The Elementia Chronicles Theories, Au's, Headcanons and other whatnot

OS: Messy Head (Stan x Sally)

Concept: stan has a mental breakdown, and sally comforts him, and hacks into his character to try to help

TW: Panic attack

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Stan couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. Everything was blurry, and everything was a threat, and stan was frozen, helpless, as panic raced through his bones.

It was suffocating, both in an emotional and literal sense, because he couldn't breathe. Nothing was stopping him, it was like an invisible stone was lodged in his throat. Suffocating. Panicking.

He hated it. This helplessness. Like nothing he could do could truly save anyone. Only prolong their suffering.

Hot tears trickled down his cheek, landing on his clothes and the floor, and soaking into oblivion. Erased, with a damp spot as it's gravestone. The door opened.

"Stan?"

That voice. Stan knew that voice. Oh god, she can't see me like this, I'm the leader, I'm supposed to be strong and confident, not having a breakdown in a corner, like the stupid kid you are-

"Oh-" a flicker of surprise flashed across Sally's face, that then morphed into concern. "Stan? Are you ok? What's wrong?"

Stan froze. He glanced left, right. No way out. The panic started to expand within him. He pressed himself into the wall, wishing that he could just disappear into it.

Sally couldn't see him like this. No one could see him like this but Sally most of all. She wouldn't see him like she does now, the put together president. No, she wouldn't- she couldn't-

And then everything broke. Stan collapsed, sliding down the wall. Tears streamed down his face, like a dam burst inside him. Sally's face grew even more concerned, at least from what Stan could see through the blur of his tears. Sally sat next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

And everything slowed. The tears were still coming, but not as fast. The touch somehow anchored him, made the panic subside a little.

Sally tried again. "Stan, what's wrong?"

"I-I can't br-breathe," Stan managed to hiccup out.

It finally seemed to dawn on Sally what was happening. Stan was having a panic attack.

Sally pulled Stan into a hug. Stan didn't resist, collapsing into Sally. Stan couldn't quite think, his brain was short-circuited. But Sally... helped. He wasn't quite sure how, but she just... did.

Sally held Stan tight, almost protectively, as if she was blocking out all of the world, and the panic with it. Stan relaxed a little, some of the ruckus in his head dissipated.

Sally had no idea that Stan was going through this. But she did have an idea of how she could help. A questionable idea, but an idea nonetheless.

"Hey, Stan?" Stan looked up at Sally, tears still shining in his eyes. "If it's ok with you, I might be able to hack into your character and help..."

A ripple of confusion swept across Stan's face.

"I mean, it's totally your call, it was just a thought-"

Stan gave a single hesitant nod, and clung tighter onto Sally, burying his face into her neck. He just wanted it to stop. For the panic to stop. And... he trusted Sally.

Sally hugged Stan back, while bringing up Stan's profile. She dug deeper into the code, eyes flicking over lines of text until- there.

If she was going to do this, she needed to make sure that everything was perfect. If she accidentally messed up... Lord knows what would happen.

But Sally needed Stan asleep first.

Stan suddenly felt a wave of calm wash over him. He relaxed into Sally's embrace, practically melting as the tension eased. Sally started to card through Stan's soft brown hair, making him shiver and melt even more.

Stan's eyes started to droop, the exhaustion of a panic attack catching up to him.

"It's ok," Sally softly spoke, afraid of riling Stan back up. "You can go to sleep."

Stan was more than happy to oblige. His eyes fluttered closed, and with a last, contented sigh, he fell into sleep.

Sally smiled at Stan's slumbering form, her fingers still gently messing with his hair. After a minute or two, Sally focused back on the code of Stan's profile. So brave... Sally thought. But with such a messy head.