Chapter Text
When Skizz found Impulse, it was pretty clear what had happened.
Impulse sat cross legged on the floor of his base, surrounded by the wires of an in-progress bop and go, which could only be described as a mess. His elbows were resting on his knees, his hands covering his ears and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Skizz noticed straight away that he was shaking and hyperventilating.
He carefully but quickly made his way down to the floor through all the redstone, deliberately making noise here and there in the hope that he wouldn’t make Impulse jump. He’d seen the other like this before, and knew how to help, but it still made him worry every time. He slowly approached him, knowing not to get too close too soon.
"Impy..? You with me?" He asked fairly loudly, kneeling on the ground but keeping some distance between them. He doesn’t get a verbal response, but Impulse slowly took his hands away from his ears for a second.
"Good, that’s good. You don’t have to look at me, but breathe with me yeah?" Skizz did a couple of exaggerated breaths, hoping the other would do the same. Impulse, however, frantically shook his head, pressing his hands tightly against his ears once again as he struggled to breathe.
Skizz was still for a second, taking the time to decide what to do next. He hated having to be this tough with Impulse, but he knew it’s what he needed. He carefully grabbed Impulse’s hands and squeezed them gently. "Impulse, you’ve gotta breathe or you’re gonna pass out" he said firmly.
Impulse suddenly looked up at Skizz with wide, scared eyes, trying to pull his hands away - but Skizz held onto them tight. He once again did big, exaggerated breaths, and thankfully Impulse tried to copy this time.
"That’s it buddy, you’re doing so well" Skizz breathed a sigh of relief as Impulse started to breathe normally again. He tried to gently pull his hands away, not knowing if Impulse wanted to be touched at that moment - but Impulse held on even tighter and shook his head.
"Okay, okay, I gotcha. Not letting go. You’re doing so well, Impy. D’ya think you can talk right now?" Skizz asked with a gentle smile, and Impulse thought for a second.
"Maybe. A bit" he replied quietly, knowing he didn’t have the energy to articulate a full sentence. He kept holding onto Skizz’s hands tightly, still shaking a lot.
"It’s okay if you can’t, or if you don’t wanna. We’ve got other ways we can communicate" Skizz reminded him - he didn’t want to force the other to speak if he didn’t want to. "But- do you wanna tell me how you’re feeling now? Better since I got here?"
Impulse once again took a few seconds to answer, feeling comfortable enough with Skizz to take the time he needed to process his thoughts. "Better ish. Dizzy, though. Warm" he explains, breaking eye contact with Skizz and looking at the ground.
Skizz expected this, he was honestly surprised he didn’t break eye contact sooner. "Yeah, it’s warm down here, huh? Lots of redstone.. is that what was wrong, bud?" He asked. He knew Impulse could get overwhelmed when redstone didn’t work as he expected. "I’m gonna get you outta here as soon as you’re a little less dizzy - it’s gonna be tough to climb out, and you’re in no state to use ender pearls"
"Mhm.. stupid mod messing with the redstone. Bop song was playing over and over and looping and overlapping with itself- got really loud" Impulse ranted, getting a little worked up again. He pulled his hands away from Skizz and let them flap, being a little more able to self-regulate his emotions by then.
Skizz quietly listened and nodded, smiling reassuringly as he watched the other stim. "I’m sorry, dude, that’s a lot. Look- if you wanna come back to it later, I’m happy to try and help if you think I’d be useful"
Impulse smiled weakly and nodded, still not making eye contact "Yeah.. that would be great. Thanks, Skizz"
"Don’t mention it, dippledop. Should we get outta here? We can go wherever you think is comfiest. I think it might be easiest if I carry you" Skizz says gently, standing up and holding out his hand for Impulse to take.
"Wanna stay in my base. Too tired" Impulse said quietly, grabbing onto Skizz’s hand and standing up. He immediately let go and took a step back. "I- I might just ender pearl out. Don’t wanna be touched right now"
Skizz frowned and shook his head, checking over his inventory. "I don’t think that’s a good idea.. look, I’ve got some wood, do you think you can climb a ladder?" He asked gently, and was met with a slow nod. He smiled once again, and crafted enough ladders to get them out. He placed them up the wall, making sure they lined up with the room’s temporary exit.
"Okay, dude, you ready? You go first, I’ll be right behind to catch you if you fall" Skizz says with a smile. Impulse nods and silently climbs the ladder, feeling a little dizzy still, but making it to the top without any trouble. He waited for Skizz, then made his way back into his storage room. He grabbed a book and quill out of a chest and scribbled in it, having no energy left for talking.
‘Gonna go for a nap. Thank you, Skizz. Love ya’
Skizz read the note with a smile, and nodded. "Of course, call me if you need anything. Love ya, Impy" he said gently, leaving the other man in the peace and quiet of his own base.