Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Inconceivable!"

Colin Hammond (cloudedwaters) wrote in darkdividerpg,
@ 2014-08-30 14:46:00

Entry tags:

character: eli lasko, character: max lasko, date: 08.14.14, type: group scene

Look at Little Sister
Who: Colin, Eli, and Emma, later Max
What: Visiting family
When: August 14th, Thursday Evening
Where: The Stumble Inn
Warning: Language

Emma had been ridiculously busy for her lack of commitments. Which had Colin even more interested in what was going on his youngest sister's life. While he was the most understanding in the family of Emma's need to make her own way in the world, she could get carried away. Often.

He'd given up on trying to get a call back to schedule time to meet with her and just decided to choose a slower weeknight evening to show up at her place of work. Dressed casually in jeans and a button down shirt, he headed straight for the bar when he spotted his sister's black dyed head. Sitting down at an empty stool, he waited until she came over. "You are a hard woman to pin down, Emma," he teased her. "Did I make inadvertantly make you mad enough not to return my calls or were you just trying to make me play hide and seek?" His littlest sister loved to play games. She swore she hated politics, but there was a set of politics that had to be played with her to keep her from shutting him out the way she had the rest of the family.

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middlem
2014-08-31 10:33 am UTC (link)

Emma did as instructed, but she kept Eli held firmly against her, refusing to let go. While Max was trying to get his attention, Emma rested her forehead against his head, whispering in his ear how sorry she was that she was so horrible, that she was sorry she screwed up, that she couldn't be perfect, that she wasn't much of a person, that she'd never be good enough for him, over and over apologizing while those tears that had begun to accumulate earlier spilled down her cheeks. She'd apologize for anything and everything if it would make him come back.

She rubbed his chest once he started coughing, unsure of what else to do outside of holding him, talking to him, and rocking him as she was.

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 10:40 am UTC (link)

God, this was just not helping. "Emma, this isn't tug of war," he snapped more sharply than he intended. "Hold him still. He can't feel anything, he's somewhere else." Max knew this from trial and error before. The only thing that worked to pull Elias back was talking him back. Literally. "He can only hear us. His brain's taken over. It's all in there."

"Come on, bro," he said, wincing as Eli started rasping. This was the worst part. When he was so far in he would almost stop breathing. "It's Max. I'm here. Come towards me. I got you. Just focus on my voice. It's okay. I'm here. Come on. It's okay. I got you."

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followthevision
2014-08-31 10:45 am UTC (link)

There were voices again. Soft ones. Whispers that he couldn't quite make out. Crying? His head turned slightly towards those sounds. Then there was the snap of a voice and his head turned towards Max. The sound. Familiar. He felt himself move towards it. It grew louder. The fear welled up more, his breathing stopped, his face grew pale. He moved towards the sound more quickly, rushing forward until it was loud enough to make out.

Then the bottom fell out and he broke through the edge, falling forward through the future into the present. He sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes going wide as the sight returned to them. The here and the now. "Max?," he gasped out, voice ragged.

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middlem
2014-08-31 10:54 am UTC (link)

It had very little to do with tug of war, and everything to do with the fact that Emma was afraid that if she let go, he'd be lost. Comfort was the only thing she could offer, and so she did what she always did when he needed reassurance. She held him, brushed his hair with her fingers, whispered to him, anything she could think of, she tried. She stopped the rocking when Max told her to, but she still hung on. She was too afraid to let go.

When he went pale and stopped breathing, Emma started to cry in earnest. He was dying, or close to it, that's all that she could think of to explain this situation. She'd never forgive herself if he died here. Thankfully, he drew in a breath and opened his eyes, slowly coming back to reality. She thanked every deity she could think of while she hugged his neck. His hair was wet with her tears, and her face was streaked black due to her makeup, but she didn't care. He wasn't dead, and didn't seem to be dying anymore. The relief that rushed through her was overwhelmingly intense.

