Losing Sleep

ARCHIVED

[theirvoices-a]

/// Honestly, much as I love this blog, I need restart. I'm packing things up, and moving. This blog just has too much old hurt- stories of homelessness, neglect, loss, abuse... my entire journey with my abusive ex-wife.

I need to separate, so I've been working on my new blog, bit by bit. It's mostly mobile accessible, though I'm still adding bios.

If you want to follow me there, I'm happily starting new threads, and I've been writing both there and on discord almost nonstop for weeks now. I think I'm actually getting back to myself, and... it's nice.

My new blog, if you're interested, is @nysusmuses, I hope you'll come along with me

~Cat / Nysus

[fabulus-gayness]

I love a ship where A is canonically has an unhealthy obsession with B and B is just super clueless about it

[theirvoices-a]

NEW MUSE : Fynn

NAME: Fynn (temp FC: Travis Fimmel) AGE: equivalent to 30s SEX/GENDER: Nonbinary Man (he/they) ORIENTATIONS: Pansexual, Panromantic, Ambiamorous SPECIES: Dwarf PERSONALITY: Loyal, chivalrous, affectionate, determined

Novastella / Main Verse

Fynn is a blade for hire who typically found himself working to defend caravans or traders and goods through dangerous territories. Mostly the lands without a king; roving warlords and bandits equally as dangerous as the elements and the fauna which roamed.

Fynn's story is mostly the as his Dragon Age verse, except he in an ABO setting, he is an Alpha, his parents were killed by one of the warlords(well before The League formed), and he took up working as a guide/hired blade for those looking for safe passage through the plains and harsh desert lands. He is disgusted by slavery and will kill any slaver that crosses his path. He has freed many slaves and saved many lives, and it has (unfortunately) drawn attention.

additional info: -Fynn has a dire hound named Masie- she has reddish brown fur and one blue eye and one black eye- he loves her more than life itself.

Dragon Age Verse

Born on the surface, Fynn's parents once hailed from Orzammar. Formerly proud members of the merchant caste, they were framed by a rival family. Punished with being branded casteless and banished from the city, they took to the surface to try and make a new life. Still bitter and seeking a better life for their child, they used their contacts to try and find proof of their innocence. When their efforts were discovered, the carta was paid to eliminate the family. Fynn was the only survivor. Yet still, even in death, they would reclaim their honor, as a contact of theirs found proof even as their home on the surface burned to the ground- turning it over to the King himself.

Despite the efforts of his parents, Fynn was more comfortable on the surface. He had friends of all races- even Qunari! And he was not content to leave them, especially after such a heavy loss. Thanking the King for restoring his family honor, he decided to stay on the surface.

Fynn works as an honorable blade for hire.

Open to other verses, just ask! C:

[theirvoices-a]

/// okay fuck it-

send me memes or asks and I'll try and see what I can shake loose. New interactions welcome, including from non-mutuals for today.

[theirvoices-a]

/// new media needs to become approachable again, cause I miss getting into new fandoms

recovering from narcissistic abuse is fuckin rough in so many unpredictable and frustrating ways, and not being able to access my usual passions (roleplaying, art, new media, fandom, ect.) has been so incredibly frustrating, and I don't know how to handle it

tbh I space out a lot, just kinda re-watching the same old comfort shows and movies to pass the time

... it's almost what would have been our fifth wedding anniversary. Shit still hurts.

[theirvoices-a]

/// Fuck J. Mc.Avoy. Replacing Charles' Xavier's FC with Daniel Radcliffe, an actor who stands against JKR and who from what I've seen, supports the trans community.

Will edit blog later to reflect that, but if you know any of the actors I use for FCs are transphobes, tell me so I can yeet them off this blog with no remorse.

Fuck transphobia and all those who support it. 🖕

[rpmemes-galore]

disability … sentence starters 

be respectful with these. 

“How bad is the pain today?”

“This doesn’t seem very accessible.”

