The transition from a full-blown horror movie, complete with a very real threat of becoming a human hors d'oeuvre, to… whatever this was? Yeah, Cherion was not prepared for the genre change. His brain definitely hadn't signed up for a hug. It was like tripping down a flight of stone stairs, bracing for the bone-shattering impact, and somehow landing on a high-end, goose-down mattress instead.
Cherion froze.
His hands just… froze there, awkwardly hovering in the air like, like a malfunctioning NPC. His brain, usually quick with injuries or taco orders, had simply... stalled. It was a total system failure. Wait, am I breathing? Should I be breathing? He could feel the vibration of Zarius's chest against his own, a heavy, frantic thrumming that didn't match the man's usual, statue-like composure.
It wasn't just the armor, yeah, that was solid, but it was him, just standing there like a full-on emotional support wall.
