Hi again! Sorry for the longer wait on this chapter. It was less about editing the chapter itself, and more about other stuff going on at the same time. First Frindo Week was a thing, then the Spring Secret Santa was a thing, then my beta got super busy with his own things. But we finally made it!
Thanks as always to oddvector for being my beta!
Scale 10: Don't Be Shocked
When Fret finally resurfaced from the Soul twister, he was curled up against Rindo's chest, his face tucked into Rindo's neck. Apparently Fret had rolled onto his belly at some point. Probably so he could be chest-to-chest with Rindo, attempting to share some of that scorching heat trapped in Fret's torso. Trying to be closer to Rindo's own burning heart.
A slight snoring in Fret's ear. So Rindo had fallen asleep after all.
Maybe Fret had, too. He felt less tired, and his heart wasn't being pinched quite as badly as before. Still, maybe he should get a little more shut-eye before—
"You okay?"
Oh, Rindo was awake! "Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine now." He remained snuggled up against Rindo. "So whatcha wanna do now? I think I'm bored with karaoke."
"Hmm...lemme look..."
"Mmkay."
Rindo glanced down at Fret, still cuddled up against him. "Unless you wanna just go back to our room and sleep some more?"
"Nah, I can keep going," said Fret. "Especially if I get an extra nap in while you make up your mind."
"Ouch," said Rindo with mock-hurt. He scrolled through his phone using one hand and kept the other resting between Fret's shoulderblades.
The extra warmth made Fret's sleepy wings even more relaxed. "Y'know, maybe we can do the Soul twister thing instead of the Soul drain?" As unnerving as the Soul twister could be, it was still more pleasant than having his Soul slowly sucked away like a juice box. "Since our Souls are all mixed together during that anyway, maybe we can just give each other what we need?"
"Yeah, you've got a point," said Rindo. "It would be nicer to do it that way. Though I don't think I got as much Soul from that than I do from a drain. Did you get enough Soul from that, Fret?"
Fret could still feel the fangs around his heart pressing down greedily, even in this lazy state. But that was all it was: greed. "Uh-huh, I did." The sharp pressure increased, but he refused to cave in under it. If there was any time to tap into that temperance thing his parents had always talked about, it was now. "I love you so much, my Rindo."
"I love you so much too." After a quick kiss, Rindo stared at his phone thoughtfully. "Actually, do you wanna go to the park again?"
Fret beamed. After that nice nap, a romp around the park sounded great. "Sure! Let's go!"
IIIIII
When they arrived, the park was open and empty. Fret couldn't wait to run and run and—
"Hey Fret."
"Yeah?"
Rindo smirked. "While you were playing with the dogs at the café, look at what I bought." He put his hand into his pocket and brought out...a frisbee!
Fret didn't know how long he spent dashing back and forth, catching and bringing back the frisbee. Sometimes he tried to do a fancy trick while catching it: most of these attempts ended with Fret landing belly-first or face-first in the grass. Ow. Actually, he could probably pull off these tricks better once he just…Yeah, he could just use the sync to teleport back and forth instead! Though he still failed at half of the tricks he attempted.
But eventually Fret decided that it was his frisbee now, and wandered over to a nearby tree to gnaw on his prize. Rindo, still in sight, started to fly around instead. Right, his cufurreal Rinbirb liked to fly too, and it was hard for him to do that and play fetch with Fret. Well, as long as Rindo didn't go too far...
There were some unhappy screeches from somewhere in the tree, making Fret jump. Holy crap, there were other Reapers here? Again?
"Ah, so you're still around after all."
Oh, wait, did he know that voice...? Yup, it was that Tigre-Cony Reaper and their partner, even if Fret could barely see them through all the foliage. Aww, they seemed to be bundled up in each other's arms and wings. "Hi again! I never did get your name! Or give you mine! I'm—"
"It doesn't matter," the Tigre-Cony Reaper interrupted.
"Kweh?"
"Soon we will be a different person, and you will be a different person too," they went on. "The new us will seek out their own name, once given enough time."
"Really? Huh." Fret supposed that made sense. If they were gonna want new clothes for their new body, then of course they were gonna want a new name too. But it was still weird to think about. "I wonder what our new name should be?"
"That won't be for you or your partner to decide."
"Or maybe you won't change it at all." A gruffer voice. Must've been Tiger-Cony's partner. "I didn't."
Fret chuckled. He watched Rindo fly, but he wasn't flying very high this time. Was it because he wanted to keep Fret in sight too? Or was it because he was weaker than before? Fret tried to stifle a small whine. He failed.
"Why are you here messin' with us and not with your partner?" growled the other Reaper. A grunt from the Tigre-Cony Reaper, probably from being held too tight. "Go away!"
…Good question, actually. If they were really partners, then why wasn't Fret with Rindo now? Singing partners were supposed to be more and more reluctant to leave each other as the singing continued, right? Even if Fret couldn't fly, he could still chase Rindo, or at least trail after him if Fret was tired. And even now Fret missed him terribly, his heart whimpering from the unrelenting pressure.
"Now now, that child's not a threat to us" The Tigre-Cony Reaper's voice sounded slightly strained. "You know this. You have sung before as well."
"Ha! You say that as if that'll keep my heart from being strangled by the singin'. How are you still so calm?"
"Oh? You think I'm calm? Is that what our sync tells you?"
"Hmph, well, you're calmer than me."
Fret watched Rindo above.
"Perhaps because I do not fear my own ego death, like you do."
His Rindo…eyes set to the sky as he struggled to fly.
"I'll mostly stay myself when I win my warsong with you."
Rindo's coat, fluttering all around him.
"Even now you believe that you're the same person as your RG self, even though you've sung before? Even though you have another Soul melted into yours?"
Rindo's wings, long and sharp and featherless, perhaps more suited to pierce and tear Fret asunder than—Fret shuddered despite himself.
"Yeah. My previous partner might be influencin' me even now, but they're not me. That's why I've never changed my name."
He loved his Rindo. He loved his Rindo. But…
"You try to keep a firm boundary between your Souls, instead of letting yourself unravel and intertwine with your partner's? Because you fear that loss of your old self that much? How sad."
But then why was Fret shaking?
"And you? Are you still afraid of losing yourself as well?" asked the Tigre-Cony Reaper.
It took a moment for Fret to realize that the Reaper was talking to him. "I'm…" But he was, wasn't he? Even after all this time. "How do I...not be scared? Of something like that?"
"Win," said the partner. "And then make clear distinctions between yourself and your partner."
Fret sighed. But he probably wasn't gonna win. Maybe he didn't even want to. And even if by some freak accident he did win…He didn't want any barriers between him and Rindo. At all. But then that would mean…
"Instead of dwelling on your current form, think about everything that awaits in your next form," said the Tigre-Cony Reaper. "And since you can't preserve your whole personality regardless, think about everything that you want to lose."
Huh? Everything that he wanted to lose? What did that mean?
"You better start thinkin' about that too, my partner," the other Reaper rumbled quietly. "Your philosophy won't save you in battle, and it won't save you from this either."
And Fret wasn't sure what the other Reaper did, aside from pinching the Tigre-Cony's wings in a certain place, but suddenly the Tigre-Cony Reaper grew quiet and limp against him. Oh, maybe something like the Soul twister he and Rindo liked to do?
