(closed)

[dreamchasing]

Who: Asbel Lhant, Cheria Barnes. Sophie later?
When: Backdated to just after Hubert's death.
Where: Grace's House
Style: Brackets?
Status: Closed


[ After the announcement had been made by Captain Malik that Hubert had been murdered, she had been completely blown away by the news. She'd had experience with friends dying before ... and even though she knew Hubert would be back after a short amount of time, it didn't make the loss any less difficult.

Still ...

She knew that Asbel had to have been taking this much, much harder than she was. Hubert was important to all of them, but ... Hubert was Asbel's brother. It hurt to stand up and pretend she was okay ... or at least, okay enough. Still, she knew she had to go at least see how Asbel was taking things, and be there for him.

So now, Cheria was here, standing in the doorway to Asbel's room and looking in, wondering what to say first. ]

... Asbel.

[ Well, it was a start. ]

Comments

[protectingwishes]

[Cheria would find Asbel sitting at the edge of his bed facing the window. Despite speaking with Captain Malik about Hubert's death, it hadn't made him feel any better. If anything, Asbel had only accepted his mentor's advice so that he could retreat to his room to be alone.

He felt responsible for what had happened to his little brother. Asbel turned at the sound of Cheria's voice. He ran a sleeve across his eyes to hide the tears that had formed.]

Cheria? Is everything okay?

[dreamchasing]

[ No, Asbel. Of course everything wasn't okay. She knew it, and she knew he knew it, too. And as predicted, he wasn't handling things too well ...

Cheria stepped into the room, moving toward the bed and taking a seat next to Asbel. She was quiet for several moments, but then she turned and looked at him seriously. ]

I came here to check on you. I know you can't possibly be taking all of this well ...

[ cutting right to the point. it was the best way to go with Asbel. otherwise, they'd be dancing around the subject forever. ]

[protectingwishes]

I... I'm fine, Cheria.

[He offered Cheria the fakest grin ever.]

Hubert will be... He'll be back in a week.

[He couldn't keep the tremble in his voice from escaping.]

[dreamchasing]

Asbel.

[ Cheria looks at him sternly. She knows you better than this, dude. ]

How long have we known each other? I know when you're not doing well. Sure, Hubert will be back, thanks to this place ... but that doesn't mean that he's going to be okay when he comes back, just as you obviously aren't as 'fine' as you say you are now.

[ her expression softens, and she struggles to hold back tears of her own as she takes one of his hands into both of her own, looking away from him as those tears she was trying to hold back finally rolled down her cheeks. ]

It's okay to feel sad, Asbel. It's not an easy thing to deal with ...

[protectingwishes]

[He should have known there was no fooling Cheria; she could always tell when he wasn't telling the truth. He fingers felt cool against his own, soothing almost. He didn't look directly at her, instead he focused on floor.]

...It's my fault, Cheria. It's my fault Hubert is dead.

[Asbel shut his eyes tightly and took a sharp breath to keep the tears from falling out. He couldn't cry, he couldn't let himself even if he clearly wanted to.]

[dreamchasing]

[ Oh, oh no. No, Asbel. Nonono. Don't you start blaming yourself ...

wait, shouldn't she be telling him this? Right. She'll tell him as she wraps her arms around him and pulls him a little closer, one hand gently rubbing his back as she did so. ]

No, it's not ... none of us could have possibly known this was going to happen. Don't blame yourself, Asbel ... I'm sure Hubert doesn't blame you at all for what happened.

[ It's okay, Asbel. You can cry. ]

[protectingwishes]

[Asbel was caught off guard by the embrace; it had been years since anyone had held him like this when he was upset. Despite his initial surprise, Asbel didn't resist it. He rested his head on Cheria's shoulder.

It was too much now.]

I'm the one who let him move out on his own. He's my little brother... I should have protected him and I didn't!

[The tears flowed freely now as Asbel sobbed into Cheria's shoulder.]

[dreamchasing]

[ Right now, Asbel needed this. She continued to hold him tightly, rub his back, and try to comfort him as much as she possibly could while he broke down. ]

Asbel, you know as well as I do that Hubert would have resisted more if you'd tried to push him into staying. He's stubborn. Like someone else I know.

[ she means you, Asbel. but continuing on ... ]

And even if we did keep him here, would it have really done anything to keep him from getting killed? We don't really know the specific circumstances behind all of these deaths ...

[ she's crying, too, but she has to be a hypocrite be strong enough to carry Asbel through this right now. ]