Blessed Crusade (CC/DtbB RP)

[Meryck]

There was a pause of deadly silence, then...

"You're a horrible goddamn liar." The tremor remained in her voice, despite the snap, but the message was clear:

No. I am NOT going to stop worrying just because you think I shouldn't. Deal with it.

Her hand gripped the door and opened it partly before she hesitated; she wasn't sure she particularly wanted to see what happened. But someone was going to have to get it through Chrono's skull that he wasn't going to get away with coming to the Agency- no, coming to the Valentine's- and yet have no one worry about him.

Besides, she'd seen the insides of a Gluttony demon before- now way in hell this could be as nasty. Steeling herself, she fully came into the room.

Stopped briefly in shock.

Then plopped to her knees next to Chrono and hugged him. Again. She didn't bother articulating this with a verbal snarky comment.

You goddamn moron.

[Elf]

Aw, damnit Reg. He was fully busted. It figured.

It figured that she'd be so stubborn. It figured that she'd be so compassionate, so kindhearted. It figured that she'd drop down next to him and pull him into a hug as if they'd been raised together--

He shook. Stop being so kind, Reg. This isn't...I'm not...

Chrono's head dropped onto her shoulder. It was nice, this comfort. He'd gone the better part of eighty years without human warmth, knowing kindness only from an arm's length. And it was nice to just relax, to let his cheek rest on her shoulder, to just sit there for a moment and breathe...

He jolted as he felt his head start to slide downwards. Chrono straightened, sitting up a bit, backing up enough so that he could look into her face.

He shook his head, a tired smile pulling at his lips. "Don't worry about it," he half-whispered, voice still sounding drained. "This happens sometimes. It's not as bad as it used to be...and these days, it's usually not this bad." He followed it up with a half-grin. It was the truth, but with him all but melting all over the bathroom floor, he still didn't feel very convincing. "I just...need to lie down for a bit. I'll be alright."

He knew she wouldn't believe him, and figured she wouldn't let him forget it, either. But he tried it anyway. Anything to get that irate, pained look away from her face.

Rosette...I promised I'd make a future for humans, not become a burden on them. Chrono sighed. I'm such an idiot.

[Meryck]

She looked so ready to argue. She felt the shaking as she hugged him. She saw the look in his face.

But she could bring herself to chew him out. Not with that kind of pain.

"Quit lying, dammit", was all she muttered, voice semi-choked, tears misting her eyes up slightly- sympathetic tears of a snarky bleeding heart.

And she hugged tighter.

[Elf]

His heart clenched at the sound of tears in the girl's voice. His brow furrowed, sadness striking his face as he looked over her shoulder.

"Aw, Reg." He lifted his one good arm and drew her into the hug.

A sigh bled through him. Straightforward, that's what he had to be around Reggie. Maybe the best way to still her tears was to tell her the truth...all of it.

"...it was a headache," he began uncertainly, "a really, really nasty one." That sounded completely ridiculous, so he couldn't help the chuckle that sounded after he said it. "They've been coming on occasionally ever since...something that happened eighty years ago. It's the same reason why...why it's taken this long for my arm to grow back this much...my eye's probably never coming back, but that's okay."

"What happened back then...damaged my Legion. The injuries I sustained then never really healed...but it's alright. I get by." He sighed again. "Really, Reg. I'll be fine. So quit worrying, okay?" He gave her a light, reassuring squeeze, a smile in his voice.

[Meryck]

She listened, quietly. Hurt his Legion? How was that even possible? Whatever did it, it must have been insanely powerful....especially if the initial wound was eighty years old.

She bit her lip at the "quit worrying". He wasn't getting the bleeding heart thing, was he?

"I make no promises..." She sniffled slightly. Sighed. Slowly let go. Then stood and offered a hand to help him up. "C'mon. If you really need to rest, I'd suggest the living room couch. It's the room right next door, so it's less of a walk then it would be to your bed." And she wasn't about to let him walk farther than he had to. It'd be rude and just a plain heartless way to treat someone hurting so.

[Elf]

A warm smile opened up Chrono's expression. No promises, eh? That meant she'd stubbornly, belligerently worry about him no matter what he said. It was kind of nice, hearing that someone cared like that...but at the same time, it was hard to bear. She was just a girl; he was supposed to be the one protecting her, right?

Ah well. If she's going to be stubborn, then she'll be stubborn...nothing I can do about it. His smile only widened at the thought.

He turned that smile up at her as she offered him a hand up. "Thank you." He took the hand, trying as much as possible to use his own strength to push himself upright; after all, he was a big guy, and she a teenage girl. He didn't want to knock her over by yanking on her in order to stand.

Once he was finally on his feet, Chrono didn't even take two steps before he swayed. He cursed at himself. Just get it together already, he growled mentally. True, the attacks in years past had been worse than this, but still...after each one he felt so drained, like an old man with a disease. Even after all this time, it was still disconcerting--he was a bloody demon, damnit, and shouldn't be feeling like this. And he did not want to have to lean against Reggie for support; if he bowled her over, he could really hurt her.

