#prompt: paranoia

[emacrow]

Riddler, the stay at home uncle.

Batman was sneaking around the Riddler's hidden base for the sixth time this week. The riddler has been quiet for 1 year straight, and his paranoia believes he is up to something big.

Scarecrow doesn't know where he has been. He has been missing out on the monthly meeting since February last year.

There was only one odd clue he found so far, and it was an almost burnt up letter with the word millberry st- in the fireplace.

It took Tim a total of 2 weeks and 4 days fueled by the dangerous coffee, monster energy, and redbull mixed concoction that Bruce willing made to find which exact street that was in Gotham city.

Batman roam the night on Millberry Street 3190 in the middle class of Gotham city, where he spot Riddler, not in his usual green question outfit, but casual clothes and a hat to cover his red hair, holding a sleeping toddler in one arm, a baby girl and boy in a double baby sling on.

Speaking to a 14 year old girl with red hair just like him, with a bundles of groceries on thr floor leading into the apartment door.

A black teen with a beanie along with a goth teen picking up bags of groceries. If it weren't for the interference in his spy com in this area, Batman would've been able to hear what they were saying.

Part 2 -> here

[atomicsheepscientist]

What if Bruce so obsessively worked to keep his identities separate, he actually gave himself a split personality?

Like, when the cowl is on he IS Batman. Not Bruce, Bruce has left the building. Batman is in control now.

Oh, and at parties, the Brucie mask starts to become *more* than a mask. Brucie is here, queer, and ready to paaartay! Batman? He doesn't know the man! Literally forgets Batman is a part of him too.

So, what I'm getting at here is any type of Truth toxin, serum, test, whatever. None of it would work on them. Batman IS Batman. Brucie doesn't know who Batman is. Bruce Wayne is smart and skilled enough to not be caught under forced truthfulness.

It would take a LOT of asking the right questions to get Batman's identity behind the mask. And I would love to see a villain try!

[jordanstrophe]

Whumpees slugging down the road, shirt torn and bloody. They drag a chain from their right leg, they moved staggering and dazed.

A vehicle pulls up, stopping to see if this stranger in the middle of nowhere needs help. They don't notice the chain or blood at first.

They try to approach, but whumpee backs away. They don't know if these people are a part of the group who experimented on them, or good samaritans.

They did come from the direction whumpee escaped from, after all...

[icamefromadream]

°•°Habits to Give Your Characters°•°

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Constantly crosses legs when sitting

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Doodles when zoned out (if there's no paper around they could trace doodles like little hearts on a table or even on the back of their hand)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Crucks knuckles

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Braids hair when their bored (or just generally plays with their hair)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Stands way to close to people when talking to them.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Avoids eyecontact when people talk to them.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Clutches on to other's sleeves.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Bites nails when nervous

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Raises their eyebrows when interested.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Offers food to others, before taking a bite themselves.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Scratches top of nails (like when you're scratching the coat of nail polish off your nails.)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Whistles to ease nerves.

Follow @paranoia-art for more!

Do message me if you have anymore you would like to add!

[blae-kitta]

Widower

[unboundprompts]

Thank you so much for your blog! It's so neatly organized, it's lovely to read. It takes a lot of commitment to do detail every post and still constantly update, and I'm very grateful for you <3

I was wondering if you could write tips+prompts for a paranoid character?

Thank you again 😺

Thank you for the kind words!! That means a lot :)

How to Write a Paranoid Character

-> sources: mind.org , betterhealth.vic.gov

Paranoia is the irrational and persistent feeling that people are "out to get you."

Things that Make Paranoia More Likely:

Having confusing or unsettling experiences or feelings that you can't easily explain.

If you are anxious or worried a lot or have low self-esteem and expect others to criticize or reject you.

If you tend to come to conclusions quickly, believe things very strongly, and don't easily change your mind.

If you are isolated.

If you have experienced trauma in the past.

Things that may Contribute to Paranoid Thoughts:

Life experiences. You are more likely to experience paranoid thoughts when you are in vulnerable, isolated or stressful situations that could lead to you feeling negative about yourself.

Experiences in your childhood may lead you to believe that the world is unsafe or make you mistrustful and suspicious of others. These experiences may also affect your self-esteem and the way you think as an adult.

If you experience anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem, you may be more likely to experience paranoid thoughts.

