The silence continued for several minutes and Briar found themselves closing their eyes, grimacing at the renewed pain in their head after crying so much. Their hands mindlessly toyed with Aries's hair gently, unbraiding a small section and then braiding it again.

There was shuffling from Horatio, then quick footsteps. Briar still didn't move, didn't react. They simply stayed by Aries's side.

They only opened their eyes when the door opened again and Juno stepped inside. She was followed by both Horatio and Mira, who seemed to be scrambling slightly to keep up with Juno's much faster strides.

Briar tensed slightly as she approached, but, before they could do so much as open their mouth to warn her against approaching, she was already there and, quicker than Briar could process, she slammed her foot into Aries's side.

Hard.

Briar flinched back, eyes widening in shock and horror. Across the room, Horatio gasped and a strangled cry left Mira's mouth.

"Junie-!"

The blonde girl simply stepped back, eyes dark and cold, void of emotion. "My work here is done. I'm sure Aries has learned a lesson, yes?" Her voice matched her eyes and Briar felt their shock slowly shifting into boiling anger.

"What is wrong with you?!"

Juno looked at them, unfazed. "I did what was necessary." She stated, struggling slightly. "And everything is over now, so there's no need to linger. As long as Aries has learned, I am satisfied."

Briar clenched their jaw, resisting the urge to lunge at Juno. If it weren't for Aries between them, they might have.

Still, something in the way Juno spoke kept them from doing any more than glaring at her. She was cold, yes, but there was something else too. A hidden apology.

Briar looked away and turned to Aries, reaching out to try to support him before faltering. They still didn't know how badly touch would affect him at this point, and they didn't want to make things worse.

"Juno," Horatio's voice wavered slightly. "Come on."

Briar glanced over at the other two for a second. Horatio looked pale and Mira's eyes were gleaming with unshed tears.

Juno paused, eyes falling on Aries. "Wait, I need to hear that he has... learned."

Anger spiked again, but Briar kept quiet, examining Aries carefully. They needed to see his response before reacting. After all, he was obviously worried about Briar's well-being, so doing anything that may seem to... defy... Horatio or Juno may just cause him more stress.

The time holder and Mira seemed to hesitate too, though Briar wasn't sure if that was because they were also curious about Aries's reaction or if they genuinely didn't know how to respond to Juno.

Horatio Caeso / Male / 19 / Demisexual Panromantic / Ambi / Time- Visions / M: Everyone (Dir/ind)

The silence continued and, after a few minutes, the discomfort grew too much and Horatio shifted, rising to his feet and quickly heading for the door.

He needed help with this.

As soon as he entered the main training room again, Horatio waved Mira and Juno (who were both watching the door and talking softly to each other) over. Both girls were quick to comply, and, in a lowered voice, Tio explained the situation.

"I don't know what to do," He hissed, shifting anxiously. "Aries is practically begging me to... correct him, and I obviously can't do that, but no soft of comfort or anything is working! He won't listen to reason and he just keeps getting worse!"

Mira grimaced worriedly, reaching over to squeeze Horatio's hand gently. "It'll be okay, Tio, we'll figure something out."

Juno hummed softly, thinking. "I think I have an idea."

"What?"

Horatio started to question, but Juno was already making her way to the physical training room. Tio and Mira exchanged a glance before following, both having to jog to catch up.

Right after they made their way through the physical training room door, however, the sight of Juno slamming her foot into Aries's side came into view. Horatio gasped, hand flying up to cover his mouth.

He hadn't expected that, of all things.

Juno was very intelligent, so when she said she had a plan, Horatio had assumed she meant something well thought out, some sort of psychological phenomenon that Tio hadn't heard of before, he had not expected her to kick Aries.

Next to him, Mira was obviously in a similar state of shock, eyes immediately filling with tears of utter disbelief.

"Junie-!"

"My work here is done. I'm sure Aries has learned a lesson, yes?"