"Soon…Soon you will be mine forever." The partner's voice grew much more gentle and quiet. "Our Souls connected side-by-side, preservin' each other, so we can still admire each other for who we are. Never fully losin' each other. That's why I keep remindin' myself of our differences, so we don't mix too much. Doesn't that sound much nicer than just drownin' in each other until we're nothing but old memories for a new person?"
The Tigre-Cony Reaper only hummed contently in response.
Maybe…Maybe Fret should leave. Like he probably should have done as soon as he'd surprised them, really. Seeing other Reapers cuddle only made Fret miss Rindo more. Rindo…His Rindo…Man, how had he ever tolerated being apart from Rindo for hours? For days even?
Yet Rindo was still focused on flying, even though he also looked tired. Even as Fret trotted after him. Maybe…If Fret tugged on his Soul just a little, like a tiny tug on the sleeve, would Rindo return just a little quicker?
Rindo's gaze snapped in Fret's direction, though he kept flying.
Heh. Rindo needed a little more incentive to come down, huh? Fret wondered if a Soul twister would be just as effective when there was this much distance between them? It should still work as long as they were synced, right?
Rindo flapped a little drunkenly in the air. Hehe, Fret had his attention now.
Oh boy, Fret very much had Rindo's attention, as Rindo dove down and snatched Fret right off the ground. They landed in the grass a few feet away, Rindo's arms and wings clamping Fret to his chest, as Fret felt a stinging deep in his Soul. A Soul drain. A pinprick of light in each of Rindo's pupils.
"You…You hungry, buddy?" Actually, Rindo probably was, after all that flying. He wished Rindo had warned him first, but…"T-Take all you need then, my Rindude. I l-love you."
And as the drain went on and on, Fret started seeing double, started feeling double, his Soul split across two bodies again…
It was getting hard to stay awake…Getting hard to tell where he really was…
Maybe this was it. Maybe Rindo would just drain him dry before any Noise battle happened at all, just like what almost happened before, and that would be…
Rindo soared away almost as suddenly as he had swooped down, leaving Fret very tired but still alive, still his own being, maybe. Fret flopped down on the ground, watching Rindo take to the sky again. Almost feeling Rindo take to the sky again, with how much Soul he had drained from from Fret.
Ah, so Rindo had just wanted more energy for flying, huh? That made sense. That was fine. Fret would just lay here and nap until Rindo was done, basking in that doubled feeling even as it was already fading. He was flying with his Rindude, in a way. Helping him fly, even.
…He missed his Rindude though.
Kweh? Someone else was approaching him cautiously. Oh wait, wasn't that the girl that had peeked into the arcade? "Oh, uh, hi?"
The girl didn't say anything. Now that they were in the well-lit park, Fret could see that the girl wore the usual red hoodie of a wall Reaper, most of her face covered by a matching bandana. He could see a little bit of long dark hair tucked with the hood, threatening to come loose. Her round glasses were almost owlishly large. Huh, she didn't have her wings out either. Shy, maybe? Or maybe too prim and proper?
When the silence had stretched on uncomfortably long, Fret began: "So...What's up?"
"You are a creature of the light," the girl finally said. "And yet you choose to dwell in this realm of darkness?"
"Kweh?" Creature of the light? Oh, did she mean that he was still human? "Yeah, but I'll get my dark edgy wings soon enough." Very edgy: he could feel them pinching against the underside of his skin now. Ow. He grinned while rubbing his shoulders. "So I'll be one of you guys before long!"
"Hrmmm…." said the girl. "And this is what you desire above all? To let your light be consumed by this darkness?"
"I mean, as long as I can be with Rindo, I don't care what happens to me." Fret smiled softly, putting his hand loosely on his chest. "Because I love my Rindo so much it hurts. Heh, I didn't realize that saying was so literal."
"Such pain sounds…rather unbearable."
"Well, I mean, it kinda is, but…" How could Fret describe such a sensation? "But yeah, this feeling…it hurts, but I want it to go on forever. Because I want to be with my Rindo, be part of my Rindo, forever."
"I see…" The girl looked thoughtful, one finger hooked around her chin. "Such a sentiment is one that I do not fully comprehend."
"Oh, didja just start singing?" asked Fret. "Don't worry, it'll make way more sense as it keeps going."
"Hrmmmrgrgle." The girl only seemed further troubled, her mouth turning into uncertain squiggles. Then that mouth hardened into a firm, disapproving line. "Do you truly value your own life so little that you would allow another to siphon your Soul away so effortlessly?"
"I mean, it's not like I'd let just anyone nom on my Soul. But if it's my Rindo, then yeah, he can take all the Soul he needs." Which of course would eventually be all of it, but…But he didn't want to worry about that quite yet. "And isn't that what true love is anyway? To be willing to give everything up for your partner? Even your life?"
"Woe! Such frightening lack of self-worth! I cannot acquiesce to that!" the girl practically shrieked. "Or rather, I do not think that such a relationship should require such costly self-sacrifice for one of the partners involved. A happy companionship should ensure all parties are preserved and pleased."
"Well yeah, obviously no one wants to be sacrificed if they don't have to be," said Fret. "But we're singing, so there has to be a sacrifice. And I'd rather that it'd be me than Rindo." Even though the idea of it still made Fret's heart quake. "Yeah, it's not ideal, and yeah, it wasn't a choice I'd ever thought I could make, but now that it's happening, it's…it's not an easy choice, but it feels like the right thing to do. Because I love Rindo with all my heart and Soul."
"Hrrmm…I see…"
Oh! Rindo was finally coming down! Watching the both of them with a squint. Hehehe, someone sure was getting jelly.
The girl noticed Rindo too, and let out another unsure gurgle.
"Oh there you are!" Another girl in a red hoodie scampered up to the glasses girl's side, only the new girl had her wings out. She was shorter than that glasses girl, and wore a sharp-toothed smile that put even Minamimoto's scheming grins to shame. Seriously, did she file her fangs or something? "I wuv you sooooo much, my cutesy-wootsy partner! Why, I could just eat you up, heehee!"
The glasses girl mumbled something unintelligible as the sharp-fanged girl latched onto her arm and pulled her away. Only then did Fret notice the shark-toothed girl carrying a Mr. Mew plush tucked under her other arm. Huh. Just like the one Li'l Tsu had. Well, Gatto Nero was a new brand on the rise.
Fret smiled and waved. "Have fun you guys! Don't worry, you've got this!"
Something landed with a thud right behind Fret and pulled him in. "And I've got you, my Fret."
Fret giggled as he leaned back against him. "You sure do." And now that Rindo was here, Fret craved for every bit of Rindo's attention, every bit of the sync between them. Anything to keep the temperature in Fret's heart from melting his torso from the inside out. Did Rindo feel like that too, whenever he requested a drain? Then…Then Rindo would understand if Fret needed to…No, he had to stop thinking like that. He had to…He had to…"So…did you have a good flight, buddy?"
"Yeah." Rindo smiled. "Missed you though." He winced when he tried to wrap his wings around Fret. "I'm sure gonna be feeling that one for the rest of the day though."
Aww, his poor Rindude. Would a little Soul twister or even a Soul drain distract him from…Even with the heat from Rindo's torso, Fret's wings were still…Fret shook his head.
