not quite meet the parents

Spirit wasn't sure how long it took Gloom to calm down, but likewise it didn't matter to him. He'd stay and lay against her for as long as she needed or required. He was no stranger to fear; no stranger to feeling overwhelmed and needing time to process things, far slower than others might. He understood her struggles and he'd be there for her through them all, there was no question about that. After everything he had gone through, losing his mother, his siblings were all he had left, and for them he'd do anything.

And though he was afraid, he wasn't quite as fearful as Gloom, though her reaction troubled him and made a bit of anxiety flare up in his chest. Losing Void felt like something that'd be unbearable to him. They couldn't find their missing sibling or mother without him, he truly believed that. The three of them needed to be together to repair their broken family, and he wouldn't accept Plague taking Void from them. Slowly, very slowly, Gloom spoke up and Void promised that he trusted him. That was all Spirit needed.

He tried to force an unsteady smile toward Plague, who had respected their need for togetherness without complaint, only speaking up when it was clear it was safe to. He appreciated that - his sister especially needed to be treated with caution and he wouldn't allow anyone to interact with her without them being aware and respectful of that. There weren't few things in life Spirit felt strongly about but he would fight tooth and nail for his sweet sister, he knew that with all his heart. "I-it's okay," he said softly. Things had to get worse before they got better, right? Spirit slowly unfurled himself from his position at Gloom's side but didn't fully loosen his grip on her. "A-all the help we can get is good. I'm starting to run out of ideas," he admitted cautiously. They could wander forever - and part of him wondered if things might be better that way, if the three of them might be happier living like this - but ultimately he knew probably wasn't what their future looked like.