Her tone made Horatio shudder. He rarely heard her talk like this, only ever regarding her family. Completely void of any emotion, full of steel, and almost detached.

"What is wrong with you?!"

"I did what was necessary. And everything is over now, so there's no need to linger. As long as Aries has learned, I am satisfied."

For a moment, it looked like Briar might lunge, and Horatio tensed. However, after a few seconds, Briar simply looked away, gritting their teeth and focusing on Aries.

Tio took a breath.

"Juno, come on." His voice wavered slightly and he braced himself, squeezing Mira's hand slightly, partially to comfort her, but mostly to comfort himself.

Juno didn't look over, however, still glaring blankly at Aries.

"Wait, I need to hear that he has... learned."

Tio felt Mira shiver slightly and looked down. Truthfully, he didn't know how to handle Juno when she got like this. It was as though her mind completely closed off from her body, the only thing really driving her was instinct.

It was a defense mechanism, something she picked up from her parents, and something that not even Mira had been able to overcome yet.

So, they just had to wait.

Briar Sallow / Nonbinary / 17 / Minsexual / Poly / Manipulation/Judgement- Minor Illusions / M: Everyone (Dir/Ind)

“It has. It apologizes for its previous failure, it won’t fail again. Thank you for your clemency.”

Briar froze again as Aries sat up and spoke.

He was talking, and responding, and not like before where he was begging, but more direct. Like he was accepting what had happened and not pushing for more. That was good, right?

Juno gave a curt nod and turned, walking back toward the door. Mira and Horatio followed quickly after, Tio shooting Briar an apologetic look. Then they were alone with Aries again.

After a moment, Briar shifted, releasing Aries's hair and kneeling in front of him once more, both knees on the ground, eyes examining the other nervously.

"Hey, Aries," They kept their voice quiet, setting their hands nervously in their lap. They weren't sure what the best move was from here. Aries seemed more engaged now, but that didn't necessarily mean he would want to talk. "Um... thank you." They hesitated, Aries had protected them, even though there wasn't really a genuine threat, and, though Briar absolutely hated the extent to which Aries had gone, it hardly seemed fair to completely ignore his care. "I really appreciate you protecting me, but... well, you shouldn't have to." They smiled faintly. "I mean, you're absolutely amazing and everything, but, please, in the future, don't put yourself in danger for me. I'll be okay, I promise, but I don't want you to get hurt either."

They took a shaky breath and looked up. "How are you feeling now? Are you okay?"

Truthfully, Briar wasn't expecting much of an answer, but they were hopeful for one anyway. In their lap, they clenched their hands, trying to cover up the fact that they were shaking. Now that the perceived "threat" was gone, the reality of what had just happened was setting in, the words Aries had spoken earlier playing on repeat in their mind.

"Please, do not correct Briar. It will take the correction instead, along with its own. Briar doesn’t deserve the correction."

They barely resisted the need to shudder, instead forcing themselves to focus on Aries and what he needed right now.

They could deal with that later. Figure out a way to make Aries understand that they weren't worth bleeding for, dying for. But, for now, they needed to make sure he recovered.

Horatio Caeso / Male / 19 / Demisexual Panromantic / Ambi / Time- Visions / M: Everyone (Dir/ind)

“It has. It apologizes for its previous failure, it won’t fail again. Thank you for your clemency.”

Aries spoke and Juno responded with a curt nod. Then, she was turning and walking toward the door.

Horatio barely kept in his relieved sigh, instead shooting a quick, apologetic look in Briar's direction before following Juno and Mira, who were already in the truth training room.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Horatio turned on the blonde girl, absolutely fuming.

"What the hell was that, Juno!" He snapped, hands clenched at his sides as his voice raised. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why would you... you kicked him! He was fucking panicking and you thought that was the correct solution?! You can't just go and do that, you'll feed into his ideas! You-"

The time holder cut off suddenly as he realized Juno was shaking violently, tears racing down her cheeks uncontrollably. Sobs tore from her throat and she looked on the edge of collapsing.

