Can't Hold it Back Anymore

Writers: Aaron
Date Posted: 3rd May 2024

Characters: B'lyse
Description: Blue's feelings about what Ç'pier did and his loneliness finally get the better of him.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 11

Corland had neve felt quite so protective of anyone before. But there was just something about this boy who called himself Blue. At first, he supposed it must have been something very much like whatever had endeared him to his... brother-friend-guy. But then he had turned out to be the next closest thing to a murderer.

The others had never gotten very close to Blue. Most of them thought he was dimwitted, and Corland had to admit, it was hard sometimes to have a conversation with him. It often took a lot of repeating to get him to grasp what someone was saying to him. He was always off somewhere in his own little daydream world. Corland wished he could go there.

The others had drawn even further away from Blue after they found out about Ç'pier. For the last few days since, he kept to himself more than usual. He did his work in the smithy even more quietly than usual. Well, apart from the clanging metal, anyhow.

When Corland found him sitting alone and staring silently, as if frozen with empty tongs and hammer in hand, he approached slowly. He had found it was usually easiest to get his attention by laying a hand on his shoulder. This time, he yelped with surprise and dropped the hammer-- though, thankfully, it did not have far to go.

"You alright?" Corland asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drop it."

Corland smiled tentatively.

"It's alright. Why don't we take a break?"

Blue followed him to the break room, but his eyes were still fixed on something a thousand miles away. He did not focus them on Corland until he took his hand.

"What?"

"Did you want to talk about it?" Corland repeated.

Blue's eyes suddenly darted to the door. Then back to Corland. He chewed his lip as if nervously pondering something. And then, it spilled out at once.

"I can't believe he would do something like that and then try to tell me that it was for me! I didn't ask him to do it! I don't need his protection!" As he sobbed, his hands moved. When he said certain words, he made gestures with them as though he could not hold them back.

"Skies above..." Of course. It made so much sense. It had never occurred to him before, because how could he have possibly been Searched if he was deaf? Well, not fully deaf. Corland had seen him respond to loud noises. But near enough to it that he could not make out what someone was saying to him without laser focus. And laser focus was not something Blue did very well.

Corland pulled him into a hug, and Blue wrapped his arms around him and cried on his shoulder until finally had his fill of tears. He at last stood back up, mumbling apologies. Corland touched his arm and looked him in the eye.

"Are you deaf?" he soundlessly and slowly mouthed.

"Wh-what? What did you say? I didn't..." Blue's eyes widened with terror. This was it. They would kick him out, think he was a liar just like Ç'pier-- and his father was probably still waiting there just outside the weyr, knowing he could not keep this up forever.

"I won't tell anyone," Corland mouthed again. He put a finger to his lips. "Maybe you could show me some of those signs you were doing."

"Y-you want me to show you... what?"

"Signs. How. To. Sign."

Blue burst into tears again, and again, Corland held him until he was finished.

"I'll show you," he said softly. It had been a long process to teach Ç'pier. But if he had done it once, he could do it again. He would do a lot to have someone to really communicate with again. And there was something about Corland. Blue would do a lot to get him to hold him again, too.

Last updated on the May 9th 2024

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Can't Hold it Back Anymore