Yuma Ilvern (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reluctantradiance) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
middaeg2020-03-03 06:56 pm
reluctantradiance) wrote in middaeg2020-03-03 06:56 pm
Entry tags:
[CLOSED] A Familiar Fear
Who: Yuma Ilvern and Kor Meteor
When: Later in March
Where: Their home
What: Yuma struggles to control his Harpy side while still being unbonded. Luckily, he gets a little help just in time...
Warnings: none; will update if needed
[ Yuma really would have preferred a calmer night. Not that he's never dealt with thunderstorms before, but for some reason tonight they're setting him on edge. Perhaps it's the fact that his mind is swarming with stressful thoughts anyway, and the occasional bursts of thunder from outside are an unwelcome addition. The full moon had brought Yuma a more drastic set of changes compared to last time; namely a feathered tail and a small set of wings about four feet long each. The rough skin on his hands seems to have spread as well, looking suspiciously bird-like alongside his claws. But the physical changes, while alarming (especially with them being permanent), were easy enough to handle. He got the hang of that sort of thing all the time whenever he used to use the Shining Dragon's power. No, the real struggle was with what was happening in his mind.
Stray thoughts, instinctive reactions, and frayed nerves; all of which felt foreign and yet intrusively familiar. He's dealt with this before whenever he struggled to control the Shining Dragon, doing everything he could to push it back, not unlike throwing his weight at a door to desperately keep it shut. Yet the more he does it here, the stronger they get, leaving him lost and confused. On top of that, he's been unbonded since his arrival. Not that he's entirely certain how that's supposed to help him, only that it is.
Alone in his room with no adequate distractions to keep him occupied, the mental feedback loop he's found himself in spirals out of control before he can keep a decent grip on his senses. Before he knows it, suddenly his room is too small. He feels cramped. Chained down. Trapped. And in the midst of all of this, a particularly loud crash of lightning ends up being the last straw.
His immediate response to this is…far from peaceful. There's a crashing sound as the end table near his bed is knocked over, and some of his belongings are displaced and fall to the floor as he scrambles about in a panicked frenzy. Before long, numerous parts of Yuma's room are covered in scratches from his claws, several feathers having fallen and scattered about as well. Most of the scratches are located on a standalone cabinet on one end of the room, thanks to Yuma's clumsy and fear-driven efforts to climb it.
Atop the cabinet, Yuma hunches over like some kind of feathery gargoyle. He's breathing rapidly, his eyes wide and unfocused as they dart from shadow to shadow in his already-darkened room. His choker - the very same one he insists on never taking off, even when sleeping - is absent, having ended up on the floor in the middle of his room. His night shirt is more than a little torn up around his sleeves and collar, likely due to his panic from earlier.
He's scared. Terrified. Nothing Yuma tries to calm himself down seems to be working, and climbing on top of the cabinet is only helping so much. At least he's off the floor, but he's either too scared to move or too tired to. He's not entirely sure which.
Eventually, Yuma hears someone approaching his room, and his gaze snaps to the door. For a moment, he's relieved; he could really use company right now. But just as that feeling comes, it vanishes, replaced once more by an aggressive fear. For now, he doesn't make a sound. Not that he'll be too hard to find, albeit probably looking a little ominous.
Though whether his visitor is someone he recognizes, let alone trusts, remains to be seen. ]
When: Later in March
Where: Their home
What: Yuma struggles to control his Harpy side while still being unbonded. Luckily, he gets a little help just in time...
Warnings: none; will update if needed
[ Yuma really would have preferred a calmer night. Not that he's never dealt with thunderstorms before, but for some reason tonight they're setting him on edge. Perhaps it's the fact that his mind is swarming with stressful thoughts anyway, and the occasional bursts of thunder from outside are an unwelcome addition. The full moon had brought Yuma a more drastic set of changes compared to last time; namely a feathered tail and a small set of wings about four feet long each. The rough skin on his hands seems to have spread as well, looking suspiciously bird-like alongside his claws. But the physical changes, while alarming (especially with them being permanent), were easy enough to handle. He got the hang of that sort of thing all the time whenever he used to use the Shining Dragon's power. No, the real struggle was with what was happening in his mind.
Stray thoughts, instinctive reactions, and frayed nerves; all of which felt foreign and yet intrusively familiar. He's dealt with this before whenever he struggled to control the Shining Dragon, doing everything he could to push it back, not unlike throwing his weight at a door to desperately keep it shut. Yet the more he does it here, the stronger they get, leaving him lost and confused. On top of that, he's been unbonded since his arrival. Not that he's entirely certain how that's supposed to help him, only that it is.
Alone in his room with no adequate distractions to keep him occupied, the mental feedback loop he's found himself in spirals out of control before he can keep a decent grip on his senses. Before he knows it, suddenly his room is too small. He feels cramped. Chained down. Trapped. And in the midst of all of this, a particularly loud crash of lightning ends up being the last straw.
