[He sits frozen for a long moment as she speaks, listening carefully, allowing those words to sink in through the cloud of confusion that lay between what he'd meant and what she's feeling. Satisfied? No, of course not. What Pyra had had to endure is terrible and uncalled for. It isn't acceptable under any circumstances. To get scolded and ranted at in the middle of an attempted apology, lectured, dismissed further, as if nothing at all has changed...]
I wouldn't... I wouldn't be okay with it.
[The words come slowly, as if he's hesitant to commit to them, lest he say something wrong again. He wouldn't accept them as okay, he wouldn't be satisfied by them. He'd probably listen, as Pyra had done, but that isn't the same. It's different for him, he's-
-his breath catches then, a bit of understanding dawning in his expression. It's different for him, in his mind, but he's not trying to tackle the problem for her. He's telling her to do what he does. He wants her to defend herself or back off if he's not there. He'd wanted to help her with that because...
"I don't trust her with it."
...because... this apology, this behaviour, came after the better one he'd received from Era, when she said she'd gotten help. Three days. She'd lasted three days of failed therapy and given up on help from an outside source, taken that anger out on Pyra with little provocation. And he doesn't trust Era to listen and respond accordingly so the burden is on Pyra to protect herself, like it is on him.
It's wrong. It's wrong, and he'd-]
Shit, [he curses softly and looks at Pyra with wide eyes, stricken as realization rushes through him like a tidal wave.] Pyra- Pyra, I'm sorry. I- can I start over?
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I wouldn't... I wouldn't be okay with it.
[The words come slowly, as if he's hesitant to commit to them, lest he say something wrong again. He wouldn't accept them as okay, he wouldn't be satisfied by them. He'd probably listen, as Pyra had done, but that isn't the same. It's different for him, he's-
-his breath catches then, a bit of understanding dawning in his expression. It's different for him, in his mind, but he's not trying to tackle the problem for her. He's telling her to do what he does. He wants her to defend herself or back off if he's not there. He'd wanted to help her with that because...
"I don't trust her with it."
...because... this apology, this behaviour, came after the better one he'd received from Era, when she said she'd gotten help. Three days. She'd lasted three days of failed therapy and given up on help from an outside source, taken that anger out on Pyra with little provocation. And he doesn't trust Era to listen and respond accordingly so the burden is on Pyra to protect herself, like it is on him.
It's wrong. It's wrong, and he'd-]
Shit, [he curses softly and looks at Pyra with wide eyes, stricken as realization rushes through him like a tidal wave.] Pyra- Pyra, I'm sorry. I- can I start over?