Paranoia is sometimes a symptom of certain physical illnesses such as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, strokes, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Hearing loss can also trigger paranoid thoughts in some people.

Lack of sleep can trigger feelings of insecurity and even unsettling feelings and hallucinations. Fears and worries may develop late at night.

Recreational drugs may trigger paranoia, such as cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, ecstasy, LSD, and amphetamines. This may happen particularly if you're already feeling low, anxious or experiencing other mental health problems.

Research has suggested that genes may affect whether you are more likely to develop paranoia.

Symptoms of Paranoia:

being easily offended

finding it difficult to trust others

not coping with any type of criticism

assigning harmful meanings to other people's remarks

being always on the defensive

being hostile, aggressive, and argumentative

not being able to compromise

finding it difficult (or impossible) to "forgive and forget"

assuming that people are talking ill of them behind their back

being overly suspicious

not being able to confide in anyone

finding relationships difficult

considering the world to be a place of constant threat

feeling persecuted by the world at large

believing in unfounded conspiracy theories

Writing Prompts for a Paranoid Person

-> feel free to edit and adjust pronouns as you see fit.

Everyone was against him. No one liked to see him succeed and so they were doing everything in their power to stop him.

People were talking about her behind her back. They would whisper as she walked by, and their laughter would echo in her ears as she got further from them.

"You never believe me!" They wailed, pointing an accusing finger at their friend. "You wouldn't get it! You don't know what it's like to be hated by everyone!"

He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling and wide awake. It was a nightly routine, at this point. He could never bring himself to close his eyes. There were too many things going on his head, too many things that only made him dread when morning came.

Everything was about to go so wrong so fast, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The impending doom beat down on her shoulders, reminding her that she was not okay. She was not safe.

They couldn't stop fidgeting with their hands. It used to offer some form of comfort, but not anymore. How could it when the whole world is against you?

They were looking at him. They were watching his every move. He was being tracked. Studied. Something was going to happen. Something bad. Something he wasn't prepared for. What could he do to be prepared?

"You think I'm crazy, but I'm not! You'll see."

If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

can you do a post about the forms of paranoia? Making up situations and anonymous online interactions, getting lost in your own head kinda of situation? 🥹😍

Writing Notes: Paranoia

PARANOIA

A paranoid state (i.e., a condition characterized by delusions of persecution or grandiosity that are not as systematized and elaborate as in a delusional disorder or as bizarre as in paranoid schizophrenia. Also called paranoid condition.)

A former diagnosis for a relatively rare disorder, distinct from paranoid schizophrenia, in which the person reasons rightly from a wrong premise and develops a persistent, well-systematized, and logically constructed set of persecutory delusions, such as being conspired against, poisoned, or maligned. It is equivalent to persecutory-type delusional disorder.

Historically, any psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent delusions. See also classical paranoia below.

In ancient times, any mental disorder or delirium.

An unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. Paranoid individuals constantly suspect the motives of those around them, and believe that certain individuals, or people in general, are ‘‘out to get them.’’

The word paranoia comes from ancient Greek: nóos means ‘thought’; para- means ‘going beyond’.

In theory, the term denotes a mind that goes beyond the usual field of thought.

In practice, even in ancient Greek, it indicated a delusional manner of thinking.

But the concept was not as well known as it is today.

It was 19th century German psychiatry that brought it into modern discourse.

In politics, the word paranoia is often used to criticize an opponent, though probably few of the people who use it could actually explain what it means. Only rarely has the term been used self-critically.

Classical Paranoia

Conceptualized in the 19th century by German physician Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum (1828–1899) and later refined by Emil Kraepelin.

A rare disorder characterized by elaborate, fixed, and systematic delusions, usually of a persecutory, grandiose, or jealous character, that develop insidiously, cannot be accounted for by any psychiatric disorder, and exist in the context of preserved logical and orderly thinking.

Delusional Disorder

In DSM–IV–TR, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, the diagnostic standard for mental health professionals in the United States) any one of a group of psychotic disorders with the essential feature of one or more nonbizarre delusions that persist for at least 1 month but are not due to schizophrenia.

The delusions are nonbizarre in that they feature situations that could conceivably occur in real life (e.g., being followed, poisoned, infected, deceived by one’s government).

Diagnosis also requires that the effects of substances (e.g., cocaine) or a medical condition be ruled out as causes of the delusions.