"Fret?" Oh, that hug to Fret's Soul was wonderful and did not help at all.
"I-I'm…" Keep it together, Fret. Keep it together. "Oh, I know! Since your wings are all achy and stuff, and my wings are all twitchy and stuff, why don't we go try out that spa? Then we can nap some more if we need to!" Which would hopefully mean that no one needed to drain or twist up anybody.
"Actually, yeah, let's do that," said Rindo. "You could probably use a bath anyway, with all the rolling around you've been doing."
"Hey, it's fun and feels good for my back!...But, you're probably not wrong."
They both headed to the elevator.
Compared to the other places at the hotel, the spa seemed almost ordinary. Then again, Fret had never been to a spa before, just to massage places, so what did he know? And man, there was so much stuff here: a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzis, acupuncture, whatever a hydrotherapy pool was. Mud chamber? Quiet rooms? Experience showers? And massages. Finally something Fret understood.
After signing in, they had to fill out a questionnaire on their phones, and Fret was reminded that this was in fact a Reaper spa. Did he want his wings touched? Uh, Fret's wings were still in his back, but he definitely wanted to get those squirmy things massaged if he could. Did he know what his Inner Noise was? Well, he was probably a Dog. Was he feeling especially aggressive or unsettled today? No, not really? Did he want his treatments done with or away from his singing partner? Fret and Rindo quickly agreed to do everything together.
After taking forever to decide which treatments they wanted, Fret and Rindo both got slippers, bathrobes, and swimming trunks to change into, with flipflops for the wetter areas.
First they stayed in the sauna for about ten minutes. The herbal scents mixed in with the steam were soothing, if a little strong for Fret's nose. But that almost didn't matter as Rindo painstakingly preened Fret's washed hair.
"Your hair really is nicer to pet when it's not all gunked up," said Rindo. "I prefer it this way honestly."
"Mmm…" hummed Fret, moving his head for better petting angles. Maybe Rindo had a point. If less hair gel and mousse meant more in-depth attention to his hair…
He was honestly half-tempted to skip their upcoming massage appointment and just take a nap with Rindo in the lounge. Between the heat of the sauna, the heat of Rindo's body against him, and the heat of the ever-growing flame in his heart, Fret was so wonderfully sleepy. But Rindo nudged him awake, so massage time it was.
Since they both opted for a back massage, they stripped down to their swimming trunks and got settled stomach-first on the tables. It was unpleasantly cold on Fret's bare skin. But at least the tables were close enough together that they could hold hands while waiting for the massage therapist.
Fret had almost dozed off again when the therapists finally arrived. They went over the steps of the massage, but it mostly floated past Fret's ears.
"I see that you opted for a wing massage as well," said Rindo's Reaper masseur. "Have you had this done before? Are there any particular emotions that you want to avoid? Or do you want this to be a full-emotion massage?"
"Huh?" asked Rindo. "Uh, sorry, I just got these wings. So I don't really know what you're talking about?"
"Ah right, you're the Player pair," he replied. "Your wings are a manifestation of your Inner Noise, which is in turn directly tied to your emotions. So when the wing is massaged in certain places by another person, it will evoke a whole spectrum of intense emotions. Anything from happiness to sadness to anger to fear. What spots evoke what emotions are different for each Reaper."
"Um, okay?" said Rindo, already looking less certain. "So...can you avoid the bad emotions I guess?"
"Yeah, what's even the point of including the bad emotions anyway?" asked Fret.
"It's much like a regular massage in that sense," the Reaper explained. "It helps to release pent-up emotions and achieve a deeper peace in the Soul. But if you prefer for us to avoid distressing emotions as much as possible, that is also a perfectly fine option, especially since this is your first wing massage."
"Hmm..." said Rindo. "What do you think, Fret?"
"Well...I mean, the point of a massage is to get all the stress out, so you might as well go all in," said Fret. "And we should learn how your wings work anyway. That way we can give each other some massages later too!" He winked at Rindo.
Rindo smiled a little in return. "Yeah, you're probably right. O-Okay then, full massage it is."
"Very well," the masseur said in a soft, soothing voice, almost like he was talking to a timid animal. "Now, we're going to put the wing board just over your back."
"Uh, okay?" said Rindo.
The therapist Reaper carried over a long, thin board with oval holes cut into it. He placed it on the ridges of the tables, just above Fret and Rindo's backs, with the holes positioned right over their shoulder blades.
"Now, put your wings through the holes, spread them out, and then let them go slack."
"Okay." Rindo manifested the wings and stretched them out. His wingspan was long enough to cover the hole above Fret's back.
"We'll treat each wing one at a time since this is your first 'll start at the base of the wing and work our way to the farthest tip. Then we'll treat each pinion in turn until we return back to the base. Remember that intense emotions are a necessary and vital part of the process, so let them flow through you unheeded. No need to hold back tears or anything else."
"G-Great..." Rindo's half-hearted smile suggested that he felt otherwise. His grip on Fret's hand tightened. "So if I start bawling my eyes out, uh...don't mind me?" He chuckled anxiously.
Fret gently caressed Rindo's palm with his thumb, and he felt Rindo's hand loosen a little. "Remember, we're synced. I'll just draw some of those emotions away from you so it's not as intense, okay?"
"O-Okay."
"You may do so if you believe it will help soothe him," said the therapist Reaper.
That was all the permission Fret needed to lean into the connection. "See? I'm right here. It won't be so bad now."
"T-Thanks."
"If you are ready, then we shall begin."
"Uh, yeah."
The first spike of emotion was sudden for both Rindo and Fret. No wonder Rindo had nearly flown through the roof of the elevator when Fret had touched his wing before.
"What are you feeling right now?" asked the therapist.
It took Rindo a few moments to answer. "...Nostalgia."
Right, Rindo had described it that way when Fret himself had tried to massage the base of Rindo's wings. But the feeling was kinda nice? Was this the kind of nostalgia a 90-year-old guy got when seeing something from his childhood?
After a little while the feeling wound down until it became little more than a calm, almost trancelike state. Fret glanced over to see exactly how the therapist was massaging Rindo's wings: a slow but steady rub, his thumb circling a particular spot until he carefully moved upward. The wing crunched and popped some under his fingers.
Before Fret had the chance to get jealous of someone else touching his Rindo, Rindo's body suddenly tensed as his breath quickened, his grip on Fret's hand almost crushing. Poor Rindo was shaking. Fret knew that emotion before the therapist even asked.
"A-Anxiety. Fear, maybe?"
Fret gave a small warning growl to the therapist, even though Fret knew that he was literally just doing his job. Well, Fret now knew one area to avoid while doing his own wing massage for Rindo. Fret tried to siphon away as much of that anxiety as could, as he often had during battles. Man, those battles—the whole Game—felt like forever ago now.
It felt like the anxiety went on for far longer than the nostalgia did, but eventually it melted away to that similar peaceful feeling from before. Even the painful-sounding popping eventually stopped.
After that Rindo seemed a lot more relaxed in general, even when other unpleasant emotions like anger or disgust came up, or more of that popping sound happened. Though Fret himself still felt bad when Rindo did in fact start bawling his eyes out when the massage reached the end of the first pinion. Fret wished that he could do more, about everything.