“Do you need to sit down for a minute?”

“Do you need me to grab your (mobility aid)?”

“Did you remember to take you meds today?”

“Are you getting tired? Do you need to sit down?”

“You can lean against me if you need to, its okay.”

“Are you having a rough brain day? Need to talk?”

“I just need help standing up, I can walk by myself.”

“You don’t owe them an explanation, they’re just rude.”

“Just lay down, take a break. Your body needs to rest.”

“Can you bring me my meds and a glass of water. please?”

“I’m here to give you a hand if you need it, just let me know.”

“You’re real. I’m real… you’re okay, you’re safe here with me.”

“It’s okay to be upset. You’re going through something really hard.”

“I’m sorry, I wanted to go out tonight. My body had different ideas.”

“That seemed like it triggered you pretty bad. Do you need a second?”

“Don’t feel bad about cancelling, I know how bad your flare-ups can get.”

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re just having a panic attack. You’re going to be okay.”

“I’m here for you if you ever need to talk. I might not be able to understand completely, but I can listen.”

action memes

silent: one of our muses has gone non-verbal

sign: one muses teaches the other sign language

explain: one muse explains their disability to the other

hand : one muse offers the other a hand to help them stand up

bedside: one muse takes care of bedridden other during a flare-up

aid: one muse brings the other their mobility aid when they need it 

wheelchair: one muse pushes the other in their wheelchair (with consent)

chair: one muse brings the other a chair when they’re having trouble standing

panic: one of our muses is having a panic attack and the other tries to calm them down

ground: one of our muses is disassociating and the other hugs them to help ground them

hallucination: one of our muses is experiencing a hallucination and the other helps bring them back

[rpmemes-galore]

disney’s treasure planet … sentence starters

“What future?”

“Was it worth it?“

“I’ll make you proud.“

“She’s lost her mind!“

“There you go! Poetry.“

“I don’t wanna lose you.“

“Mom’s gonna love this…”

“I say we kill them all now.“

“Playing games… are we?“

“Why, you impudent little…!“

“You have… wonderful eyes.”

“That’s all they were; stories.“

“Go ahead! Slice him, dice him!“

“Don’t ever let me do that, again.”

“Now at last, we hear some sense.“

“Okay, okay! You’re both grounded!“

“So, uh, how’d that happen anyway?“

“Mmm! Delightfully tangy, yet robust.“

“But, he knew the risks, as do we all.“

“Yeah. Too bad my nose works just fine.”

“A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots…”

“Don’t you remember? All those stories?“

“Just a lifelong obsession… I’ll get over it.”

“Hit your head there pretty hard, didn’t ya?“

“I don’t know what to do, I get so flustered.“

“You give up a few things, chasing a dream.“

“We were better off on the exploding planet!”

“Why? You got something to hide, bright-eyes?“

“Oh, shut up. You know I don’t mean a word of it.”

“Oh, don’t be daft. You’ve been very helpful. Truly.“

“Hey, mister? Hey, mister, you’re okay in there, right?“

“I mean, I am a doctor, but I’m not that kind of doctor.“

“I’m fluent in ‘flatula’. Took two years of it in high school.”

“I’m just sorry I couldn’t have been… more helpful to you.“

“I just don’t want to see you throw away your entire future!“

“I gotta find a place to hide, and there’s pirates chasing me.”

“Aw, he took a shine to me. We’ve been together ever since.“

“I really, really, really, really want to go. And it’s the right thing.“

“No. He was more the taking-off-and-never-coming-back sort.“

“Oh, pirates! Don’t get me started on pirates! I don’t like them.“

“With the greatest possible respect… zip your howling screamer.”

“All that talk of greatness? Light coming off my sails? What a joke.“

“Ah, I’ve got some plans… to make people see me a little different.“

“Yes, yes. No, I mean, I understand, but, um, co-couldn’t we just—?“

“You can keep that kind of flim-flammery for your spaceport floozies.”

