Post by Puar on Apr 30, 2023 12:28:13 GMT -5
Puar: Human, Combat [714 WC]
Frieza: Kai's Combat, Telepathic Link [799 WC]
Yan
It was a quiet night in the Cass household. Since Yan’s return, while he saw Barkley every day, he had bounced around in the evenings. He had a lot to catch up on, and a lot of people to catch up with, but it wasn’t completely uncommon for him to do as he used to, and climb back into Anna’s bed half way through the night.
This night he hadn’t left though, and while it was quite late, REM sleep had likely only just begun to grab the couple when Yan’s power level suddenly spiked. He snapped into a sitting up position and would have broken a normal bed in the urgency of it, but he didn’t move from there and there was no sign of an actual threat.
Nightmares were common for Yan, but they never manifested such as this. He usually stiffened into a perfect freeze, like he’d fallen into sleep paralysis, and while his face paled and looked clearly haunted, he was quick to check through his reality before jumping into any type of action—not that any was usually needed.
This night he hadn’t left though, and while it was quite late, REM sleep had likely only just begun to grab the couple when Yan’s power level suddenly spiked. He snapped into a sitting up position and would have broken a normal bed in the urgency of it, but he didn’t move from there and there was no sign of an actual threat.
Nightmares were common for Yan, but they never manifested such as this. He usually stiffened into a perfect freeze, like he’d fallen into sleep paralysis, and while his face paled and looked clearly haunted, he was quick to check through his reality before jumping into any type of action—not that any was usually needed.
WC:184/184/--
Anna/Barkley
He was always really good at hiding his discomfort and Anna hardly ever could figure it out if he was truely in a state of mania or suffering from nightmares, but she always had her suspicions. There were moments she would catch the freeze in his expression and the color draining from his face, but they were flashes -- like about as quick as a blink. Sleeping had become an easy feat for Anna, more than she wanted to admit.
Losing the most stressful pieces of yourself, that defined your character and all, did come with the benefit of not having a care of certain stressful events or things. But there was just one stress that bothered her, and he slept next to her this particular night. If there was something she worried about the most, it was how Yan adjusted truely to being back.
When his power popped up suddenly, her eyes opened and she say up immediately with a gasp and a screaming, "What, What, What!?"
She was ready to hit something. Maybe they were under attack, or maybe Yan was under attack with a vivid nightmare. Anna wasn't sure, but she wasn't the only one to react promptly.
Nearly breaking the door down, Barkley barged in. Unlike her mother, who could sleep strangely well these days, she was always on an edge. Barkley instantly rushed into her parents room.
"Papa?"
Losing the most stressful pieces of yourself, that defined your character and all, did come with the benefit of not having a care of certain stressful events or things. But there was just one stress that bothered her, and he slept next to her this particular night. If there was something she worried about the most, it was how Yan adjusted truely to being back.
When his power popped up suddenly, her eyes opened and she say up immediately with a gasp and a screaming, "What, What, What!?"
She was ready to hit something. Maybe they were under attack, or maybe Yan was under attack with a vivid nightmare. Anna wasn't sure, but she wasn't the only one to react promptly.
Nearly breaking the door down, Barkley barged in. Unlike her mother, who could sleep strangely well these days, she was always on an edge. Barkley instantly rushed into her parents room.
"Papa?"
WC:233/233/--
Yan
He was still asleep when Anna jolted upright, staring out at nothing with a half blank half anguished expression. When the door banged open however, he flinched and in a motion that seemed instinctual covered his head protectively like someone was about to attack him.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, muffled since he was facing down. “Sorry,” he repeated in such a defeatist voice.
It wasn’t something either had heard before. Yan never said sorry to Anna at all. She probably called him out on it at one point, asking why he apologized to Barkley but never her, and his answer was he wouldn’t apologize for something he’d probably do again. Even when he meant not to repeat regretable behavior, his experience said he probably would so he wouldn’t try and excuse himself. Barkley got them because she was the only one he would try with all his might to learn from and do better, and that of everyone, she was the only forgiveness he needed.
