Poem: "One Act of Pure Love"
Jun. 20th, 2021 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is posted as a Father's Day gift for Anthony Barrette. It was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "Magical / Soul Bond" square in my 6-1-21 card for the Cottoncandy Bingo fest. This poem This poem is part of the Stronger Wings arc in the Broken Angels thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It is the third in a set of three, after "Who Puts Their Life on the Line" and "Becomes the Saving Grace."
"One Act of Pure Love"
[Sunday, March 6, 2016]
Il Dottore led Cas and Vico into
the quiet hallway of the hospital.
Another pair of bodyguards
trailed them at a discreet range,
presumably attached to the old man.
"Before we go see Ned, let's get you
properly dressed," Vico said to Cas.
"What?" Cas said, glancing down
at himself. The gray outfit was
still clean. "I am dressed."
The bodyguards all shared
a look. Vico shook his head.
"That's just loungewear, we
are not sending you home
in that," Vico said firmly.
"Okay?" Cas said. "I don't
know what happened to
my wallet, and I don't have
any Italian money anyway --"
"I have your wallet," Vico said,
handing it to him. "That's all I found
in your old pants. You don't need
to worry about paying, though."
"We will provide," said Il Dottore,
and that was that. He urged
Cas into a room full of clothes.
"Try on whatever you want,"
Vico said. "Sometimes
people dump stuff here."
Cas stared at the racks.
There were labels that he
had only seen in magazines.
"Who dumps designer garments
in a clothing bank?" he said.
"People who don't want a reminder
of what happened the last time
they wore those," said Il Dottore.
"Oh. Yeah." Cas didn't want
to see his clothes again, if
anything was salvageable.
He found a pair of navy pants
easily enough, and was searching
for a T-shirt or henley, but his gaze
kept sliding back to a beautiful silk shirt
of deep blue dotted with ... tiny cocktails?
"That will look lovely on you," Vico said,
shooing Cas toward a fitting corner.
"Try it on. Here, I found shoes."
Those were beige leather
with a buttery soft texture and
little tassels on top of them.
Cas was amazed to find
that everything fit him.
"Take this too, you'll need
something to carry stuff,"
Vico said, handing him
a navy gym bag that had
orange and yellow trim. "Keep
the joggers if you want them."
Cas hesitated, then stuffed
them in the bag. He didn't have
a lot of clothes, and he wasn't
too proud to take charity.
Besides. Clothing bank.
Freaking Dolce & Gabbana.
"Thank you for everything,"
he said as he stepped into view.
"You're welcome," Vico said.
Il Dottore led the way
to Ned's room, with Cas
and Vico following him.
Ned was sitting up in
his bed, already dressed
in distressed blue jeans
and a red T-shirt that had
a piggy bank printed on it.
Cas glared at the Italians.
"A pig?" he said. "Really?"
"I picked it myself," Ned said.
"It's cute, don't you think?"
"Well, yeah," Cas admitted.
"It's good to see you. They
said you were okay, but ..."
"It's better to see for yourself,"
Ned said. "Yeah, I feel the same.
You look pretty good, though."
"Thanks," Cas said. "How
are you doing, really?"
"Mostly just tired," Ned said.
He tugged the T-shirt up to show
a white patch of bandage high on
his right chest. "They had to heal
everything but the surface damage,
so I feel pretty wiped out, but
there's no lingering danger."
"That's good," Cas said.
"I was ..." Scared spitless.
"... really worried about you."
"Yeah, I don't remember much,
but they told me it was bad,"
Ned said. "I want to thank you
for saving my life back there."
"I didn't save your life." Cas
shook his head. "Boss called
for healers, and they saved you."
Il Dottore cleared his throat.
"As I said, Ned would not have
lasted that long if not for you."
"So thank God that you
were there, Cas," said Ned.
"I'm not even really religious,"
Cas said. "It's just ... Sunday stuff."
"One act of pure love in saving a life
is greater than spending the whole
of one's time in religious offerings
to the gods," Ned countered.
That was harder to argue with.
"Okay," Cas said. "You're welcome."
He sidled over to give Ned a hug.
If they were both shaking a little,
nobody made a fuss over it.