“Look, if you’re gonna come along, you’re gonna have to stop talking.“

“I don’t know… they weren’t exactly singing my praises when I left home.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I was never much good at games… Always hated to lose.“

“You won’t so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your BUM without my say-so!“

“Without the map we’re dead. If we try to leave we’re dead. If we stay here…“

“You’re as trim and as bonnie as a sloop with new sails and a fresh coat of paint!“

“Are you saying this because it’s the right thing… or because you really wanna go?“

“It’s totally preposterous, traversing the entire galaxy alone… that’s why I’m going with you.”

“Like it or not, I’ll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble.”

“They’re… How did I describe them? I said something rather good this morning before coffee.”

“You got the makings of greatness in you, but you got to take the helm and chart your own course!”

“Look at you! Glowing like a solar fire. You’re something special. You’re gonna rattle the stars, you are!”

“He’s a-comin’. Can ya hear ‘im? Those gears and gyros, clickin’ and whirrin’ like the devil, himself!”

“Didn’t your pop ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully? Your father not the teachin’ sort?”

“I know that I keep messing everything up. And I know…that I let you down. But this is my chance to make it up to you.“

“I should never have listened to that pushy two-headed saleswoman… this one said it fit, that one said it was my color…”

“Is it that your body is too massive for your teeny-tiny head, or is it that your head is too teeny-tiny for your big fat body?“

“Look, don’t you get it?! I screwed up! I mean, for two seconds, I thought that maybe I could do something right, but — !”

“Whatever you heard back there, at least the part concerning you, I didn’t mean a word of it. If that bloodthirsty lot thought I had gone soft, they’d have gutted us both.“

“This should be a wonderful opportunity for the two of us to get to know one and other. You know what they say. ‘Familiarity breeds…’, um, well, ‘contempt’. But, in our case…”

“I mean, I am a doctor, but I’m not that kind of doctor. I have a doctorate, it’s not the same thing. You can’t help people with a doctorate. You just sit there and you’re useless!“

“And when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you’re made of! Well, I hope I’m there, catching some of the light coming off you that day.“

[moonbeammuses]

@theirvoices cont. from HERE

He didn't. He was never the sort to lean on anyone, not even before the cage, as far as he could remember. Talking about shit felt way too fucking vulnerable, and people already knew too much about him they could weaponize. Why give them more? Warren was closed off. From the moment those feathers began poking out of his back, he'd known he was on his own. No matter what he did, the wings on his back were massive barriers between him and the rest of the world.

... but when he looked at Moon, there was some part of him that ached. To talk to him, to open up, to just... be seen, heard, and known. He hesitated, his eyes boring holes into the other. Why? Why did he want that so badly?

Laughter under the stars, the way his nose scrunched when he smiled... The way his feathers fluffed up when he got upset, or his cheeks reddened when he cried... How soft the fur on his tail and his feathers felt against his naked skin-

Warren broke eye contact, looking down as he pulled his knees up towards his chest a bit more, crossing his arms over the tops of them. "Maybe..." he began awkwardly. "Maybe it would be okay..." He blushed, looking embarrassed as he looked Moonlight up and down, before continuing. "... just- y'know, with you."

There was a lot Warren didn't talk about. Marion hadn't needed long to figure that out. And he tried not to pry, because damn if he didn't have his own problems he'd rather avoid picking apart. And really, that was okay with him. Like he'd just said, some people weren't the kind who talked about things.

Marion met his gaze calmly as Warren talked it out.

"Maybe it would be okay... just- y'know, with you."

That was unexpected. Though he couldn't help but smile, Marion tried not to make a big deal out of it, sure Warren would hate it if he did. "I'll listen to anything you have to say. Anytime."

"...And I'll only tell Luka something if it's really funny," he joked.

