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Legs hadn't left his room in a few days.
Well, that wasn't technically true—He'd gone into his void chest, but that hardly counted when the only version of the void chest was also in his room.
Part of him knew and recognized what he was doing; he was self-isolating again. He knew the others didn't like it when he did, but he needed space.
And space, he got. He managed to work on his void chest, the walls fully put together in shades of orange and brown, set up with everything he needed.
Everything everyone else would need, too.
The hallway outside of his room was vacant, matching the rest of the Feles dorm. Everyone else was either in their own rooms, or out somewhere else, possibly working on their villages. Ever since the rift split at the Obelisk and they were all given their new assignments, the Academy had grown empty again, even more so after his return.
Part of it left a small pit in his stomach, but Legs had gotten good at ignoring those kinds of feelings.
He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do next. Working on his village was… probably the smart idea, but he wasn't sure if he had the energy for such a task yet.
Maybe tomorrow.
Other than that, there wasn't much for him to do, if he was truly being honest. He could visit the Capital, but there wasn't much to do there.
The Shield would find him there. They'd know to find him there, they'd find him and they'd finish the job-
"Legs!"
His head snapped to the side at the sound of Drift's voice as she and Shelby made it up the stairs.
What were they doing in the Feles dorm?
He got over his initial shock and smiled at the two of them. "Hey guys. What's going on?"
"Graecie ended up spinning up some thin yarn, and I used it to weave necklaces!" Shelby said, gesturing to the several dozen necklaces strung over their arms. "Drift's been helping me pass them out to people." She slid one of them onto her hand and held it out to him.
Legs took the necklace , holding the woven yarn in his hand. The yarn had been dyed a variety of colors, this one being black and dark blue with smaller strands of white.
He should've thought ahead before putting it on. He thought it'd be fine, it was just a necklace.
And for a bit, it was.
The conversation with Shelby and Drift continued, but the specifics weren't clear in his mind as the cord rubbed against the still-healing skin of his neck, most of which had been hidden by the collar of his tunic.
They were talking about oranges. Or something about the color orange. His mind had left the conversation, even as he nodded along to the words.
He had to get out of there.
His throat felt tight, and it must've been evident on his face.
"Are you okay, Legs?" the brunette asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.
He swallowed thickly, managing a nod. "Yeah I— I think I left a burner on in my dorm."
The redhead's head perked up slightly. "Oh! You should probably take care of that. I don't think burning down half of the Academy is the best idea."
He nodded again before turning tail and darting back into the hallway that had his dorm.
He barely made it a few steps away from his room before finding a reason to go back.
Stupid.
As soon as the door was closed behind him, he pulled the necklace off, throwing it across the room as if it had set him on fire.
Fire would've been a better mercy.
His neck burned, and air came to him in short gasps, leaning against the solid wood of the door and sliding to the floor.
They're right behind you.
Run.
Do something.
FIGHT BACK.
The rope was around his neck again, winding tighter and tighter and tighter. His shoulders heaved with every breath, the tips of his fingers beginning to tingle from the shallow air that entered his tense lungs.
Run.
Hide.
Fight.
Stab them.
Breathe.
Die.
Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. There was a knock on the door. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. He pulled himself up from the floor. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Didn't even both to check who was at the door. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die. Run. Hide. Fight. Stab them. Breathe. Die.
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"Legs, what does the ground feel like?"
RUN HIDE FIGHT STAB THEM BREATHE DIE RUN HIDE FIGHT STAB THEM BREATHE DIE RUN HIDE FIGHT STAB THEM BREATHE DIE RUN HIDE FIGHT STAB THEM BREATHE DIE RUN HIDE FIGHT STAB THEM BREATHE DIE The ground was solid beneath his feet, wooden planks sturdy just like the day he first arrived, even though Bubbles had torn up the floor a few weeks ago to find something for him. Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them-
"What about your gloves?"
Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die His gloves were the first thing that ever fit him right, wrapping snugly around his palms and leaving his fingers exposed, allowing for more nimble work that most gloves restricted. Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide-
"Can you hear me, Legs?" a voice asked him.
Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die He nodded, swallowing thickly. Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe-
"Can you breathe with me, then?"
He didn't know.
Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe in Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe out Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe in Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them Breathe out Die Run Hide Fight Stab Them "Breathe."
Lukey squeezed his shoulders lightly, standing in front of him. "Legs?"
Legs exhaled shakily. His hands were shaking, everything was shaking. His throat was still tight, forcing every breath to be a shallow one.
"Can you hear me, Legs?"
He managed a nod, and he could see Lukey's shoulders visibly relax.
"That's good. Can we sit?"
Legs felt himself sink back down to the floor, and Lukey remained within sight, his hands moving away from his shoulders to rest on his wrists carefully, leaving room for him to pull away if he wanted.
"Can you talk right now?"
He wanted to, but his jaw felt glued shut by something he couldn't see. He shook his head.
"Do you want me to leave?"
He shook his head again.
"I can stay. Do you want me to talk?"
He nodded. Lukey's voice was nice, not that he'd admit that out loud for others to hear.
Not that he could say anything about it at the present moment if he wanted to, anyways.
"I can do that," Lukey paused to think, his fingers gently tapping against Legs' wrists, the pattern consistent. "Uhh, you like alchemy, I think. I also like alchemy, though I haven't really had time to do anything with it recently. There was this time I put normal spider eyes in one of the stands when they were meant to be fermented and completely messed up a potion. Instead of making me invisible, it ended up giving me a mild case of food poisoning for the next few days after.
"I eventually managed to make the invisibility potions, but by that time I didn't really need them for anything, so they just sat around. Wasted several spider eyes on that whole ordeal."
"That sounds… chaotic." Legs commented, his voice barely above a whisper. His breathing had evened out, but his throat felt like it was made of sandpaper, his voice a bit rough.
"I mean, that's my branding, innit?" Lukey gave him a small smile, though he could still see the concern in his eyes.
To his credit, he didn't ask or press for details. Once again, it wasn't like Legs could tell him, even if he did feel obligated to do so.
Lukey pulled his hands away from Legs' wrists, and he found himself missing the connection, flexing his fingers. They still tingled numbly, like when they fall asleep, but he could feel them.
"From what I've heard, yeah."
"Wait, what have you heard?"
Legs bit back a small laugh, coughing slightly. "Don't worry about it."
"Well now I'm definitely worrying!"