"The healer told me it would be
a couple weeks before I could
get back to, uh, work," said Ned.
"You're not happy about that?"
Cas said. "I know that you love
your job, but take a break!"
"It's not that." Ned's gaze
flittered over himself, Cas,
and the Italian mobsters.
"Things are ... complicated."
"Oh dear," Il Dottore murmured.
"I was afraid of something like this."
"What?" Ned said. "Earlier you
told me that I would be fine, no
mental damage from the firefight."
"I caught a glimpse of something
that I couldn't pin down at the time,
and didn't want to worry you, so I
arranged to see the two of you
together," said Il Dottore. "May
I take another look at both of you?"
"Yes, please," Cas said instantly,
wanting to roll in the comforter again.
"Go ahead," Ned said, "but I want
more details this time around."
"I will explain as best I can,"
said Il Dottore. "Some things
do not fit easily into words."
Cas tipped his head. Interesting
that someone else felt that way.
Il Dottore put one hand on
the left side of Ned's chest.
and the other on Cas' wrist.
It was just as warm and soft
as before, if less encompassing,
and Cas basked in the feel of it
even as he sensed an echo
of something just beyond it.
"Think about those complications,"
Il Dottore said, and Ned flinched.
"Hey!" Cas snapped, pushing
the mindhealer away from Ned.
Il Dottore let him, and Vico
stirred but didn't protest.
Cas rubbed a hand over
Ned's chest. "Are you okay?"
he said. "What happened?"
"I don't know, it just twinged
for a minute," Ned said. "All I
know is that, as soon as you
touched me, it stopped hurting."
Vico made a soft sound.
"Could they be ... bonded?"
"Not the kind of bond that
I've encountered before,"
said Il Dottore. "That would
have been obvious when they
were separated. Some sort of
link or connection, perhaps."
"Well, superpowers come in
different versions, so maybe
bonds do too," Vico reasoned.
"Quite possible," said Il Dottore.
"Ned, do you feel anything?"
"Other than it not hurting
anymore when Cas touches
me?" Ned said. "I think so ...
but I wouldn't call my judgment
reliable right now. I'm still
fuzzy around the edges."
"Perfectly normal given
the situation," said Il Dottore.
"What I can see in your mind is
that something has stretched
your personality, almost to
the breaking point. Do you
have an idea what that is?"
Ned sighed. "I'm a cop ..."
Then he waved a hand at
the Italians. "... and I'm here."
"You have no obligations to us,
and this trip should not impact
your work life at all," said Il Dottore.
"Yes, but it's one thing to have
friends in a gang, and another ..."
Ned gave a helpless shrug.
"Ah, a conflict of loyalties,"
Il Dottore murmured. "Those
can be quite painful. Cas,
let go for a minute, please."
Cas let go, watching him warily.
"Ned, could you describe how
you feel, perhaps compare this to
a physical injury?" said Il Dottore.
Ned rubbed his chest, and
then his shoulder. "It feels
like I'm being torn apart,
or like a pulled muscle."
"Well done," said Il Dottore.
"If it feels like a pulled muscle,
then we shall treat it like one."
Cas frowned. "Take the weight
off it and don't overuse it for
a while?" he said. "Cold and
heat? I'm not sure that'll help."
"Sometimes, when our minds
feel things outside the body, they
'translate' that into physical pain
to let us know we're hurt and give
a hint how to handle it," said Il Dottore.
"Okay, that makes sense," Ned said.
"But how does the care translate?"
"You need to relieve the tension
between your vocation as an officer
and your affinity for Cas and his people,"
said Il Dottore. "Word has already been
sent to your captain that you need at least
two weeks off work. Take the first few days
to rest, then start thinking about ways you
could fit those parts more comfortably."
"Cold and heat I know," Vico added.
"Cool down time, like meditation, helps
relieve anger or bad pain. Warmth, like
cuddling, relaxes and soothes you."
"I get it now," Ned said. "That
sounds really useful for this.
I don't think I should ignore it."
"While I am of course available,
you may prefer to discuss this with
your regular counselor if you have
one," said Il Dottore. "They can
often help you explore your values
and work through personal conflicts."