This was different. This was half scared. It was said as quickly as possible as if that might lessen the negative effects of his actions.
It was only after the second sorry that he woke up completely. His tension slipped a bit but he kept his arms over his head and looked down at that bed sheets, not completely clear on how he’d got there.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, muffled since he was facing down. “Sorry,” he repeated in such a defeatist voice.
It wasn’t something either had heard before. Yan never said sorry to Anna at all. She probably called him out on it at one point, asking why he apologized to Barkley but never her, and his answer was he wouldn’t apologize for something he’d probably do again. Even when he meant not to repeat regretable behavior, his experience said he probably would so he wouldn’t try and excuse himself. Barkley got them because she was the only one he would try with all his might to learn from and do better, and that of everyone, she was the only forgiveness he needed.
This was different. This was half scared. It was said as quickly as possible as if that might lessen the negative effects of his actions.
It was only after the second sorry that he woke up completely. His tension slipped a bit but he kept his arms over his head and looked down at that bed sheets, not completely clear on how he’d got there.
WC:230/414/--
Anna/Barkley
Anna didn't think much of it when he apologized, well not in the way of thinking that he was apologizing to her anyway. She automatically assumed he was talking to Barkley, but then there was the question of what he would be apologizing for at that time.
It wasn't a time to do so, and both her and Barkley knew this. This nightmare was bad, and Barkley wore her concern in both her aura and expression. It was not even a moment that she thought to be confused of his sudden need to apologize, sensing and see the trauma in both his voice and mannerisms.
Her father was underattack by something haunting him -- his past demons, hypotheticals... it didn't matter. She was quick to approaching him and embracing her dad, much before Anna could or would.
"I forgive you," she uttered in a soft whisper, close to his ear. Barkley didn't need context to know he suffered. There wasn't a need for confirmation or diving into his mind and picking apart the locks and digging through the mazes of thought.
He was sorry for what he did, and Barkley was the only forgiveness he needed, and so she provided that with a geniune embrace which began to bring very light tears drops from her eyes.
"Don't worry, papa. I don't care what you did, I forgive you."
Anna's expression softened from confusion and bewilderment, picking up on the situation and that he was suffering from a nightmare that could be from his past -- damage that still lingered from his imprisonment. Anna doubled up on the embrace, letting out a sigh. "It's okay, Houzi."
It wasn't a time to do so, and both her and Barkley knew this. This nightmare was bad, and Barkley wore her concern in both her aura and expression. It was not even a moment that she thought to be confused of his sudden need to apologize, sensing and see the trauma in both his voice and mannerisms.
Her father was underattack by something haunting him -- his past demons, hypotheticals... it didn't matter. She was quick to approaching him and embracing her dad, much before Anna could or would.
"I forgive you," she uttered in a soft whisper, close to his ear. Barkley didn't need context to know he suffered. There wasn't a need for confirmation or diving into his mind and picking apart the locks and digging through the mazes of thought.
He was sorry for what he did, and Barkley was the only forgiveness he needed, and so she provided that with a geniune embrace which began to bring very light tears drops from her eyes.
"Don't worry, papa. I don't care what you did, I forgive you."
Anna's expression softened from confusion and bewilderment, picking up on the situation and that he was suffering from a nightmare that could be from his past -- damage that still lingered from his imprisonment. Anna doubled up on the embrace, letting out a sigh. "It's okay, Houzi."
WC:275/508/--
Yan
Barkley’s sudden embrace startled him, though not in an aggressive or panicked way. He couldn’t remember jolting up and now the sudden attention was confusing. Then she said something about forgiving.
“Stop, stop, stop,” he said, trying to sit up and push them both off him, leaving his arms out a bit as a clearer sign he needed space. He narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to better grasp what had happened.
He moved. He moved when he hadn’t moved in a long time and he forgot where he was.
