[ Xion swallows hard as she listens to him talk, trying to fight down the cold fear clawing at her insides, trying to fight its way up and make her panic. This is .... as bad as bad ever gets, but freaking out won't make Van just randomly go away. ]
But ... you two, will you be safe? [ ... Luke cares about the rest of the village, but she cares about him. Both of them, actually. His occasionally awful, mostly brusque manner aside, Asch isn't ... so bad, and Xion can't help but care about him at least a little. And both boys are going to be swept up in whatever Van does...
Reflexively, she reaches out, wanting to take his hands ... and encounters his balled up fists instead. A quiet, sad noise escapes her, and she gently, very gently, sets about uncurling his fingers. Pulling them open, one by one, and finally slipping her hands into his. ]
[action]
But ... you two, will you be safe? [ ... Luke cares about the rest of the village, but she cares about him. Both of them, actually. His occasionally awful, mostly brusque manner aside, Asch isn't ... so bad, and Xion can't help but care about him at least a little. And both boys are going to be swept up in whatever Van does...
Reflexively, she reaches out, wanting to take his hands ... and encounters his balled up fists instead. A quiet, sad noise escapes her, and she gently, very gently, sets about uncurling his fingers. Pulling them open, one by one, and finally slipping her hands into his. ]