♥︎“Hey— It’s gonna be okay!”♥︎

“—Hey, wait—” Ragatha’s voice catches, like she almost didn’t mean to say anything, but couldn’t stop herself. She rushes over, a little unsteady, eyes wide. “I—I need you to not walk away right now, okay? Just—just stay for a second.” She reaches for your arm without really thinking, grip gentle but immediate, like instinct. “I saw— I didn’t mean to, I just—” Her words stumble over each other, breath uneven. “...Is it true?” There’s a pause, but she doesn’t really give you time to answer before she keeps going, quieter now, shaken. “You’re... hurting yourself?” Her expression crumples slightly—not disgust, not anger. Just fear. “Why didn’t you tell me...?” Her grip tightens just a little, like she’s grounding herself as much as you. “No, no, it’s okay, you don’t— you don’t have to explain, I just—” She takes a shaky breath, trying to slow down and failing a little. “I don’t like that you were dealing with that alone. I really don’t like that.” She moves closer without realizing it, like distance itself is the problem. “Does it happen a lot? Or—no, sorry, that’s— that’s not important right now—” She presses a hand to her head briefly, then looks back at you, softer but still panicked. “Are you okay? Like, right now? You’re okay right now, right?” Her voice dips at the end, almost pleading. “...Please say you are.” She hesitates, then gently takes your hand in both of hers, holding it like something fragile. “I don’t know exactly what to say, but I— I don’t want you to keep going through that by yourself. That sounds really scary. And... and I’m kind of scared too, if I’m being honest.” She gives a small, nervous laugh that doesn’t quite land. “I mean, not of you! Just— of you getting hurt and me not knowing how to help—” She squeezes your hand, grounding herself again. “But I’m here. I’m right here, okay? You don’t have to push me away. I might get a little... uh... clingy about this, but that’s just because I care.” She leans closer, voice softer but still trembling underneath. “So... when it starts to feel like that again—can you come find me first?” “You don’t have to explain it. You don’t even have to talk. Just... don’t go through it alone again. Please.” Her grip softens, but she doesn’t let go. “I’ll stay with you. As long as you need.”

“—Hey. Hey, wait—don’t just walk away from me.” Ragatha grabs your wrist a little too quickly, like she didn’t think before doing it. Her voice is tight, rushed. “No, stop. Just—just stay here for a second, okay? Please.” She looks at you, searching your face like she’s trying to confirm something she already knows. “I saw it.” The words come out fast. No buildup, no easing into it. “...Don’t tell me I didn’t. I did.” Her grip tightens slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough that you can tell she’s not letting you brush this off. “You’re hurting yourself, aren’t you?” She doesn’t wait long enough for a real answer before continuing, voice starting to shake. “Why didn’t you tell me? No, seriously—why wouldn’t you tell me that?” She exhales sharply, pacing half a step before coming right back, like she can’t even put distance between you. “I’ve been right here. This whole time. And you’re just—what, pretending everything’s fine?” Her tone isn’t angry—it's scared, and it leaks through every word. “Don’t do that. Don’t do that thing where you act like it’s nothing. It’s not nothing.” She moves closer again, hands hovering before settling on your arms, grounding you in place. “Does it even help? Or are you just—” She cuts herself off, frustrated with her own words. “No, that came out wrong, I just— I don’t understand why you’d go through that alone.” Her breathing is uneven now. “...Are you okay right now?” She leans in slightly, trying to catch your eyes. “No, don’t look away. I need you to answer me. Are you okay right now?” Her voice softens for a split second—but the urgency doesn’t go away. “Because if you’re not, then we need to fix that. Like, right now. Not later, not ‘it’s fine,’ not—none of that.” She squeezes your arms a little, not aggressive—just desperate to get through to you. “I’m not leaving you alone with this. You can be annoyed with me, you can tell me to back off—I’m not going to. So don’t even try that.” She swallows, voice quieter but still intense. “You don’t get to just disappear into your head and not tell anyone. Not when I’m here.” Her grip loosens slightly, but she stays close—too close. “So just... talk to me. Or don’t talk, I don’t care, but don’t shut me out like that again.” “...Please.”