His immediate response to this is…far from peaceful. There's a crashing sound as the end table near his bed is knocked over, and some of his belongings are displaced and fall to the floor as he scrambles about in a panicked frenzy. Before long, numerous parts of Yuma's room are covered in scratches from his claws, several feathers having fallen and scattered about as well. Most of the scratches are located on a standalone cabinet on one end of the room, thanks to Yuma's clumsy and fear-driven efforts to climb it.
Atop the cabinet, Yuma hunches over like some kind of feathery gargoyle. He's breathing rapidly, his eyes wide and unfocused as they dart from shadow to shadow in his already-darkened room. His choker - the very same one he insists on never taking off, even when sleeping - is absent, having ended up on the floor in the middle of his room. His night shirt is more than a little torn up around his sleeves and collar, likely due to his panic from earlier.
He's scared. Terrified. Nothing Yuma tries to calm himself down seems to be working, and climbing on top of the cabinet is only helping so much. At least he's off the floor, but he's either too scared to move or too tired to. He's not entirely sure which.
Eventually, Yuma hears someone approaching his room, and his gaze snaps to the door. For a moment, he's relieved; he could really use company right now. But just as that feeling comes, it vanishes, replaced once more by an aggressive fear. For now, he doesn't make a sound. Not that he'll be too hard to find, albeit probably looking a little ominous.
Though whether his visitor is someone he recognizes, let alone trusts, remains to be seen. ]
no subject
Y-Yeah. I don't mind getting rained on, but maybe we should wait out the thunder...
[ He really, really would rather not be making any trips during a storm. ]
But really, Kor... You've been so kind to me ever since I got here, even when we barely knew each other. I could've hurt you just now, but you stayed here until I came back to my senses. And now, you're even willing to form a Bond with me, just like that?
[ It's. A lot, from someone he barely knows. Yuma would expect this from the village he grew up in, where people went out of their way for him out of reverence and often fear as well. The Dragoneers are willing to help him for similar reasons. But Kor is neither of those things. He doesn't know about that side of Yuma at all. And yet here he is, offering him kindness and a helping hand anyway.
Yuma definitely appreciates it, that much he's made clear. A Bond would definitely help him out. But he's still a little stunned that Kor would make such a big decision at the drop of a hat, just because it could help him. Not that Yuma is really that different, when you get down to it, but he always has trouble whenever he's on the receiving end of these things. ]
no subject
[Whereas Yuma is stunned by Kor's decisions, Kor sees nothing odd about it. It's just all part of his philosophy, his way of life. He's known Yuma for about a month now. Sure, it's not the longest friendship, definitely nothing like childhood friends or anything like that, but... Yuma was his friend all the same, and he liked Yuma. It was only natural that he'd want to help him out, and he'd do the same for any of his other friends too, without question.]
Gramps always taught me that I should always help out those in need, and also that a smile is the most powerful weapon in the world. So if me helping you out here by forming a bond with you makes sure you can keep smiling? Then of course that's what I'm gonna do. It's only natural.
no subject
Yet there's something about Kor's casual-yet-certain tone that sets him at ease. He's not known him for long and it's still taking a little getting used to, but Kor's nigh unstoppable friendliness almost feels comforting, especially given what Kor knows (or doesn't know) about Yuma. ]
Your Gramps sounds like a pretty great guy.
[ If he's teaching Kor to be so kind-hearted and comforting him during thunderstorms, how bad can he be?
Yuma noBut, well, Yuma's smiling. He's a little tired, and it's the kind of smile that still has a tinge of sadness to it, but it's a smile nonetheless. ]
Kor... Thanks. It really means a lot to me.
no subject
Seeing Yuma smiling is enough to get Kor smiling, his smile big and wide and full of cheer. He's glad to see that Yuma's feeling better. Though, that does leave the little lightning fright. That's gonna be a problem...]
Why don't you come sleep out in the common area tonight instead of here? We can hang out until we pass out!
[He'll keep you safe from the thunder, Yuma.]
no subject
...but after a few moments, and a deep breath for good measure, Yuma manages to calm himself again. He'll just lock the door behind him. It's fine. ]
Sure, that sounds like a great idea.
[ He's still worried, honestly. After all, he's not sure just how good a hold he has on his instincts. But as long as he isn't alone, he'll be fine, right? He can at least hold off until it's clear enough outside to go get that Bond taken care of. Besides, hanging out with friends always does him good. ]
no subject
With that settled, he turns away from Yuma.]
Hey... I'll race you there. Last one there has to go find blankets!
[Kor, it's not exactly a long trip.]
no subject
And before he knows it, Kor is turning on a dime and challenging him to a race. It takes him by surprise at first. ]
Huh?! W-wait!
[ Well, if Kor wants a race against Yuma, even if they're just heading down the hall, then it's a race he'll get! Although Kor has a bit of an unfair advantage; Yuma may be lighter but his changes are going to make him more prone to tripping over his own feet until he regains a better sense of balance.
Yuma welcomes such lightheartedness with open arms, though. Hesitant he may be, he still likes to have fun every once in a while, and Kor's optimism is doing much to keep his mind off the storm outside. ]