InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "well i thought i liked you'_'"

Lacus Clyne (fields_of_hope) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2013-08-12 10:54:00

Entry tags:

lacus clyne, sam merlotte, sougo okita, tyki mikk

[Action/Voice]
((OOC: Otherwise entitled 'Sougo and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.' Anyone who notices Lacus' very conspicuous absence is welcome to call her or drop by her place in the afternoon, though they might have to contend with a grumpy roommate who's having the worst day ever!))
***

[Waking in an unfamiliar place isn't half as troubling as knowing that she can't, at the moment, leave under her own power. Gingerly, Lacus assesses herself, grateful for the bandages on her neck and less so for the tender side of her face that is doubtless an ugly, mottled purple. Even less encouraging is how weak those few moments of movement have left her. Coordinators are quick to heal, but still human.]

[A quick assessment of the morning's postings tells her that the visitors from yesterday were indeed temporary. If that's in any way a relief, it's tinged with bitterness nonetheless. Indignation for this place and its constant manipulations will have to wait, however, as she has calls to make. It won't do for people to worry that she too has vanished without a trace.]

[Voice/Private - Sougo Okita]
Sougo? [Immediately, she regrets making the call herself. Her voice is weak and thin, no way he won't worry. She hates to do this after he's lost his sister. But surely Data's close by, she trusts that he wouldn't leave her alone like this, so he can help her explain things.]

[Voice/Private - Sam Merlotte]
[She waits until afternoon to call Sam, when perhaps she could sound a bit less upsetting. Unfortunately she can't muster much more energy and so probably sounds just as worrying, but she can't wait any longer before she's late for her shift.] Sam? I'm sorry, but [she has to take a breath before she can go on] I won't be able to come to work for a few days.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

action | I hate typos

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 02:44 pm UTC (link)

[Data made a makeshift clinic in one of the bedrooms, bandages and other assorted medical implements on a bedside table. Lacus managed to nearly lose consciousness again in the short time it took Sougo to arrive, but even disoriented there's no way she couldn't react to that voice. Whether his fears are telling in his tone or not, Lacus swears she can hear them. And she wants nothing more than to spare him that.]

[She can only turn her head so much with the heavy bandages on the side of her neck, but there's no covering the huge, ugly bruise on the left side of her face. It stands out all the more with her skin so deathly pale.]

Sougo... [She reaches out a weak hand.] Thank you for coming.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	action sadistfaction 2013-08-12 03:35 pm UTC (link)
	[As soon as he sees her hand, he quickly goes over to her and holds onto it. He looks at her, her bruising and her bandages quietly for a minute, taking it all in. This is the most upsetting day he's experienced in the prison, what with having lost his sister again, and now this... So incredibly upset that he was trembling.] Are you... gonna be okay? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 03:44 pm UTC (link)

[Her limp hand can barely hold onto his shaking one. The way he asks that nearly makes her cry again since she honestly doesn't know. It's not the injuries she's worried about, but how lost she feels. At least with Sougo here there's some anchor, and she is dearly grateful.]

[Rather than lie to him or give him a bad answer, she does her best to smile though it must not look as reassuring as she'd like.] I'm sorry about your sister.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	action sadistfaction 2013-08-12 04:59 pm UTC (link)
	[He holds her hand up to his cheek.] It's okay. It's okay, Lacus. I just want you to be okay. I can't lose you too. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 05:07 pm UTC (link)

[At that, she can't help but shed a few tears, both because she is devastated to be yet another source of pain for him today and because she has no way, none at all, to promise him that she won't leave him. She very nearly did last night, had it not been for Data's medical training.]

[It takes a few breaths to get her voice more or less controlled.] I'll be okay. [She knows that might be a lie, but she'll choose to be optimistic for his sake.]

I'm sorry. It all happened so fast, I couldn't... [Do anything. At all. She has had that feeling too often since arriving here a hundred eighty-odd days ago.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

sadistfaction
2013-08-12 07:13 pm UTC (link)

[He's not convinced. He is all too aware that anything can happen. Life is unpredictable, and it tended to be so in the most terrible of ways.

