Nobody is smart but Daryl Hockney (the_automaton) wrote in musingslogs, @ 2011-03-03 20:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | elle woods, sherlock holmes |
Who: Rowan and Daryl
What: The sister and girlfriend finally meet for real
Where: Bathos 104
When: 2/23 (last Wednesday)
Warnings: Mega awkward and squish
Not long after her release from the hospital, Daryl found herself incapable of staying in her apartment. It was empty. There was nothing on the walls, no furniture, and coats of saran wrap over the floors. Normally, she found this comforting. For some strange reason, she now found it intimidating. So she took Toby - despite Kyle’s generous offer to mind him, she found herself needing the great dane’s presence - down to Adam’s apartment on Monday morning, not long after he had gone to work. She hadn’t asked permission, but the thought didn’t occur to her. His apartment was safe. There were memories of him everywhere, simple memories that played like pleasant white noise in the back of her mind. And everything smelled like him, the smell that calmed her in both Kyle’s car and the hospital. She found herself easing into normalcy by surrounding herself with Adam’s routines. She had no idea why, but it helped.
By Wednesday, she had stopped bothering to get clothing of her own from upstairs. She simply wrapped herself in one of his button-down shirts, a pair of his sweatpants slung low around her hips. It wasn’t cold in his apartment, but she felt the need to cover her arms and legs - even though the bandaged snakebites wouldn’t be seen by anyone, she had to keep them hidden. It was a necessary. The innocent bandages played their placement over and over in her mind, images of the angry red bites threatening to surface. So she devised the best way to overcome this unpleasantry - a distraction.
Laying on Adam’s bed, hair a tangled mess and Toby curled against her side, Daryl let herself fall into a memory. One of Adam’s ties was wrapped - front side down - around her left palm and wrist much like an athletic bandage. With her eyes closed, she could “see” the board room and the faces of everyone else present. Adam’s voice played over their expressions, allowing her to savor every tiny reaction and response. This was a very productive meeting, and he was doing very well. The corners of her lips curled slightly as she leaned her cheek against Toby’s fur, finding herself to be strangely content.
Then a knock sounded at the door.
Toby let out a sharp bark, prompting Daryl to sit up quickly. Heart pounding, she laid a finger over his snout. “No,” she said firmly. Once he had calmed, she slid off the bed, leaving the tie wrapped around her hand and arm as she walked to the door. Toby followed at her heels, darting ahead once the door was in sight. He stood close to the doorknob, letting out low half-barks as he began to paw at the door itself. Daryl pushed him away, raising her voice just slightly. “No. Toby, sit.” He looked up at her, tail low, and reluctantly sat on his haunches. “Stay.” When he froze, she turned to the door, turning the knob and opening it slowly.
Though he stayed seated, Toby leaned forward as the door opened. Daryl looked up at the guest, recognizing her from photographs - Rowan Morgenstern. She hesitated, feeling a very strange sensation in her chest. Nerves? But Daryl Hockney was never nervous. Perhaps it was a byproduct of her vulnerability. Only now did she realize how small and fragile she looked, Adam’s clothing swamping her petite frame. Keeping her hand on the doorknob, she did her best to keep her surprise and unease out of her face. “Miss Morgenstern,” she said cordially. “Hello.” She considered trying to send her away, but realized that wouldn’t make a good impression. Instead, she took a slight step backwards. “Do come in.” She paused, glancing to Toby. Though he was sitting, he looked as if his head were about to explode with the effort of staying still. “Do you mind dogs? I can put him in another room, if you would prefer.”