Kankri
You scrambled through the living room, picking up the sweater from the floor and sliding it over your head to pull the door open and meet gazes with a certain bright red sweater. Or at least you would have, if your inhibited motor controls hadn't been so easily affected by the strong swing on the door that when your sweater sleeve caught in the door handle, you went tumbling down.
“_-______!” Kankri called out, stepping into your house and kneeling beside you, as you desperately pulled on the sweater sleeve and felt the room begin to spin. “Please calm down, this frantic and extremely physical display could be triggering to someone, one of the two of us included as your actions are worrying and confusing.” Kankri continued talking, and you nodded slightly. “I am going to be attempting to remove your sleeve from the locking mechanism.” Kankri spoke clearly and slowly, and when his clawed fingers finally detangled the fabric, you shakily rose to your feet, Kankri standing a few moments later.
“I’m sorry Kankri. Y-You can go now.” You spoke, walking away from the doorway to return to your desktop. You took your seat at the office chair, pushing away the pre-set out bandages and pausing your music.
“_____, I find this whole display very triggering, your incessant refusal of eye contact, your hunched posture, the blatantly sad music and appearance of the inner workings of a medicinal kit beside your husktop,” He spoke, first angry and ready to fly into a long lecture about respect and proper upkeep of one’s hive, when the pieces started falling into place. “The deep bags under your eyes indicating lack of sleep or general unrest, the long baggy clothes you drape across your person as if hiding something,” Slowly, the candy red troll closed the front door, and made his way to beside you. “I would like to apologize if this triggers you _____, but I have a rather important question.”
You turned your head, eyes beginning to unfocus as even though there was someone right beside you, you rubbed the itchy fabric of the sweater against your scratches.
“Trigger warnings; doubt, suggested red romantic inclination related worry, self hatred, self harm.” Kankri spoke quickly. “Are you self harming?”
Your face would have paled if you hadn’t already lost a fair amount of blood today from your scratching this morning in the shower, and now the sticky redness soaking into the sweater you were wearing. “Kankri, don’t be ridiculous,” You spoke, a half smile spreading across your lips. “I’m really fine, you don’t have to stay, go lecture Cronus about how he hits on everything that breathes.” You said weakly, trying to push the troll away so you could finish what you started. After this, maybe it was finally time to move up to your shoulders, the skin on your arms beginning to tingle as if in anticipation.
“I am deeply apologetic for what I am about to do.” Kankri stated, before using his faster speed to grab one sleeve of your sweater and throw it up past your elbow. You didn’t really fight back, it took a few seconds to realize what the troll was doing and by then you were too mortified to retaliate.
Kankri seemed too horrified to do anything either, eyes wide and mouth slightly open as his pupils traced every long scratch and scabbed line that decorated your forearm.
“K-Kankri, p-please…” your voice wavered and head began to pound as the troll just looked at you.
His breathing suddenly spiked and when his eyes moved up to your face his eyes were still clouded and unfocused. He had even been expecting it and he was on the verge of an attack, Kankri grabbed the fabric of his sweater, shaking his head to calm down the floods of adrenaline attacking him. "Why do you do this?" He asked, "Are you not in pain?! The pompous and ridiculous defacing your body like this, it's, it's triggering, for lack of a better word!!" He raised his voice, such a rare display that it brought you off guard, shying away and into your office chair.
Kankri seemed to calm down rather quickly though, perhaps getting over the shock. "______, this clearly shows very poor self care credientials and a powerful want of self destruction. We need to clean up all of this, mess, and talk this out. That is, unless you'd like to talk to a professional, because those trained specifically in handling cases like these should be less likely to inadvertantly trigger their patients whereas my inexperience could do so; like I just did, subjecting you to much unecessary pain." Kankri ran his voice back into that comfortable smothering consistency again, and you couldn't help but nod. When he talked like that, long speeches and rarely a pause for breath, it made your chest do stupid things. It wasn't annoying, it was comforting, like a blanket draped around your shoulders. Everything was going to be okay, because Kankri was telling you so.
"I deseve it Kankri, I-I'm a mess, and everyone hates me, and I don't want to get off scott free when everyone else has to deal with my crap all the time..."
"Nobody is dealing with you ______, we want to be around you. On this one occassion, I believe it necessary to talk for everyone, trolls and humans alike. We worry and platonically want to make sure you are alright. I know that I may talk excessively in some cases, but please realize I am also a rather gifted listener. Nobody wishes to see you harmed in this way." Kankri's voice quited slightly, and it filled with more emotion. "You are kind, and respectful, and beautiful and if I may say so, a very wonderful person. As an observer I can see that you are having trouble understanding this for yourself. You deserve so much more than anyone can provide for you, myself included. In this one case, I am willing to repeat myself when I say that you are a fantastic and blossoming grace."
It took you a few moments after he stopped talking for everything to set in. "D-Do you think you could say that again?" Your vouce was shaky, eyes watering.
"You are worth the moon and all the stars." Kankri said, finishing with a sad smile.
"Can I have a hug?" You babbled, shocked smile sitting on your face as you looked up at the sweatered troll. He seemed to have a brief internal debate before leaning down to you in the office chair and letting you wrap your arms around his shoulders.
"Vow that you won't hurt yourself like this anymore. For everyone, for me." His voice dropped at the end of his sentence, and it rippled within you.
"I promise."
"Thank you." Kankri mumbled, his own arms moving to hold you in return.
"Thank you." You muttered back.