He continues to hold her hand, more for his own comfort than for hers. Why is it always like this? Why is it always the people he had trust in (to some extent)? Was he some sort of bad luck to others? In this moment, he felt that keeping his guard up and keeping others out was the only way to go, ever.

While he really wanted to help her, he felt it was useless. He already failed at preventing this from happening, after all. This never would have happened if he wasn't a complete selfish idiot and had asked her to join him and his sister yesterday.

Sougo sniffles, thinking of things he can say, but there is nothing he can say that will change this.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 07:30 pm UTC (link)

[Even beaten and drained, Lacus can see those wheels turning in his head and that more than her own situation makes her feel ill. They're both feeling helpless and that's no way to go about things. So like the caretaker she is, Lacus takes as deep a breath as she can manage and slowly exhales, pushing down her own emotions and composing herself. At the very least, she can let Sougo know she needs him, that he matters to her, so much that he was the first thought once she woke.]

[She squeezes his hand as best she can.]

Do you think you could... take me home? [A breath was needed mid-sentence, but only a small one. She's forcing herself to sound more normal and is marginally successful.] I'll rest better there.

[She's dreading trying to walk, but maybe with support she could. And it would give him something to do for her.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	action sadistfaction 2013-08-12 08:07 pm UTC (link)
	[He nods. That was something he can do for her, at the very least.] That's fine. [He proceeds with slowly getting her up and into his arms, trying to be as careful as possible.] I can carry you. I don't want you to overexert yourself. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 08:19 pm UTC (link)

[His lifting her reveals a few new injuries, some bad scrapes down her shoulders and back from when Spike tackled her. But she doesn't let herself so much as wince as Sougo gathers her up. Even though Lacus is petite by any standard, she's impressed by how easily he does it. She remembers how that night he passed out on the sofa after sake that he wanted her to tell him how strong he is, and regrets that doing so now would seem somehow strange. But next time she'll mean it.]

[Lacus leans her head on his shoulder and tries to keep her blood-matted hair out of the way.] Thank you, Sougo.

I should be much better in a day or two. I just lost some blood. [A lot of it. If she were a natural human she'd be dead right now.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

sadistfaction
2013-08-12 09:04 pm UTC (link)

[He highly doubts she lost just some blood, if she looks as terrible as she does, but he can understand her wanting to make light of the situation. He can't help but to think it's a little silly, however, being that he's no stranger to the appearance of bloody dead bodies.]

You're welcome.

[He decides not to make a comment regarding whether or not he thinks she really will be better in a day or two. Anything he could think of saying would only make him a downer, and this is not a situation that needed to be any worse than it already was.

And now as he starts to walk on, he makes an attempt to bring light to the situation.]

I'll be your M and do as you wish until you feel better, Mistress Lacus.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 09:14 pm UTC (link)

[Because there's a vast difference between a bloody dead body and the bloody dead body of someone you care about. It's Lacus' own way of trying to make the best of things without being outright delusional in her optimism. She's many things, but not naive.]

[Sougo's joke is a good one, and makes her chuckle for a second -- until she starts coughing and has to catch her breath. But she manages it quickly enough to reply and hope that her minor setback will pass by mostly unnoticed.] You should be careful. I may get used to it.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	action sadistfaction 2013-08-12 11:30 pm UTC (link)
	Like I'd let that happen. [He decided he wouldn't attempt anymore jokes, since he didn't like the way she sounded. Once he is out of that apartment, he speeds up his walking. He wanted to get her home and resting as soon as possible. As much as he wanted to keep talking to her to know that she was doing okay, he fell silent, focused only on getting her home.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-12 11:36 pm UTC (link)

[Unfortunately, Lacus being silent is not in the cards, however much it would serve her own benefit. All she wants is to be of comfort, somehow, and so she's going to keep trying.]

I wouldn't either. I like you best the way you are. [Her fingers curl in the material of his shirt, just barely. As much clinging as she can realistically do.]

...I should have called you sooner. [So much for comfort, but she's not exactly thinking straight, and the words are out before she could stop them.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

sadistfaction
2013-08-13 12:07 am UTC (link)

[Even in her terrible situation, she still did her best to pay him compliments. It wasn't unusual for him to disagree and to feel unworthy of her kind words, but he didn't even have it in him to protest.]