Fret wiped his face on his pillow when his burning eyes watered a little too much. Rindo was counting on him for support through all this. He needed to appear strong for him. Which meant that he needed to make sure all those bad emotions stayed rolled up in his heart so that they wouldn't leak into Rindo's Soul too much.
Somewhere in the middle of the second pinion was apparently Rindo's lovey-dovey spot. Soon so much love and adoration flooded both of them that Rindo just had to drain Fret to prove how much he loved him, prove how much he needed Fret with him always. And Fret was so awash with Rindo's feelings that he didn't mind it, welcomed it even, because otherwise all this heat was gonna start eating through the skin on his chest like acid, and why waste this wonderful heat when it could keep Rindo warm instead?
And only when Fret and Rindo had hit another period of serenity did the drain stop. Rindo petted him, asking him if he was alright. Fret only smiled and nodded sleepily. Though he did feel a little chilly, but that was probably because Fret was lying on a cold table with nothing but swimming trunks. If only he could cuddle up in Rindo's arms and wings…
After that point all the emotions started blurring together, despite the spikes of their sudden arrivals. With enough time, it all got dissolved into one serene mass of sensation. All of these feelings, all from his Rindo. So nice to bask in the good, and to pull away the bad. He loved...He loved so much.
"Your turn, Fret."
"Kweh?" Oh, right, he was Fret.
"You wanna stay synced for this too?" asked Rindo.
"Y-Yeah..." said Fret. "Though m'wings are still in my back, so can I even get a wing massage?"
"As long as your wings are developed enough under your skin, and they likely are since you're singing, it should still be possible. I will just have to use a different massage technique to reach them," the therapist explained. "Which means that you may not feel its effects as strongly since I won't be touching the wings directly. It will feel much like a deep-tissue back massage, except the focus will be on the wings within."
"Gotcha. Well I've got my Rindude right here, so I'm good to go!" Fret swung their interlocked hands together playfully.
"Very well. Then I shall begin."
Fret felt the therapist's hands start to knead his shoulders, and Fret was a little...uneasy? Why? He usually enjoyed massages. Maybe it was because someone other than Rindo was touching him? But it was okay, Rindo was beside him, and Fret was still bobbing up and down in the tranquil feelings in Rindo's own detoxed Soul, so it should be—
Something crunched in Fret's back, and he almost shrieked with laughter from an overwhelming mirth. He could hear Rindo laughing too, but his own emotions were so strong that he could hardly sense Rindo at all, even with the sync and the handholding.
"Hmm, it seems you have quite a bit of pent-up emotion, so this may take longer," said the therapist, as Fret kept laughing maniacally. "I assume that you're feeling happiness right now?"
"I-I guess?" Fret gasped out. But he wasn't sure that he liked this overbearing joy, or the way his wings popped a little with every press. It made him feel so lost, so disconnected that he couldn't concentrate on anything at all. And man, did he even deserve to feel this happy? Without his Rindude's help?
Fret's uncontrollable happiness eventually simmered down to something more manageable, whether because the massage had gone on for long enough, because the masseur had eased up on the pressure on that spot, or because Fret simply didn't have enough breath for more laughter. He honestly couldn't tell.
A squeeze. Rindo. "You doing alright, buddy?"
Fret wasn't sure how to answer that. This felt pretty nice now that the joy wasn't so overpowering and his wings weren't crackling nearly as much. "I...I think I'm good now. Love you..."
"Love you so much."
Yes, Fret loved his Rindude so much, and he could just stay like this forever just looking into his eyes and enjoying his smile and holding his hand and why did Rindo have to be way over there when Fret just wanted to cuddle him and...
And then Fret felt another crunch in his back, sharper this time, and suddenly his heart twisted and his sight blurred with tears, because oh right that wasn't the end of it. No, it was just the start. "Rindo..." But he hid his face in his pillow instead, struggling not to completely melt down.
"Let the emotions flow through you, no matter how unpleasant," the therapist Reaper reminded him. "Letting yourself release those strong emotions will help you reach a deeper peace."
"It's alright, Fret, it's alright."
Fret peeked at Rindo from the pillow to see Rindo smiling, tears glistening on Rindo's cheeks.
And seeing Rindo crying made Fret feel so much worse. His bad emotions were making Rindo feel bad too. Fret shamefully withdrew his hand and planted his face back in the pillow, sobbing.
"Fret..." Rindo's hand reached over to stroke Fret's hair instead. "I love you, Fret. I love you so much."
"L-Love you s-s-so much," Fret blubbered through the tears, though his face remained safely in the pillow.
Eventually the terrible sadness started to ebb, and he could finally appreciate Rindo's affection again. But man, Fret hated this so-called massage, and he couldn't wait for it to be over. How had Rindo been more okay with his massage than Fret was?
Fret eventually resurfaced from the pillow, even though he probably looked horrible after all that crying. He managed a small smile for Rindo anyway. He could almost fall asleep to this petting, but he knew that soon this growing tranquility would be breached by more jagged feelings. He whined a little, leaning into the sync more. As if he could hide from the massage by burrowing into Rindo's Soul.
"Fret, do you want to stop?" asked Rindo.
"Indeed, though full treatment of the wings is recommended, we can stop at any time," said the therapist Reaper.
But it was supposed to make Fret feel better in the long run, right? And if his meek little Rindo could handle it…"I'm good. Keep going."
"You sure?" asked Rindo.
"Yeah." Even though it didn't make Fret dread the massage any less, and he stayed nestled as close to Rindo's Soul as he could. Especially when the therapist Reaper's hands shifted.
Crunch. But less severe this time. Fret's heart glowed with warmth. Yes he loved loved loved his Rindo so much! So much that he could melt into him forever.
And maybe, just maybe…
"Rindo, can I have some of your Soul?" Fret asked gently.
Rindo smiled warmly. "Of course."
"Aww, I love you, I love you, I love you…"
But he knew that he had to be so careful not to drain Rindo too much. Because then there would be no more Rindo to snuggle, and Fret really didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to be alone again. He didn't want to lose anyone else…
So he lapped up only a little bit of Rindo's Soul at a time, even though it only made his howling hunger worse. Exquisite…His wonderful Rindo's wonderful Soul. filling him to the brim with warmth at even just a taste. The teeth around his heart gnashed eagerly for more, treating his poor heart like a squeaky toy. Squeak squeak squeaksqueaksqueaksqueak.
Should he take more? He would like to take more and more and more…
Squeaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueak
Rindo was the only thing Fret needed, especially in this serene fog. Without Rindo he would just float off to the sky like a untied balloon. He needed Rindo to keep him grounded...No, that was silly, Rindo was a bird. He needed Rindo so that they could fly past the sky together. And if he took all of Rindo's Soul, Fret would finally be...
Crunch.
No no no, what was Fret doing? He loved Rindo! He shouldn't hurt Rindo! Stupid! How could he be so stupid? Was he really about to screw things up again?
"Fret." More pets from Rindo. "It's alright, Fret. I love you."
