Third Game

[break_the_nine]

[Its been a while after the Training Exercise gone wrong. Leos somehow managed to get out of the battle with the Jenice he used more or less unscathed. On the other hand, mentally he was even more worse off than before. Seeing Seta get torn apart and devoured by the BETA like that was not good for his sanity, already precarious as it was. Her inhuman ability to come back from that 'death' didn't really help much at all.]

...

[Currently he was in the mess hall, just stirring the contents of his bowl. He was at the odd paradox of being hungry yet being unable to eat. Then he looked at his meal, his mind drifting off and growing unfocused. The person doling out the meals was going to regret giving Leos a bowl of Spaghetti-Os because they were pressed for time and couldn't be bothered to give him something that wouldn't cause his mind to snap because from Leos' perspective the dull orange colored sauce slowly shifted into the hue of freshly spilled blood and the pasta turned into a multitude of eyes that suddenly had mouths form below them and rush forward to try tear his face off-]



AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

[-which led to him literally slapping the bowl away and possibly burning himself in the process before he scrambled off to a small, enclosed spot to force himself into/under and just curl up tightly.]

Comments

[star_of_sad]

Leos?

[Oh no. This is definitely not good. Where's psychological help when you need it? Most that Setsuko can do now is put the bowl away so there is no further burning.]

L... Leos? Hello?

[break_the_nine]

[There's a tiny, anxious noise from Leos' hiding spot. He peeks out hesitantly - as if ready to bolt back under if needed.]

Miss Setsuko?

[star_of_sad]

Yes, it's me. It's okay now. The...

The BETA are gone now.

[tiger_ken]

[Dink.

Pudding against the side of your head Leos, as Ken, albeit quite irritated himself, crouches down.]

Here.

[break_the_nine]

[Leos fumbles and barely manages to keep the pudding cup from falling out of his hands before he clutches it close.]

[tiger_ken]

...

[Ken reaches across, and lightly unseals the pudding for Leos.]

That bad?

[He asks simply, trying to avoid unnecessarily probing too deep.]

[majestic_keiki]

Leos?

[A pudding was put down in front of Leos if he looked out. It's lime green, rather than something that might remind him of what happened. He would also see Kei trying to do her best to smile comfortingly.]

[break_the_nine]

Miss Kei..?

[He hesitantly takes the pudding, giving her a hesitant and shaky smile that was as steady as a sheet metal shack in a monsoon.]

[majestic_keiki]

[Kei returned his smile with somewhat faint one of her own, maintaining her position next to his hiding hole. She wasn't sure what to say or do, but at least he needed someone there.]

[genericbiggerbrother]

"Leos?" Yancy exclaims, getting up from his own tray and rushing over. "What's wrong?"

[break_the_nine]

G..go away! M.. Monsters! Eating people... blood everywhere... eyes...

[Leos' words are disjointed and frantic as he tries to press himself against the wall as if he could become one with it and get away from everything.]

[genericbiggerbrother]

Yancy curses under his breath, reaching out and grasping Leo's hand gently.

"Listen to me, Leos." He said slowly. "Don't engage with the memory. Focus on the now. Focus on the beating of your heart, and the rhythm of your breath."

He inhales noisily. "Do it with me, Leo. Breath in slowly. And breath out. Breath in...and breath out..."

[cloningblues]

Hey, you alright? You can relax now. Seta is alive. We all are.

[break_the_nine]

B..But... eyes... monster... ate BETA... might eat me...

[cloningblues]

Ypu're not a BETA. Nobody will eat you.

[way_of_vengeance]

[And who should come to that spot but...]

...Leos? It's me, Kanae.

[break_the_nine]

[There was a small noise from the hiding place as Leos left it hesitantly, looking up at his fellow killer despite everything in him screaming to stay hidden because the BETA could still be out there. Well technically they are but just not here.]

Kanae..?

[dolorous_sensei]

No... Not another one lost to the horrors of war... But it's fine, Leo. You can quit this anytime...

[break_the_nine]

[There's the sound of movement from the hiding place, it was likely he was shaking his head despite the cramped quarters.]

Can't... c..can't walk away... m..made a promise...

[ugyuuya]

[Stella very carefully sits down next to the panicking pilot and speaks to him softly.]

"Hello Leos, would you like to come out? I know that the last mission was hard and you saw something REALLY scary but everything turned out okay right? Why don't you come out and we'll get something else to eat since that didn't sit well with you. Maybe some Ice cream or something else sweet? I've heard from a little birdie that you have a bit of a thing for pudding..."

[break_the_nine]

I don't...

[A soft shuffle from where he was. He really didn't want to leave his hiding spot right now... but... pudding... he was so conflicted right now.]

[keep_your_dignity]

[Kagura, on her way to somewhere else, sees this. Kagura reacts fast, and more practically than most probably would. She's near Leos's hidey hole almost instantly, and sets her scanners to check the inside of it for anything whee a flailing Leos could cause serious harm to himself, and entirely ready to bodily pull him out if there is, before saying anything]

[break_the_nine]

[Well Kagura, you would most certainly notice one or two sharp objects and even a few heavy ones he could definitely hurt himself on if he goes into a deeper panic. While you might risk him getting worse when you pull him out - the risk of injury or more could most certainly be minimized.]

[gravitons]

[There is now a small bird holding up what looks like a suitably-sized tablet standing next to you. Don't ask how its feathers even have enough grip for that.]

Woah, and I thought the other guy was spooked out...

I mean...try to calm down, kid! I'm here to try to help, I think...

[break_the_nine]

GAH!

[Yeah you kinda startled him there Chika. Leos bonked his head on the top of his hiding place and probably rattled everything above it before he realized you were too small to do him any harm... at least in his mind really.]

W.. what..? D.. did you say that?