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 11:02 am UTC (link)

Max nodded. "I'm here, bro," he said, moving his hands to grasp his forearms. "It's okay." He looked at Emma. He needed to get her to stop choking his twin in relief now that he was back and breathing on his own. He knew the girl was happy, but she wasn't really helping. "Okay, help me stand him up," he told her as he stood up. "You know the drill, bro."

Eli was always completely exhausted after his visions and needed to lay down someplace for awhile. "That's why there's a couch in the office. Because I knew you'd need it eventually." Once they were up and moving the right direction, he added. "As soon as I find somebody to close, we'll get you home."

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followthevision
2014-08-31 11:06 am UTC (link)

Eli was coming back to the present a little bit more with each word that was spoken. He was somewhat conscious of the fact that Emma was holding onto him and crying, but he couldn't seem to find any words to say much of anything to her or to Max. He let himself be grounded in the moment by the words his brother spoke. Yes, he knew the drill. He used both Max and Emma's help to get back to his feet again.

Exhausted was certainly a good word for it. Emotionally, mentally, and physically. "No," he finally managed. "I'll be okay," he promised, not sure if he was talking more to Emma or to Max. "I'll just lay down for a bit. Then I'll be fine," he promised.

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middlem
2014-08-31 11:12 am UTC (link)

Emma sucked it up, then stood and helped Max bring Eli to his feet. As long as she was touching him in some way, she was okay. She needed to hold onto him to make sure he was really there, really okay, and really not going anywhere. God she felt so stupid. She let him use her for as much support as he needed, feeling fiercely protective over him.

When they got him on the couch, Emma dropped down on the sofa, then helped him recline so his head was in her lap where she could smooth his hair back, and generally just be there however she could. When it was suggested he go home, Emma spoke up. "Let me take him," she said, without taking her eyes off Eli. "Let me take him home," she said softly, this time more for Eli than for Max. She couldn't bear the thought of anyone else sitting with him while he was in this state. "Please," she added, finally looking up at Max. "I'll take care of him."

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 11:20 am UTC (link)

Max went to get him a water bottle because his throat was always like gravel. When Emma said that, his expression went uncharacteristically hard. "Yeah, I see how well you take care of him," he grumbled. He liked Emma, but she'd known his twin a week. He'd seen how she acted around her own brother, and watched how the argument between them had droned on. She'd hurt his only living blood relative and stressed him out to the point he had a vision. No Max didn't trust her to take care of Eli in the condition he was in now.

Now wasn't the time to call her on her bullshit. "He needs rest and no more stress," he told her. "I'm taking him to mine and Jayne's place. She can brew him up something to help."

He offered Eli the water bottle. "You back with us fully yet?" he asked him. Sometimes he was groggy and at the worst of times he was vulnerable to more visions.

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followthevision
2014-08-31 11:27 am UTC (link)

He heard the grumbling in Max's voice as he said what he did to Emma. He sighed. Yeah, this wasn't going anywhere good. Eli let his head rest against her lap. She was soft and she was warm. She was also upset. He could hear it all in her voice and even feel it in her touch as she smoothed her fingers over his hair. He reached up to take her hand, giving her fingers a little squeeze. "I'm fine, Em," he promised her. "Just a little out of it." Max was upset too. Again he felt a little in the middle. The anger from earlier had disappeared, replaced with exhaustion.

He knew that Max was going to fuss. It was the way things worked. His visions were terrifying to him, but his twin saw them from the outside. When Max offered him the water bottle, he took it, sitting up so he could take a drink. "I'm okay," he told them both. "I'm going to be fine. It happens. All the time. More frequently than ever before, actually, though he didn't want to admit it. "I just need to sit a minute. Then I'll be okay."

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middlem
2014-08-31 11:40 am UTC (link)

She didn't respond to Max, though she wanted t. She wanted to tell him he had no idea what she could do. She needed Eli. She needed to keep him with her so she could make sure he was okay. She'd never felt this terrified for anyone in her entire life. Then again, no one had mattered this much in her life before, either. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, eyes full of worry and apologies.