"Yeah, that's ... probably a good idea,"
Ned said. "The one at work is good,
and I've got another for personal stuff,
but I don't know how I'm going to --
ow." He stopped, wincing again.
"Did you not just hear the part
about take the weight off it?"
Cas said testily. "Stop trying
to solve everything now." Then
he looked at Il Dottore. "Is there
a way to support the stretched part,
like putting an arm in a sling?"
"There is, but that would require
somewhat more intimate work
than merely a scan for damage,"
Il Dottore explained. "I can shore up
the strained part of Ned's personality,
make it stronger so it's less likely
to rupture from a mild bump."
"Any risks?" Ned asked. "I'm
not familiar with mindhealing,
and I don't want to stumble on
a problem with no warning."
"No risks from the mindhealing
itself," said Il Dottore. "However,
I can't tell what effects that might
have outside my view -- it could
also strengthen whatever link
you have to Cas. That might or
might not be something you want."
"And if we do nothing?" Cas said.
"The risk of further injury remains
somewhat high," said Il Dottore.
"Personality ruptures tend to be
agonizing, and they can't always
be repaired with ordinary care."
"Shore it up," Ned said firmly.
"I've had a double shoulder injury
before, and I do not want to have
a repeat of that in my personality.
If you can make it feel like a sling
or a sport wrap, that would help too,
the restriction is a familiar reminder."
"I can do that," said Il Dottore. "It's
easy to anchor a current intervention
to a previous memory like that." Then
he looked at Cas. "All right with you?"
"Uh, yeah," Cas said. "Why are
you asking me? It's Ned's head."
"One, because you're protecting him,
and a wrestling match between
bodyguards is to be avoided,"
Il Dottore said, glancing at Vico.
"Two, you are the other half of
whatever link the two of you have,
so this affects you as well as him."
"Okay," Cas said. "I trust you."
"Very well," Il Dottore said. He
put one hand back on Ned's chest
and the other over his forehead.
Cas could feel ... something ...
shifting at the very edges
of his perception, but he
wasn't sure exactly what.
Ned gave a sigh of relief. "Oh,
that feels so much better now."
A tension that Cas hadn't
even realized he was feeling had
eased up. He rolled his shoulders.
"Huh. I feel that too," he said.
"Good," said Il Dottore. "The two
of you should keep in touch over
the next week or so. Contact will
give support. Don't try to solve
things too soon, just be there."
"Okay," Ned said. "We'll do that."
"You can drop by the house, Ned,"
said Cas. "Call if you need a lift,
the twins can pick you up. Folks
are probably worried about you too
and would like to see that you're okay."
He still felt wobbly and uncertain,
but he'd feel more like himself
once he got home. Probably.
Ned was likely the same way.
"That will help," said Il Dottore.
"Both of you, please do let us know
if you have any further problems."
"I'll try," Cas said. "Sometimes ...
asking is hard for me, because of
stuff that's happened in my past."
"So it is for many," said Il Dottore.
"I'm worried about my boss, too,"
said Cas. "Last time there was
a bad fight, we almost got arrested."
"Don't worry about that," Vico said.
"We found out more about that.
Nobody in blue is going to arrest
someone who stood up in the midst
of a firefight to protect an officer down."
"He did what?" Ned squawked.
"Uh, yeah." Cas scratched behind
one ear. "When it started, boss
pushed me behind a van. Once
you went down, I was about to rush
out for you, but he stopped me. Then
he popped up and shot at them, so
that I could drag you behind cover."
"That was valiant of you and
your boss," said Il Dottore.
"We are glad we could help."
"Listen, I know someone else
arranged this, but if there's anything
I can do for you -- anything legal,
I mean -- you can ask," said Ned.
Il Dottore smiled. "We do have
friends in La Pula, but more
are welcome," he said. "We
know how to treat them gently
to avoid awkward entanglements."
"I'm doing my best, but ..." Cas
looked at Ned. "I kinda feel
like I dropped the ball here."
"No. It's not your fault that I
feel conflicted," Ned said firmly.
"I am an adult and I know how
to make my own choices. I
can get help if I need it, so
don't put that on yourself."
"Well said, but extra resources
don't hurt," said Il Dottore.
