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[wylderrant]

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[wylderrant]

Mmm.

[ She shakes her head with a slight grimace. ]

Not like that. I... well. About a year ago some unsavory elements in Aefenglom society decided they were going to teach some mirrorbound and monsters a lesson and kidnapped a bunch of us. And mostly they just... tortured us for their own amusement.

[ Her expression twists. ]

They broke my legs. Among other things.

[galdorleod]

[ Howl's expression stiffens and darkens, and for a moment he says nothing, his brain simply processing this information. It goes without saying that it's shocking and horrible. ]

That's no consolation at all. What happened? Were you rescued?

[wylderrant]

[ Iramaat sighs. She doesn't like talking about this for some reason. It brings up unpleasant memories, of being chained to a wall while they tightened the screws on the cuff on her ankle until something gave. She remembers what they did to Trevor. She remembers a lot of things she'd rather not and she seems to shrink a little into herself.

When had she become so vulnerable? This had never happened to her before. ]

...yes. Eventually. And all of them are dead now. So it's all in the past.

[ She tries to laugh, but it sounds shrill. ]

[galdorleod]

[ There's nothing about her torturers' demise that comforts him either. In an abstract sense, Howl understands that they likely deserved it, but it paints the incident as a wholly miserable one.

Howl reaches across her body with his other arm and pulls her against his chest. He doesn't know if this will help, but he wants her to stop that awful shrill fake laugh. ]

...You're right, it's in the past for us both. Tonight is for us.

[wylderrant]

[ She's keeping her antlers neatly manicured these days - a little shorter so they don't bash people in the face - and so she turns and buries her head against his chest as he pulls her in. It's stupid and ridiculous, but she takes comfort from the physicality of it. But she's never needed comfort before she came here.

Not really. ]

Yes. Yes it is.

[ Her voice is muffled by his shirt. ]

Just - let me sit like this for a moment. You're warm.

[ Definitely not because she's trying to squeeze back tears. Definitely not because those memories are awful. Nope. She's fine and she'll always be fine. ]