Horatio's anger was quickly replaced by worry and Mira, who had been standing silently by his side stepped forward quickly, grabbing Juno by the shoulders and guiding her to the nearest bench.

"June, hey, look at me."

Horatio followed closely behind the two and knelt in front of Juno, brow furrowing. He'd only seen her cry once before, and that was a long time ago.

"Hey, okay, I'm sorry I yelled. I just... I wasn't expecting... that... It's okay, you're alright. You're safe, I promise."

Mira nodded along, arms wrapping around her girlfriend tightly.

"I... I'm s-sorry... I didn't..." Juno hiccupped, a complete and total mess as her nails dug into her skin, only to be quickly disturbed by Mira's hands carefully uncurling her fingers and linking her fingers with the other girl's. "I-I didn't want... I didn't w-want to... to h-hurt him... I... I just... He..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay! Take some deep breaths, here, my love, listen to my breathing. You got it!"

Tio watched silently as Mira guided Juno through several breathing tactics, and, after a minute, Juno steadied enough to talk a little more clearly.

"I'm sorry... It was all I could think of. What... What you said... He was begging for... to be hurt, and... I think... I think his mind is so... so hardwired to think that... pain... correction... is necessary. When he... doesn't get it, it's like... Like... I don't know... It makes it worse because... Because it's unexpected... It's just... I thought it was necessary, I know... I know it was wrong... I'm sorry..."

Mira squeezed Juno tighter and Horatio sucked in a shaky breath, nodding slowly. "Okay. I don't think that what you did was... good, but... I can see where you're coming from. I know you were only trying to help, so it's alright. Just... don't do it again, yeah?"

Juno nodded slightly, eyes glossy and filled with pain. Tio smiled tightly and nodded again.

"Alright, I'm going to head back to the others now. You two just come back whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Tio," Mira said softly, smiling ever so slightly. "We will."

With one last nod, Horatio rose and walked back to the main training room, leaving the girls, Briar, and Aries all to their own separate recuperations and feeling worse than ever.

Juno Waltz / Female / 19 / Pansexual / Ambi / M: Horatio, Aries, Briar, Mira

In all honesty, Juno wasn't sure what was really happening. All she knew was one second, she, Mira, and Horatio were talking, and the next, everything went blank.

Not black like she was knocked out or overly loud and colorful like overstimulation. Just static, like on an old TV screen.

A quiet buzz played in the back of her mind and her vision was an odd mix of black, white, gray, and specks of other colors. Her movements were automatic and she couldn't tell if she was talking or not.

She'd felt this way before. Usually at home. She went on autopilot and blocked out every sound, emotion, and physical feeling. It was a survival instinct, but that didn't make sense.

She was safe now, she knew she was safe now, so why? Why couldn't she do anything?

Even in the midst of the numb static, Juno grasped at straws, trying desperately to remember the cause, the trigger, but it was pointless.

And then her foot collided with something solid and, for a split second, she was back. A dash of red hair, wide eyes, a gasp, angry voices. Anger directed at her.

What had she just done? What did she kick?

Before she could make sense of anything, it all disappeared again.

She spoke, she moved, and then, slowly, as a single, familiar voice started echoing in her ears, Juno started to come back.

The voice belonged to Horatio. And he was yelling.

Horatio was yelling.

He never raised his voice, but he was yelling now, at her!

It took a moment, but the words started to sink in and Juno froze up.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why would you... you kicked him! He was fucking panicking and you thought that was the correct solution?! You can't just go and do that, you'll feed into his ideas! You-"

She started shaking as the words were processed, tears falling freely down her cheeks.

She remembered now.

The conversation that she had had with Horatio not that long ago. About Aries. About him wanting to be corrected.

She shook harder, clenching her hands tightly, barely recognizing the fact that Mira had stepped forward to wrap her arms around her.

"June, hey, look at me."

She wanted to, she really, truly did, but she couldn't. It would hurt too much because Mira was definitely disappointed. She was definitely hurt. Juno had hurt her, failed her.