A small flash of the nightmare came back. His shoulders scrunched up to try and void out a shiver then he looked down and then at Barkley and Anna.
“Years of training out the window,” he said with a half smile, trying to make lighter of the situation. While he tried to be an open person unafraid of appearing vulnerable, it was another thing to be forced to look as such in a moment completely beyond his control. He was still very pale, caught in a cold sweat that had likely gotten on Barkley, but he was himself at least.
“Stop, stop, stop,” he said, trying to sit up and push them both off him, leaving his arms out a bit as a clearer sign he needed space. He narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to better grasp what had happened.
He moved. He moved when he hadn’t moved in a long time and he forgot where he was.
A small flash of the nightmare came back. His shoulders scrunched up to try and void out a shiver then he looked down and then at Barkley and Anna.
“Years of training out the window,” he said with a half smile, trying to make lighter of the situation. While he tried to be an open person unafraid of appearing vulnerable, it was another thing to be forced to look as such in a moment completely beyond his control. He was still very pale, caught in a cold sweat that had likely gotten on Barkley, but he was himself at least.
WC:190/604/--
Anna/Barkley
They both got off of him, but only moved back just as far as his arms gave space. The worried facial expression on Barkley wore itself down as she heard his quip about wasted years of training, and even though she wasn't able to fully put on a new façade to match the lightness Yan wanted to bring, she still added to the quip itself. "Looks like you need more training then old man," she stated while placing her hands on her face. She frowned in a pouty way.
"How the hell did you sleep with all this sweat in the bed, mom? Are you really sleeping that deep," Barkley said while wiping the swear off of herself. Anna flared up in a blush as she was called out. She was sleeping pretty good and rather deep. But also she wanted to blurt out that it could be Barkley's fault because her dad had to sleep with clothes on more often than he was used to. Something to turn the attention back on her, but alas Barkley was on again to bring the conversation back to her father and quickly.
"What happened," she asked him with a tone that was much less worried and more inquisitive.
"How the hell did you sleep with all this sweat in the bed, mom? Are you really sleeping that deep," Barkley said while wiping the swear off of herself. Anna flared up in a blush as she was called out. She was sleeping pretty good and rather deep. But also she wanted to blurt out that it could be Barkley's fault because her dad had to sleep with clothes on more often than he was used to. Something to turn the attention back on her, but alas Barkley was on again to bring the conversation back to her father and quickly.
"What happened," she asked him with a tone that was much less worried and more inquisitive.
WC:206/714/--
Yan
“Welp,” Yan said in response to needing more training, turning to Anna. “You’ll have to beat me up every time I move. It’s the only way I know how to learn.”
He said it again as a joke, but it shed a certain light on his reaction when he woke up, and why he was quick to push them off. He reacted as someone helpless who was expecting to be beaten for moving. Half asleep, he forgot he was no longer a child to be victim to such things. It had been that long since he moved. He apologized in hopes that would calm the assailant, which made sense why he pushed them off like he did. He didn’t need forgiveness for moving. Not anymore.
He flopped down on his back and let out a wide yawn at Barkley’s question. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think I tried to kill her,” he said pushing his hair back before looking to Anna with a grin. “Normally I try to kill you~” He could laugh at everything he was saying. He had normalized it so much that he forgot just how dark this whole circumstance was.
He said it again as a joke, but it shed a certain light on his reaction when he woke up, and why he was quick to push them off. He reacted as someone helpless who was expecting to be beaten for moving. Half asleep, he forgot he was no longer a child to be victim to such things. It had been that long since he moved. He apologized in hopes that would calm the assailant, which made sense why he pushed them off like he did. He didn’t need forgiveness for moving. Not anymore.
He flopped down on his back and let out a wide yawn at Barkley’s question. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think I tried to kill her,” he said pushing his hair back before looking to Anna with a grin. “Normally I try to kill you~” He could laugh at everything he was saying. He had normalized it so much that he forgot just how dark this whole circumstance was.
WC:195/799/--