reanbeanmachine | gross au

gross au

[Once upon a time, perhaps, a man named Giliath Osborne had been a good man, a kind father, a loving husband, a good soldier. That was a long, long time ago, long forgotten. These days, there was merely the Blood and Iron Chancellor. A man hellbent on a goal, ready to use everything to achieve it.

Currently, the latest tool from his little workshop was standing in his office facing him with a familiar face, but an unfamiliarly blank expression.

"Siegried" was the name of the doll in front of him, a creature with uses. Already, standing in front of Osborne was plenty of proof that this boy was only a shell that resembled a person, an empty vessel whose memories were sealed away.

He ran his fingertips over the boy's cheek, watching for any reaction, any flinch or concealed disgust. Nothing. Obedience. Perfect.

There was more he could test for this, and if that proved successful, this doll could be useful in very many ways indeed. His fingers lifted a lock of white hair, let it slide over his knuckles as he pulled his hand away.]

Siegfried, I want you to kneel.

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[Well for now. Rean is just staring at Crow with a creepy intensity. He probably doesn't understand anything going on but that's not keeping him from just watching Crow like a particularly dangerous monster watches potential prey, unblinking and hungry.]

[It's hard not to feel a little frightened of that kind of stare. Crow knows all about danger. He can't ignore the way it makes the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. But... it's Rean, so he's determined not to freak out. Besides, he'd honestly rather be stared at that way by Rean than ever be stared at the way he was so often the past year. So it's fine. He's fine. He's not going to think about anything but Rean, because thinking about himself is just going to result in being even more unhappy than he already is.

So he just ignores it, digging into his own convenient rpg inventory for first aid stuff. Wound stitched and balms applied he's going to sit on the edge of the tub while it fills and try to pretend this is a sane situation.]

You're gettin' pretty intense there. I'm not gonna eat you, y'know. Not gonna run off, either.

[I mean, what constitutes a conversation here? There's a low, guttural snarl which might be anything from acknowledgement to a warning. In any case Rean does actually stalk up to the side of the tub, looking down at Crow but then not doing anything. Just. Being near him?]

...Little close there, buddy.

[Maybe if he talks to Rean like he's Rean for long enough, eventually he'll get, y'know, Rean. Maybe not, but it feels less scary to keep chattering. He's running the fingertips of one hand through the water idly as it rises, and from them come tiny wisps of pink that dissipate as the remains of blood both his and not wash away.]

I know I'm gorgeous but I like a date who talks back.

[Crow's going to be doing a lot of talking to himself for the foreseeable future, but for now Rean just. Looks at him. No snarling or whatever, just that eerie stare and that aura of predatory menace and silence.

At least the water is warm and nice.]

Oookay then.

[He's either going to give up or just lean harder into talking until he loses his mind a little. Probably the latter, given that he keeps chattering now, even while he's sliding into the bath. It's gonna take a couple of tubs full of water to get actually clean but he's gonna try.]

Y'know, I'm glad you're here even if you're nuts. It's kinda weird to think we've spent way more time apart than we ever did together, actually...

[He's just gonna keep going the whole time. Venting his feelings at an apparent living wall. It's a bunch of mostly stupid stuff about haha I did all these silly things while I was running away from you and geez you would be so mad at me right now if you were you, and whatnot. But as he's finishing up, shaking his head to clear some water after rinsing his hair out, he pauses, then looks upward briefly and mutters:]

I think... I kinda missed you even while I didn't remember you.

[No, he knows he does. He can remember it now -- the way his heart twisted every time he gave himself up for a year, never knowing why, never knowing there was anything to give away. The precious memories that had dangled right beyond his fingertips are right here with him, but... But Rean's the one who's not really here now, and those memories are all fucked up--

He sighs, reaching toward to unplug the drain. Better not to think about it. Let that dirty feeling go right down with the dirty water.]

[At some point while Crow talks Rean sits next to the tub, leaning on the edge and watching him still. He doesn't respond, obviously, but he's... Here? Partly here.

He's at least physically present if mentally all gone. But he's not so all gone that he's not apparently soothed by Crow talking at him, and he's here enough that his eyes follow Crow with intensity and eerie lack of humanity but no real threat in them, despite the ever-present aura of murder.

Maybe he doesn't process what Crow's saying but he's still listening to him.]

[It makes Crow feel a little more hopeful to see the response. If talking helps, that means there's something human still in there. That maybe he can find a way to fix this.

He glances at Rean as the tub drains, takes a deep breath, then gets up and out of it. He has exactly one towel so he's trying not to soak it but also not drip everywhere, which is a nice distraction long enough to pull his pants on (ditch the undies tbh) and come back to kneel, cautiously, next to Rean.]

Your turn. Think you can handle a bath? You'll feel better.

[Honestly he's... really sad. Amongst other things. There's a lot going on for Crow, but he's burying it by reminding himself that he remembers everything from when he was messed up. If-- When Rean comes back, he doesn't want him to remember seeing Crow fall apart. So he'll just smile and move gently and try his best to make things as okay as they can be, when it's all gone to hell.]

