... which is to say - you haven't been in situation where you've had to be good with death, right? Even if you don't feel prepared now... for that, I'm glad.
[because life is precious. it's important to cherish, and to be able to live an existence where death is minimal...
to someone like soo-won, it nearly sounds idyllic.
but he is so sincerely happy for her. he offers a smile, soft and reassuring even as he bows his head closer to hers and lowers his voice - ]
I'll keep your secrets. Don't worry.
[before leaning back and giving her hand a gentle squeeze]
And I'll be right here until you're ready to let go or walk on your own.
Yes, I... I suppose that's true. Save for a few... incidents, [caused, uh, almost entirely by her??] we've been... at peace for a long time. You're right—I should be thankful for that.
[...
secrets, huh.
she keeps holding his hand, even as she considers letting it go. but perhaps she's just not quite ready, yet.]
You're very wise for your age, Won. I wish I could do something for you in return.
[elsa shakes her head, but finishes off her tea, putting the cup down to her side.]
It's okay. I'm... not sure I know how to mourn correctly in the first place. [she exhales another sharp breath, a pained huff of amused self-derision.] I didn't even attend--oh.
[with the hand that isn't holding soo-won's, she touches the corner of her eye lightly with a finger, and stares at it. oh, yeah, she's definitely crying. and it's as if seeing proof of it sets off the whole waterworks, pooling, then falling in rivulets silently down her face.
--and she turns away, gently combing her hair over the side of her face closest to soo-won.]
W-Would you happen to have a... [her breath catches, stuttering on the tears.] ...a handkerchief, or...? [she's doing what she can with her uno hand... as she has still not let go of his with her other.]
soo-won looks marginally surprised - though not upset. he watches the way that she tries to shrink away, before pausing for a moment. there's something distantly nostalgic to this, and perhaps that what gets him to move next.
he doesn't pull his hand away from hers, but instead shifts so that he can put his tea down, and then unlatch the cloak he wears on his shoulders with his free hand. he takes the draping cloth of it and instead loops it around elsa's shoulders, letting the hood of it rest atop her head, falling over her eyes if she wishes to hide her face.
with a gentle pull through their joined hands, and a nudge from his other, he encourages her in close to him, to lean on him - cry on him if she has to]
... this is all I have, I'm afraid.
[a cloak, a hand to hold, and an open heart. he keeps his voice soft and gentle]
[now, it's elsa's turn to be surprised. she makes a quiet little noise indicating as much when soo-won gently drapes his cloak over her—but doesn't resist, doesn't pull away. it's a truly sweet gesture—and when he nudges her towards him, she leans in, resting her forehead on his shoulder, the cloak's hood essentially hiding her face.
if it was like this, then... just for now.
her shoulders shudder, breathing hitching and catching, and the tears flow more rapidly, soaking into soo-won's sleeve. I'll have to apologize for that later.
but just for now, she could let herself let go enough to grieve.]
but he knows as well as anyone that there aren't any answers that you can give a person - and when he was a child, he would pretend that he could even replace the person who was lost. 'i'll be your mother now,' he'd said. he's grown now, and knows that's silly. some people can't be replaced.
what he can do is sit with people when they're rattled, stay with them while they're scared, and remain steadfast to help them find their way. he holds onto elsa's hand, gently lacing their fingers together if it'll help her feel like she's got someone to hold onto.
his other hand rests atop her head, over the cloak, offering reassuring, comforting strokes even as she cries
[it takes longer than elsa expects to get it all out—what else, exactly, had she been holding?—but shorter perhaps than it really should.
at last, her breathing begins to even out, her shoulders falling finally, and any sniffling, hiccoughing, stops entirely. but she doesn't let go of soo-won's hand, fingers entwined together as they are.
on the contrary, she brings her other arm up, tucking it against her and her companion's bodies, all but nestling into his side completely. with the dark of the cloak, and the warmth of his body, it's a very comfortable arrangement. it feels... safe. and right now, it feels as though that's what she needs more than anything else.
maybe too comfortable, though—because only a minute or so later, her breath smooths out into something much quieter—and her hand, holding on as it is, relaxes its grip ever-so-subtly.