Formerly called paranoid disorder.

7 types of delusional disorder are specified, according to the theme of the delusion:

Erotomanic type: Central theme of the delusion is that another person is in love with the individual.

Grandiose type: Central theme of the delusion is the conviction of having some great (but unrecognized) talent or insight or having made some important discovery.

Jealous type: Central theme of the individual’s delusion is that his or her spouse or lover is unfaithful.

Persecutory type: Central theme of the delusion involves the individual’s belief that he or she is being conspired against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned or drugged, maliciously maligned, harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals.

Somatic type: Central theme of the delusion involves bodily functions or sensations.

Mixed type: This subtype applies when no one delusional theme predominates.

Unspecified type: The dominant delusional belief cannot be clearly determined or is not described in the specific types (e.g., referential delusions without a prominent persecutory or grandiose component).

Criteria for delusional disorder in DSM–5 and DSM-5-TR also include the following:

The delusions may be either nonbizarre or bizarre (i.e., implausible), and

their potential presence as a result of an ingested substance, a medical condition, or another mental disorder sometimes associated with firmly held delusional beliefs (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder) must be ruled out.

Paranoid perceptions and behavior may appear as features of a number of mental illnesses, including depression and dementia, but are most prominent in 3 types of psychological disorders:

paranoid schizophrenia,

delusional disorder (persecutory type), and

paranoid personality disorder (PPD).

Individuals with paranoid schizophrenia and persecutory delusional disorder experience what is known as persecutory delusions: an irrational, yet unshakable, belief that someone is plotting against them.

Persecutory delusions in paranoid schizophrenia are bizarre, sometimes grandiose, and often accompanied by auditory hallucinations.

Delusions experienced by individuals with delusional disorder are more plausible than those experienced by paranoid schizophrenics; not bizarre, though still unjustified.

Individuals with delusional disorder may seem offbeat or quirky rather than mentally ill, and, as such, may never seek treatment.

Persons with paranoid personality disorder tend to be:

self-centered,

self-important,

defensive, and

emotionally distant.

Their paranoia manifests itself in constant suspicions rather than full-blown delusions. The disorder often impedes social and personal relationships and career advancement.

Some individuals with PPD are described as ‘‘litigious,’’ as they are constantly initiating frivolous law suits.

PPD is more common in men than in women.

Typically begins in early adulthood.

The exact cause of paranoia is unknown. Potential causal factors may be:

genetics,

neurological abnormalities,

changes in brain chemistry, and

stress.

Paranoia is also a possible side effect of drug use and abuse (for example, alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, PCP).

Acute, or short term, paranoia may occur in some individuals overwhelmed by stress.

A summary of paranoid personality disorder (PPD) in the DSM-IV:

The principal defining features of paranoia are pervasive and unwarranted mistrust and suspiciousness of others.

People who are paranoid are locked into a rigid and maladaptive pattern of thought, feeling, and behavior based on the conviction that others are “out to get them.”

Their perception of the world as a threatening place drives them to be highly alert to any evidence suggesting that they are being victimized.

A constant search for proof of their victimization often leads them to misinterpret others’ comments and behaviors.

Hypersensitivity to slights, both imagined and real, combined with the tendency to have excessive confidence in their own knowledge and abilities, create tension in interpersonal relationships and leave social networks depleted.

If we want to assess where someone’s paranoia fits in the spectrum, we need to look at 4 key factors:

How much the person believes the paranoid thoughts.

How preoccupied the person is with the thoughts.

How distressing the thoughts are.

How much the thoughts interfere with everyday life.

Studies found that some people who respond in a paranoid way have 3 distinct emotional characteristics:

A greater tendency to worry.

Higher levels of anxiety.

Negative feelings about themselves and other people.

Some researchers have found that paranoia may be caused by the subtle interaction of 4 factors:

Anomalous experiences and ambiguous events

Our emotions

Our previous experiences

The way we reason

TREATMENT

Paranoia that is symptomatic of paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or paranoid personality disorder should be treated by a psychologist and/or psychiatrist.

Antipsychotic medication such as thioridazine (Mellaril), haloperidol (Haldol), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril), or risperidone (Risperdal) may be prescribed, and

cognitive therapy or psychotherapy may be employed to help the patient cope with their paranoia and/or persecutory delusions.

Antipsychotic medication, however, is of uncertain benefit to individuals with paranoid personality disorder and may pose long-term risks.

