[For Liem, for whom accepting care is difficult and asking for it is almost impossible, the unapologetic way that Set presses his aid upon him is both a threat and a relief. Something about receiving care from anyone instils in Liem a sense of ticking time, a keen anxiety that obsesses over the inevitable moment when that care will disappear. He would rather deflect offers of assistance than come to rely on them too heavily, especially if his faults might be what ultimately push that person away.
But in this moment, he is so terribly grateful for the curl of Set's body against him and the grip of his hands on Liem's cool ones. He feels as weathered and dried up as this abandoned city, so desperate for contact that even Set's presence simply resting beside him threatens to make him giddy. His warm solidity is pathetically comforting.]
You have such a way of looking at the world, Set.
[To see their fight for the Oracles as an opportunity, rather than just a trial. To hear Liem's struggle and say with such confidence what they must do to address it. Much of the time, when Liem says anything with confidence, it is a false mask constructed to disguise his uncertainty, to make him seem like someone strong, someone worth placing trust in.
He feels a little assailed by the gentle contact of Set's mouth against his hand. His breath sticks, for a moment, in his throat. What is he meant to do with such a gesture? How is he supposed to keep setting these little moments aside where they won't unstitch him, when Set is so pitiless in wielding them like this?]
I hope you find something, too. Whatever it is that you need.
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But in this moment, he is so terribly grateful for the curl of Set's body against him and the grip of his hands on Liem's cool ones. He feels as weathered and dried up as this abandoned city, so desperate for contact that even Set's presence simply resting beside him threatens to make him giddy. His warm solidity is pathetically comforting.]
You have such a way of looking at the world, Set.
[To see their fight for the Oracles as an opportunity, rather than just a trial. To hear Liem's struggle and say with such confidence what they must do to address it. Much of the time, when Liem says anything with confidence, it is a false mask constructed to disguise his uncertainty, to make him seem like someone strong, someone worth placing trust in.
He feels a little assailed by the gentle contact of Set's mouth against his hand. His breath sticks, for a moment, in his throat. What is he meant to do with such a gesture? How is he supposed to keep setting these little moments aside where they won't unstitch him, when Set is so pitiless in wielding them like this?]
I hope you find something, too. Whatever it is that you need.