from something tender to amusement again at Guy's obliviousness at the state of her hair.]

I do usually wash it daily, so it's starting to get a bit tangled.

[Zelda laughs sheepishly, heading over with a brush and waving it back and forth.]

It isn't that bad now, but it will be awful when you wake up if I don't braid it.

[Making a mental note of that, then. He'll just lean a bit to catch his reflection in the window--

Oh, yeah, uh.

Erm.]

Can't say I've ever really had to deal with my hair being this long before... damn, I am kind of a mess, aren't I...

[G i n g e r l y running a hand through the back of his hair, playing against one of the knots as his fingers catch against it. Rrrgh, no wonder Luke complained about his hair so much.]

[Now that he's aware of what she's doing, Zelda moves in and starts to gently brush through the tangles from the bottom up. Having long hair might be a bit of a pain, but it certainly makes the scalp sensitive - and not in a bad way. Having your hair brushed by someone who knows how to do it is pure relaxing bliss.

Or it is for Zelda's body, at least. She's well aware that it's likely to calm Guy down some, which is why she doesn't just let him do it on his own.]

Don't worry about it. It's not as bad as Zelos was this morning, hmm?

Hahah-- ahhh, that was awfully cruel of you, you know!

[Not that he didn't deserve it or anything. Jerk.

But oh.... oh, yes, the brushing does feel kind of nice. Having short hair had its perks in that it was incredibly easy to care for, but... damn, when was the last time he ever had his hair brushed? The only other person that used to do it was...

...Mary.

...

He exhales slowly, ears dipping back a little. But hey, he's relaxing a little bit! Points to Zelda. It's odd, being on the receiving end of this, but he isn't going to complain.]

It's not as if Duke minded.

[Zelos needs to calm down about his appearance a bit. As much as she finds it amusing that he compulsively camps in the bathroom every morning, it also worries her. Just what is it that makes him put so much value on his appearance? Beyond being neat and clean, it shouldn't matter.

With all the hair neatly parted, she starts working on a french braid. She tries to not brush up against the ears too much, because she knows what that feels like and doesn't want to provide Guy with more reminders that he's in an alien body... but it's difficult not to brush against them at least a little.]

Pfft... It's not like Duke was ever your intended target! Man, shame on you.

[He's still chuckling, despite the mocking scold of his tone. He saw that expression that had crossed Zelos' face - an amusing image when plastered onto the body of Duke. It makes enough sense to Guy, at least, that a noble would want to take their time with appearances. Even for as aloof as he was, Luke also spent far more time on his hair than really was necessary. Pft. Aristocratic brats.]

Still, he does need to learn to keep his comments to himself. Teasing is fine and all when done in good spirits, but I d--

[Aaaaand he abruptly swallows his words for a moment as Zelda's wrist brushes up against his ear, the sensation making his face instantly grow warm.

W-what.

...

Wait, what was he saying.]

--uh. I-I don't think he, uh. Really knows how to watch his tongue. Sometimes.

I feel no shame. He started it.

[She does sound pretty damn shameless! Living with Zelos is a cycle of teasing back and forth. Last year she would have felt badly for it, but now she's adjusted to it. Honestly, it's probably good for her.

Oh, he reacted... that makes it embarrassing. She can still vividly recall the feeling of having her ears touched, even if it's on accident. Tying the braid off quickly, Zelda goes to unmake the bed to get it ready to sleep in.

Yes, she came up and made it sometime during the day.

After that, it's just a matter of drawing the curtains and standing there awkwardly for a moment before being the first one to at least sit on the bed. Thankfully it's rather large, they don't have to touch each other unless they want to.]

Heh. Yeah, well, just because he starts it doesn't mean you have to end it~

[Zelda's up and moving faster than Guy can really realize - was she done braiding his hair already...? He can only watch her for a moment, making a gentle offer of "Do you want me to do anything" only to let it die out. She was a woman on a mission right now - so very similar to Natalia, in many regards. So he stays quiet as she draws the curtains, letting his fingers run against the new braid along his head before stepping awkwardly to the other side of the mattress.

He takes one glance over at her, before his eyes soften, his mouth twisting up into a tired grin.]

Ah, hey, come here.

...

Hahaha, geez, don't look at me like that! Come here, come here. [Patting the sheets next to him. He's not being devious! Really he isn't!]

[Zelda definitely takes comfort in routines, and setting her room up properly for bed is one of them. She'd only get anxious if someone tried to help her with it.

And then Guy is motioning for her to come closer. Why?! He's not going to try and take the shirt off his body for bed, is he? She can't handle seeing that again! Surprise, surprise, she looks embarrassed - as well as slightly defensive.]

What do you mean, "like that"?

[There was no "that"! She was just looking in response to being addressed. Still a bit shy and hesitant, she scoots over next to Guy to see what he wants.]

I mean you look like I just asked you to throw a kitten off a cliff. [Plus you're turning about as red as a beet, princess.] I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise!

[He waits until she's settled before moving behind her, gently pressing his thumbs against the nape of her neck before letting his hands move to rub against her shoulders. It was a little different - his hands are smaller, fingers not as toned, so the amount of pressure he's used to putting is off - but he can still feel the tension of a long day in the flow of her muscles.]

Just relax, alright? [Even as he's saying those words, he's hesitating - enough of a pause to let her back away if she wasn't okay with this.]

[Oh, that... that actually feels quite nice. She does recall Duke reacting positively when she rubbed the sunscreen onto his back, but no one's ever done it to her before. She simply doesn't let people. Part of her wants to protest because she knows that the body Guy is in has to be more tense than this one. Not only is she used to living in it every day, he's been wound up from the moment he woke up this morning. Sure, she's been busy, but she hasn't been terrified.]

Ah... thank you. Aren't you sore as well? Will you be able to sleep?

[It's a little less awkward if this goes both ways, or that's what she's decided at least.]

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that icon is so moeuguu I love it (also: 1/3)

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