When he sat up, she moved with him, keeping herself pressed to his side. She could not bring herself to let go of him, not right now. "You need to rest," he murmured, folding her fingers through his on his free hand. "Let me help you." She knew Max wouldn't give her a chance if she asked him again, and she knew he was mad at her, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was Eli. "The dogs make excellent snugglers." One of them might actually be ale to detect his seizures, even. She let her forehead rest against his shoulder, uncaring about her makeup streaked face, or anything else for that matter. She needed to be with Eli, that was it. He was the only thing that mattered.

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 11:47 am UTC (link)

Oh that was it. "Get out of my office right now," he snapped at her, grabbing her around the wrist and dragging her away from his twin. "Don't even try to pretend this wasn't your fault. I don't care what your beef is with your family. I don't. But when you spend half an hour arguing with my only living brother and my twin over goddamn nothing and send him into a vision, you don't have any fucking rights to him anymore. Now get out. Right the fuck now." He let go of Emma and glared at her.

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followthevision
2014-08-31 11:56 am UTC (link)

Eli had winced when she all but ignored Max's plan. He knew she was trying to help, but he expected the explosion long before it happened. He barely had time to cap the water bottle before Max had hauled her up off the couch and towards the door. "Max," he said, pushing himself up from the sofa and moving towards the two of them, his steps not the steadiest, but enough to keep him upright. "Come on. You're both trying to help now. And I appreciate it, but I can't take the fighting, okay? Please, just... just lemme catch my breath a little. I'll be fine."

He understood that Emma had no clue how to handle this sort of thing. She'd never experienced it before. She wanted to help, but she wasn't making any friends trying to go over Max's head. He turned his attention to her. "Max has been through this with me for years. He knows what he's doing, okay? Just listen to him. That'll help me. I promise. I know you're scared, but I can't be playing mediator between you two. I can't do the stress. You have to calm down. Now breathe. It's okay. I'm okay." He looked at her for a long moment and then turned his attention back to his brother. He knew that this wasn't Max. He didn't get mad. He was pissed. Beyond pissed. Eli could understand that too.

He reached out to touch his brother's shoulder. "She's just scared. She didn't realize that this was going to happen. She didn't do it on purpose." He wasn't going to pretend that she hadn't been a contributing factor, but Emma hadn't sought out to hurt him. "I just wanna relax. Can you two just... stop? Please?"

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middlem
2014-08-31 12:02 pm UTC (link)

Her heart stopped and all the color drained from her face. She didn't fight Max, she was too stunned to do so. Her fault. Of course it was her fault. It was always her fault. There was a choked sob, and then nothing more as she walked out of his office, out of the bar, and out to her car. She left without a word to anyone, and didn't intend on coming back. Her entire found family was furious with her, and she'd almost killed someone she loved. She gave Eli a watery look and a quivering smile, happy face despite the tension, but she knew that this was it.

"It's okay, Eli. I'll just go. Just feel better. I hope you find the dog you're looking for. I really think you do need one now."

She left the office, crumbling piece by piece with every step she took.
She knew it had been too good to be true. She knew all of it would have to come crashing down at some point. She just hadn't expected it to go like this, as a happening of her own making. She should have. She knew better. She remembered now why she avoided these things. She sucked at them. Max was right. Eli would be better off without Emma around. She wasn't going to fight him on that. She'd leave because it was what was best for Eli. He deserved nothing but the best. She didn't fit into that picture.

She had no idea if she had a job to come back to, but somehow she doubted it. She wasn't good enough to keep that, either. She'd have to find out some way to make ends meet if she wanted to keep her apartment, and keep the dogs content. She was going to have to scramble fast to find another income. She didn't think she'd ever be able to go back to the bar, anyways. She'd never feel welcomed, and she'd be haunted by what she did every time she stepped out into the alley.

