[PRP] the darkest country road [Alexis/Nasir]

[azuredreams]

"Someone spoke the geas," said Nasir, "and we watched as all of them waited on bated breath for what they were asked to do." He was rubbing his hands together, trying to not think about what any of them would do without the others around.

What would happen if they were along and-

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Have to be leashed," Alexis said, half-somber. "The only saving grace a Noble's got. It's -" they'd had an idea, but no certainties, and now it was clear at least this once. "What d'you do to make the strongest one there listen? They can't say no."

Fingers through his hair, arrhythmic, soft.

"Could ask any Noble to kill another, couldn't you? Ask 'em to kill themselves - they'd have to."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Probably," agreed Nasir. "You could probably tell them to have their heart stop but even if it's a leash, most won't use it.

"Bringing someone to heel," his hand pressed to his face, the term used because of the leash analogy, "is ... wrong. At least, that way. You have to have good reason. You can't just do it. For you to have absolute power over someone, you have to accept a lot of responsibility."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"If people have power, they'll use it. Doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. It's not like the geas can look at someone and say alright, you want them t'kill themselves, that's kinda ******** up - it's not moral, it doesn't have to be moral. That's someone else's job." Alexis huffed, frustratedly, but kept on stroking his hair. It was the least they could do.

"Just 'cause people can be good doesn't mean they will, Nasir." Sometimes their heart broke for him all over again, not in the way people might expect, but -- he was so good, so kind, and so often it went against all their expectations that someone would think so well of people.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I know." Nasir's hand pressed to his face, fidgeting with a barrette over and over again. Clip, unclip, clip, unclip.

"Just don't know how people keep at all of this with how dire things can turn." It was not normal for him to be like this, at least not this low. "I guess I am happy that all my powers do-"

He stopped, nose wrinkling again as if he had realized just what his powers could do.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Your powers can do what," Alexis said, very abruptly, and then pouted. The effect was somewhat lost given their position relative to Nasir, as well as the fact their face took to pouting about as well as it'd take to a chainsaw. "Guessing the answer isn't 'murder people real good'?"

"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"No, it's ..." Nasir continued to fidget, eyes glancing towards Alexis. "I think I can take a little bit of people's emotions into myself. It happened when I touched America and Lily and I think ... another time too. I felt America's fear and worry and Lily's lack of feeling and ..."

It was a long ramble, as if he was realizing why he was all off kilter after the meeting.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

Alexis hesitated. Looked down. "Do you want me to stop touching you," they said, quiet. "If you can't - control it, I mean. I don't think you'd want t'just...randomly grab mine." And if he said yes, they would; it'd be torture for them, to never touch, but they would. For him.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"No!" Nasir said, looking startled. "No," he said in a softer voice, "it's not ... all the time. Just if I really want to, I guess? To make things easier. America looked a little less scared, I think, and Lily calmed down ...

"So touching is fine, I think it's more me touching others. They're right there, under the surface, and if I reach for them I pull them to me." The emotions. "Except then they're in me and I have to deal with them."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

They hesitated, again, and reached down to touch his hand. "...if 's not all the time, then do you want t'practice? T'make sure you don't do it by accident, so you have it under control." If Alexis made it about him, they could pretend it didn't remind them of their own.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir looked a little worried as Alexis took his hand. "Maybe? I don't really know ... what it does to people. I mean they looked alright but what if I took something and it never comes back?" He looked concerned about this and, for once, not entirely aware of what Alexis was doing.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Then it doesn't come back." Alexis' fingers wrapped tight around his hand. "You need to know. It'll be safer that way." They thought about knowing bone-deep it could be safe, would be safe, restraint so inherent it would never hurt. "'Sides. You'd never hurt me." Confidence, all the way deep-down, safe.

Safe.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I know but-" Nasir just sighed before he nodded his head. It was smarter this way, better, like Alexis said they needed to know. If not he would not trust himself again.

"You are right," he whispered, "I would never hurt you." Anyone, really, because Nasir simply was not capable of it. Not as he was. "I can try now? I think, if that's alright?"

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"'s fine." Alexis offered him a reassuring smile, although it was barely a quirk of the lips, and just kind of -- felt. (They kept the worry, the bitterness, a space apart. They could think about that later. They didn't need to feel it right now.) The inherent confidence, strength, belief - not even necessarily good feelings. Just a sense of core stability.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir was not sure how it would work, at least not with him consciously doing it. Still, his fingers were closed around Alexis's before they tangled instead and interweaved their fingers together.

For Alexis, it was ... calm and understanding. Just a moment to see past the confidence and belief and - because this was Nasir - even some of the worry and bitterness fled.

It left them and made it's home in Nasir, who let out a shaky breath. He smiled a bit, though it was a bit of a sardonic smile. "I'm glad," he said quietly, "that you believe in me."

Daekie