[ thomas is honestly an 80 year old man in the guise of a teenager, ian would not be the first to pick up on this. it's okay, we've accepted this. when the guy's hands come out, thomas doesn't reach for them, just sits on the pillow across from ian, legs crossed, hands stuffed resolutely into his jacket pocket, and watches the man's hands. sup, what're those for?
it's a demonstration. right, the empathy bond and the touching, it's a package deal. he's not a big fan of it, and there's a spike of anxiety in the back of thomas's head, worried about what kind of ugly things could come crawling to the surface at the wrong time. but he doesn't mind it so much that he isn't willing to deal with the discomfort for a little while.
the question into his mental state has thomas blink rapidly a couple times, a subtle look of surprise. he isn't often asked that, least of all by adults. even if thomas's kneejerk response is to look for insincerity, there is a bit of relief in hearing it, nonetheless. honestly, though, at this point? it's kinda funny, and thomas lets out a soft huff of a laugh. ]
Lot more than most. Don't worry about it. [ after the scorch, after denver, thomas thinks there isn't much left that could turn his stomach worse. there's a certain point where you've seen the extent of carnage, and of brokenness in the world, that you stop feeling it so much. that's probably not a great thing for his mental wellness, but that would be the least of the things in thomas's life that have been bad for his mental state. he doesn't want to see just the shiny parts, he wants to see the truth. ]
Show me all of it.
[ besides, he can't watch the good parts without being paranoid about the other side of it. just the fact he knows there's bad, now, and isn't seeing it would drive thomas nuts. no, better to just do it all. it's just memories anyway, they can't hurt him (easy to say in your head). letting out a slow, resolved exhale, thomas rolls his shoulders, tries to relax the tension in them a little, and finally pulls his hands free from his pockets. they hover a few inches from ian's before he glances up to him, one brow arched pointedly. ]
Hey. I wake up one kidney short, we're gonna have a talk.
[ after a beat, the small upwards corner at the curl of his lips says that was a joke, but for real, if he's going to be flopped over on the floor here, he better be left right the heck there, thanks. there's nothing more jarring than waking up somewhere you didn't fall asleep, especially with new and unexpected surgical scars. ]
no subject
it's a demonstration. right, the empathy bond and the touching, it's a package deal. he's not a big fan of it, and there's a spike of anxiety in the back of thomas's head, worried about what kind of ugly things could come crawling to the surface at the wrong time. but he doesn't mind it so much that he isn't willing to deal with the discomfort for a little while.
the question into his mental state has thomas blink rapidly a couple times, a subtle look of surprise. he isn't often asked that, least of all by adults. even if thomas's kneejerk response is to look for insincerity, there is a bit of relief in hearing it, nonetheless. honestly, though, at this point? it's kinda funny, and thomas lets out a soft huff of a laugh. ]
Lot more than most. Don't worry about it. [ after the scorch, after denver, thomas thinks there isn't much left that could turn his stomach worse. there's a certain point where you've seen the extent of carnage, and of brokenness in the world, that you stop feeling it so much. that's probably not a great thing for his mental wellness, but that would be the least of the things in thomas's life that have been bad for his mental state. he doesn't want to see just the shiny parts, he wants to see the truth. ]
Show me all of it.
[ besides, he can't watch the good parts without being paranoid about the other side of it. just the fact he knows there's bad, now, and isn't seeing it would drive thomas nuts. no, better to just do it all. it's just memories anyway, they can't hurt him (easy to say in your head). letting out a slow, resolved exhale, thomas rolls his shoulders, tries to relax the tension in them a little, and finally pulls his hands free from his pockets. they hover a few inches from ian's before he glances up to him, one brow arched pointedly. ]
Hey. I wake up one kidney short, we're gonna have a talk.
[ after a beat, the small upwards corner at the curl of his lips says that was a joke, but for real, if he's going to be flopped over on the floor here, he better be left right the heck there, thanks. there's nothing more jarring than waking up somewhere you didn't fall asleep, especially with new and unexpected surgical scars. ]