[Meryck]

Too bad for him- Chronic Worrying Disorder promptly got Reg again. This time, instead of a hug, she steadied him, putting a hand on his shoulder to counter-act the sway. She would have preferred it if he was leaning on her for support- as far as she was concerned, he was the one being stubborn. She sighed. "Oh, yeah. Definitely the living room couch."

The bed down the hall had just been completely scratched from the idea list. Hell, it'd actually be lucky to get to the couch at this point.

[Elf]

He appreciated the support, he really did...but the urge to keep walking on his own two feet was too strong to let him lean into Reg, despite her willingness to steady him. "Thanks," he mumbled, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

Two more steps. Three. There, they were out of the bathroom. One, two, three--six steps. Hallway, hallway...Chrono swayed again, this time pulling himself out of it just before hitting the wall. He let Reg's hand stay on his shoulder, but he still refused to lean on her.

Four more steps. They rounded the corner. There's the couch, he told himself. Just a bit further... He teetered dangerously as his vision began to darken. Oh no...C'mon, you lug, keep going...

Finally, the feel of couch upholstery beneath his hand. Chrono flopped into the cushions with a sigh.

"Thank you," he muttered, his eye already closing of its own accord as he looked up at Reg. "Y'know it's...diff'rnt when...m'alone...dn't mean t'be a...burden...s'rry b'out this."

Chrono's head fell to one side as he faded away.

[Meryck]

It was evening before anyone entered the living room again. Having just unraveled his now-unnecessary bandages, Ran was surprised by the absence of his best friend. Looking for her, he walked into the room and smiled.

Chrono was still passed out on the couch- Ran had expected as much, considering Chrono had looked a little pale earlier after powering down-, but the real smile moment was the fact that Reg was leaning against the side of the couch, book in her lap, also asleep.

Typical bleeding heart Reggae. Ran didn't particularly want to wake them, but they wouldn't wake until breakfast otherwise, and he knew it.

The young demon decided to start with the one less likely to turn evil after waking- he walked to the couch and nudged Chrono. "Hey. Wake up. Dinner time."

[Elf]

Chrono slept like a rock, his face slack in peaceful repose. His long hair pooled underneath him, swirling haphazardly over the couch upholstery like Astral lines.

But his semi-coma was no match for one of the magic words: Dinner.

"Bwuh." He blinked, suddenly awake, blinked again to banish the sleep from his eye, and blinked a third time to focus on Ran. "Izzit really?" he groused, sitting up with a grunt. Chrono let out a sigh. There went a whole day wasted.

"Be right along," he told the younger demon, running his hand through his hair to once again try to tame the mane. He winced as, predictably, his fingers caught on snarls. "Should really do something with it," he grumbled for the second time that day.

Chrono sniffed the air. He was on his feet the moment he caught a scent, as if the aroma had pulled him upright.

"Do I smell...steak?"

[Meryck]

Ran chuckled. "Yes, yes you do." He sighed, knelt down, took the book in Reg's lap and gently placed it on the couch, then scooped the girl up in his arms and stood. Sigh. "Probably ought to wake her after food's in front of her...."

No one would want an evil lapse, right?

[Elf]

Chrono chuckled as he watched the younger demon scoop up his best friend. "Probably a good idea," he agreed, remembering that morning all too well.

"Steak sounds really good," he mumbled, ambling into the kitchen. "Tea, too."

[Meryck]

Ran chuckled and followed the elder demon out.

Reg, indeed, did not go into an evil lapse when she was woken in the kitchen. Instead, she blinked blearily for a few seconds, realized there was steak in front of her, then started eating. Ran chuckled as he tucked into a salad. At least she was awake now.

Both her adopted mother and little brother merely smirked before tucking into their own steaks.

[Elf]

Upon walking into the kitchen, Chrono could have sworn he'd discovered the Holy Grail. He sat down at the table to find that a cup of steaming hot green tea accompanied his steak dinner. He glanced up at Ran; someone must have told Crysta and Corey about eating at the Ramen joint. Once again, the demon drew the cup of tea towards him and took his time inhaling the heavenly aroma.

"Thank you very much," he mumbled, casting a warm, grateful look Crysta's way. He took a long sip and let out a low, happy sigh. "That. Is good tea."

After a few minutes of sitting back and slowly whittling away at the cup of tea, Chrono's stomach could take no more. He started on the steak, and on bite one another contented grin spread across his face. Medium Rare, pepper and garlic...it was just a domain shy of Heaven. "It's been a long time since I've had steak," he remarked, once more casting a grateful look Crysta's way. "Thank you."

Chrono got two-thirds of the way through his dinner before he realized something. He raised his gaze again, sharing it between the various members of the Valentine family. "If you want, I can clean up afterward," he offered quietly, "on account of I've done nothing but sleep all day." He gave them a sheepish grin.

[Meryck]

"You don't have to", Reg responded automatically. Hey, she was fully awake, she had some carbs in her, and she saw him in pain before they both passed out in the living room.

"....I....don't think taking out a demon and chucking a dumpster at another counts as 'nothing'...", Ran mumbled. Corey blinked in surprise at hearing that (wow, he must be really strong), before bobbing his head up and down in agreement.

"Hmm." Crysta sipped on her tea, thoughtfully. "....I suppose if you want, you can. I wouldn't mind the help."