"No it's not," croaked Fret, and he hated how his voice broke in the middle of that sentence, and how his eyes teared up all over again. He thought he was done with the sad part of his wings or Soul or whatever. "I'm sorry, Rindo. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
"Fret, you didn't do anything wrong. It's okay. You needed the extra Soul. I love you."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Fret didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of this. If he had really been a good friend, he wouldn't be feeding off him like this. If he had been a good friend, he would have already laid down his life without question or resistance. If he had been a really good friend, he'd have two best friends instead of just—
Fret's string of apologies devolved into whimpers, and then increasingly loud yelps as the depths of his heart hurt and hurt and hurt. He didn't deserve he didn't deserve he didn't—
A sharp, furious screech. The pressure suddenly lifted off his back, and Fret somewhat regained his senses and sanity.
Rindo had his wing stretched over Fret's back protectively, emitting angry warbles. His rage eased when he noticed Fret looking at him. "Fret, are you okay?" Rindo's hand calmly rested on Fret's cheek, but his eyes were full of anxiety.
Fret only nodded, looking away. He placed his hand on top of Rindo's, like the problem had only been a toothache and not a total mental breakdown.
"Hmm, an emotional snarl like that combined with that much emotional repression will probably take multiple treatments to fully relieve," observed the therapist. "Though acupuncture can help speed up the process by releasing more emotion at once for longer periods, and can also be done on multiple spots at a time…"
"No," said Fret flatly. As if the massage hadn't been hellish enough. That massage should be enough for forever as far as he was concerned.
"I apologize for your unpleasant experience," said the therapist Reaper. "Would you still like to have the back massage, while avoiding the wings?"
"...No." Fret could feel the pinching pangs of his frightened wings trying to bury themselves into his muscles. Their attempts to hide only made pain radiate throughout his entire back. "I just wanna stop."
"Fret…"
"Very well." The therapist immediately stepped back, his hands politely folded together. "You may head to the quiet room just down the hall to rest."
As soon as the table was removed he dove into Rindo's arms. Though Fret shuddered and whined a little when Rindo's arms brushed against Fret's bare, sore back.
"Ah! S-Sorry!"Rindo pulled his arms away.
Fret stayed huddled against Rindo's chest. "I-It's okay. Love you."
Rindo lightly stroked Fret's hair, like he was worried that even pets would cause Fret pain. "Love you so much."
Fret and Rindo shuffled off to put their bathrobes back on before leaving. Fret's sensitive back made it a little difficult to put on the robe, so Rindo helped out. And Fret appreciated it, he really did, but at the same time his heart stung with guilt. As if he wasn't even worthy of a simple act of kindness like that. But Fret knew that was probably just the emotional residues of that awful massage still clinging to his Soul, so he kept himself from apologizing. Barely.
The quiet room was a cozy little place with barely-audible vaporwave music, low lighting, a pretty little garden of rocks and bonsai trees, a tiny stream running through it into a small pool, and honestly Fret didn't care right now. Instead he sat pressed up to Rindo's side on the soft sofa, nuzzling his shoulder. Something about Rindo's scent was far more soothing than whatever overdone lavender mix they were spritzing into the air.
Rindo meanwhile gently scratched Fret's scalp, while being careful not to jostle Fret's back or shoulders. Rindo was always so cautious about everything, whether it was touch or decisions.
"Do you wanna go back to our room once our time here is up?" asked Rindo quietly. Maybe he was worried that a normal speaking voice would be too much for Fret to handle right now.
"Yeah." Between all the relaxing stuff like the sauna, and the not-so-relaxing massage, Fret felt exhausted. But he was also kinda afraid to fall asleep. The nightmares might be especially bad tonight after getting his heart run through by a spear of solid guilt. Not to mention how stiff and achy Fret's back was, as his wings continued to regret their existence.
Things were silent for a while longer. Rindo's scritches had migrated to behind Fret's ears and oh that felt amazing. He titled his head around to help Rindo reach better scritching spots.
"So, um..." Rindo began.
"Yeah?"
"What...You know what, nevermind. It's not my business."
What happened? That was probably what Rindo wanted to ask. Why did you freak out so bad?
Right. Fret owed Rindo some kind of answer, so he wouldn't worry so much. Even if Fret wasn't ready to go into the real deep stuff yet, or ever. "I...I guess I...Like, I wasn't expecting it to go like that either. To have so much stuff...built up, or whatever."
"Yeah, you wear your heart on your..." Rindo paused. "...Nonexistent sleeve. Seriously, how are you not cold, like, all the time?"
"How do you wear a hoodie and a coat in the middle of summer and still feel cold?" asked Fret. "I dunno man, maybe you're anemic or something. You should get that checked out."
"We're dead, remember?" said Rindo. "And I still feel the same. I dunno, is Soul-anemia a thing? Actually, that's kinda what singing is, huh?" He stared out into the garden for a little while. "Anyway, point is, is there anything I can do to help? With your feelings I mean. O-Or am I making things worse somehow? Like, uh, during the massage..." He seemed to be fishing for words, or maybe deciding if he should say something or not. "...You weren't really letting me pull away your bad feelings, the way that you pull away mine?"
"No no no, that's not your fault at all!" said Fret, quickly sitting up despite his back's protests. "Trust me, that's more of a...me thing? How do I explain it? Hmm...It's kinda like...Like, when I was a kid, way before you met me, I was really hyper. Like, really hyper. Like, literally bouncing off the walls kind of hyper. And I was loud too. No inside voice at all. And I got really emotional about everything."
Rindo smirked a little. "Eh, doesn't sound that different from the Fret I know."
"Maybe." Fret chuckled. "Anyway, point is, I was a really emotional kid. I got so excited about my birthdays that I would run around the house nonstop, playing with my toys. I got mad so easily that I actually got into a lot of fights. There were commercials I hated as a kid because they would always make me cry. I cried a lot in general really, whether I was really happy or really sad." And that matched up to what had happened with his wing massage today, didn't it? Probably spent more time crying than not.
"I dunno, that sounds kinda cute," said Rindo. "Even if kid-you probably would've terrified kid-me. Actually, maybe not? I wasn't quite as anxious back then."
Knowing Rindo in childhood. That would have been nice. "But like, being that hyper and loud and emotional and just weird? That got me in a lot of trouble, over and over. From bullies, from friends, from teachers, even from my parents, who just wanted me to behave and be normal for once. And I can't name any specific moment that scarred me for life or anything—"
Well, he could, but his old friend had nothing to do with this.
"—But after a while, I just...started filtering myself more. No bouncing off the walls and waking up the neighbors or my parents. No running laps around the classroom. No crying at the sad commercials that everyone else thought was funny. No picking fights with all the jerks. Just nice Fret. Civilized Fret."
"Well, that's probably part of growing up, in general," said Rindo.
"Yeah. I never said it was a bad thing," said Fret. "But those feelings and desires never really went away. I just learned to ignore them. And I wonder if that's why my wings were so freaking sensitive. Because I've always been just so freaking emotional about everything?"
"Maybe," said Rindo. "Might explain the guilt thing too? Because you were always being told what you were doing was wrong?"
Fret laughed a little. "Yeah, maybe." Not the real cause, of course. That he could blame on his old friend. But this would do as an explanation for now. "All that terrible guilt for bringing my Chocobo plushie to class finally came to roost, kweh?"
Rindo grinned, spreading out his arms to hug him, before thinking better of it. Instead he rested his forehead against Fret's. "Love you so much, you dork."