It's okay. Don't worry about it. [He would have liked it if she had called sooner had he known, but nothing could be done about that now. ]

When we get home, I'll stay with you and lie beside you if you want, okay? [Sharing a bed was something they had discussed before, and Sougo had originally turned it down due to his discomforts and insecurities. But this was a time where he felt he could use her comfort, and surely she would like his comfort as well.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-13 12:15 am UTC (link)

[Precious little chance of her not worrying, though she doesn't press the issue. It wasn't something she planned to say, just that right now she's saying whatever's in her head to say because she's in pain and lightheaded and miserable and desperately trying to make it better. She'd be a little more graceful in her attempts if she wasn't fighting to stay awake; her body just wants to shut down and conserve energy until it heals.]

[Sougo's offer catches her off-guard (also not a thing typically done, it's a testament to her condition that he's able), and for a long moment she can't decide whether she wants to smile or cry again. It's so unexpectedly sweet and caring and everything she needs right now.]

[She doesn't try to talk until she's sure she's not going to cry, which takes a moment. She spends the time nestling into his shoulder and evening out her shallow breathing.] If you want to, I'm sure it would bring me comfort to know you're close.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	action sadistfaction 2013-08-13 12:38 am UTC (link)
	[He nods.] Yeah. I won't let anything else happen to you. [Not if he could help it, anyway. Even if that meant he needed to make someone bleed, he will. He falls silent again. The more he thought about everything, the more upset he felt, and the more he wanted to punch walls and cry and hurt someone.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-13 12:47 am UTC (link)

[Lacus finds herself uneasy each time he goes quiet, unnerved by what she imagines must be going through his head. Sougo tends to blame himself for everything, and surely he'll find a way to do so this time. At least, she has to try and head that off before it becomes dangerous.]

I know. [That answer isn't to placate him or puff up his ego; she knows he wouldn't let anything happen to her. If she hadn't been avoiding their apartment to try and give him space with Mitsuba it wouldn't have happened.]

Do you want to know what happened? [Her breathing isn't getting better, she feels like she ran three marathons without even a drink of water, but this is important.] I'll tell you everything, if you do.

[She just wants to be clear that she's not hiding anything, or trying to protect him, or cover anything up. She doesn't want the general public knowing but Sougo is on a different level. She wouldn't lie to him to spare him from possibly getting hurt by hunting Spike down; it would only hurt him more if she tried to hide it because of course Sougo would take it badly. Either she trusts him or she doesn't, there's no halfway. And she most definitely does.]

[(It occurs to her that she couldn't do the same with Neil, that time she had a black eye and told him she'd be working overnight so he wouldn't see. She couldn't even be totally upfront with Kira either, since the timing was so strange. She's not so sure what to make of that.)]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

sadistfaction
2013-08-13 01:31 am UTC (link)

[He's glad she knows that at least, considering he wasn't sure he believed it himself.]

Yes, of course I want to know what happened. I really want to know, but... [He wanted to know right now, just so that something is cleared up. However, he was't sure the timing was appropriate.] You can... hold off until later, I guess, after you've rested, if that makes it easier.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action

fields_of_hope
2013-08-13 06:56 am UTC (link)

[Grateful for the reprieve, since she's in no hurry to relive the whole thing. Each time she thinks back, it's all she can do not to shake and sob in post-traumatic reaction. For now, Lacus feels safe in his arms, as safe as she could feel just now, and she is loathe to ruin it.]

[Besides that, she's feeling sleepier and less focused by the moment. It's likely she won't be awake long after he's set her down in bed. ~~Which clearly means there should be a timeskip until she wakes up because she has things to say! THINGS!~~] Okay.

[However, she can guess at his possible train of thought, so there is one thing she must make clear immediately.] It wasn't Tyki. [Somehow, she thinks that would be his first thought, and it's not that she would blame him for the guess. Tyki is dangerous, and she well knows it. But if Tyki were to hurt her, it wouldn't be in this way. It would be far, far more profound. And, right now, Lacus truly doesn't believe Tyki would hurt her to begin with. Eventually, perhaps, but not now.]

