Rahar watched, blinking slowly as Theo dissolved into a fit of screaming. The man’s eyes were wide, a shaky finger pointing towards him. Really, the screaming was more random exclamations of pure panic. The effects of their feeble bond still permeated through to Rahar, panic creeping in through Theo’s mind. Rahar snorted softly, and then took another step forward.

He raised his hands in an inter-dimensional symbol of peace, seeing fear shrouding the other’s eyes. Theo’s chest heaved rapidly, and it was clear by the wheezing in his lungs that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. What little color he had in his pale skin had drained completely, and Theo was worried he might pass out and hit his head soon if he didn’t calm down.

“Theo,” he said his name gentle, not getting a reaction out of Theo. “Theo, I will not hurt you, I promise.” The screaming had stopped by now, but the human was still breathing harshly. His knuckles were red from where he gripped the counter behind him tightly. He’d seen this before, though. His little brother, for all the strength and finesse he possessed, had break downs like this every so often. The pressure of his position often got to Runal. Rahar usually helped by scooping his brother into the tightest of bear hugs, or taking him flying once he calmed down.

In this case, he didn’t know Theo well enough to try and calm him down with physical contact. Even the prickliest of dragons, like his brother, tended to respond well to physical comfort. It worked with dragons, but Theo was a human. And a near total stranger. And since flying wasn’t really an option, and Theo would probably just fall of anyways, panicking like he was, Rahar didn’t have very many options.

He frowned slightly, and then huffed, unsure of what to do. For now, he needed to get Theo’s attention, to calm him down. And then hopefully explain everything that was going on. At least, everything that Rahar could explain. Demons, the war, dragons…. There was no magic in this place, so far as he could tell. Which meant he must have been somewhere else entirely. The demon souls tone had incredible power. Enough to allow the demons to conquer nearly all of the realms back home.

“Theo,” he rumbled again, as he moved closer. A thin layer of tears had filled the other’s eyes, which were staring ahead at him, though looking right through. Rahar gave a soft huff, and slowed his movements. Theo was like a startled animal right now, and the last thing Rahar wanted was for him to panic, and hurt himself. He waited for a moment, and then took another step.

Rahar jolted as a stabbing pain shot up his leg, glancing down to see a broken container on the floor. The bitter drink that Theo had in the cup had leaked all over, tinging the air with a faintly acrid, bitter, taste. Rahar lifted his foot slightly, huffing at the deep red drops of blood that joined the bitter mess on the floor. He forgot how fragile his scale-less form was. Sharp objects cut through his thin skin so easily in comparison.

But Rahar shook off the pain, and closed the remaining distance between him and Theo. He would worry about the injury later- he didn’t want to waste any time in calming the human down. Approaching him quietly, hands still raised, Rahar stared deep into Theo’s eyes. “Theo,” he whispered softly. Their connection had given Rahar his name, and a few trace emotions. Strong images that had impressed upon the human throughout his lifetime.

Cautiously, he reached out, pressing his fingers to Theo’s cheek. His skin was cold to the touch, and Rahar’s fingers pressed more firmly against his cheek. Heat radiated from his touch to Theo’s skin, though he worried it wouldn’t be enough to help. He shifted his hand, palm resting on Theo’s jaw, fingers just at his hairline.

“Theo,” he said evenly, leaning closer, peering down into Theo’s mismatched eyes. He gave the human’s cheek a few pats, trying to jolt him out of the panic. For a moment, it seemed to have no effect, and a soft growl rippled through his throat. “Theo…” He repeated, a bit more forcefully.

Finally, his voice had an effect on the human. Theo blinked rapidly a few times. Theo’s chest was still heaving, but his eyes were focused, the dilation of his pupils slowly settling down.

“Wha-” Theo’s voice cracked as he slowly came to, sweat beading on the human’s forward.

Rahar rumbled softly, and tapped Theo’s cheek lightly, motioning to something on the counter. “There’s a cup…” It was a weird looking cup, but Rahar could at least tell that’s what it was. Very colorful, and see through, somehow.

“A cup...” Theo rasped out, his eyes slowly shifting to look at the cup.

“And a spoon. And there’s a pot!”

Theo blinked, his breathing slowly evening out again, as he started naming things after Rahar did. He had seen it calm his brother down before- something, anything to take the focus off of the panic. “And…that??” Rahar looked at another shiny rectangular object. It was numbers on it, and a few words in Theo’s native tongue.

“A…microwave…”

“Michael Wave…? Who is Michael?” He frowned, looking at the black object. Was that somehow a sentient object?

“N-no. Micro wave. It’s not…” Theo trailed off, and then blinked, sinking back against the counter behind him.

Seeing the panic had left, Rahar smiled, and continued patting his cheek. “There, there Theo. See? I will not hurt you. You are safe,” Rahar said. He wanted to convey that he was on Theo’s side here. After all, the human had saved him, and dragon’s liked to repay their debts before they gained interest. Rahar could tell Theo was genuinely a good person, from what he was able to garner through their brief connection. The panic stirred Rahar’s natural protective nature. Theo was like his little brother, and therefore must be protected.

Seeing that the physical contact seemed to have a positive effect on Theo, Rahar slowed his patting, and simply held his palm against Theo’s cheek. He watched a slow flush creep across Theo’s face, glad that he was able to help raise Theo’s temperature with his own heat.

“I-I don’t,” Theo stammered out, looking confused, and startled still. Theos’ eyes darted downward, and then snapped back up, the flush radiating further on his pale features. Rahar pulled his hand away, finally, afraid that he was too warm for the human. Humans were so fragile.

“My name is Rahar. And I want to thank you for saving me,” he said softly, giving what he hoped was a gentle, calming smile. Theo stared back at him with the same wide eyed loo, but the wild fear had finally vanished, replaced by a more sensible, calm fear.

Rahar watched emotions filter through Theo’s face, before the human’s expression finally settled into cautious confusion. His breathing had evened out, and for the first time, Theo met his eyes, and truly looked. Rahar’s smile deepened, a rumble vibrating through his chest.

“Ra…har…?” The human sounded the name out, as if were an alien tongue.

“Rahar,” he corrected, with a soft growl. Theo blinked, and then slowly nodded, before muttering his name again under his breath. “You are calm now?” Rahar asked, head cocking to the side.

Theo took in a deep breath, and once again, Rahar met the other’s mismatched gaze. “I uh. Think so. Rahar,” Theo hesitated, and then took in a deep breath. “What the ever living hell is going on here?”