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 12:07 pm UTC (link)

When Eli came up to touch his shoulder, Max instinctively put his arm out to brace him. "Let her go, Eli," he said wearily, all the fight going out of him. He hadn't enjoyed that, but he was protecting his brother. The way he always had and would. "You can talk to her tomorrow when you've both had time to calm down. I probably should have stepped between you before, but it looked okay for awhile. There. I'm sorry."

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followthevision
2014-08-31 07:30 pm UTC (link)

Eli felt horrible. The way that Emma looked at him, forced smile or otherwise, he knew that she wasn't alright. He knew that she was falling apart on the inside, no matter how much she was trying to tell him it was alright. He couldn't help but feel like some of the things that she said were her permanent way of saying goodbye. She was supposed to help him find a dog. Now she was hoping he found one on his own? Did that mean goodbye?

Before he could even say anything, she'd left the office, leaving him there alone with Max while she rushed off by herself. He wanted to follow her, but she was already gone before he could even get his brain to cooperate enough to listen to what Max was saying. He didn't want to wait until tomorrow to talk to Emma. He wanted to get his head on straight and go find her. "It wasn't her fault," he said. "Not completely. I have visions all the time, now, Max," he breathed, wavering a little in his words and in his keeping upright. "I'll rest, for a bit, then I gotta go find her. It's not all her fault and I don't want her thinking that. I think I scared the hell out of her and if that isn't punishment enough for being a bit of a brat, then I don't know what is."

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 08:12 pm UTC (link)

Max groaned and moved his twin back to the sofa. "No," he said. "Eli, you've gotten a lot tougher. You can handle your own shit. That's why I didn't intervene. And it wasn't that crucial and no she didn't trust you. I don't care what she said afterwards." Or her brother, but her brother was a big wig attorney and aspiring politician, so Max couldn't blame her there. He knew his own kind when he encountered them and politicians were a different breed of shark. Especially the ones from dynasties. But she should have trusted Eli when he told her he this. "She acted like a fucking three year old and I have never wanted to take that damn knife away from her so much the entire time I've known her."

Max sat down in his office chair so Eli could lay down. "I heard some of that," he said. Eli wouldn't be surprised Max had been spying. It was his nature. He sounded tired and worried, but it wasn't just because Eli had another vision. "She wants you two to exist in a bubble where she can decide who knows what when. It's the biggest trap you can fall into in a relationship. It was one Jayne and I fought not to end up in. We knew even our ages would make people disapprove and try to break us up. Not because they were angry or trying to hurt us. A lot of people were just trying to look out for Jayne. Because it looks bad on the surface. There's no avoiding it when you fall in love the minute you meet someone. Especially when that someone is the wrong age, wrong societal class, or a supernatural hunter looking to change his ways." Max gave Eli a pointed look.

"We talked about it before we left my hotel room the first time," he continued. "And then talked about it some more every time it happened. Because that was the only way to keep ourselves grounded. If we hadn't worked so hard to ground ourselves in the real world so it couldn't rip us apart with its well meaning shit. I know it's hard to think of putting your feet down and coming out of the clouds when it hits you. Believe me, bro. Have you seen me completely off Cloud Nine since I met Jayne?"

Okay, he was digressing. "The difference between Jayne and Emma is that Emma never outgrew the fucking bad girl rebel phase," Max explained quietly. "She thinks other people are trying to control her. Maybe her family is that psycho and controlling. I mean seriously, we had the best parents in the world and they were completely wrong about their life's work. Nobody's perfect. But she's so obsessed with being in control, she doesn't ever think about how her control freakism affects other people. Worse still, when someone takes away her control, like we both did last night, she goes completely postal without ever acknowledging that her own unreasonable nature is the real problem. She needs a good tough love lesson that shows her that what she does has consequences. If she won't talk you in the morning, if she's so shallow and crazy that one stupid argument where she didn't get her way is the deal breaker, then she never loved you, bro. I'm sorry."

