[ AUDIENCE: BRADLEY BAIN ]

[dormheads]

Comments

[battling]

[The feeling is fond exasperation. They've all got the same similarity in the end, don't they? There's some reason they were all assigned Fall.

Bradley can't fault him for taking care of his own- their own.

His embrace is firm.

Hope and Futaba. The rest of them weren't doing well either, but he watched those breakdowns. He's... sorry. Sorry, he can't be there. Sorry, he can't do more to help on this side.]

[darksubverted]

[He's been through a lot, so this isn't wildly out of left field. But it's still... A Lot. He's sixteen? He's sixteen.

He trembles in the hold, yet isn't crying or sobbing. The "heat" radiating off him isn't heat at all. It's cold. Icy cold. Anger. Guilt and frustration.]

...I couldn't do anything.

[battling]

[He's only sixteen. He's only a teenager. This place is asking for too much, he thinks. There are still 21 of Sage's total. They have each other to rely on when it comes to hell. Here? Four dorm heads and he's can feel his own threatening to crumble.

There's a difference between people living in this kind of hellscape because they want to instead of being forced to participate in a game they didn't even ask for. After all this time, he understands that much.]

Nobody could.

[Bradley isn't one for platitudes. Soothing words... they were always something Nero was better with.

But he doesn't let go.]

[darksubverted]

[He just stands there, shoulders sagging, without pulling away yet.]

I don't... have any more answers than what I had before.

[He's angry. Not at anyone in particular. At this place, and his lack of--everything. He balls both hands into tight fists, even if doing so stings one of them.

Finally, he lifts his head and straightens up without knocking Bradley away.]

[battling]

[He gets it. Underneath his protectiveness, frustration at the circumstances they've been left in.]

Don't have anythin' on this side either.

[Maybe next week. Next week. There's only so many times he can think "maybe next time" before he's going to go nuts and tear the place apart.

Bradley will only pull away when Riku does.]

[darksubverted]

[He sighs heavily, like he's trying to throw off all the disjointed feelings. But they're still there, floating around in the background.]

That's... okay. It's okay.

[Maybe next week.

He's not sure how many more weeks are going to be a next week now.]

[battling]

Doesn't feel that okay.

[Helpless... that's not something he's felt in a long time. This place sure forces him into it more often than he'd like.]

Two weeks to a season around here. Gettin' closer to the end, at least.

[darksubverted]

[The sort of hopeless worry eases back in from the corners of him.

Time is running out. It feels like they have nothing to show for it.]

I know... What if we... just finish? I don't know... If we just...

[He growls a little frustratedly.]

I don't know what to do. What's waiting.

[battling]

I don't know either. Wish I had answers- had anythin'.

[But he can't help with what he does not have.]

Don't take it all on alone. Whatever's at the end... figure it's somethin' to deal with together.

[darksubverted]

[Bradley isn't wrong, so he doesn't have anything to argue. Even if he feels like arguing.

He doesn't know why. The angry frustration bubbling in the pit of him makes him want to scream.]

I don't know what that means for us... "saving them from this world." But...

I get what it's like doing something bad thinking it's for a good reason. That the outcome would be better than what you had to do to get there.

[battling]

[ He could scream if he wanted to. It wouldn't be the first time a teenager took out their frustration on him.

Bradley is a bandit, a criminal, and a convict. His list of crimes goes on and on. The greater good? That's not something he ever had the luxury to think about when he was young.

It's always been "me and mine". But "mine" is an ever expanding thing.

He'd like to say what he thinks that means. He can't chance it with what happened today. Not when the worry Adora might not even show up here is gnawing at him. ]

Did you have support then?

[ It's worse alone. Everything is. ]

[darksubverted]

[Fall Dorm is Fall Dorm for a reason.

Some guilt rises up out of him. His brows pinch, and he looks anywhere but at Bradley.]

Yes and no. I did, but... I pushed it away. I wanted to do everything on my own. At first because I thought I was better.

And then later... because I was ashamed.

[battling]

[This is also familiar, in a way. A muted kind of fondness.

He won't force Riku to look at him.]

Learned from it, right?

[darksubverted]

[He thinks he did, but he has to wonder sometimes.

Finally, he glances back up.]

...Yeah. I hope so.

[battling]

[ His smile is an understanding one. Maybe a little more gentle than Riku's used to. ]

Good.

Magic can't change the past, no matter how bad we want it. But if you want to change, ya got time.

[darksubverted]

[The smile makes him feel a little silly. Not in a bad way. It just feels like the smile an adult gives you when you both know you've been a big dumb.]

I know... Before... I probably would have considered it.

[battling]

[Gentle curiosity.]

Tryin' to use magic to change the past?

[darksubverted]

[He shakes his head.]

Just... changing the past in general.

[battling]

Somethin' everybody wants to change.

[ The tiniest pang of betrayal.

A small shrug of his shoulders. ]

's better to learn and move forward.

[darksubverted]

[For a long moment, he peers at Bradley. There's curiosity, but a hesitation to pry.]

You're right.

[battling]

[He smiles back.]

Ya can ask, if you're interested.

[darksubverted]

[It feels intrusive, inappropriate. He glances down, and then back up again.]

The memory I saw before...?

[battling]

[It's not something either Nero or Bradley like to acknowledge. Nero because he pretends they've never met.

Bradley, however, clearly still loves this man, even if there's an edge of complication there.]

Yeah. When we were younger I didn't understand what he meant. Nero didn't understand how special he was to me.

[It's not resentment, just resignment. The past is an unchanging thing. Change... for the better. Or try to.]

So he chose what felt like his only option.

[Get Bradley caught, send him to prison. He can't die if he's there, right?]

[darksubverted]

[Hmm. His lips pull into a thin frown. It hits home a little bit actually. More than he'd like to admit.

He looks away.]

Are you mad?

[battling]

[Did Riku feel an hint of anger in here?

He did not.]

Nah. Can't be mad at him for doin' what he thought was right.