"You know Dante, yes?"
Cas and Ned both nodded.
"Good," said Il Dottore. "Dante
has the training to help juggle
complex relationships and
different types of etiquette.
I'll ask him to speak with you."
"Thank you," Cas said. "It helps."
"You are welcome," said Il Dottore.
"Enough difficult talk for now, though.
I will speak with the healer one last time
and arrange a ride. Vico, help Ned pack."
There was, as promised, a scattering
of things for Ned to take home, and
some resource pages for Cas too.
Fortunately it all fit in the gym bag,
which Ned admired with a bit of envy.
Soon a masked teleporter came
to take Ned and Cas back home.
If they held hands, nobody mentioned it.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its notes appear elsewhere.
"One Act of Pure Love"
[Sunday, March 6, 2016]
Il Dottore led Cas and Vico into
the quiet hallway of the hospital.
Another pair of bodyguards
trailed them at a discreet range,
presumably attached to the old man.
"Before we go see Ned, let's get you
properly dressed," Vico said to Cas.
"What?" Cas said, glancing down
at himself. The gray outfit was
still clean. "I am dressed."
The bodyguards all shared
a look. Vico shook his head.
"That's just loungewear, we
are not sending you home
in that," Vico said firmly.
"Okay?" Cas said. "I don't
know what happened to
my wallet, and I don't have
any Italian money anyway --"
"I have your wallet," Vico said,
handing it to him. "That's all I found
in your old pants. You don't need
to worry about paying, though."
"We will provide," said Il Dottore,
and that was that. He urged
Cas into a room full of clothes.
"Try on whatever you want,"
Vico said. "Sometimes
people dump stuff here."
Cas stared at the racks.
There were labels that he
had only seen in magazines.
"Who dumps designer garments
in a clothing bank?" he said.
"People who don't want a reminder
of what happened the last time
they wore those," said Il Dottore.
"Oh. Yeah." Cas didn't want
to see his clothes again, if
anything was salvageable.
He found a pair of navy pants
easily enough, and was searching
for a T-shirt or henley, but his gaze
kept sliding back to a beautiful silk shirt
of deep blue dotted with ... tiny cocktails?
"That will look lovely on you," Vico said,
shooing Cas toward a fitting corner.
"Try it on. Here, I found shoes."
Those were beige leather
with a buttery soft texture and
little tassels on top of them.
Cas was amazed to find
that everything fit him.
"Take this too, you'll need
something to carry stuff,"
Vico said, handing him
a navy gym bag that had
orange and yellow trim. "Keep
the joggers if you want them."
Cas hesitated, then stuffed
them in the bag. He didn't have
a lot of clothes, and he wasn't
too proud to take charity.
Besides. Clothing bank.
Freaking Dolce & Gabbana.
"Thank you for everything,"
he said as he stepped into view.
"You're welcome," Vico said.
Il Dottore led the way
to Ned's room, with Cas
and Vico following him.
Ned was sitting up in
his bed, already dressed
in distressed blue jeans
and a red T-shirt that had
a piggy bank printed on it.
Cas glared at the Italians.
"A pig?" he said. "Really?"
"I picked it myself," Ned said.
"It's cute, don't you think?"
"Well, yeah," Cas admitted.
"It's good to see you. They
said you were okay, but ..."
"It's better to see for yourself,"
Ned said. "Yeah, I feel the same.
You look pretty good, though."
"Thanks," Cas said. "How
are you doing, really?"
"Mostly just tired," Ned said.
He tugged the T-shirt up to show
a white patch of bandage high on
his right chest. "They had to heal
everything but the surface damage,
so I feel pretty wiped out, but
there's no lingering danger."
"That's good," Cas said.
"I was ..." Scared spitless.
"... really worried about you."
"Yeah, I don't remember much,
but they told me it was bad,"
Ned said. "I want to thank you
for saving my life back there."
"I didn't save your life." Cas
shook his head. "Boss called
for healers, and they saved you."
Il Dottore cleared his throat.
"As I said, Ned would not have
lasted that long if not for you."
"So thank God that you
were there, Cas," said Ned.
"I'm not even really religious,"
Cas said. "It's just ... Sunday stuff."
