trying not to lose the fire // nightmares (tw)

[teef]

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[color=#7E354D]BAI SHI
" my own illusion come to be "

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TW WARNING:: GORE AND YEAH. GORE AND HORROR

sleep hadn't been coming easily, and when it did come, it came on the wings of unwanted memories. the memories pertained to their childhood, shook loose by ninazu's dive into their mind when they were captured by the ardent.

they barely slept these days, far too stressed out by the daily happenings and the resulting loss of a substantial number of eggs from their clutch. the number of eggs had been dropped to half, accredited to stress. the nightmares had begun to crawl into the daytime, little things off to the side of their vision, blood flying across their eyes. there was no escape, nothing they could do to stop it.

as of right now, they were laid up in their den, listening to the faint sparring of npcs in the background, soaking up some heat from the sun, sleep rolling over them like an unwanted lover's touch. it felt like smoke in their throat, consuming them in a tight grip.

lights flashing and blinding, a man's body sprawled across the floor when moments ago, he had been standing, fighting with another man. the hot spray of blood across a child's face and the heavy fall of a body later, the first man lay prone on the floor, his breathing jagged and wet. the whole place reeked of blood and pain. fear was thick in the air, baby blue eyes focused in on the hot glowing knife protruding from the fallen man's chest. his eyes were fixed on them, reaching out before his arm was pulled back by the other with a sick snap.

the child scrambled back further, frightened by the glowing gold of the fallen man's eyes compared to the crown clenched in their hand, their arm holding a baby, tears rolling down their face as they held onto the baby and ran. they screamed as a hand grabbed them by the hair, their teeth flashing in warning to their captor before their teeth sunk into his other arm.

the dragon was twitching and spasming in their sleep, jerking and panting. tears were evident at the corners of their eyes, the sand and ground being torn up under and around them. they were making strangled and startling noises that they shouldn't have been able to, their body thrashing and horns knocking into the wall of their den. the NPCs had long since fled, shouting that something was happening with the nomarch of warfare and it was dangerous to go near them.

[Usagi Smallpaw]

Usagi had been sleeping peacefully,hind legs warming in the sun until she had begun to stir from the scrapping sound of Usagi's claws against the ground but had awoken fully from the noises and her horns against the walls and looked over, panicking slightly as she sees bai shi thrashing and scrambles to her feet, whimpering slightly from the pain that shot through her legs she stumbled her way over to bai shi's neck, being careful to avoid the thrashing dragon's claws and putting a paw on her neck petting it and trying to sooth her. Bai shi had begun helping her with her issues she felt bound as both family and subject to help them wit theirs. "Shhh s-sibiling its okay your safe its ok im here its ok"She had been practising a bit while Bai had been gone and used what she had self taught herself to take some of her tears and any water nearby to try and cool the dragons head and just trying over all to settle the dragon in her sleep

[sephiroth]

SEPHIROTH

MALE — ROSEBLOODS — PHARAOH — HOVER FOR TAGS

[div style="background-color: #292727; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; width: 500px; height: 340px; padding: 10px;"]Sephiroth had found himself caring about Bai Shi quite a bit, not that one could make him to admit that short of torturing it out of him.  He kept his sense stretched a fair amount at most times when he was concerned about the dragon, with the return of Usagi his caution felt greatly justified.  So naturally, when Rosebloods started squealing about something happen to now his only Nomarch, the Pharaoh was right on it despite the danger.  Foolish courage on his end, he decided.

The lion rushed towards the den that Bai Shi had confined themselves, catching the scent of fear and Usagi and so many other things that sent him into overdrive.  Sephiroth's muscular frame shadowed the den entrance as his eyes glowed fiercely.  Sephiroth's head swung towards Usagi first and foremost, eyes narrowed in threat with a small growl rumbling from his throat.  Taking care of the dragon's thrashing limbs, Sephiroth shoved his shoulders and head inside the confines of the den, eyes returning to the Nomarch.  He stood there with wide eyes for a few heartbeats, not entirely knowing how to be comforting.  He carefully pressed a paw to the ground, lowering his head and gaze.

"Bai Shi."  Sephiroth's deep voice became velvet as hunched his shoulders down.  He clearly wasn't used to being this sort of comforting and soothing, but it was an attempt.  "Up.  You're safe."

