save me from myself

He lay there in a funk for some time before Iroh's approach. Caught in a nightmarish loop of his own making, Pyrrhic's thoughts flit from one disaster to another. Adding to his heap of trouble, his sister Felicity had disappeared some time between him and his father's trip to Boreas and the pack's trek to the Runestones. He'd searched high and low for her, but in the end been forced to abandon the hunt in favor of getting the pack out from under the ash clouds. "The needs of the many" and all that. Though it pained him he'd had to prioritize.

Iroh's voice caused him to stir. Pyrrhic looked up - and up - at his cousin but didn't rise. "It might," he agreed but made no move to smile. Instead his gaze went to his paws and rested there for several long moments. Pyrrhic found his cousin's presence shaming. He didn't want the boy to see him like this. They were supposed to be strong; he'd preached strength and courage to Iroh, and yet here he was, laying in the dirt the very epitome of the opposite.

He wanted this to be a private hell; to wallow in disgust and anxiety by himself where no one could see him. The young emperor didn't want to need help. He wanted to fix his own problems - to prove to himself he was worthy -  and he wanted to do it where there were no witnesses.

Finally Pyrrhic looked back up at Iroh. He was at a loss for words. Couldn't bring himself to smile, couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't pain him. He didn't know where to go from here. "I can't."

WC: 285