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followthevision
2014-08-31 09:26 pm UTC (link)

Eli had toughed up because it was what he had to do. He was alone and he needed to learn how to handle things himself. He needed to be his own man and to fix his own bullshit if he was going to survive. Max was right and Eli couldn't even deny it. Emma had acted like a three year old. He let his twin move him back to the sofa and sank down on it. There'd been no reason for Emma to react the way she did and to start this ball rolling down the slick slope it was on.

He groaned and moved to lay down because he needed to let himself settle and relax. If Emma wanted to make this all about her, maybe she needed some time to cool her jets. Maybe they both did. Eli knew that he'd lost his mind. He knew that he was going over the edge too quickly, too fast, too much. Maybe he shouldn't have. Maybe the drunk in love bit was meant to be Max's and Jayne's alone. He wasn't so sure that he was meant for running off and eloping like a couple of crazy kids. He wasn't a kid, not anymore. He thought he understood Emma more than he did and he'd only been slapped in the face with the reality that he didn't know shit.

He listened to what his brother had to say, watching his face and letting him have all the words out before he even thought to speak in response. He was right. The real world was out there and there wasn't shit anyone could do to change that. They didn't exist in some sort of bubble and if Emma thought she could control him or anything that he did, she was sorely mistaken. Eli had spent his whole life living up to other people's orders, following along like a lapdog because he hadn't known any better. Then Alex had been killed and he'd been set free and from that moment on, he vowed not to let himself fall into that trap again. He didn't want that. He knew that maybe Emma didn't either, but he wasn't sure how to make her understand if she wasn't willing to listen to him.

"I can't deal with the control," he told his brother. "I can't let myself be in the position where someone else feels like they're supposed to dictate things that affect me. I just can't. The argument is fucking stupid and she just wasn't getting it." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I told her everything. How could I have been so fucking stupid? I should have known better." His track record wasn't exactly the most spotless, after all. He had poor taste in women from the very start. He wanted people he could fix, but the problem was that he always picked the ones that couldn't be fixed or didn't want to be.

"Maybe I don't want to talk," he said, shaking his head. "Maybe it's for the best."

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 09:40 pm UTC (link)

Max and Jayne had been very lucky. They had found each other and managed to work things out. It hadn't always been easy and what worked for them wouldn't have worked for anybody else. Even his twin brother. He couldn't blame Eli for wanting it. But his brother was different, he needed things Max didn't. He was a planner, the kind of person who carefully considered things before doing them.

Max rolled his chair over and gripped his twin's shoulder. "I know, bro," he said. "Don't worry about it right now. Hang tight a minute. Lemme get one of the bartenders to close up for me." They'd understand when they found out Eli had collapsed. "You want to go back to your place or mine?" It was Eli's choice, he wasn't going to push him anymore than he had been tonight.

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followthevision
2014-08-31 09:46 pm UTC (link)

He didn't want to worry about it. He wanted to just go back to a week ago and rethink his movements. He needed time to think. He needed to let himself adjust to what had gone on and whether or not he could find a way to fix it. Hell, he needed to know that he wanted to.

"Mine," he said. He'd already spent enough time in Max's hair. He didn't need to overwhelm his twin any more than he already had. "I'm alright," he promised his brother, lifting his hand to pat his hand. "I'll just rest a bit, then I'll head home. Everything'll work out," he said. "And Max, thanks. For bringing me back."

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the_vagabond
2014-08-31 09:58 pm UTC (link)

Max shook his head. "I'll drive you," he said. He patted Eli's shoulder. "I will always bring you back, bro. We came into this world together, you aren't leaving me behind." Not that he'd ever died from a vision, but from the way they affected his twin physically, Max was always worried that one day one would.

"You didn't screw up. Even though you told her everything. She had to know everything if you were ever going to work. It's just how it has to be for us." Their dark pasts could catch up to them any time. It wasn't fair not to warn the people closest to them at the very least. They had to understand who Max and Eli were before to understand the men they were now. The good and the bad.

"If I don't drive you, I'll never get any sleep. Come on. Let's get you home." Then he would go home and curl up with Jayne and get back to level himself. But Eli first.

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