[theirvoices-a]

Please don't make it a thing. I don't want to make it a thing- Warren's worries spiraled the moment the words had left his lips, the instinct to throw his emotional walls right back up a strong one. Instead, Moon just smiled, and promised to listen. Warren just stared for a moment, before scoffing and rolling his eyes at the joke. "That girl's got enough dirt on me, thanks."

He shoved Moonlight's shoulder affectionately as his cheeks warmed. He felt a light, giddy kind of feeling in his stomach. Damn, Warren thought to himself. Moon always managed to keep him on his toes: ...in all the best ways. He looked back at Marion, his eyes drawn to his lips.

I love his smile.

Flustered by the sudden intimacy of his thoughts, Warren's feathers ruffled. He cleared his throat, sitting up a bit straighter before stretching. Arms above his his head, he arched his back and stretched his wings high. Flapping them a few times, he dropped his arms with a sigh. His wings settled once more, but this time, one massive wing tucked around the pair. Catching Moon's chin between his thumb and his forefinger, Warren turned him and leaned in, kissing him. Pulling back after a moment, he kissed Moon's cheek, before mumbling near his ear, a bit shyly:

"... Thanks, handsome. Really."

[rpcarticulation]

PSA: Stay out of RP tags for a while.

For the uniformed, over the previous week there have been sock accounts that have indeed been posting shock images of irl gore of a variety of subjects in the tags. Even if that doesn't make you personally squeamish, the clear intent is to expose people to it to potentially trigger / traumatize them. The tags they're spamming with these images range from 'oc rp' to outright '(fandom) rp'. While other blogs have been informing people of these accounts to block, and thankfully tumblr staff appears to be taking the blogs down within a 24 hour timespan, the fact that as of writing this person (or a copycat) is on their third blog and probably won't stop. And if they do, it might just be for a short period of time to get people's guards down. The best way to avoid this is, for the time being, stop browsing rp tags for a while and try to stick with the dashboard. On top of that, while I imagine it is tempting to commentate on these situations, outside of telling people the new URL to block, simply try to continue to use your blog as normal. Don't feed the troll, especially when this is a blatant case of using 'shock images' to elicit a reaction out of a niche community. The 'person' will get bored or realize that their blogs will continue to get banned eventually. PS. If you're concerned that you may get stuff sent directly to you, remind yourself of tumblr's safety features and how if a non-mutual tries to send you an image, it will be blurred out. You are safe as long as you stay out of the tags and avoid the 'for you' page (I'd recommend blacklisting popular rp tags if you feel exceptionally antsy about this situation).

[theirvoices-a]

Scenario: Someone your muse knows invites them to a large-scale BDSM event held in a private, safely guarded location. The multi-level building is like a large showroom of BDSM gear and furniture, with cordoned off areas for many major kinks, shibari, suspension, impact play, and even an area for much harder kinks like blood, needle, or fire play. Curtained rooms allow beds to be hidden away from prying eyes, and a lounge area in the middle allows viewers to see and hear, well, everything.

At entry, you get a wristband. Red means no scenes, green means you're down to discuss.

Who would go, who would be too nervous, who would participate in a scene, and what kind of scenes would they participate in? For those who wouldn't be able to do something public, who'd participate in private?

Answer for anyone you're inspired for, but consider this me asking EVERYONE.

/// okay, this is going to end up being a long response, so I'm gonna put it under a cut and go down my lists:

:: Switches ::

HARTLEY: Yes - green band. He would research heavily before attending, but he would be opening to scene with others, even where viewable by others. He would mostly be a power bottom/brat/Dominant bottom. I think he would even have sex too, once he was familiar enough with and trusting of his community.

Interests: Total Power Exchange(mostly as a Dom), impact play(both), sensory deprivation(both), edging/forced/multiple orgasms(both), shibari(both), gags(both), suspension(receiving), maybe even knifeplay(receiving). Pet play(both), public shaming/degradation(giving), free use(both), and a MASSIVE praise and worship kink(receiving), and of course, leather(watching others wear). There are others as well, but that's what I'm writing down.

