lio catch all

[burningrescue]

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[burningrescue]

[Shaking his head hastily.]

You don't gotta thank me. I'll always help anyone that's injured, no matter what.

[madburnout]

. . . Do whatever you want.

[How is one supposed to take that, Galo. Dropping back into slightly defensive, moving to lay down instead, closing his eyes even if he can't sleep.]

[burningrescue]

Aww, man.

[He feels defensive and a little bit hurt, too, from Lio. So he for once gets what he did wrong.]

I didn't mean you're a 'no matter what' or something.

[madburnout]

[Cracking one eye open.]

You're hovering. At least try to rest.

[burningrescue]

I can't.

[Grumbling, but flopping down next to him.]

I just get bored, lying here thinking about how I wish I could sleep.

[madburnout]

. . . You feel the same things as me, correct?

[Yes, Lio, you've been doing it for a week now?]

Here.

[Closing his eyes again, trying to think about . . . absolutely nothing.]

[burningrescue]

[Oh. That. Doesn't work on him at all, his brain rejects the calm feeling and wants to buzz, but it does make him think.

Wow.]

[madburnout]

[It's . . . hard to keep up the concentration with all of Galo's buzzing and interruptions, but he struggles against it for a little bit more. Eventually, he gives up, turning just his head to him.]

. . . Your thoughts aren't like the fire at all.

[burningrescue]

Hah! My soul is definitely burning still, even though I'm sleepy.

[Smiling at him, though, quietly happy at Lio talking to him even if he interrupted his crush feelings.]

Besides, you can't read my thoughts. Or at least, I can't feel yours. Just the feelings.

[madburnout]

[If Galo is quietly happy . . . then he has to be at least somewhat quietly happy too, right? For no other reason than Galo is obviously making him.]

It isn't as though I'm unused to it. [What.] It was stranger before. When there was nothing else in my head. It has been . . . strange. Empty.

[Cold.]

[burningrescue]

Is that why you're all, like. Sad? Because you can't hear the flames?

[Oh my god, Galo, you don't just ask people why they're sad.

But he wondered, and wondered if he was allowed to ask, and here is Lio talking to him.]

[madburnout]

[You can't just ask people why they're sad, Galo!!!!

Or, at least. He couldn't ask before. Because Lio wouldn't have answered. But now he feels as if, after a week of Galo sharing that feeling, maybe he deserves at least some insight into it. He takes a long time to answer, partially because he's trying to figure out the words, but he might feel that deep well of sadness rise up again when he thinks about it.]

No.

[burningrescue]

Oh.

[Yeah, he does feel it. He frowns, as the feeling wells up again, looking away from him. He can't work up the bravery to ask more when he feels so hopeless.]

[madburnout]

[He's quiet for another long stretch, letting it fade again. Trying to tamp it back down.]

You mentioned you had seen me? Before we arrived?

[y'know. as a dragon.]

[burningrescue]

[Nodding, slowly.]

As a dragon? Yeah. Just for a minute.

[madburnout]

Do you know what he did?

[And, since he can feel Lio's feelings, it's a red hot flash of anger.]

[burningrescue]

[Gritting his teeth, though Lio will feel in return his own corresponding flash of heartbreak.]

To make you that angry? Nah.

[madburnout]

[That's fine. He has his own.]

All of them-- he . . . attacked us. Sent Freeze Force to capture them after I gathered them. I thought we would be safe. [And then it's a thousand things at once. Sadness, anger, guilt, guilt, guilt, guilt] He has them. The Burnish. While I am here, useless.

[burningrescue]

All your Mad Burnish guys...?

[He still doesn't get it, exactly.]

[madburnout]

No. All of them.

[If he meant Mad Burnish, he would have said it. He isn't mincing words here.]

[burningrescue]

Oh.

[It's the feeling that makes him understand as much as the words. And his feelings echo back - horror, indignation, grief.]

That's horrible. I didn't know.

[madburnout]

[Well now you do! So. Lio has . . . not a long more to say right now about it. He's too exhausted to expand on it. And fortunately maybe doesn't have to explain his feelings too much. At least this Feelings Share disease makes that part . . . a little easier.]

[burningrescue]

[After a long second, realizing Lio isn't going to say more - ]

I know what he's planning to do with them, though.

[madburnout]

[He doesn't say anything in response to that, but he does get a pretty visceral reaction. An extreme wave of nauseous anxiety, and Lio almost flinches. Looking up at the ceiling. He isn't sure he wants to know?]

[burningrescue]

[Reaching out, feeling that fear, and placing a hand on his arm.]

Hey. It's - well, it's not okay, but there's time. There's time to stop it still, before anyone's hurt!