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[Ingo knows the jerky isn't something Emmet favors, though not quite the reasoning. Who would want it, really? For all that they're necessary provisions, it's a rather vile concept.]

Nothing fresh, I'm afraid. I have...not been cooking. If you'd like, I could make something quick?

[There's still some fresh meat left in the fridge; they both died too soon after their hunts to have used it all. Ingo doesn't especially want to cook anything now; he'd rather just focus on being with Emmet, since it seems he needs that. But he'll do whatever his brother wants.]

[A pang of guilt. If he hadn't died, Ingo wouldn't be this sad, he would have at least not laid on the floor.]

[Emmet shook his head, moving to bump his head against Ingo again. He was hungry, but he didn't want to not be near Ingo, and cooking would mean Emmet would have to get out of the way.]

[Once it felt decently soft, he swallowed the bit of jerky. He ripped off another piece. Put it in his mouth. A part of him hoped this would give him the energy to soon stop smelling like blood. Like cold, despite knowing he didn't- it was still in his nose.]

Edited 2023-08-17 03:52 (UTC)

Alright.

[Should he put up more of a fight? Go against Emmet's wishes in order to make sure he's properly fed? No - Ingo doesn't want to part so quickly either. He turns to put a kettle on with one hand, then links his arm around Emmet's to wait for the water to boil.]

Mr. Cheesecake has been well.

[That was good.]

[He kept on staring at Ingo. Tears trying to form again, he was sorry Ingo. It was scary.]

[He wanted to say something, vocally or sign. Something to communicate to Ingo, but again- nothing was coming to mind.]

[Ingo rests his head against Emmet's in turn. He ought to be talking. But it's hard to know what to say. Nothing has happened to him since Emmet was gone, really; nothing he thinks is worth being said.]

I, ah...I will make something decaffeinated. Better not to stay up, perhaps. And there is some sweet mochi left over, if you want some of it after you are done with that!

[He might have offered it first, but...well, it's that hunger, you sort of need to see to it.]

[Emmet nods, mochi is nice- it is soft, which meant Emmet didn't have to work with chewing it too much.]

[Emmet slowly finished the rest of his jerky, which should satisfy his urges for now. He brushed his hand off using his jeans. They were covered in dirt down the front, proof to Emmet of how he was laid on the ground.]

[He now focused on brushing the dirt off the jeans now too.]

...pajamas?

[Ingo himself is in some PJs - having already gone through that exact thing - though they're mismatched and messy. Not exactly his typical vibe.]

[He should change shouldn't he? He should also shower. He did not want to get wet though but he also did not want to get into clean pajamas while dirty.]

[It is obvious on his face Emmet is torn on what to do.]

[He scans the room as if the answer to what he should do would just appear in thin air.]

[Hm. Ingo might not know exactly what the issue is, but he can guess at a chunk of it.]

...you could put on a robe for a while? A fluffy one? Or just one of my kimono, you do not need to fasten it correctly or anything like that.

[That was an idea! He nodded but didn't move to leave Ingo's side. When they are down in their area next he will go change into one.]

[Emmet wished he could say something, or decide on something, or anything. He felt like when they were kids again, the younger twin hanging onto Ingo as if anything outside the two of them was something to be cautious about.]

[It frustrated Emmet that he was like this at the moment, but right now, the calm of just staying near Ingo outweighed that.]

[The water's boiling. Ingo pours it into the teapot. It'll need time to steep now...]

Let us go and do that, then.

[Decisive, but still quiet. He doesn't really have the energy for his normal volume levels. But Emmet needs him, so he can keep going as long as he needs to. He takes his brother's hand to lead the way back downstairs.]

[Once they are downstairs, Emmet heads to his room so he can grab the robe. He keeps Ingo within sight at all times.]

[As he starts to change his clothes, he sighs a little. Finally deciding he is 80 percent of the way there as he heads into the bathroom and turns on the shower.]

[He showers at amazing speeds, as if he is away for too long, Ingo would disappear into the aether.]

[Emmet barely dries off and quickly gets dressed in something clean. He looks like a drowned Sneasler with how little he waited to dry.]