Fret giggled too. "Right back 'atcha, you dweeb."
Fret felt his wings finally start to happily squirm again. His back still hurt, and the renewed twitchiness of his wings didn't help much with that, And his heart…His heart was turning into an inferno that hurt almost as much as his back did...
…But it didn't matter because he was with his Rindo and he loved him so much.
"You ready to go back to our room?" asked Rindo, as Fret rested his sleepy head on Rindo's shoulder.
"Yeah…"
Fret was honestly on a toasty autopilot as they headed back, barely noticing the difference between the spa, the elevator, or the hallway as they trekked back to their room. So warm, so drowsy, a little dizzy even…
"You doing okay, Fret?" asked Rindo, as Fret leaned against him to stabilize himself.
"Yeah…" Because he loved his Rindo. His Rindo, his Rindo, his…
"How are you doing this evening, my dears?"
Fret growled a little before he recognized Ayano. "Oh, Ayano! S-Sorry, didn't mean to…" More overblown guilt pinched his heart. He snuggled into Rindo's side for comfort, and Rindo wrapped an arm and wing around him.
"Is everything alright?" asked Ayano.
"Yeah…M'just sleepy." Sleepy, and slowly turning molten from the inside out…Yet he craved more warmth?
"Fret…had a rough time at the spa, so I think he's still pretty worn out from that," said Rindo.
Ayano frowned. "A rough time? What happened?"
"Well, we both got wing massages, and Fret…got really stressed out during his." Rindo tugged Fret closer, as if to protect him from any and all evil massage therapists.
"M'sorry…"
"Fret, it's okay. It's not your fault."
Fret knew that it wasn't his fault, of course. Just as it wasn't his fault that his heart ached and ached and ached even when Rindo was right here holding him, that all he wanted to do was curl up deep in Rindo's Soul and feast on it at his leisure. But he loved Rindo…But because he loved Rindo so so much…He nestled his face in Rindo's neck. "M'sorry…"
"Fret?"
"Fret, dear, did the therapist not stop when you started showing signs of unusually high stress?" asked Ayano.
"No," growled Rindo. "I had to make them stop."
"Then I will have a word with them at once." Ayano sounded like she was about to go full Karen mode, uh oh. "You are family after all, and we need to make sure everyone in the family treats each other well."
"W-Wait…" said Fret. "You don't need to…Don't wanna cause a fuss over…" It was getting harder to string sentences together. "...My fault that I…I love Rindo so much…Makes me warm and sleepy…"
"...I'm gonna take Fret to bed," said Rindo. "See you later Ayano."
"Good night, dears. Rest well."
Fret barely remembered Rindo leading him back into their room, dropping off their new stuff in a corner, switching off the lights, and already Fret could feel Rindo slowly swirling his Soul around as they sat down on the bed.
"You need Soul." It wasn't a question. "Drain me if you need to."
Aww, but Rindo sounded so tired too…Those puffy bags under his eyes…His Rindo always tried to give him so much, even when he was also…
"Buddy…You don't have to…" So drowsy...But Fret didn't want to sink into slumber...But he could already feel his mind and body going slack…His Soul being squashed and stretched into a spiral…
"Fret." Rindo petted Fret's hair as Fret melted against him. Pets...Pets were nice. "I think we're both Soul-starved, and that's probably because of the singing too. Inner Noise eating us up and all. And that's gonna keep getting worse until the warsong or whatever happens."
"...But I love you," Fret mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open. This languid cycle felt so good…All his worry unraveling as he lazily mixed with his Rindo…He tried to move his hand to his feverish heart, but his arm refused to move.
Rindo smiled softly. "And I love you too." One hand continued to stroke Fret's hair, while the other rested over Fret's burning chest. Knowing what Fret needed even before he had to say anything. "That's why I want to make sure you're taken care of as well."
Rindo's hand over Fret's heart didn't help exactly. If anything it only added to the caged heat in his chest. But it sure felt heavenly anyway. "I'll…I'll be okay. As long as you're here, I'm…"
"Fret, you're my partner," said Rindo, tucking the long side of Fret's hair out of his face and behind his ear. "And while this all lasts, I want you to be happy, I want everything to be perfect for you." He placed his forehead against Fret's. "Because I love you so much, my Fret."
Aww, but his Rindude was perfect already. While Fret…Fret was…
"Actually, this might help, hold on." Rindo hunted for something in his pocket. The Soul twister came to a near standstill.
"Hmm?" Wait, Fret didn't want the Soul twister to…
"There it is!" Rindo brought out a…pen? And he was drawing something on his hand? Huh? "This'll help boost our sync some."
"Really?" Fret didn't get it, but he let Rindo draw two lines with a circle around them on top of his hand. Fret's skin tingled, and something suddenly seemed…different, but he wasn't sure what. But the Soul twister sure felt stronger once it started up again.
Rindo held Fret to his chest, very carefully kneading Fret's back. What was Rindo—
Fret's heart clenched with sudden sorrow, and Fret struggled not to cry. But…But Fret knew what Rindo was probably trying to do. "N-Not there, buddy. Those are the sad spots…"
"S-Sorry!" Rindo's hands carefully traveled up his back. "Is it…here?"
Fret suddenly felt raw love erupt through his heart as Rindo finally found the two lovey-dovey sections in his back. Fret could feel his wings shiver in delight, rising up against his skin so Rindo could massage them better.
Fret's sweltering heart spiked to a near-volcanic temperature. Aww, he loved his Rindo so much…He loved…He loved…He loved…
"It's alright, Fret."
Yes, everything was alright, because he loved…he loved…he loved…
"Take all the Soul you need."
…Loved…He loved…Take? He could take?
"Please."
The heat in his heart…the swirling in his Soul…the writhing of his wings…
Those teeth biting into his very being…
But…
"Don't...Don't wanna hurt..."
"Don't worry, I'll be okay," said Rindo. "I'm a Reaper. I can handle it. I just...I need to make sure you'll be okay too."
The torrid sensation started radiating to the rest of the body. Fret was gonna be cooked alive at this rate. "But I love..." Sleepy...So hard to focus…So hard to think…
"Love you too. It's alright. You need to eat too, right? It'd be a bummer if you spent the rest of our time together sleeping."
Fret barely sensed his body moving on its own, his arms snaking around Rindo's torso, his face nuzzling Rindo's neck.
…His Rindo…He…
And then Fret plunged into Rindo's Soul and drank it in. That raw energy, raw emotion, raw Rindo rushing into him…Finally those burning jaws were no longer locked down on Fret's heart. Finally his jaws…his Rindo…
"You…You really have been starving, haven't you?"
Starving…Yes, he had been starving, and this was exactly what he needed, but he needed more. He needed…
Fret hated that he needed this at all. But he didn't want to stop either. He wasn't sure if he even could stop, with his body in this half-hypnotized state thanks to the sluggish yet persistent Soul twister. This extra warmth from Rindo's Soul, this rogue body, this gorging…This felt…Why did this feel…
"Rindo…" Fret murmured, finally reclaiming his voice, if not his body and Soul. "Have I…done this before?"
"Yeah," said Rindo. "You did it back at the karaoke room, when we, uh, Soul twisted there?"
Holy shit, Fret did not remember that. "W-When?"
