Description
A Greater Society - Chapter 74: A Difficult Reminder by Ratte
Story
Daniel and I provided cover for Saffron as we all returned to the home. With the burn on her neck tended to and covered she already seemed more relaxed, albeit slight. Surely of the current matters that one was comparatively minor, but we'd be dealing with the bigger issue in the morning when the shops were open. Saffron clung tightly to our hands as though to ensure we wouldn't leave her, our returning the gesture to reassure the scared child any way we could.
Corruption is a...very difficult, delicate status. Though I'd been stuck in it myself more than once it was something else to see and deal with it from the outside. I hoped my experience with it would help, perhaps provide a perspective most aren't privy to. With Daniel's experience caring for the corrupted and mine being one, maybe for once I could be useful.
We both walked with her through the lobby, down the hall, and up the stairs slowly but surely. Her pace noticeably slowed as we traversed the upper hallway, likely both out of fatigue and anticipation for what those other children would think, would say. That hand would squeeze mine a little tighter so I'd return with a squeeze of my own. While I'm sure she hoped time would stop, to her chagrin we made it to the doorway of the staff room where the other two still sat.
"Riv, Sura?" I quietly called. "Could I get your attention for a moment?"
Both children looked to us as we slowly invaded the staff room. Saffron hid behind us as much as possible, tangled up in my tail.
"W-We will have a new resident," I said. "Like both of you, she'll be a permanent one, s-so we'll be raising her like we raise you."
They both didn't say anything, but kept trying to look around us at this strange new addition.
"Um, I-I was wondering if...by chance you would not mind sharing a room?" I awkwardly requested, tugging at my hair. "O-Or if even just one of you wouldn't mind. She's...very scared and lonely."
Riv and Sura both looked to each other, just shrugging with a look of mild confusion. I suppose that was better than a no.
"This is a special case that's gonna really require your patience and understanding," Daniel added. "Please, whatever you do, keep your voice down about it."
They seemed to pick up on the severity in Daniel's tone and expression, their ears slanting back in hesitation. With their attention fully in our possession Daniel and I took a step apart from each other to gently coax Saffron to take a step forward. She slowly did so, her head turned away from the other two children and her arms wrapped tightly around her front while her knees were pressed together. It was a cower I was familiar with and it tugged at something in my chest.
"Riv, Sura, this is Saffron," I quietly said. "She'll be living here with us, but she really needs your patience-- we all do."
The flash of red from Saffron's eyes undoubtedly caught their attention, both of their own eyes growing wide. Saffron's ears harshly flattened and her spine buckled further, trying to shrink out of their view as much as possible.
"I understand this is...an unusual case, and might scare you, but she means you no harm," I continued. "Please, you two...please work with us."
Without a word they both looked to each other briefly a second time before Sura stood up and walked toward us. She stepped slowly and deliberately, ensuring her movements were obvious and predictable, stopping a few feet in front of Saffron whose head was still turned aside. There was a short pause before Sura extended her hand to brush aside the dark unkempt hair, revealing the pained red eyes they had poorly concealed. I couldn't say if it were the color, the sad tension, or both that caught Sura's attention but the older girl just quietly offered her hand to this new resident. Saffron stared at it for a moment, this strange gesture of invitation she'd maybe never seen before, but apprehensively took it with our gentle encouragement.
After Sura gained Saffron's hand she nodded in the direction of the hallway. Saffron looked back to Daniel and I, our nodding in affirmation to allow them to go elsewhere. Upon our doing so both girls navigated the dim hall, Sura leading Saffron to their bedroom and closing the door. Knowing Sura she was likely going to try to fit our new child for clothes, something she desperately needed.
We looked back to Riv, still sat upon a couch. His arms were crossed over his front and his head was lowered. I could already tell what was on his mind.
"Riv, honey?" I softly called. "Are you alright?"
"...I don't know," was all he said.
My ears crept back, but Daniel's arm came around my shoulders and pulled me closer to his side.
"Do you...remember what I told you about corruption, Riv?" Daniel asked.
I looked up to the larger man, not knowing what he meant.
"...I do," Riv answered.
"It's like that," he continued. "Saffron is...sick, essentially, and will need all of our patience and cooperation to overcome it. We don't know much about where she came from or the life she had before now. All we know for sure is what we -- and you -- have seen. For what it's worth, just like most cases, this corruption isn't hostile."
"There's...different types?" Riv asked, his head slowly turning back to us.
"Mhm. Most are non-hostile, though may still do...things when they feel threatened. Saffron's case is likely fear or loneliness, or a bit of both. Fear types are more likely to, um...feel scared or threatened, thus more likely to retaliate that feeling. Loneliness types are mostly just really, really clingy and afraid of being alone."
Judging from Riv's expression I could tell his head was already formulating questions and answers given this new information. It wasn't new to me, Esmé having researched the conditions and helping me in the past from what she learned, but it was a little...embarrassing to have my type known to my son.
Fear-- a type haunted by paranoia, nightmares, and terrible hallucinations.
Without thinking I reached up my hand to claw into my opposite arm. Though I hadn't been I felt a bit put on the spot, Riv recalling his encounter with my red panic attack and trying to compare that experience to what lie ahead. I didn't want Saffron to be judged by my horrible actions, conscious or otherwise. I felt a hand wriggle under my own to separate it from my arm, the thumb gently brushing over the tops of my fingers.
"...And I feel I must reiterate, Riv, that Reverend never meant to hurt you," Daniel quietly said. "I know it's maybe not the easiest thing to believe, but I'd never lie to you. Please, honey, don't judge Saffron's condition by that."