If an underlying condition, such as depression or drug abuse, is found to be triggering the paranoia, an appropriate course of medication and/or psychosocial therapy is employed to treat the primary disorder.

Don’t just accept your suspicious thoughts: question them.

Paranoid thoughts often seem really compelling and plausible—which is ironic since, by definition, they won’t stand up to careful scrutiny. Instead of taking them at face value, we need to challenge these thoughts, weighing up the evidence for and against, and seeking out alternative explanations for the way we’re feeling. Some questions people can ask themselves:

Is there anything that might suggest the paranoid thought could be wrong?

What would I say to a friend who came to me with a similar problem?

Are there any alternative explanations for what seems to have happened?

If I was feeling happier, would I still think of things in the same way? Are my past experiences getting in the way of me seeing the present situation clearly?

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

Hope this helps with your writing! Use these notes as a quick reference. More research may be needed to write your story. I recommend reading the sources included here, but there are also numerous others.

[qoldenskies]

i say this with a lot of sorrow and grief in my heart but i might drop the idea of finishing and doing a cc epilogue, i genuinely have been holding it off for so long because i havent come up with enough substance for it to justify its own existence :( i do think cw is a pretty good conclusion on its own, but im still kind of upset with myself for being so uncreative with the fluff .... im really sorry

[localcanadiancreature62]

Hey y'alls. The BillfordWeek2024 event starts TODAY!. And i don't want to be the only entry right now so pspspspsps @cecilscribbles @agothorn @nico-the-overlord @antonymziie @aaabatteryy loook.

[theladysiubhan]

“You know what, Doctor? If you don't want me acting single, you bloody well know what to do about it!”

---

Singles Night - The_Lady_Siubhan

Overall Rating: mature (teen+ until final chapter)

Ten x Rose, jealousy, territorial ten, firsts, friends to lovers, fluff

---

Prompt fulfill for @doctorrosebingo : Paranoia

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63550876/chapters/162860014

[basementwhumpworm]

Whumpee just being mildly psychologically tortured as they go through their life

Like everywhere Whumpee goes for whatever reason there’s just consistently something incredibly cursed that somehow manages to be there too

Like imagine this haunting you wherever you go. Imagine the paranoia that would slowly build in you, wondering where the fuck this is at any given moment. Is it in your closet? Is it across the street? Is it somehow hanging from the ceiling like a fucking bat?

Whumpees sanity gradually degrades from the presence of this but slowly, just like a frog in a pot of heating water.

[pyrepostings]

Glasses in whump.

Whumpee who has them taken away/broken early into its long captivity.

Caretaker brings whumpee to get a new prescription after it is rescued, and oh the unintentional trauma triggers there.

Blood pressure cuff. Velcros on and pumps tighter and tighter with every heartbeat-

Things near its eyes, both sticks and paddles to cover them, the lights are suddenly off with a flashlight in its face.

Cold metal devices it's expected to press its face against. Smells like chemicals. Orders given on where to look. To hold still.

Whumpee takes the question of "what's the lowest line you can read?" As a test, and becomes noticeabley distressed when it 'fails'

Eyedrops. Drugs that change its ability to see. Sticky. Lashes clumping together. Hands on its face.

Then in the waiting room, either before the appointment or after while getting the prescription filled, all the glasses on the walls looking looking, staring, eyes watching. Everyone can see whumpee, whumper knows where it is.

This feeling is magnified if video or pictures of its torture were passed around or sold. Everyone can see your pain, the glasses on the walls say. Everyone can see everything you're doing wrong, all the rules you're breaking.

Choosing frames. Paralyzing decision or a gift of choice?

Does whumpee think it deserves the gift of sight?

Everything is too bright after. The new glasses make the world even blurrier as it adjusts.

But in the end, it's all worth it.

[whumperofworlds]

Whumpee's paranoia gets the best of them, and they lash out, if not outright attack Caretaker over a perceived betrayal.

Caretaker could only react in shock and hurt as Whumpee beats them in "self defense".

[icamefromadream]

°•°More Character Quirks°•°

➸ Uses their arms, or others arms as a pillow when sleeping.

➸ Sleeps with whitenoise

➸ Responds to everything with "I think" (Idky but like probably because they don't want to be the reason why someones life is ruined after giving them advice. "I said I think! I didn't mean for you to actually do it")

➸ Has to read a block of text twice or three times because they didn't pick up the information on the first read.

