People were all so fragile. They could be broken so easily, in so many ways. Sometimes emotionally, sometimes physically, sometimes mentally. Either way, they broke. Often, and repeatedly. And sometimes.... sometimes, they just couldn't be fixed.
This was something that Rein Hita knew all too well. She had, for centuries, known just how strong she could be. Just how fragile others were when it came to her. Sometimes, she had trouble controlling the strength she had, and things broke. Chairs, tables, floors, walls, buildings... people... loved ones. It broke her heart every time that she caused pain to her loved ones, and filled her with fear. Ever since she had accidentally killed the woman she saw as her mother, and nearly killed her own sisters... that fear had held her in an iron grip.
Meeting Joseph Reaver had been a blessing. He was kind, intelligent, attractive... strong. So very strong, in many ways. More than that, she felt secure. Secure that she would not accidentally break him, like so many others. It was only natural that, spending time together, they eventually became something more than friends. There was just one problem. His niece, Kate.
Children... nothing was more fragile than a child, and it seemed to Rein as if this child was determined to get herself killed. Kate seemed fixated on Rein, and would not leave her alone. She wanted to be around her, to play with her. Rein was petrified of the child, sure that she'd somehow kill or maim the girl. This fear became worse when, over time, she came to care for the girl. From a distance, of course. It was hard not to love Kate. Rein, of course, just realized that this love for Kate would make it all the more traumatizing when she inevitably hurt her.
This was why Rein practically began hyperventilating when she and Kate ended up stranded, alone, in a pocket realm created by a mad god on a power trip. Worse, Kate's leg had been broken in the process. Rein was living a nightmare. Alone with a wounded Kate, who was relying on her to take care of her. When even the lightest touch could cause the young girl to scream in pain, Rein felt like her fears were going to consume her.
...And then Kate just looked at her with those innocent, tear filled eyes, reaching out for her. Kate was scared and in pain, and wanted comfort. To feel secure, and safe. More than that, she saw the fear in Rein's eyes, and wanted to give Rein that same comfort. "It... it'll be okay..." Rein felt a pain in her chest. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out with shaking hands, and pulled Kate closer, into her lap. Kate immediately cuddled up to her, and Rein looked down, once again, to Kate's leg, and the bruise forming where she knew the break to be.
When she'd first realized what had happened, she'd immediately reached out to heal it. She may not be as adept at healing as Nao, but she could still fix at least a broken bone. However, the instant she'd touched Kate's leg, the girl had shrieked in pain, and that was when the fear once more slammed into her. Now... now she gently wrapped an arm around Kate as her sense returned. She knew she had not done anything to Kate; it was simply the break, not anything Rein had done. "...Kate... I'm going to heal your leg.... but you... you need to be strong, okay? I... I'm scared of hurting you, so... y-you need to... to keep calm, okay?"
"..O-okay..." With that, Rein very slowly and gently placed her hand over where the break was, and concentrated on the little bit of healing powers that she had. It took some time, during which Kate bit her lip to avoid making a sound, but eventually, the break was healed, and the bruise disappeared. Rein looked to Kate's face to see the young girl smiling up at her, before suddenly hugging the goddess more tightly. "Thank you..."
"...N-no problem... a-anyway, let's get out of here... shouldn't take too long, now that I've got my head on straight..."
~~~~~
Joseph was, understandably, rather upset. His niece Kate, and the woman he was growing to love, Rein, had both been sucked through some sort of portal a few hours ago. He'd tried to get the mad god to undo what he had done with some... 'persuasion', but he wouldn't budge. Joseph resisted to urge to just kill the bastard. That is, of course, until a rip formed in the air, and Rein reappeared alongside Kate. While this in itself was enough to fill Joseph with relief, it was what else he saw that made him happier than he'd been in a good while. Rein and Kate were holding hands, both with smiles on their faces. The fear he'd seen in Rein's eyes whenever Kate was near, was gone.
Kate ran to Joseph, jumping into his arms, while Rein more calmly approached. "Kate, Rein... I was so worried, I-"
"It's fine, Joseph. We are both fine, there's nothing you need to worry about anymore..."
"Yeah! Uncle Joey, Mom took care of me and made me feel better!" Her choice of words didn't go unnoticed. Joseph seemed surprised. Rein looked downright shocked, eyes going wide. Mom? Had Kate called her 'Mom'? ...It... made her feel happy, hearing that... and when Kate reached out for her, she happily moved forward, and hugged both Joseph and Kate. The fear wasn't completely gone... but she wasn't going to let it rule her. Not anymore....