#psychosocial.

[teef]

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[color=#7E354D]BAI SHI
" my own illusion come to be "

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the dragon seemed to still after a continued while of their panicked thrashing. violent calmness slipped over them, their body falling quiet save for the thunderous racing of their heart, ready to leap out of their chest.

their eyes twitched under the lid before their eyes flew open and they inhaled sharply and suddenly, inspiring a coughing fit. their entire body shaking and trembling, drenched in a cold sweat, their eyes on their paws, panting hard and heavy. voice as shaken as they, bai shi stumbled over their words, "a-am i home? s-sephiroth. usagi-i." they mumbled, tears drying on their scales.

nightmares were becoming too much of a reoccurring thing for them to get enough decent sleep. they only could nap and even then, it was risky for waking nightmares. the only rest they seemed to get, was around sephiroth, and they couldn't very well sleep on the job, which increased stress for them. so very quietly they reached out their neck to touch their nose to his shoulder or paw, to make sure he was real and they were awake.

[Usagi Smallpaw]

Seeing Bai shi wake up she lets out a sight of relief and stops her gentle petting long enough to quickly hug the dragon around the neck and brings some fresh water with her powers for Bai shi to drink"B-bau i-im glad your awake i-i was worried a-are you ok?"

[teef]

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[color=#7E354D]BAI SHI
" my own illusion come to be "

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a haunted look in their eyes, they shook their head, murmuring, "mmmm. no. I am not okay. I cannot sleep nor stay awake. no longer may I rest, I can only drive myself to passing out." they answered quietly, shrinking into their fox body, feeling safer with another bigger than them.

holding back from leaning into sephiroth, the lion that they had come to feel for, the lion that had made them see past their own nose. he had changed them and they doubted he knew that, the same as they doubted that he recognized they felt something more than adoration.

[Usagi Smallpaw]

She lowers her head a bit, face grimaced slightly in pain"i-im sorry....i...i know h-how it feels w-when your only option i-is when your body cant go anymore....i-is there anything i-i can do to help?"She continues standing but swaying slightly. she would not make a sound as much as it hurt and she would not so much as groan. not in front of sephiroth and definitely  not in front of her sibling when they needed her to be strong and she would do anything needed to help.

[teef]

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[color=#7E354D]BAI SHI
" my own illusion come to be "

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eyes returning to usagi they shook their head, "no. unless you know how to counteract mental damage, then no, there's no chance to help me." they murmured softly, pain in their eyes.

sensing her discomfort they cleared their throat, "its okay to show your pain. relax your body, I am sorry for waking you up. I might take a walk, just to sort out some thoughts."

[Usagi Smallpaw]

She shakes her head and the slight grimace and swaying dissapears as she becomes aware of it"n-no i-its ok i-i understand....j-just let me know i-if i can do anything t-to help....y-your my sibiling a-and ruler a-and have helped me alot i-its the least i can do...i-if you ever n-need someone to protect o-or help you i-ill help i-if i can..."As she was saying this she begins to mentally berate herself for being so stupid and for showing weakness in front of bai shi and sephiroth. behind the kind words they probably saw her as weak and a coward. she was willing to do anything to help bai shi and repay her debts to her sibiling and hoping to become closer with family

[teef]

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[color=#7E354D]BAI SHI
" my own illusion come to be "

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a soft sigh lifted off their muzzle, a small smile curving their maw. "you are a bloody fool, you know that?" they hummed, bumping their snout against her shoulder. they gave an uncertain look in sephiroth's direction, some sort of lingering phantom pain there. a memory or something else? they let their gaze fall away, ears switching back before looking up at usagi with a slight smile, devoid of deep emotion but brimming with enough pain to last eternities.

"let's get you to the oasis for some training, young lady. ah. I'll be okay. I have to be, right?" they expected no response, simply slipping out of their den. sighing, they closed their eyes, clutching at those slight fractured memories, foremost the memory of sephiroth appearing before them like some astral guiding being. they remembered the way that their joy was quickly degraded into pain and fear, terrified of the one that they had once wanted to see more than anything in the world. they supposed that this, trip to the oasis, would open opportunity to discuss "gossip" things that they really needed someone to confide in.