She messed up.

She had acted on instinct, she had acted like them.

But she promised she wouldn't! She didn't want to be like them! She didn't want to hurt people! She swore! She never would! She couldn't be like them!

"Hey, okay, I'm sorry I yelled. I just... I wasn't expecting... that... It's okay, you're alright. You're safe, I promise."

No. No, no, no! Horatio shouldn't be apologizing! He should yell at her, he needed to yell at her! Hit her, hate her, do something, anything, but don't apologize!

"I... I'm s-sorry... I didn't... I-I didn't want... I didn't w-want to... to h-hurt him... I... I just... He..."

Mira's hands pried Juno's fingers away from the skin of her palm and she barely resisted the urge to pull away and back into a corner. She wanted to hide. Or scream. Or jump off a fucking bridge.

Not sit here. Not let Mira hold her.

She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to be held and comforted and loved. Not now. Not when she acted like them.

"Hey, hey, it's okay! Take some deep breaths, here, my love, listen to my breathing. You got it!"

Mira guided Juno to a bench and sat down, walking her through the movements of a breathing exercise. Juno followed because she knew that if she didn't, Mira would never leave. She was too caring for that. To kind.

She shouldn't be, but she was.

Eventually, Juno got her breathing under control and did her best to explain herself, still stumbling over her words as she did so.

"I'm sorry... It was all I could think of. What... What you said... He was begging for... to be hurt, and... I think... I think his mind is so... so hardwired to think that... pain... correction... is necessary. When he... doesn't get it, it's like... Like... I don't know... It makes it worse because... Because it's unexpected... It's just... I thought it was necessary, I know... I know it was wrong... I'm sorry..."

She winced as she spoke, the words feeling like venom as they fell off her tongue. What she said was true, but it wasn't fair.

Not to Aries, who shouldn't have to think the way did. Not to Horatio who was doing his best to take care of everyone else. Not to Mira who was, for some reason, still holding onto Juno tightly.

Not to her.

Not to her because she shouldn't have to think this way either.

She knew that, but that didn't change the fact that she was a complete failure. She didn't deserve forgiveness. She didn't deserve love. She didn't deserve Mira.

She was like them.

She broke her promise.

"Okay. I don't think that what you did was... good, but... I can see where you're coming from. I know you were only trying to help, so it's alright. Just... don't do it again, yeah?"

She nodded, but her throat felt tight.

This wasn't right. There shouldn't be forgiveness.

"Alright, I'm going to head back to the others now. You two just come back whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Tio, we will."

Footsteps echoed, indicating Horatio's departure and Mira sighed, rubbing Juno's back gently, saying nothing.

Juno sat and stared at her hands, glaring at Mira's fingers still intertwined with her own.

She didn't deserve this.

“It’s fine. It apologizes for getting Briar in trouble.… What are the rules here..?”

Briar barely resisted the need to flinch at the apology, noting with worry the fact that Aries squeezed his eyes shut after the question, as though he was expecting a negative response. Still, Briar forced a smile that he hoped looked genuine (or would, if Aries would open his eyes to see it), and sucked in a quiet breath. "No need to apologize, if anything, you kept me safe, and I appreciate you for that. As for rules?" They hesitated, not really sure what to say. "Uh, I mean, I'm pretty sure we gotta be here at the trainin' times and such, but otherwise, I guess I don't really know."

Realistically, that response was probably far from helpful, especially if knowing "the rules" would help Aries calm down, but, at the same time, making some shit up wouldn't help either. Briar didn't want to feed Aries lies and then have him even more paranoid about doing something that was completely fine.

They sat back on their heels, examining Aries carefully. Truth be told, Briar wasn't really sure where to go from here. The fact that Aries was both talking now and no longer slamming his forehead into the ground was great, but it was obvious that he still wasn't okay. He continued to refer to himself as "it" and was asking about rules, hell, he was apologizing to Briar! As if Briar wasn't the one who needed to apologize to him!