"One act of pure love in saving a life
is greater than spending the whole
of one's time in religious offerings
to the gods," Ned countered.
That was harder to argue with.
"Okay," Cas said. "You're welcome."
He sidled over to give Ned a hug.
If they were both shaking a little,
nobody made a fuss over it.
"The healer told me it would be
a couple weeks before I could
get back to, uh, work," said Ned.
"You're not happy about that?"
Cas said. "I know that you love
your job, but take a break!"
"It's not that." Ned's gaze
flittered over himself, Cas,
and the Italian mobsters.
"Things are ... complicated."
"Oh dear," Il Dottore murmured.
"I was afraid of something like this."
"What?" Ned said. "Earlier you
told me that I would be fine, no
mental damage from the firefight."
"I caught a glimpse of something
that I couldn't pin down at the time,
and didn't want to worry you, so I
arranged to see the two of you
together," said Il Dottore. "May
I take another look at both of you?"
"Yes, please," Cas said instantly,
wanting to roll in the comforter again.
"Go ahead," Ned said, "but I want
more details this time around."
"I will explain as best I can,"
said Il Dottore. "Some things
do not fit easily into words."
Cas tipped his head. Interesting
that someone else felt that way.
Il Dottore put one hand on
the left side of Ned's chest.
and the other on Cas' wrist.
It was just as warm and soft
as before, if less encompassing,
and Cas basked in the feel of it
even as he sensed an echo
of something just beyond it.
"Think about those complications,"
Il Dottore said, and Ned flinched.
"Hey!" Cas snapped, pushing
the mindhealer away from Ned.
Il Dottore let him, and Vico
stirred but didn't protest.
Cas rubbed a hand over
Ned's chest. "Are you okay?"
he said. "What happened?"
"I don't know, it just twinged
for a minute," Ned said. "All I
know is that, as soon as you
touched me, it stopped hurting."
Vico made a soft sound.
"Could they be ... bonded?"
"Not the kind of bond that
I've encountered before,"
said Il Dottore. "That would
have been obvious when they
were separated. Some sort of
link or connection, perhaps."
"Well, superpowers come in
different versions, so maybe
bonds do too," Vico reasoned.
"Quite possible," said Il Dottore.
"Ned, do you feel anything?"
"Other than it not hurting
anymore when Cas touches
me?" Ned said. "I think so ...
but I wouldn't call my judgment
reliable right now. I'm still
fuzzy around the edges."
"Perfectly normal given
the situation," said Il Dottore.
"What I can see in your mind is
that something has stretched
your personality, almost to
the breaking point. Do you
have an idea what that is?"
Ned sighed. "I'm a cop ..."
Then he waved a hand at
the Italians. "... and I'm here."
"You have no obligations to us,
and this trip should not impact
your work life at all," said Il Dottore.
"Yes, but it's one thing to have
friends in a gang, and another ..."
Ned gave a helpless shrug.
"Ah, a conflict of loyalties,"
Il Dottore murmured. "Those
can be quite painful. Cas,
let go for a minute, please."
Cas let go, watching him warily.
"Ned, could you describe how
you feel, perhaps compare this to
a physical injury?" said Il Dottore.
Ned rubbed his chest, and
then his shoulder. "It feels
like I'm being torn apart,
or like a pulled muscle."
"Well done," said Il Dottore.
"If it feels like a pulled muscle,
then we shall treat it like one."
Cas frowned. "Take the weight
off it and don't overuse it for
a while?" he said. "Cold and
heat? I'm not sure that'll help."
"Sometimes, when our minds
feel things outside the body, they
'translate' that into physical pain
to let us know we're hurt and give
a hint how to handle it," said Il Dottore.
"Okay, that makes sense," Ned said.
"But how does the care translate?"
"You need to relieve the tension
between your vocation as an officer
and your affinity for Cas and his people,"
said Il Dottore. "Word has already been
sent to your captain that you need at least
two weeks off work. Take the first few days
to rest, then start thinking about ways you
could fit those parts more comfortably."
"Cold and heat I know," Vico added.
"Cool down time, like meditation, helps
relieve anger or bad pain. Warmth, like
cuddling, relaxes and soothes you."