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[because life is precious. it's important to cherish, and to be able to live an existence where death is minimal...
to someone like soo-won, it nearly sounds idyllic.
but he is so sincerely happy for her. he offers a smile, soft and reassuring even as he bows his head closer to hers and lowers his voice - ]
I'll keep your secrets. Don't worry.
[before leaning back and giving her hand a gentle squeeze]
And I'll be right here until you're ready to let go or walk on your own.
no subject
[...
secrets, huh.
she keeps holding his hand, even as she considers letting it go. but perhaps she's just not quite ready, yet.]
You're very wise for your age, Won. I wish I could do something for you in return.
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I'm a rather simple person, I'm afraid. I like it when the people I like have a fair chance to be happy.
[and elsa being on the brink of a breakdown didn't seem like... that.]
... but death is always difficult - and I don't mean to rush your mourning, either. It's alright if you need time to sit with it - with everything.
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It's okay. I'm... not sure I know how to mourn correctly in the first place. [she exhales another sharp breath, a pained huff of amused self-derision.] I didn't even attend--oh.
[with the hand that isn't holding soo-won's, she touches the corner of her eye lightly with a finger, and stares at it. oh, yeah, she's definitely crying. and it's as if seeing proof of it sets off the whole waterworks, pooling, then falling in rivulets silently down her face.
--and she turns away, gently combing her hair over the side of her face closest to soo-won.]
W-Would you happen to have a... [her breath catches, stuttering on the tears.] ...a handkerchief, or...? [she's doing what she can with her uno hand... as she has still not let go of his with her other.]
no subject
soo-won looks marginally surprised - though not upset. he watches the way that she tries to shrink away, before pausing for a moment. there's something distantly nostalgic to this, and perhaps that what gets him to move next.
he doesn't pull his hand away from hers, but instead shifts so that he can put his tea down, and then unlatch the cloak he wears on his shoulders with his free hand. he takes the draping cloth of it and instead loops it around elsa's shoulders, letting the hood of it rest atop her head, falling over her eyes if she wishes to hide her face.
with a gentle pull through their joined hands, and a nudge from his other, he encourages her in close to him, to lean on him - cry on him if she has to]
... this is all I have, I'm afraid.
[a cloak, a hand to hold, and an open heart. he keeps his voice soft and gentle]
You can cry. No one will see, and I won't tell.
no subject
if it was like this, then... just for now.
her shoulders shudder, breathing hitching and catching, and the tears flow more rapidly, soaking into soo-won's sleeve. I'll have to apologize for that later.
but just for now, she could let herself let go enough to grieve.]
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but he knows as well as anyone that there aren't any answers that you can give a person - and when he was a child, he would pretend that he could even replace the person who was lost. 'i'll be your mother now,' he'd said. he's grown now, and knows that's silly. some people can't be replaced.
what he can do is sit with people when they're rattled, stay with them while they're scared, and remain steadfast to help them find their way. he holds onto elsa's hand, gently lacing their fingers together if it'll help her feel like she's got someone to hold onto.
his other hand rests atop her head, over the cloak, offering reassuring, comforting strokes even as she cries
he'll wait through it, however long it takes]
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at last, her breathing begins to even out, her shoulders falling finally, and any sniffling, hiccoughing, stops entirely. but she doesn't let go of soo-won's hand, fingers entwined together as they are.
on the contrary, she brings her other arm up, tucking it against her and her companion's bodies, all but nestling into his side completely. with the dark of the cloak, and the warmth of his body, it's a very comfortable arrangement. it feels... safe. and right now, it feels as though that's what she needs more than anything else.
maybe too comfortable, though—because only a minute or so later, her breath smooths out into something much quieter—and her hand, holding on as it is, relaxes its grip ever-so-subtly.
...she's asleep on him. whoops.]