Marishi: Here Comes a Thought

“…And that’s why I created this food pyramid to help you, Mary.”

“Mhm..”

“Mary?”

“Mm.”

Rishi frowned, sitting himself down in front of the young Danser and taking her hands. Ever since Pia had told him about her sister’s OCPD, he’d been putting in an effort to help her out in any way he could. Such was the case when he thought of making this food pyramid to help her eating habits.

“Mary, are you okay?”

“Hm? I’m fine.” He could tell she was stuck in her own head, pulling away from him mentally in order to keep herself from freaking out. “I’m fine, Rishi.”

“Then why won’t you look at me?” Dark eyes dragged themselves up from the table to look him in the eye, though there was a vague look of emptiness in them. Disassociating. “Mary. It’s okay. You’re here, okay?”

“… I’m here?”

“You’re here, you’re here with me. You’re okay and here with me.” Soft hands squeezed his, as though reassuring themselves that they were truly connected to something. “You good?”

A flicker of being pulled down to earth.

“I feel like I’m floating.”

“Then keep holding my hands and we’ll bring you back here.”

If this were any other time, he’d make a joke about how she was a Dancing Princess, not the Light Princess, but this wasn’t any other time. She needed him now, at his most supportive. He loved her enough to try.

“Breathe, Mary.” Simultaneous inhaling, hands being squeezed as they exhaled together. “You’re here, can you tell me five things you see?”

“…you. The food pyramid. Books. The librarian. You.” He could see she was slowly coming back, eyes focusing on his face. Good. He was used to being her grounding force. “I can… hear.”

“Four things you hear, love.”

“The librarian. Blondie. Um..” A pause, a moment of franticness as she tried to listen, tried to hear. “Um…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, breathe.” He let go of her hands to cup her face. “You’re okay. It’s okay. I’m here. You’re here.”

“I’m here.” The tears are coming now, as she finally returned from her jaunt in space, as though her head were such a terrible place to be. So terrible, she could only cry. “I’m here, I’m here I’mhere”

“You’re here. You’re here. Let it out.”

“Rishi-“ And then she was crying, burying her head in her arms and holding tight to his hands.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay. You’ve got nothing to fear. I’m here.”

“I’m- I’m here.”

“We’re here.”