"I get it now," Ned said. "That
sounds really useful for this.
I don't think I should ignore it."
"While I am of course available,
you may prefer to discuss this with
your regular counselor if you have
one," said Il Dottore. "They can
often help you explore your values
and work through personal conflicts."
"Yeah, that's ... probably a good idea,"
Ned said. "The one at work is good,
and I've got another for personal stuff,
but I don't know how I'm going to --
ow." He stopped, wincing again.
"Did you not just hear the part
about take the weight off it?"
Cas said testily. "Stop trying
to solve everything now." Then
he looked at Il Dottore. "Is there
a way to support the stretched part,
like putting an arm in a sling?"
"There is, but that would require
somewhat more intimate work
than merely a scan for damage,"
Il Dottore explained. "I can shore up
the strained part of Ned's personality,
make it stronger so it's less likely
to rupture from a mild bump."
"Any risks?" Ned asked. "I'm
not familiar with mindhealing,
and I don't want to stumble on
a problem with no warning."
"No risks from the mindhealing
itself," said Il Dottore. "However,
I can't tell what effects that might
have outside my view -- it could
also strengthen whatever link
you have to Cas. That might or
might not be something you want."
"And if we do nothing?" Cas said.
"The risk of further injury remains
somewhat high," said Il Dottore.
"Personality ruptures tend to be
agonizing, and they can't always
be repaired with ordinary care."
"Shore it up," Ned said firmly.
"I've had a double shoulder injury
before, and I do not want to have
a repeat of that in my personality.
If you can make it feel like a sling
or a sport wrap, that would help too,
the restriction is a familiar reminder."
"I can do that," said Il Dottore. "It's
easy to anchor a current intervention
to a previous memory like that." Then
he looked at Cas. "All right with you?"
"Uh, yeah," Cas said. "Why are
you asking me? It's Ned's head."
"One, because you're protecting him,
and a wrestling match between
bodyguards is to be avoided,"
Il Dottore said, glancing at Vico.
"Two, you are the other half of
whatever link the two of you have,
so this affects you as well as him."
"Okay," Cas said. "I trust you."
"Very well," Il Dottore said. He
put one hand back on Ned's chest
and the other over his forehead.
Cas could feel ... something ...
shifting at the very edges
of his perception, but he
wasn't sure exactly what.
Ned gave a sigh of relief. "Oh,
that feels so much better now."
A tension that Cas hadn't
even realized he was feeling had
eased up. He rolled his shoulders.
"Huh. I feel that too," he said.
"Good," said Il Dottore. "The two
of you should keep in touch over
the next week or so. Contact will
give support. Don't try to solve
things too soon, just be there."
"Okay," Ned said. "We'll do that."
"You can drop by the house, Ned,"
said Cas. "Call if you need a lift,
the twins can pick you up. Folks
are probably worried about you too
and would like to see that you're okay."
He still felt wobbly and uncertain,
but he'd feel more like himself
once he got home. Probably.
Ned was likely the same way.
"That will help," said Il Dottore.
"Both of you, please do let us know
if you have any further problems."
"I'll try," Cas said. "Sometimes ...
asking is hard for me, because of
stuff that's happened in my past."
"So it is for many," said Il Dottore.
"I'm worried about my boss, too,"
said Cas. "Last time there was
a bad fight, we almost got arrested."
"Don't worry about that," Vico said.
"We found out more about that.
Nobody in blue is going to arrest
someone who stood up in the midst
of a firefight to protect an officer down."
"He did what?" Ned squawked.
"Uh, yeah." Cas scratched behind
one ear. "When it started, boss
pushed me behind a van. Once
you went down, I was about to rush
out for you, but he stopped me. Then
he popped up and shot at them, so
that I could drag you behind cover."
"That was valiant of you and
your boss," said Il Dottore.
"We are glad we could help."
"Listen, I know someone else
arranged this, but if there's anything
I can do for you -- anything legal,
I mean -- you can ask," said Ned.
Il Dottore smiled. "We do have
friends in La Pula, but more
are welcome," he said. "We
know how to treat them gently
to avoid awkward entanglements."
"I'm doing my best, but ..." Cas
looked at Ned. "I kinda feel
like I dropped the ball here."
