closed;

[schild]

Who: the naked, dickless giant club
What: Attack on Echo Party
Where: Bertholdt's (and Ryan's) Apartment
When: Sunday, December 8 (evening, but not too late... because kids, y'know?)
Warnings: Spoilers for Attack on Titan all over.

[ At last, the big day has come. The Echo party. Sasha was bringing snacks, and Ryan and Bertholdt even decked the place out in Christmas decorations-- they have a real tree and everything. Their apartment looks, in a word, festive, which is adorable given that they're wearing matching christmas sweaters and fidgeting around a bit. ]

[ Now just pretend Ryan and Bertl don't look kinda titan-y and you're all set. And forget about the part where they're having a bunch of kids over to discuss their ridiculously depressing past lives... Well. You feel me. ]

[ So yeah!!! THIS IS IT!! Just for reference, I'm putting a "Start" (ie: for people getting to the party if you wanna awkwardly greet people or so you can handwave that too) and then just saying like "later" or whatever for Ryan's big heck up, you guys are free to start threads whenever/wherever just say when in the subject if you wanna. (so like, 3DMG showing offs and PS3 fun times, etc. go crazy!!) ]

[ Here's the plot post for reference. ]

Comments

[schild]

O-oh, oh god. [ Ryan grimaces at the sight-- mostly because it looks painful as hell, and the flesh is kinda... well, visible. He has memories of what Bertholdt looked like; the Colossal Titan, skinless and all but this is... They have a first aid kit in the kitchen, but what do you even do with something like this? Well, Ryan gets it anyway before going to Bertholdt's side. ]

Does it hurt? What happened?

[toobig]

I-I rolled up my sleeves and m-my hand.... [He shakes his head, pretty horrified.]

It... doesn't hurt b-but...

[schild]

Okay. That's what's important, okay? Just stay calm.

[ Ryan has actually had training for this stuff-- trauma and injury stuff, not... skin peeing off stuff. But he approaches Bertholdt carefully, holding his hand at the wrist, where the skin is already starting to fall away. ]

Does it hurt when I touch you?

i never got this wtf

[toobig]

[He just nodded, leaning against the counter and feeling a little faint.]

It doesn't hurt at all I-I'm just.. sc-scared...

it ok in my illness time is as nothing

[schild]

Okay. [ That's a relief. Ryan sighs, stroking his fingers carefully. ] Okay... The important this is you're not in pain.

Here, look at me. [ Ryan shakes Bertholdt's wrist a bit, trying to keep eye contact. He smiles reassuringly. ] You're okay. This is weird, but as long as you're okay, we can handle it.

[toobig]

[He looks away from his peeling skin, meeting his gaze with wide, wet eyes. Ryan should know by now that when Bertholdt is vulnerable and sad, he cries a lot. It had been hard at first, to cry in front of Ryan, but now he feels so safe with him, okay with him, that he lets the tears fall freely.]

J-just stay with me...

[schild]

Of course I will. You know it.

[ Ryan's smile turns soft and he leans in, getting his face nice and close to Bertholdt's. ]

I'll always stay with you, Bertholdt. You don't have to worry.

[toobig]

[He closes his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks as he leans into him too and presses their foreheads together. He's afraid to move his limbs, his hands are shaking-- but this is okay. Ryan is there and he feels safe.]

Wh-what... should I do? [What were they going to do?]

[schild]

This is... probably just another thing. That's okay. We dealt with the other stuff, yeah?

[ Ryan leans forward, pressing soft kisses into Bertholdt's cheeks. ]

If you're worried for right now, you can wear gloves. But once everyone's gone, I'm okay with you taking them off. You don't have to hide anything from me.

[toobig]

O-okay. I... I don't know if more will p-peel though...

[He looks Very Distraught, but he trusts Ryan. He'll do whatever he says, he knows he'll make it better...]

[schild]

We'll just hold onto hope and keep calm, okay?

[ Ryan nuzzles Bertholdt's head a bit, locking his fleshy fingers with his. ]

We'll get through this. Together.

[toobig]

[The red muscle underneath his peeled skin is still steaming and probably boiling hot. Hopefully that wont make a difference to Reiner's hard armor-y skin. It peels clean at his elbow, where the joint hasn't split yet, and then falls to the floor where the skin.... evaporates into steam.]

What...

[Ooh, he feels a little sick.]

[schild]

[ Yeeeah, that sure is... a thing. Thankfully, the armor is holding p pretty well to Bertl's new steaming flesh, so he doesn't even notice. Ryan is, admittedly, kinda freaked but he's worked trauma and stuff, he can keep his stomach from flipping too much. Instead he taps Bertholdt's chin, getting him to look up at him. Man, even that armored face would look normal after that. ]

Look at me, okay? As long as it doesn't hurt, it's gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine.

[toobig]

[After a moment of trying to look anywhere but the evaporating skin on the floor, Bertholdt meets Ryan's gaze... and then just presses forward to push his face into his shoulder, hiding from what's happening and trying not to cry beyond the tears still stinging in his eyes.]

I knew.... i-it might happen... That it-- was going to happen b-but... I-I tried to... prepare myself... b-but I...

[schild]

[ Ryan pulls Bertholdt into a hug, pressing him close to his chest. He'd hide Bertholdt's tears from the world if he could. Their being safe was all that mattered. ]

No one could've been prepared for this. It's scary as hell. But it's gonna be okay.