SILVIUS: Yes- red band at first, then green. He would go to check it out with a friend or lover, and once he was more comfortable, he would switch to a green band. He's friendly, but more likely to accept requests to play, rather than seek anything/anyone in particular.

Interests: bondage, suspension, sensory deprivation, waxplay, petplay, affectionate Domination, worship/praise, gags, ect. Everything listed is versatile, as he's mostly a Service Top/devotee sub

JEKYLL // HYDE: Yes- green band. It isn't the healthiest for him due to his mental health, but Jekyll would go to an event like this for the first time and probably with the first person to offer. He's not terribly safe about it, but that's because he's generally pretty reckless, especially before he made his medication and all of his repressed energies and fixations haven't all been stuffed into Hyde(who would also attend, but even more recklessly&aggressively- he would likely be removed from the premises and trespassed before the end of night).

Interests: Sensory play, impact play, knife play, choking, breath play, free use, majorly mascochistic, and Hyde is Dominant and sadistic. Most of his interests can be summed up by: "Does it hurt? Yes." As Hyde he enjoys inflicting pain more, but he is also far more masochistic. Hyde is reckless to the point he'd seriously consider allowing himself to be tattooed, branded, or even maimed if it came with pleasure. He would definitely end up kicked out of any well-run event, and quickly.

LOKI: Yes, green band and gold card member! Loki would frequent a place or places like these often. Sex is fun, kink is also great fun. He would be a very popular Dom, and as a sub, he would be a regular of all the best Dom/Dommes. He typically scenes without involving sex, but he's not opposed to it. If someone sees him? Lucky for them, Loki wasn't likely to be bothered, and if anything, he might be more turned on by being watched, especially as a Dom. Being observed as a sub requires a good Dom and the right headspace.

Interests: Too varied and many to cover. Sex, pain, and pleasure all were things he took great pleasure and care in. As a Dom, he likes mind games and mental manipulation above all else: disorienting his suspended sub by spinning them, or blindfolding and putting headphones on to leave a sub with no clue where to expect the next touch, smack, or scratch. It would be easier to write out his limits than his interests, and that's not what this is for haha

[theirvoices-a]

❛ Your hoodie looks better on me. Just saying. ❜ - Orion to John, either mutant ABO or Gotham soulmates haha

@moonbeammuses said: ❛ Your hoodie looks better on me. Just saying. ❜

"I prefer it off you, personally," John flirted easily, smiling at his lover, looking him up and down appreciatingly. "But yeah, you're right:" he grabbed Orion by the front of his hoodie, pulling him in close with a playful grin.

"This hoodie does look better on you." He wrapped his arms around Orion's thin waist, rocking them slightly to the beat of whatever song was playing on the radio in the other room. They danced gently for a few moments, just enjoying the physical contact.

He leaned in, kissing Orion sweetly, before turning them and pressing Orion against the wall. "But really," he mumbled against Orion's lip in a low tone as he slid his leg between Orion's. "The baggy sweater-no bottoms look on you is really doing it for me," he pressed one more lingering kiss, pressing himself more firmly against Orion as he did so.

"Mmm, fuck, you are so sexy, Orion..."

[moonbeammuses]

John seemed like he was waiting for Orion to start shouting. Instead, Orion met him with calm assurance, and it seemed to unnerve John even more. But, well, Orion wasn't upset. He had no doubt that if John punched someone, they deserved it. And if that meant he had to help John for once, that was fine.

Only...

John figured it out entirely too quickly for Orion's liking, but really what did he expect? He really did deserve to be a detective.

"You're Wolfe's runner," John said, and something jerked uncomfortably in Orion's stomach at that. He frowned, scribbling quickly.

"No, I was." He wasn't Wolfe's anything anymore.

John raised a hand, refusing to consider it, and it was Orion's turn to purse his lips. It was difficult to get a word in edgewise with John pacing around, but he wrote all the same, waiting for a good chance to put the book into John's hands.