However, Briar wasn't sure what to do that would actually be helpful. They could try ranting again. They'd probably end up ranting anyway, to be honest, considering the fact that they didn't understand how to keep their damn mouth shut, but the information could overwhelm Aries more. Aries was breathing slightly less shallowly now, so Briar could try getting him to do breathing exercises, that may help a little. Or, since Aries was responding now, they could ask if physical contact was okay. It was quite possible that Aries would respond yes no matter what he actually wanted, but if Briar was concrete and honest about what exactly they were going to do, it could be helpful. As long as they avoided the common trauma spots anyway.

Making their decision, Briar kept their hands in their lap as they asked, making it clear that they wouldn't act without permission first. "Hey, Aries? Could I touch you? Just your hands or your cheek, whatever you want, and, if ya don't want to, that's totally cool too. I promise I won't be upset either way!"

They kept their tone light and friendly, watching Aries for signs of discomfort at the question. They really, really hoped that they could help Aries somehow, even though, realistically, once Aries was back in the proper mindset, he probably wouldn't want anything to do with Briar.

After all, Briar was the one who had caused this in the first place. The fact that Aries was in this mindset at all was completely their fault. They'd fucked it up like they always did, ruined it for everyone else. That was all they were good at, apparently.

So, Aries would probably hate them, but that was fine. As long as Aries was okay, nothing else mattered.

“Briar can do whatever they want to it. It isn’t capable of having wants.”

Briar had to use all their willpower not to flinch at the words, keeping a soft smile on their lips. The fact that Aries was thinking this way, the fact that he had been conditioned to believe he had to think this way made their skin crawl. He didn't deserve any of this, and, yet, the damage was done. Briar couldn't go back in time, the best they could do was make sure that whoever had done this in the first place wouldn't be able to do it again, and, most importantly, make sure Aries knew that here, he was important, he would be listened to, and he deserved to be treated like the human that he was.

Of course, none of that would be easy. Briar knew better than most how hard it was to get out of a mindset like the one that Aries was in, but they were determined to do what they could to make the process fast and painless.

Taking in a quiet breath, Briar reached out and gently took Aries's hands in their own, carefully avoiding even grazing the wrists as they uncurled Aries's fingers and let his palms rest, flat, against their own. Aries's hands were much larger than theirs, practically dwarfing Briar's, which got a quiet chuckle out of them before they looked up and smiled gently.

"Is this okay? Seriously, I don't want ya to be uncomfortable. To me, yer very capable of havin' wants, and, really, comfort is more of a necessity than a want anyway, yeah? 'Sides, with me ya really don't have to worry about being right or wrong, or 'bout messing up, or sayin' something wrong. I promise I'll never get mad at ya for having your own wants, needs, or opinions." They paused for a moment, watching Aries for a reaction before continuing. "I do have one favor to ask ya though," They said, careful to keep their tone light. "Refer to yerself, as 'I,' 'my,' and 'mine,' okay? Or yer name, Aries, if that's easier. I know that's a lot ta ask, but if ya would, I'd feel a lot better!"

Admittedly, the request was a bit of a risk, but Briar hoped that the way the phrased it was enough to convince Aries to at least try. After all, dropping the use of the pronoun "it" was a good first step to breaking the mindset.

They also hoped that the slight physical contact would prove helpful, even though Briar's hands were just a bit too small to really have the ability to give a gentle squeeze, at least, in this position, for comfort. However, that might be good anyway. It was possible that a squeeze would cause Aries to feel trapped, and, if that was the case, it wouldn't be very helpful at all. They chose this position because it allowed Aries to quickly and easily draw back if he grew uncomfortable, and there was nothing holding him in place. At the same time, though, it kept his nails from digging into his skin, which was certainly a good thing.

No matter what the reaction to all of this was, though, Briar just hoped it was a good one. Or, at the very least, one that wasn't so bad as to send Aries back into another spiral.