[Ah - Ingo had not expected Emmet to go shower right this second, but it's probably for the best. He lets him go without comment. The intervening time is spent hovering around Emmet's room, unwilling to sit on the bed but not sure what else he ought to do.

He blinks at Emmet when he returns.]

Oh! You are going to get your clothes all wet! That is not good for keeping warm, you know!

[COMING IN TO TOWEL DRY HIS HAIR AT LEAST]

[Emmet will allow this, he just wanted to get back to Ingo as quickly as possible!]

I know that may be a little silly, given that it is still summer, but that was something very important to keep track of back in Hisui. Not to mention, I am not always warm enough inside even now. The air conditioning, and all that.

[He suspects it's a reasonable temperature for non-manticores, though, and so he doesn't say anything. At that point it's his responsibility to dress more warmly.

Anyway. The towel sort of leaves Emmet's hair a mess, but he's dryer!]

Better?

[Emmet nods, and once they are back upstairs, Emmet is heading over to the air conditioning to adjust it a few degrees warmer, to see if Ingo prefers it and Gladion won't get too hot.]

[Emmet had just always had it set to what he was used to back home and didn't seem to think about how it felt colder than usual because he didn't hear any complaints from Ingo and he didn't want to experiment to find a new temperature.]

[He's going over to finish up with the tea, but he sees this.]

Ah, don't do that! It might not be good for the plants. I can always wear a coat.

[Emmet looks over at the plants, then at Ingo. And leave the temperature where he newly set it to then heads over back to Ingo.]

[COLD. ALSO.]

Ah...well, I suppose that is alright. Gladion will say something if it is too warm, I'm sure.

[Of course this being a need Emmet shares changes things entirely.]

Please, sit -

[He's just pouring two mugs of tea and getting a package of mochi out; he'll bring them over to the couch in a second. And hey, look: the couch is practically entirely free of black fur!]

[Emmet doesn't notice, to be honest, he really hired the defurring to try and make Ingo's life easier.]

[As soon as Ingo sits down, Emmet flops uselessly onto Ingo's lap, using all of his self-control not to just go into travel form because he knows he needs to communicate with Ingo. But Ingo makes him feel safe, Ingo makes him feel like there is some form of stability in Ryslig.]

[Someone Emmet can turn to when it is all just too much for him.]

Oh, Emmet...

[He leans over his brother's body to set everything down on the coffee table. Maybe tea was optimistic. Sitting back, Ingo starts to idly pet Emmet's hair.]

It's alright. [It isn't.] You're back home now.

[He is, but that doesn't change what happened.]

[Emmet shakes his head.]

[It's not alright. What if he dies again and doesn't actually get brought back? What if each death here affects them on an even deeper level than psychological?]

[He died. He woke up in a cold box. There were no marks on his body that even proved he died- but he remembered the pain—the choking on his own blood—the regret of not just being better and losing in quite frankly- the ultimate way.]

[The thought of not seeing Ingo again. That fear that always haunted him since arriving here and finding out about Hisui- and the idea of putting Ingo through that horrible fear.]

[Well - yes, maybe that was a stupid thing to say. Ingo runs his claws carefully through Emmet's hair. His own death was...

His stomach hurts. It doesn't matter. He doesn't think of it.]

I am here now. We can stay here like this for as long as you like. [Though it's a little hard to know what to say. It's not like anything he could say would help.] Would you like me to feed you some mochi?

[Emmet shook his head again, his mouth reached that comfortable yet tense locked position, tongue pressed against teeth.]

[Another apology.]

[He did not think of Ingo when going out, he did not plan, he just wanted to make sure Gladion's friend did not get hurt.]

[Emmet already knew the friend did get hurt and most likely killed. There were multiple people about it. If they would just do that to a random monster, then what about one they actively disliked?]

Do not apologize! It is not your fault at all!

[If anything, Ingo's a little sour at Bucky in retrospect. He runs a dojo; why wasn't he keeping Emmet safe? But, ultimately, that's not Bucky's job. It's Ingo's.]

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cw: choking, blood ments?

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