"No. It's not your fault that I
feel conflicted," Ned said firmly.
"I am an adult and I know how
to make my own choices. I
can get help if I need it, so
don't put that on yourself."
"Well said, but extra resources
don't hurt," said Il Dottore.
"You know Dante, yes?"
Cas and Ned both nodded.
"Good," said Il Dottore. "Dante
has the training to help juggle
complex relationships and
different types of etiquette.
I'll ask him to speak with you."
"Thank you," Cas said. "It helps."
"You are welcome," said Il Dottore.
"Enough difficult talk for now, though.
I will speak with the healer one last time
and arrange a ride. Vico, help Ned pack."
There was, as promised, a scattering
of things for Ned to take home, and
some resource pages for Cas too.
Fortunately it all fit in the gym bag,
which Ned admired with a bit of envy.
Soon a masked teleporter came
to take Ned and Cas back home.
If they held hands, nobody mentioned it.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its notes appear elsewhere.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-06-21 03:59 pm (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-22 02:12 am (UTC)What happened to Vagary and Calliope was a real mess. They are slowly working their way through it and have a better relationship now, but it has been a rough ride.
>> I'm pretty sure it's because both parties are okay with it. It reads like the soul equivalent of an emotional trauma bond, rather than something forced. Yes, it's new to both men, but it doesn't come across as unwelcome to either one.<<
It's actually not a traumatic bond. They already knew and liked each other. They've had a connection building since Ned first approached Cas, and then Ned was able to damp down the traumatic manifestation. This was two souls clinging to each other like trapeze artists. So, that changes the relationship, but it's established and it's mutually desired.
Now they just have to figure out what to do about it.
Spending more time together, talking about what happened, some of the exercises that would help both of them -- that's all likely to make the bond stronger. Is that a problem for them? Not really, no. The cop/gang split is uncomfortable and risky for Ned, so he'll need to find some way of making that more stable. But he's not the kind of guy to dump a friend over awkward politics. Also, Ned will be intrigued that supervillains rescued a cop, which is likely to put him on the bleeding edge of social evolution alongside the Finns.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-22 02:47 am (UTC)The fact that it's mutually desired makes all the difference in the world, to me.
I wonder, would it help Ned to view his growing connections to the Broken Angels (not to Cas specifically, because he's a friend and that's quite different, but the gang) as efforts toward citywide harm reduction, seeing as the Broken Angels are actively working to lower violent crime/queerbashing/malicious destruction and improve healthcare in the area? Not that Ned is *using* his contacts to force the issue - that's not his style - but he's in tune with the city improvement aspects, if not with a few of the methods *cough*, of what the Broken Angels are doing anyway.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-22 03:46 am (UTC)For context, they met on the first day of the zombie apocalypse,* both their natal families are dead, and society has pretty much collapsed.
*Think the Walking Dead zombies, but including animals.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-22 10:25 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-06-22 10:01 am (UTC)If it were new, it'd be a trauma bond.
>> Cas and Ned linking up the way they now have feels like a natural extension of the more familiar emotional version of being brought closer together by surviving harrowing experiences, saving each other's lives, and similar. <<
Yep. The fact that they already knew each other and had a connection created a base for expansion. Cas might have managed to save a stranger that way, but saving a friend is much easier.
>> The fact that it's mutually desired makes all the difference in the world, to me. <<
That makes sense.
>> I wonder, would it help Ned to view his growing connections to the Broken Angels (not to Cas specifically, because he's a friend and that's quite different, but the gang) as efforts toward citywide harm reduction, seeing as the Broken Angels are actively working to lower violent crime/queerbashing/malicious destruction and improve healthcare in the area? <<
Likely so. I think he'll go for gang outreach.
>> Not that Ned is *using* his contacts to force the issue - that's not his style - but he's in tune with the city improvement aspects, if not with a few of the methods *cough*, of what the Broken Angels are doing anyway.<<
He can interface between the groups, which is to everyone's advantage. And while he doesn't know this part yet, the Italians are good to have on hand in that regard, because their police force is more integrated, both in terms of including soups and in touching base with the Mob enough that they rarely collide head-on.