➸ Twirls their rings on their fingers.

➸ Clutches on to their necklace when excited, scared, mad, sad, etc. (The necklace could be something someone important gave them)

➸ Window shops ONLINE, BUT DOESNT BUY ANYTHING.

➸ Over explains things (This can make their lies more believable since they when you lie you over explain lots of details.)

Follow @paranoia-art for more!

[aceship-sconesterprise]

Day 14 for @may-lancholy

Fandom: Mission: Impossible

Prompt: Paranoia Setting In

Warnings: Dead Reckoning Spoilers

~

"You need to turn left."

Benji's voice talked into his ear and Ethan's legs followed the order. He needed to get through the streets of Berlin to get to Luther in time. Luther needed him!

"Turn right."

The next order, but this time Ethan slowed down. A memory crossed his mind.

Benji's voice telling him where to go. Only that it wasn't Benji but the Entity.

What if it happened again? What if Ethan was lured into a trap?

He stopped in his place.

"What's wrong, Ethan? You have to hurry!"

Was it really his Benji talking?

"I... I can't.

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Written for the 'cold' prompt

Where there should be a gun, only a butcher's knife waits for Akai.

Right.

They confiscated his weapons.

Oh well. Even declawed, he still has fangs. Just means he needs to get up close to get the kill.

Akai drops from his bed into a crouch. The knife's handle digs into his hand, unyielding, providing steady support in a hazy world.

He follows the edge of the bed, to where he can see light pass through the gap under the door. The sound of glass shattering, followed by a thud is what woke him, he's sure, but there's no footsteps, no shadow passing by. His intruder might be good.

But Akai knows he's better.

He sneaks up to the door, listening, waiting. There's faint breathing outside, too fast. Whoever it is, it's possible his attacker got caught up in the adrenaline rush. That should make it easier to surprise and dispatch them.

He takes cover behind the wall, and kicks the door open.

The living room lights blind him momentarily, too bright in the night. Akai blinks through the nausea, checks the windows he can see from his position - intact.

Good. He can still hear the breathing - irregular - but the sounds of the night remain distant, removed. He dashes to the other side of the door, surveilling the familiar living room outside.

As expected, all windows are shuttered, bolted shut from the inside. The intruder is trapped with him, then.

Ah, yes.

He's missed the hunt.

Though something seems off. He can't see them, but the source of noise doesn't appear to be moving. What are they waiting for? Data to download from his laptop? Poisoned gas to distribute in the room?

He can't smell anything strange, but beneath the scent of cigarette smoke and bourbon, it would be difficult to detect. He still puts a hand over his mouth, breathes as shallowly as he can manage.

Fine, fine. He'll go greet them already.

He sneaks around the too-comfortable sofa, takes cover behind his armchair, creeps up to the kitchen isle. Beyond its corner is the source of the noise, the source of another breath in his space.

He turns the corner, ready to dispatch the intruder-

-and barely manages to stop the knife in time. Stabs the ground next to an exposed neck.

There's a crumpled form on his floor in a sea of broken glass, blond hair covering their face.

Jodie?

No, that can't be.

Cold dread seizes his heart.

Jodie is dead.

His ears ring with the echo of a gunshot, drowning out all sounds but his own, stuttering heartbeat. It throbs in his head, too fast, too loud.

No. No. No.

Vertigo takes a hold of him, would have him join the figure on the floor.

The knife drops from his hands, clutters onto the floor uselessly. He grips the cupboard's corner, trying to maintain his balance. Doesn't quite manage it, and missteps.

A sharp pain in his foot forces him back to the present.

That's a problem for later.

Breathe. Assess.

The person in his kitchen groans, a rather common sound in Akai's presence.

Furuya.

He's alive.

But for how long?

Akai rushes to kneel by Furuya's side, doesn't care about the glass shards that pierce easily through his socks, his sweatpants, as he cradles the limp body in his kitchen.

He checks the head the head the head-

It's wet.

His heart beats double-time, blood rushes in his head. But there's no exit wound, and his fingers come away clear.

Akai lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Beneath his touch Furuya is burning up, though. As if he needed any further indication that something's very, very wrong. Furuya would never let himself be seen this sweaty, flushed, exposed, if he could help it.

"Furuya. Furuya-kun."

