Closed RP Step Out Into the New Normal

[Yuyo]

Belle was a mess, it was the nicest way to put it, relationships of any kind were not exactly something he understood fully or something he knew how to handle. Hell, he was still debating what exactly it was he felt when he was around her, but at the moment, it didn't feel like it mattered.

His hand hovered slightly closer, the hair on the back of his neck tensing with uncertainty. "It will be okay- It will be..." He was sure he'd only thought it, but he was muttering the words before he could stop them from pouring out of his mouth. His lips pressed thinly, telling himself to stay quiet, now actually in his mind.


His skin burnt for a moment, and he worried, thinking it may split open again, but, against all odds, it didn't, the itch faded, the pain inexistent. It felt like a static shock, or maybe it was simply the fact his body had relaxed, but as he crossed a distance that seemed like miles in a time that felt like hours, as his fingertips barely grazed her hand, he sighed in relief, pretending it was all part of his plan and he knew he wouldn't suddenly turn into a lightbulb and crumble on the ground.

"See?... Little by little..." Belle's statement was almost a joke with how much he was actually shivering.

The scars were there, but nowhere near as gnarly as they should be in reality. Even the scar crossing his brow and cheek gave him a bit of character, they looked old, as if they'd simply been there, always, as if they were part of him. Because they were.

He took the time finally, genuinely, look at his own skin without fear, without a horrible, aching feeling of disgust. It felt warm, right. Even when those scars were paint or led lights, the feeling lingered somewhere in his organs. But now? He felt, free, happy, he could smile honestly without faking politeness.

He pondered as he kept his hand there, not daring to actually hold hers yet, not wanting to make it more awkward than it already was.


"Thanks... For letting me try. And not- You know, not making me explode or something..." He said, carefully, before taking a deep breath and brace himself. "I don't mind- Being friends with your friend I mean. Y-You are nice so, I'm sure they will be too..."

'Being friends', he smiled at the thought despite how foreign it felt. He liked that, they could make it work, for once, he was certain about something, maybe that was all he needed after all, he had a home with Sam, and now, he could have a family again. That is what Lucian would want.

 

[UmbraSight]

Eli’s shoulders tensed as Belle reached for her outstretched hand. What if he hurt himself again? He wouldn’t want to still be friends with her, would he? She clearly wouldn’t be a good friend if she couldn’t stop her powers from hurting someone she didn’t want them to hurt, especially when they were trusting her not to hurt them. Her fingers twitched as Belle almost reached her, a twinge of expected contact skittering up her arm and almost causing Eli to pull her hand back. Almost. She did wince when the tips of his fingers brushed against her own, half expecting to feel warm blood, but she didn’t. Eli’s silver eyes stared down at Belle’s hand, tracking along the lines of his scar for… any change really. But it was just skin.

Eli’s body finally relaxed at that, and she let go of a breath that had bottled itself up in her throat somewhere next to where her heart had climbed. She smiled again, a nervous giggle following after that held breath because things were fine. “Yeah, I don’t know what I was worried about.” She said, which was certainly a ridiculous thing to say so a couple more bubbling giggles followed after the statement just to get themselves out there. She turned her gaze up to Belle and smiled. She turned her hand to shake his, keeping the pad of her index finger touching his hand in case breaking contact would ruin the effect.

“I’m Eliana Rook, it’s nice to meet you.” She said. Was this weird? This was weird wasn’t it? But, it felt… well, they could shake hands so they should, that would make them proper friends, or something.

She paused for a moment, her gaze flicking to his scars before returning to his eyes. “So, uh…” wait, was this rude? If it was shouldn’t she stop herself from— “Does it feel weird with your powers gone? I, uh, I mean I don’t really feel like I have any and uh… is it weird?” Oh no, this was rambling she was rambling wasn’t she?