"It was after the Soul twister had been going on for a while," said Rindo. "You were really out of it, so I'm not surprised that you don't remember." Rindo stroked the back of Fret's head. "But don't feel bad about it, okay? You must have really needed it. Just like you do now."
Fret felt the sedated spinning in his Soul speed up, the whirlpool sucking him down and unspooling what little focus he had left, all real world sensations wrung out of him until only his whirling emotions remained, blissfully out of control…
Yes, Fret needed…Just as Rindo had needed to drain him again and again. Out of need, out of love, out of the insatiable desire to finally have all their Soul pooled together in place, so one of these unnecessary containers could finally be discarded and…
…And he could feel Rindo growing more limp in his arms.
Fret's heart tightened despite being bathed in Rindo's warmth. What was Fret doing? Rindo was already exhausted, yet Fret was siphoning off more energy from him? Even if Fret was exhausted too, even if Rindo wanted him to do this, what kind of selfish, parasitic friend—
Fret finally regained full control and forced himself to withdraw from the connection, even if sitting up with the Soul twister still going made him feel a little wobbly. But the movement let him reconnect with reality at least a little bit.
"Hmm? You sure that's enough, Fret?" asked Rindo gently.
No. Fret's Soul still bayed for more. But it wouldn't be satisfied until it soaked up every bit of Rindo's Soul. The teeth pinned Fret's heart down again, and already it ached and ached as if Rindo was a million miles away, but…"But I love you...Don't wanna hurt you anymore..."
Rindo's eyes stayed worried. "Fret...Fret, that's not enough, is it?"
Fret felt his Soul whirl rapidly again, felt his body slump against Rindo's again, felt his tentative connection with the real world dissolve again.
"Please get enough Soul. I love you."
"L-Love…" Tired…Sinking…Losing… "S-Stop…Stop the…the twister…"
The spiral within him abruptly eased, and Fret could finally resurface and breathe in reality again. He forced himself to sit up, because he needed distance from Rindo as he grounded himself. Just a little bit though, just for a little while.
"S-Sorry if that was too much." Rindo carefully stroked the back of Fret's head. "You alright?"
"Y-Yeah…I just…" Fret smiled. "Can we…just sleep? Pretty late…We're both worn out…So let's just catch some ZZZs. Whaddaya say?"
"I…Honestly yeah, that's probably a good idea." Rindo plopped down on the bed, arching one wing up, waiting for Fret to lie down too.
Fret decided to pet Rindo for once, while he waited for himself to stabilize a little more. Aww, Rindo seemed to like pets too, as he shifted his head a little closer. Then Fret reached over to massage…Uh...This was the calm part of his Rinbirb's wing, right?
Rindo's wing snapped down, tugging Fret snug against Rindo's chest. He gave Fret a bunch of little pecks on his cheeks and forehead.
Ah okay, that was Rindo's lovey-dovey spot, not the calm spot. Well, yeah, that had been enough distance from Rindo for now. "G'night my Rindude."
"Good night, Fret."
Rindo passed out almost immediately, but Fret took longer to go to sleep. He missed the crushing embrace of the Soul twister, but apparently he went full vampire mode if he was blended with Rindo too long, so…
Even with the fresh Rindo energy coursing through his Soul, Fret's heart still hurt and burned and whimpered. Tired…Still tired…But what if he started draining Rindo again as soon as he surrendered consciousness and tried to rest? And it was nice…just to linger here, in the dark, in his arms and wings…Warm…Rindo was so warm…He hoped he could keep Rindo warm too…
When Fret came to once more, there was a faint but unmistakable stinging in his Soul. Wait, was Rindo draining him? "Rindo...Love you, but please ask before..."
Rindo only responded with a muffled snore.
Was...Was Rindo draining him in his sleep? Although his arms were loose, Rindo's wings still held Fret fast to Rindo's chest. Fret could see faint sparks of yellow light beneath Rindo's eyelids.
Fret tried to squirm free, but his limbs were surprisingly heavy. How could he be this weak already? Just how long had Rindo been draining him?
Oh shit, this was bad.
"Hey...Hey wake up, buddy!"
Rindo kept snoring away.
…And Fret was getting that weird doubling feeling again, like he was somehow both Fret and Rindo at the same time...
But soon he wouldn't be Fret at all if this kept up. "...C-C'mon Rindude, it sure would suck if you woke up tomorrow and…" So tired…So dizzy…Fret's head sagged against Rindo's shoulder. "...And I'm...I'm just...gone..."
Maybe…Maybe this was what Fret deserved, after draining Rindo so much right before bed…
But Fret didn't want to be gone, yet his body was so full of fire that Fret was pretty sure he would just melt from the inside out and what part of him didn't melt into Rindo would just melt through the sheets and did melt through the sheets and right through the bed into a gray lightless sky where he fell fell fell and there was no Rindo and oh there was his friend's cap but when he touched it he found it swarmed with tiny black ants and now he was swarmed with those same ants that stung and sizzled and popped his skin no matter how much he scratched and bit and thrashed and where was Rindo he missed Rindo Rindo Rindo—
"—et! Fret!"
Fret awoke with a gasp. Rindo's scared eyes stared back at him, his hands tight and trembling on his shoulders. "Rindo?"
Rindo's chest heaved out a sigh of relief, carefully wrapping his arms around Fret as if he were afraid of crumpling Fret like a paper crane. "A-Are you alright? I-I-I didn't mean to...I d-didn't even know that was a thing that could happen!"
Perhaps Fret should have been mad about sleep-draining, or at least worried. But right now Rindo was here and the nightmare was not. All Fret wanted to do was burrow into the sync and stay warm and safe forever. "Yeah...I'm okay...Love you..."
"Okay...Okay, good...Like I said, I didn't..."
Who knew how much longer and worse that dream would have gotten if Rindo hadn't pulled Fret out of it. Those ants might have stripped him to bone before he ever woke up on his own. Though Rindo's drain might have been the source of this night terror...But then again maybe it would have happened anyway.
"I just woke up to you whimpering and—"
Maybe if Rindo was always with him, Fret would no longer have so many terrible nightmares. Maybe if Rindo was always with him, he'd never feel sad, or lonely, or sleepy, or hungry, or cold...
"...still shaking. You sure you're okay, Fret?"
His Rindo was his everything. And he couldn't lose his Rindo ever if they were literally the same person, right? And if they were the same person, maybe those maddening teeth would finally leave his exhausted heart alone.
"...Fret?"
He whined as he felt the poisonous sleep weighing down his limbs and trying to submerge him again, away from his Rindo. No, Fret didn't wanna…if he slept…
That pressure…His heart…Those teeth…He couldn't…Make it stop…
Rindo…Rindo…Rindo…Rindo help, he couldn't…but he loved…he loved loved loved—
"W-Whoa! Fret?"
Loved loved loved loved loved loved loved Rindo loved loved loved loved loved loved loved His loved loved loved Rindo loved loved loved warm loved loved loved Soul loved loved loved Rindo loved loved loved Raven loved loved loved need need need—
"Fret!"
It was the fear as much as the volume that woke Fret up a little. Why was he gorging on Rindo's Soul so greedily? Why was his voice full of needy whimpers and growls and howls?
Why was he pinning Rindo down?
