"Yevon forgive us for wanting Yevon to make sense."

Zveran laughs again, then drops his head between his knees. 

"And all of us, playing into their trap."

"They want peace. But they want other people to pay the cost. How very them."

"How very them indeed." 

Zveran leans back, and his head thuds against the wall. "And Bambi died still believing that. Believing in them."

"They don't give people much other choice."

"And Bambi believed the best in people." Zveran runs a hand through his hair. "Even if she knew, she would still want to try. For them." 

"That's just the way some people are."

"True. I always thought she was the best of us, but maybe she was just that naive."

"Those aren't mutually exclusive."

"Or maybe there was a part of me that wanted to believe that Yevon at least believed in their own tenants."

Masque does not, in fact, have a response to that. Just a slight shrug.

Zveran huffs once. "Well. Same here." 

He wraps his arms around his knees, looking for all the world like a lost boy.

Masque sighs and shuffles close enough to knock their shoulders together.

Zveran drops his head onto their shoulder immediately, tucking his head in close.

They wrap their arms around him and hold him close.

Zveran takes in slow, deep breaths. It's hard to corral the thoughts waging for dominance in his head. Aten's pain, what he now knows is lying in wait, the dogged determination he felt but an hour ago- 

It hurts, a deep physical ache, right next to the place Bambi once was.

Aten tries, somewhat, to be comforting, as best he is able.

"Aten, it's all right. Don't try and comfort me, when you need comfort yourself. Come here."

Aten moves closer. "But you need it too?"

"I'll take comfort from you being here." 

He gathers Aten as close to him as he can.

Aten presses as close as he can in turn, his flames strangely cool.

Zveran cuddles him and Masque as close to him as he can, just trying to think. To decide. 

Well, Masque doesn't seem inclined to move.

Which is very good. Zveran has his people, that's a comfort. 

Yeah. Having your people is good. But Masque can't help here. Their instinct is to grab Zveran and run hard and fast. But that has to be a mutual decision.