Another groan, and finally, there's some resistance in Akai's arms. Furuya winces, furrows his brows. He blinks up at Akai, eyes unfocused, but awake, at least.

Alive.

"Stop shouting already. I'm right here."

Furuya's voice comes out too nasally, his airways must be obstructed. Akai tilts his head a little, to put less strain on it. Let Furuya breathe more easily.

"Since when is the kitchen so tall?"

Not good. He's hallucinating. Or at least struggling with spatial awareness.

Akai manages to snatch Furuya's wrist in time, draws him close. He really doesn't need shards of glass stuck in his hands, in addition to whatever knocked him out.

Akai steadies him, lets him lean against himself. Isn't ready to let go of him, anytime soon.

He should assess the damage first, but he's curious.

"Furuya. What are you doing here?"

The agent frowns at him, seemingly confused. It takes him a moment to answer.

"You gave me the key?", he sneers. Curls in on himself protectively.

Except that's not what Akai is asking. Why is Furuya here, in the middle of the night, when-

"You're sick."

Maybe stating the obvious will get through to him, seeing as he seems to have trouble grasping the severity of his situation.

"So? It is Thursday. I promised."

He says it airily, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. As if it explains everything.

Yukiko-san had given Akai an earful for not taking care of himself properly, but even he knows to hole up and rest when he's sick. Not drive halfway across town on a paper-thin promise.

Surely, Furuya would have to understand that his own safety, his own health, comes first?

Right?

"I am fine. Get me to my car. I have inconvenienced you enough as it is."

Akai blinks. Furuya can barely move, and he wants to do what, exactly, in his car? Call for help? Suffer? Try to drive?

While he would like to assume this is a bout of temporary insanity brought on by the fever, if Akai looks back on their shared history, he isn't sure Furuya ever knew when to quit. Or what was good for him.

Damnit.

Alright.

"I'm driving you home."

He got to keep his car, at least, even if the gadgets were removed, his permits revoked. They'd told him to stick to travelling on foot, too, if he can. But for Furuya, he could make an exception.

"Who do I call to check up on you?"

At that, Furuya simply laughs at him.

Akai has never heard him do so, before.

It's not pretty.

Cold and hollow, the sound rings harshly in the night. Interrupted by coughs and sputters, Furuya's laughter is an ugly, broken thing, as far removed from joy as can be. It goes on for far too long.

This isn't funny.

Akai shivers. He'll be glad if he never has to hear that dreadful sound again.

"Just leave me be. I will survive, like always."

Up until that moment, Akai was pretty sure he'd lost it. But deep inside his chest, something stirs. A fragile little thing; it aches and splinters and breaks at the sight before him.

Furuya's bright smile is polished, his eyes like shining glass. It's too much.

Akai would be more inclined to believe him if Furuya wasn't shivering. If his nose wasn't running. If his eyes weren't red.

"No."

He might not know Furuya Rei. He barely knew Bourbon, and Amuro Tooru was actively out for his blood. He has no idea what happened to this man, to make him so furious at the world, yet so resigned to his fate. But the emotion that just shone through Furuya's carefully maintained image is all too familiar.

Survival isn't the prize it's made out to be. Not when-

Don't think about them. Someone needs to keep it together, and it won't be Furuya. You can do that, right? Not for yourself, but for him.

Yes.

A hypothesis forms, unbidden. The promise was just an excuse. Furuya came here because he had no other place to go to. No one to turn to.

That's fine. Akai understands. He doesn't have one either. Not anymore.

But he can give Furuya what he still has left: himself.

"I won't leave you alone."

He's the worst person for this; Akai barely knows how to take care of himself. The last time he looked after someone with a cold... he might still have been a teenager, taking care of Shukichi.

But it beats suffering alone, surely.

"Great. That means I have a chance to die of food poisoning."

There's a shimmer of life in Furuya's eyes, before he closes them. A faint smile, as he rests his head against Akai's chest. Broken, but a little more human than the Venetian mask he showed before.

Akai squeezes him, once, then picks him up without too much trouble. Shards of glass fall from their clothes, as he rises, holding Furuya close.

Alright.

First, he needs to clean up his guest.

Then, the flat.

Lastly, himself, if he has energy to spare.

And somewhere in-between, he'll need to call Yukiko-san. Maybe she will share the secret to her chicken noodle soup with him.