Devin is camped out in one of the lounges reading a book when he hears Anani's yowl. There's only one cat in Aifaran, and it belongs to Valdis. He can't recall if he's ever heard the creature so riled, but that sound means Anani has encountered something he is deeply frightened or angry about. He leaves the book on a table and goes out into the hall just in time to see Anani slide into a door.
Glancing down the hall Anani has raced down, he realizes this is where the Fool lives. He had asked Valdis if she could help him identify his attacker and very quickly he's running the length of the hall to the Fool's room. The sheen of ice emerging from under the door gives him the very briefest of pauses, but it's the sight that greets him when Devin enters that stops him in his tracks.
This has to be a memory, but it makes Devin's stomach drop towards his ankles to see the Fool curled in on himself. The despair in his posture is almost as horrifying as what's been done to his body. Christ he wants to go to the projection and help him, save him from the fate that's laid out so clearly now, but this is a memory - he can't change the past. Tearing his gaze from the tortured Fool, Devin darts to the bed, where the present Fool and Valdis are sitting.
"Shit," Devin whispers, recognizing that Valdis must have suggested soul walking. That had not been his intent, and now-- well, this repeat of trauma is his fault, but the guilt can come later; right now he needs to help them both.
Breaking the memory's hold on the Fool is going to be difficult, and Devin isn't certain exactly how to draw them out of this. Separating them is probably a terrible idea. Valdis needs to find a way back to herself. Logic is telling him that bringing Valdis to her senses is the safer option, and so he puts his hands on her shoulders.
"Valdis, you need to get your ass back here right now," he commands loudly, shaking her as though to wake her from sleep, careful not to do anything that would take her hand off the Fool. If he can ground her in the present, maybe that will be enough. "This isn't your memory, now come back."
;______; o,.,O
Glancing down the hall Anani has raced down, he realizes this is where the Fool lives. He had asked Valdis if she could help him identify his attacker and very quickly he's running the length of the hall to the Fool's room. The sheen of ice emerging from under the door gives him the very briefest of pauses, but it's the sight that greets him when Devin enters that stops him in his tracks.
This has to be a memory, but it makes Devin's stomach drop towards his ankles to see the Fool curled in on himself. The despair in his posture is almost as horrifying as what's been done to his body. Christ he wants to go to the projection and help him, save him from the fate that's laid out so clearly now, but this is a memory - he can't change the past. Tearing his gaze from the tortured Fool, Devin darts to the bed, where the present Fool and Valdis are sitting.
"Shit," Devin whispers, recognizing that Valdis must have suggested soul walking. That had not been his intent, and now-- well, this repeat of trauma is his fault, but the guilt can come later; right now he needs to help them both.
Breaking the memory's hold on the Fool is going to be difficult, and Devin isn't certain exactly how to draw them out of this. Separating them is probably a terrible idea. Valdis needs to find a way back to herself. Logic is telling him that bringing Valdis to her senses is the safer option, and so he puts his hands on her shoulders.
"Valdis, you need to get your ass back here right now," he commands loudly, shaking her as though to wake her from sleep, careful not to do anything that would take her hand off the Fool. If he can ground her in the present, maybe that will be enough. "This isn't your memory, now come back."