I could feel my eyes welling up and the hot tears trailing down my cheeks as we all recalled that horrible incident. Time seemed to crawl to a pause, the three of us waiting awkwardly for the silence to be broken. Something caught Riv's attention, his head turning to face me. The movement caught my eye, my quickly turning my head aside in a vain attempt to hide my tears, trying not to draw attention to them. I knew it was pointless, those damn things already noted.
I don't think I'd ever be comfortable showing these things, these feelings to anyone, especially my children.
Despite my actions of futile concealment Riv's expression appeared to soften out of the corner of my eye. I think he knew my disdain for showing this kind of emotion and that this wasn't something I did lightly. As much as I wish he hadn't that knowledge I was reluctantly glad he had it, if just this once.
"And you...want us to share rooms?" Riv recalled in question.
"...If you'd be comfortable," I quietly replied, trying to blink back my tears. "Neither of you are required to, but...it would be appreciated, both by Saffron and by us. Sh...She really needs it."
"Saffron is very scared, Riv, and this condition is horrible to go through alone," Daniel took over. "She's younger than both of you, prob'ly about ten, and given her behaviors and requests it's likely she's been alone most of her life. I'll need her to stay upstairs for a few days while I put in an order for concealers, and during that time it'll be imperative she have some kind of company."
I wanted to say more, but couldn't get my throat to cooperate trying to choke back my emotions into submission again. Riv seemed to understand as far as his expression revealed, at least as much as someone his age could, and for that I was so very thankful.
"Are ya willin' to work with us on this?" Daniel asked a final time. "We'd all understand if you're too uncomfortable to be part of it, but we really hope you're not, for both your sakes."
"...I'm willing," Riv finally answered through a tiny, nervous smile.
Though he was still obviously nervous about it I felt as though a pressure had been released from my throat.
"Thanks, Riv," Daniel warmly said through a big smile. "That really does mean a lot...probably more than you know. D'ya mind helpin' me move a futon to the room?"
Riv didn't answer, but instead stood up to follow Daniel out to another room. I looked down the hall to watch after them, the bedroom door opening as they both invaded some other unoccupied space. Sura and Saffron walked out of their bedroom, Saffron now dressed in different clothes. Both girls looked back down the hall to me, my waving back to them once spotted. They returned the gesture, Saffron even giving me a tiny smile before Sura led her to the bathroom to take a much-needed shower. Maybe a few seconds after they disappeared to the bathroom both Daniel and Riv walked out of another room carrying a futon, bringing it to their room. I briskly walked down the hall to catch up with them, their situating the mattress in the middle of the room to be moved wherever desired. Not to be useless I turned back to that other room to retrieve the pillow and comforter, bringing it back with me to their bedroom and quickly make the bed while both girls were away.
I looked to the other beds, seeing the different sheets and few stuffed animals. Though Saffron's addition to the home meant lower pay for me I would still see about reasoning with Morissey given the space occupied like I had with Sura a few years prior. I did get more pay now than I did then, so...maybe I wouldn't be too unlucky. For better or worse I had the whole weekend to think about it.
I would also like to get for her the same things the other children had: Clothing, bedsheets, a stuffed animal or two, those types of things. Saffron would likely feel like an intruder in this place and I didn't want that for her or anyone else, my hoping such things would prove our sincerity. I'd see about putting money aside for those things, starting with clothes. While the other two likely wouldn't mind Saffron taking up their hand-me-downs I didn't want her entire wardrobe to consist of other people's stuff.
It wasn't too long before Sura and Saffron returned from the bathroom, the new resident nicely cleaned and in better-fitting clothes. For a female she had somewhat masculine features, which might make fitting clothes a little more difficult than usual. So far she didn't seem to mind, happy to the point of tears for just about anything. Upon their return to the bedroom she seemed shocked at the addition of a third bed, her turning around to face all of us with sickly red tears in her eyes. While an unnerving sight to the inexperienced it was a signal that she was healing, little by little.
She took a knee to kneel on the mattress, gingerly patting the surface as though she'd never seen a bed before. Given the tidbit about a compound it was possible she never had, at least not one like this. It must have only been a few seconds later that her arms and legs would give in under her, the child collapsing onto the futon and quickly falling asleep. I could only imagine just how exhausting this all must have been, remembering back to Riv's first day in the home. I stepped forward to fold the blanket over her to allow a peaceful sleep, the poor girl utterly spent for the night.
Sura decided to turn in a bit early to keep Saffron company overnight, Riv following soon after. Though he was still nervous and unsure, he was willing to work with us through what lay ahead and that cooperation would be invaluable. I gave both of them a hug goodnight, as did Daniel, before they retreated to their room as to not disturb our new resident while she slept.
"...Do you think they'll be alright?" I quietly asked aloud as both children walked down the hall.
"I think they'll be just fine," Daniel replied, putting his arm around my back. "Riv and Sura are good kids, and Riv does understand that what happened wasn't on purpose. Just, y'know, there'll be that apprehension. That's pretty normal even from people with no experience."
"I just...don't want him to worry about her because of something horrible I did," I confessed, my eyes to the floor. "That isn't fair to Saffron."
"I don't think he will, Sam," he assured, rubbing his snout in my hair. "Let's just see where this goes, one day at a time. I'll put in the order for yellow concealers tomorrow while I'm out getting groceries. They'll prob'ly be done by Tuesday."
"...Okay."
"Hey."
I slowly turned my head to look up at him, his returning my glance with a touch of his nose against mine.
"One day at a time," he repeated. "Turning in early sounds good to me, anyway. Been a long week and an eventful evening."
I softly chuckled as we both turned to head back to our own room to call it a night.
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Tarov
MemberBringing up past trauma in such a in-your-face sort of way for Riv, interesting to see where this goes. I hope it goes well.
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