"You could at least let me explain before you make decisions. Baseball cards haven't been worth anything in years. I am trying to contribute to this space in the best way I can right now.

"I told you it is safe. Will you let me tell you how?"

He tore the next page out of his book and wrote atop a discarded pizza box from the recycling pile, listing addresses. A P.O. Box location was the first. "It's very public, very busy, and impossible to break into without a scene. I just need to get the mail."

"If you can tell me why it's not a good idea, I will listen. If you have a better idea, I will listen."

[theirvoices-a]

"Was," John echoed, agreeing apologetically. "You're right. Sorry." He sighed, trying to make himself calm down. He hated Wolfe, didn't want to touch anything to do with him, even money! But as he read note after note from Orion, the stress lines in his forehead grew.

Was he seriously considering this? Taking Wolfe's drug money- evidence- to pay their rent? He felt sick, but a cynical part of him thought back to all the horrible shit his fellow cops regularly got away with. What was this, when compared to that?

Yet another, more deeply engrained part of him felt like it would be betraying his own morals. How could he claim to be "one of the good ones", if he did shit like this? Is this really how it would start?

... but Orion was right: no one bought baseball cards anymore, and that was, unfortunately, the only thing of value he owned that he could afford to sell. "First off, you do contribute to this house all the time. You think I'd eat vegetables if you didn't cook them?" He snorted. "I'm a shit chef," he joked to break the tension, unable to help himself. "You do a lot. This just... isn't something I want you to feel like you have to do.

"Secondly, owch, but true, his cards have... lost some value over the years," he admitted begrudgingly. "Third, I just... Give me some time to think about it? Rent's due in a week, I want to see if I can get the money together myself first. If I can't-"

He sighed. "... then we'll do it your way. But you're not going alone, okay?"

[moonbeammuses]

@theirvoices cont. from HERE

Orion had known something was wrong. Aside from just how long John had been gone and how tired he felt. That was part of the job, sometimes. But, suddenly, it felt like he broke his hand. Orion thankfully had only been holding a fork in that hand at the time to drop, but he'd immediately begun to worry. John must've punched someone, or something. He himself rarely tried throwing punches, acutely aware of his less-than-stellar upper body strength. But John...

When John was finally able to come home, despite the late hour, Orion got up and made hot chocolate (coffee for himself), setting the mug and an ice bag on the table. He wrote his note and put that there, too, and waited, sipping his coffee and watching the bubbles from stirring it swirl in the mug.

When John did speak, Orion sat a little straighter, a solemn sort of frown on his face. Two weeks was a lot with how tight things had been, but Orion nodded anyway. Okay.

He wrote it, too. "Okay. We can figure this out."

At least he hadn't been fired. That Orion couldn't fix. But two weeks' pay? He could get that in an hour. He sipped his coffee thoughtfully. He was the only one of Wolfe's crew who knew where the dead drops were, and the only one who could get some of them open without making a racket. Even if a few of Wolfe's contacts emptied what they could, Orion was sure the rest had what they needed.

"I have a plan," he wrote. "You're not going to like it, but it's safe, and it will work."

[theirvoices-a]

Orion sat up straighter, listening closely as he spoke. After a moment, he'd started writing, and John felt his gut twist. So many assumptions flew into his mind, expecting everything from getting told to sleep on the couch, to ending their relationship. Soulmate or no, he knew he was a lot to deal with, he would understand if-

Orion held out the note, and John read it, stunned. "Okay?" He croaked, questioningly. "Just... okay? And we can- 'we can figure this out'??" Blake looked Orion in the eyes now, searching for the anger, or the disappointment...

But he couldn't even find frustration in Orion's eyes. It scared confused him. Orion began writing again, and he waited anxiously. God damn, he really needed to learn more ASL... Taking it once offered, John read the note. Immediately, his brow pinched in sudden apprehension. "Plan? Wh-what do you mean 'plan'?" He gestured to the notebook, confused. "What won't I like-?"