No, stop it! Stop hurting Rindo!
But both his body and Soul ignored his mind and kept feasting on Rindo, taking more and more and—
Stop it! Stopitstopitstopitstopit!
He had to stop, had to save Rindo…His Rindo…His Rindo…His Rindo and his alone...Yes, he would make his Rindo all his and it would all be so wonderful because he loved loved loved loved loved—
"Fret…"
Rindo's pained gasp finally snapped Fret back to reality. He skittered back, eyes wide, hot heart pounding. "B-Buddy, I…" He hated how his voice still sounded rough, still not entirely his own. "Y-You okay? Shit...I-I-I don't know what came over me, I..." He yelped as the fangs bit down hard on his heart again, gripping his chest.
"It's...it's okay," Rindo answered, grunting as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. Was he trembling from exertion, or…
"No buddy, it's really not," said Fret, looking away. He hugged himself because he wasn't sure if it was safe for either of them to hold each other right now. "I don't know why I did that, and I...I could have really hurt you, Rindo."
"It's your singing instincts kicking in," said Rindo. "The feelings just build and build until you hit a breaking point, over and over. And...And it might be because I've been draining you so much today too. Including in my freaking sleep! You seemed so...desperate, when you did that? Are you feeling better now?"
Better? Maybe physically, but guilt stabbed Fret's heart incessantly. "I still shouldn't have done that." Rindo looked so tired, and Fret's heart clenched further. "L-Lemme try to give all that Soul back, hold on..."
"Fret, you don't—"
Fret closed his eyes. He didn't know exactly how much he took during his frenzy, but he would send over as much as he could without—
And then after only a few seconds the room whirled.
"Fret!"
…Huh? Rindo caught him? When had Fret fallen forward? How could he still be this weak after feasting so much on Rindo's Soul? "Rindo…" Fret pasted a smile on his face. "Dude, i-it's okay, it's..."
Fret's grin fell away.
"...No, nothing about this is okay. You don't want this, I don't want this...Because eventually it's all gonna…"
Fret had already lost one best friend. Rindo wasn't so different from that first best friend, really. Maybe that was one thing that had drawn Fret to Rindo in the first place. That familiarity, that chance for redemption. Surely this time, Fret wouldn't fail so hard that his friend just didn't want to exist anymore and—
"A-And I don't wanna lose you!" His voice cracked like dropped china as his burning eyes overflowed with tears. Oh...Oh no, not again—
Rindo gently pulled Fret close, and Fret clung to him like he always did. He hid his face in Rindo's shoulder, though it did little to hide the way his body wracked with sobs.
"S-So scared of losing you, Rindo, even...even more than....I can't lose you! I can't!"
Rindo lightly rubbed Fret's back. Fret's wings squirmed and shivered under his skin, making Fret's whole back ache, but that pain grounded him a little. He was right here, with Rindo.
"It's alright, Fret," Rindo murmured, stroking his hair. "I won't leave you. Ever. Because…Because I'm so scared of losing you too. So please…Please stay with me too."
"O-Of course I will!" Fret squeezed Rindo's torso. "I-I love you, I love you so much, I love you more than a-a-anything…" And somehow just speaking those heartfelt words caused him to collapse into more crying.
Rindo held Fret for a while, while Fret tried to get all the weeping out of his system. But man, it just kept coming, huh?
"It's gonna be alright, my Fret," said Rindo. "You won't lose me, and I won't lose you either. Singing is two souls becoming one, right? We'll both be there, together, no matter who wins."
Was that really how it worked, though? Every Reaper seemed to describe it differently. But Kaie, who was studying Soul itself, had specifically said…"But what if...If I can't remember you, if I can't remember anything, will I really be...?"
"Then I'll help you remember," said Rindo. "I have so many memories of you, Fret. Times we've spent together, texts and pictures you've sent me, clothes you helped me pick out. More than enough to let me piece you back together if I have to. Maybe I can even use your own Remind to, well, remind you of stuff?"
Fret laughed a little even as he sniffled through his tears. "Y-Yeah, just Remind the Remind guy, hehe." And that also meant that, on the off chance that Fret actually won, that he could also use Remind on the Rindo part of his Soul too, right? Stitch him together bit by bit, using both of their memories. Because Fret knew all about his Rindude: what he liked and disliked for clothes, food, everything. How Rindo loved FanGo, whatever that was. How Rindo hated loud music. How smart he was, how brave he was, how selfless he was…
And Rindo…
…How much did Rindo really know Fret, though? The Fret Rindo knew was mostly an optical illusion, a performance he put on to make other people happy. To show his real self, his real weaknesses, was…terrifying, honestly. Even if he did it for Rindo…Especially if he did it for Rindo…
Still...
"That...that really does help me feel better, Rindude, knowing that you'll...you'll be there for me, no matter what. Thanks."
"Of course. You're my partner," said Rindo. "I'm going to stay with you and take care of you."
Rindo wouldn't abandon him. He wouldn't leave him behind. Fresh tears welled up in Fret's eyes, but for an entirely different reason. "T-Thank you..." As long as Rindo was there, as long as Rindo was always there…Nothing else mattered.
Nothing else mattered at all.
Rindo…Rindo was so divine. And Fret loved loved loved—
Fret pinned down his rising ravenous feelings with fresh fear. No! No, that wasn't what he—
"Fret?"
Fret sat up, vigorously shaking his head over and over. As if that would fling off the jaws that were embedded in his Soul.
Before Rindo had a chance to question him, Fret scrambled underneath the bed, flattening himself belly-first on the floor.
The bedskirt lifted up, and Rindo stared at him upside-down. "What are you doing?"
Fret chuckled nervously. "Rindo, I…I love you, but…b-but I need to stay away from you tonight. To…To make sure I don't just give into my instincts and…"
Though maybe hiding under the bed like a scolded dog was also giving into his Noise instincts. Hmm…
"...But I really love you, my Rindo, I really do."
"I know you do." There was nothing but warmth in Rindo's voice. "And if you feel more comfortable sleeping down there tonight, that's fine. Let me just get you some stuff to make it more cozy."
Rindo disappeared behind the bedskirt. After a moment's rustling some blankets and a pillow dropped onto the floor. Fret gratefully tugged them under the bed and began making himself a den. While he did that, he noticed Rindo get up, walk over to the door, and come back with Fret's bone and Rindo's coat. Rindo dropped both things at the foot of the bed, before flying back onto the top of the bed.
Fret eagerly grabbed those offerings from his Rindo, bundling the coat to his chest and face to breathe in its scent. "Thanks Rindude."
"You're welcome. Good night Fret."
"G'night."
Fret remained awake for a while longer, cocooned in blankets and Rindo's coat on the not-so-comfy floor. But this…this was for the best. If he…if he was losing control to his Inner Noise like that…Then he'd just settle for being the monster under Rindo's bed tonight, nibbling on Rindo's coat instead of Rindo's Soul.
His Rindo…His sweet Rindo just above him…How Fret missed him…
And so the downward spiral continues...
Welp, one advantage of my beta being busy was that I was able to work ahead some and refine the the next couple of chapters. Next chapter mostly just needs beta work, so that fast it comes out will depend on my beta's own schedule. But it'll probably come out quicker than this chapter did? We'll see.