[Rean's eyes narrow because obviously he has no idea what Crow's saying? Or maybe he understands the words some but he's still growling about it.

Wrestle the dog into the bath Crow. You can do it.]

[Hhhhh But he doesn't want to...

But. Do what you have to? The problem is he knows what Rean's been through in the last day and also what Crow has been through and trying to force Rean to strip sounds like a quick way to make them both flip out. AND YET Rean needs to get cleaned up, so...

..Time to freak them both out and start pulling things off.]

Come on, idiot! You don't want to be covered in nasty shit anymore, do you?

[Whether he understands the intent or not the minute Crow starts trying to strip him Rean does go straight from docile to flipping out, snarling and shoving Crow back to scramble away.

He could in fact just rip Crow's throat out, he's strong enough now, but instead he acts like a spooked cat, just kind of levitating to the nearest high place and hissing in that eerie reverb.]

[He's certainly not gonna resist the shove. He couldn't make himself even if Rean wasn't really unfairly strong like this. Instead he just sits there where he landed, rubbing his face with his hands and trying to figure this out.]

Damn it all... Look!

[He's getting back up on his knees, to pat the inside of the tub. He even turns it on! See, it's filling up again!]

I just want you to wash off, asshole!

[Yeah eerie snarling is his response, very predictable.

Rean's not being cooperative at all, and all the tension that left him while Crow chattered endlessly is back in force, so it's probably not going to work for now.]

[SIGH! Great. Way to fuck that up Crow. Now everybody's having an even worse day!]

Fine. Okay. I'll back off.

[He lets the tub finish filling, then turns off the tap, carefully stands up and backs away, with his hands up. Look, he's giving you space, Rean! He's also trying not to show that he's shaking, nauseous at the feeling of having set this off, at remembering feeling that same terrified fury radiating off of Rean -- hell, he hasn't actually stopped feeling it himself. He knew he was going to push that button but he'd hoped he could just, y'know, get it over with and be done.

But no. He's just backing up til he finds the opposite wall, then sitting down heavily and scrubbing at his face. He wants to curl into a ball but he doesn't want Rean to see him do that, so instead he sits cross-legged and tries to look frustrated instead.]

[Rean doesn't stop watching him, tense and wary. The water goes cold but Rean never looks away from Crow.

Eventually though, when Crow looks like he might have nodded off, Rean slides down from wherever he's wedged himself and approaches the bath kind of sideways, still watching Crow unblinkingly.

When he reaches the tub he finally stops watching Crow to look down at the water, kneeling to put a hand in it.

Something in him... Hurts. Horribly. And he drags his hand back to stare at it then glare at the water before glancing at Crow to ensure he hasn't moved.]

[It takes awhile but he does eventually fall asleep. He's afraid to move in case he upsets Rean more, but he's fucking exhausted so he just quietly chases himself around his own head until he finally droops, and that's about that.

He's out.]

[As long as Crow stays still and asleep Rean will eventually get himself undressed and clean.

He pulls the ruins of his clothes back on and drains the tub, and eventually settles a few feet away from Crow, close enough to just tuck his chin on his hand and watch him intently, staring at him unwavering. He's not tired, and he's not restless, there's not much going on in his brain except for emotions.

Some things hurt, some things are frightening, but the person in front of him both hurts and soothes. Feels safe and terrifying. He doesn't have words or anything else within him to try to figure himself out, his consciousness is just.... Something. Chaos. But looking at Crow's face puts him the most at ease he can be, and so, this is how Crow will wake, with Rean pretty close, just staring at him. Maybe dry, maybe still damp, but at least no longer covered in blood or anything else gross.]

[Somehow he sleeps through the creepy staring. Mainly because he's just that tired. When he wakes up his neck kinda hurts, so he grumbles, rubbing at it, as he blinks blearly up at--

--well that's fucking terrifying?! Or at least really startling. Enough that Crow jumps, and a short but very undignified and high-pitched scream pops out.]

[Rean also... Startles. Look it went from zoning out looking at Crow's face to Crow screaming so he just leaps back and up, tense.]

[For a few second he sits there, backed up tight against the wall, staring wide-eyed at Rean while his brain catches up.

Once it does though, he starts laughing. It's just too absurd not to.]

Ahaha-- What were you doing?!

...

[He. How do you communicate if you can't? Words? He stares at Crow, almost... frustrated? At least he's attempting some kind of expression.]

[Somehow that's actually.... really cute. Crow's trying to catch his breath and failing, but he also beckons Rean closer, not getting up in case it causes more upset. Come here you crazy feral fucker.]

I guess I should be flattered you like me so much. C'mere, Rean.

[He... Steps towards Crow, warily, like, dude he'll bite if you try to strip him again.]

[Nah he's just patting the spot next to him. Come sit with him he's keeping his body language very chill!]

It's okay. I won't do anything scary. I promise.

[He does approach warily, eyes narrowed, sitting next to Crow cautiously. He's. More expressive already, than he was earlier, but there's still nothing quite Rean in his eyes, just totally fucked up. But whatever is wrong with him, he's trusting Crow.]

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