[The thought flits through her mind to tell Sougo that Tyki found her and likely already went after the person responsible for her state, but explaining it would be too trying right now, and she doesn't want to give Sougo the impression that she called Tyki. It will be a difficult enough explanation why she called Data instead of Sougo. Her reasoning was based on caring, though she's not certain how much that might matter.]

[She knows all these things must be said, eventually. Not yet.]

[Lacus leans her cheek against him.] You're warm. [Which feels good considering how cold she is. Not a good sign, that.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sadistfaction
2013-08-13 08:00 pm UTC (link)

[It wasn't Tyki. Okay. Sure. He would still question Tyki, however, because he just doesn't trust the guy. He would question absolutely anyone, even if they weren't the types who would get involved in something like this. Perhaps it was the cop part of him who believed in questioning everyone. He felt it was his right to interrogate everyone.]

I would hope that I'm warm. I feel really hot, actually. [Due to his stresses, perhaps, but he was attempting to be comforting.] Hope you can hang on a little longer. We're getting closer.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

fields_of_hope
2013-08-13 08:24 pm UTC (link)

[Sougo's pool of suspects will likely drop dramatically once he sees what kind of wounds she's sporting under all that gauze. The idea of Sougo trying to fight a vampire isn't comforting, but Lacus already knows she won't even try to stop him. He doesn't like it when she interferes, and it won't do to convey a lack of trust. He'll be okay -- she'll just keep telling herself that.]

[She smiles faintly and shivers, suddenly conscious of how chill the air feels.] I should borrow some of your warmth for a while. I can't seem to make enough.

[Her voice gets shallow, almost hoarse now that she's drifting in half-consciousness and not trying as hard to maintain it. Too much hyperventilating, too little hydration.]

Could you... tell me everything's going to be okay? [It's the first time she's been out of it enough to be totally honest about how very, very scared she is. Her limp fingers make every effort to curl into the fabric of his shirt but end up just shaking.] Please?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sadistfaction
2013-08-13 08:49 pm UTC (link)

[Sougo puts a hand on her cheek, trying to somehow hold her closer. There's not much he can do, but he wanted to try. The things she was saying were scaring him.]

You can have as much of my warmth as you want.

[He's not exactly sure how that would work, but if it would bring her an ounce of comfort, then it was for the best.]

Everything is going to be okay, Lacus. Everything will be just fine. You'll make it okay, because you top everything.

[His voice shaky, hating the fact that he had to tell her something he was uncertain about. Everything is shitty, was what he actually wanted to say. Everything sucks.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

fields_of_hope
2013-08-13 09:04 pm UTC (link)

[Eyes closed, she leans heavily against him. Almost there, right? And she can rest for a while, and warm up under five blankets and fall asleep on her favorite pillow, and when she wakes up and reaches out he'll be right there. That's all she wants in the world.]

You always take care of me. [Lacus makes an attempt to reach her hand up toward his face, only making it a few inches.] I have to be okay. So one day I can take care of you.

[A long pause. She's shivering pretty steadily, now. The longer she's awake it's like her body just gives out little by little.] Almost there...

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sadistfaction
2013-08-13 10:08 pm UTC (link)

[He's not entirely sure that he always takes care of her, but it was nice to know that she felt that way.]

All right. Here we go.

[He enters their residential building and heads right on over to their apartment. For a moment he debated on trying to enter as quietly as possible, so as not to startle her, but being faster was far more important than being quiet.]

Just a little more.

[He opens the door, then kicks it in attempt to shut it, not that it was as effective as it could have been. It wasn't that important.

He makes his way over to her room, slowly and carefully placing her on her bed.]

There. In a second I'm going to get you more blankets and some water. Is there anything else you need?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

fields_of_hope
2013-08-13 10:28 pm UTC (link)

[Less careful with her expression now, Lacus winces as the scrapes down her back burn when she's laid down. Minor compared to her other problems, true, but not easily ignored when her focus is all but gone. She curls up on her side, as if in self protection, tries in vain to stop shivering.]

Just don't leave me alone. [That may be the only thing in the world she truly fears, and only when she's this far gone would she ever voice it.]

[Mercifully and despite her shaking, as he puts blankets over her she lapses into a fitful sleep, and for the next while the occasional urgent murmur is all she voices. Her breathing slowly evens out into a much more reassuring, normal sound.]