He froze as it suddenly clicked. "Wolfe," he began, hoping he was wrong. "You're Wolfe's runner, you know where the-" he snapped his jaw shut, pursing his lips, before continuing, holding up a hand. "No. Hell no."

He stood, pacing in sudden anxiety. "I'll- I'll sell some of my dad's old baseball cards or something, it'll be fine!" Some of them were valuable. Probably. He ran a hand through his hair, stressed. "It was my fuck up, I'll figure something out. Just... please. Don't."

[theirvoices-a]

"Do you want to talk about it?" - Orion to John, Gotham soulmates

@moonbeammuses asked: "Do you want to talk about it?"

Being a decent human being while being a cop in Gotham was... difficult, to say the least. Some days were harder than others.

Today... was one of those days.

Blake had ended up needing to pull a near triple shift- broken up only by the occasional nap at his desk or in the break room. He was exhausted physically, sure, but mentally...

He'd almost turned in his badge today. Gordon had convinced him to stay- the GCPD needed good men, and while John was hardly a good person, compared to most of the men in the GCPD, he was positively angelic.

It was soul-sucking most days, but the past three he had seen more pain at the hands of "good" cops than he could properly stomach. While he kept his badge, Gordon had been forced to put him on leave. Unpaid, but only cause it had been a fellow cop whose face he bloodied his knuckles on. Pricks.

And how was he supposed to explain this to Orion? They were already struggling, and now his loser cop boyfriend was just put on leave for losing his stupid temper.

Blake put his head in his hand, staring at the makeshift coffee table in front of him with tired eyes. His hand still hurt, too. Gordon had insisted he wrap the thing, but he'd done a shit job and wasn't in the mood to go to urgent care over a few bloody knuckles.

Closing his eyes, he finally spoke: "I got unpaid suspension for two weeks." Better to just rip the bandaid of quickly, right?

[theirvoices-a]

"Some people never want to share. That could just be what it's like for you. That's okay." - Marion to Warren

@moonbeammuses said: "Some people never want to share. That could just be what it's like for you. That's okay."

He didn't. He was never the sort to lean on anyone, not even before the cage, as far as he could remember. Talking about shit felt way too fucking vulnerable, and people already knew too much about him they could weaponize. Why give them more?

Warren was closed off. From the moment those feathers began poking out of his back, he'd known he was on his own. No matter what he did, the wings on his back were massive barriers between him and the rest of the world.

... but when he looked at Moon, there was some part of him that ached. To talk to him, to open up, to just... be seen, heard, and known. He hesitated, his eyes boring holes into the other. Why? Why did he want that so badly?

Laughter under the stars, the way his nose scrunched when he smiled... The way his feathers fluffed up when he got upset, or his cheeks reddened when he cried... How soft the fur on his tail and his feathers felt against his naked skin-

Warren broke eye contact, looking down as he pulled his knees up towards his chest a bit more, crossing his arms over the tops of them. "Maybe..." he began awkwardly. "Maybe it would be okay..."

He blushed, looking embarrassed as he looked Moonlight up and down, before continuing. "... just- y'know, with you."

[memesomething]

ways to ask about it.

"You don't talk about it."

"Will you tell me?"

"Some people never want to share. That could just be what it's like for you."

"It's not, like, toxic sludge. It's not 'share what happened or die'. But it might help."

"There's something you're carrying, and I think it hurts you."

"I'd believe you, you know. If you told me."

"When you are ready to tell me, I will be ready to listen."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Was it bad?"

"What's rattling around up there?"

"You obviously don't trust me enough."

"You want me to ask? Fine. What happened to you? What made you walk away back there? What did you never bother to tell me?"

"What did they/he/she do to you?"

"What did they take?"

"You know I'm on your side."

"Did he/she/they hurt you?"

"Did he/she/they attack you?"

"Do you feel safe when they're here?"

"You look uncomfortable."

"Tell me."

"I care."