I assume she's dead?

I killed her. I don't really like thinking about it. It wasn't - satisfying or anything - I think most people would probably have found it satisfying -

I think I would have.

Yeah, that seems plausible. Love you.

Yes, you do.

And now he is crying about how much he loves Maitimo, which is vastly preferable to crying because he is irrationally viscerally terrified of someone who's been dead for more than a year now.

Hug. Hairpetting.

He loves Maitimo so much, Maitimo is being so nice to him, it's so good...

(...proud little Kazaryne...)

...ah fuck.

I am going to take you to a subtle artist but after you've put yourself together.

Too busy with the terrified weeping to respond at first, but after a few seconds -

Okay. I love you.

He is so glad Maitimo wants to keep him. It makes him feel so satisfied and accomplished, he succeeded, not completely but at least he's made a start, and it was difficult and so, so worthwhile.

I am proud of you.

It's - incomparably good, to hear that. He loves Maitimo so much.

(And then for just a moment he sees Nahira's smile in his mind, and he flinches and sobs.)

Sigh. Hairpetting and humming.

Cuddles. Crying. Love. Trauma.

...it might help if you held my soul again, he says, after a while, when this occurs to him.

He kisses his head and picks it up.

And - he is free of Nahira, just like that. He's not even afraid at all. His whole mind and then some is filled with pride and joy and trust and comfort and endless soaring love. Nothing can touch him but Maitimo, and it's perfect, it's the best thing in the world. He loves Maitimo so much. He is so, so glad to be his. The soul-contact intimacy is as overwhelming as ever, but he likes it that way, it's so good and warm and safe.

Awww. He'd leave him this way for a while but he hasn't eaten in a couple days, so he stops after only a little while.

He still feels kind of awful but it's noticeably less awful. He grins and hugs Maitimo happily. Which involves more successful use of his limbs than he could have managed a little while ago!

Yay! "Can you eat or do I need to spoon-feed you."

"Um," he says, and then - right, his soul's right there, he's gotten used to being nowhere near it, he can just - golden light wraps around them both and he notices how lightheaded he's been feeling this whole time by contrast with its sudden absence.

...not that the notion of being cuddled in Maitimo's lap and spoon-fed doesn't have a certain appeal, it would be very comforting, but he's less hungry and more able to move now, he does not need to eat as urgently and could probably manage it on his own.

He'll feed him.

I love you so much, he says. This helps too, the - being taken care of, it's soothing in its own right and it pushes away the memories because it is so exactly the opposite of anything Nahira would've done.

Did your alt explain why it's not - why I'm not -

You mean this? and he sends the secondhand memory, with his reaction included.

Yes, I suppose I mean that.