WHO: Artemisia Rice, Richard Walker, and Ozymandias Vick WHAT: Misha brings Richard oatmeal after everyone disappears. He gives her a kiss. Ozzy ruins her Precious Moment because he's a tool. Or because people are missing.
Misha didn't know how bad it had gotten. How could she? She assumed that "Jim" was an imprint. He had to be an imprint. He couldn't be another personality in Richard's poor brain. It was hard to think about the following day, when so many people turned up missing. Before Richard got up, Misha handled breakfast and cleaned up, shaken by Madeline's absence, by Bravo's absence----but she had Richard to think of and take care of.
She brought him some oatmeal when she was done, with some syrup and brown sugar and cinnamon. "Jim..?" Cautious, uncertain. She took small steps into the room and went to Richard's pod. "Jim, I got you some breakfast."
Richard was just waking up, sitting up and stretching. "Hm...? Misha, who are you talking to?" He didn't remember going to bed the night before, but he'd obviously made it there somehow.
"I... you, I'm talking to you." Misha sat down, dangling her feet in his pod. "Richard?" She knew him. She knew the difference. Richard turned into a stranger but he was back. He was real.
"Well ... yeah." Richard made a face, dragging himself up and sitting on the side of the pod instead. "Did something happen?"
"You went to bed, calling yourself Jim," she breathed, offering out the oatmeal. "I even went to Alpha and asked him what he did to you. But it wasn't Alpha, was it, Richard. What ain't you been tellin' me?"
Richard took it, having the grace to at least look embarrassed. "...Misha." Here we go. "I got worse after you left---not because you left, that was just how things went. I'm sick. You probably met an alter I don't know about."
"Alter... alter, what? Like your other half?" Misha watched him carefully. "You got more personalities? They---after I left, you got more?"
He nodded. "Alters. Topher managed to get rid of everyone, for a while. By the time you showed up, I had one other one, and after, they all came back. I know some of them, but half the time, I just black out."
Misha watched the oatmeal bowl, frowning. "I... wow. I had no idea, I didn't know..." It was a little overwhelming. "How many are----how many are there?" She looked up again and her eyes were glassy.
Richard shook his head. "I have no idea."
Misha reached out to touch his cheek, leaning across the pod. "I'm so sorry," she said. "If I'd been there... I know I didn't cause it but I coulda been there to help. If you black out an' don't remember, how do you even... how did you even survive. Did you have anybody? Did you meet----" Someone else. Someone who wasn't her. She always took care of him.
"I manage." Barely. Richard was petrified of being committed to a facility and stubbornly refused to seek out help. "I don't have a choice. I had to manage."
"You have me," Misha said after a moment. "You have me. I can help you. Let me help you. I had no idea... I wish I could've known. I never would have come here if I'd known you mighta needed me."
He shook his head again. "No. No, I don't expect you to take care of me. Coming to the Dollhouse wasn't about me, it was about you. They helped me, for a little while, I'd rather you get what you need than look after me. Obviously that's not going to happen, considering what this place has turned into."
"So if I'm not going to get what I need, I can give you what you need. If you keep switchin' with no one to help you... you'll run into trouble. Really. It happens pretty often, imprints happen... but..." She moved to sit beside him instead. "Bravo has Jack to look after him, it's.. I can look after you, like I always did." She leaned over to nudge his shoulder with a kiss.
Richard had no idea that people had up and disappeared, and that was probably for the best. He relaxed against her, resting his head on her shoulder and sighing. "Okay." That ... sounded great, actually. "Okay."
Misha didn't want to tell him, didn't want to scare him. What if he changed? But... she couldn't not tell him. "You're gonna find this out, but... Richard, some folks disappeared this mornin'. Bravo, Jack, some other people. Topher, Adelle. It's... um." She grimaced. "Dunno where they are but they gotta be safe. If they're dead it's always a public show." She slowly wrapped an arm around him, squeezed his shoulder. Just stay calm, Richard, stay calm.
Richard frowned, closing his eyes. Stay calm. Stay in control. "So they're probably not dead," he said quietly. "If they're not dead, we won't panic." Richard won't panic.
"They're... no, sugar, they ain't dead, okay? They ain't dead." Misha kissed the top of his head. "Just breathe, don't worry. I just wanted to tell you. Eat your oatmeal, all right..?"
"It smells good." Optimism! Optimism! "You didn't have to get breakfast for me. Thank you."
"Did I tell you? I'm the cook. Well, assistant. Madeline's gone, though, so... I have to take over. If I don't, it's a free-for-all in the kitchen and we're all on rations, so it ain't... just eat up. You dunno what'll happen to the food later. We had a fire in the food stores once, we were all starvin'. I had to set somethin' aside for you." She'd give Richard her rations if she couldn't work out exactly how to handle the new addition.
She was quiet, watching him eat. "Do you know anythin'? About your alters? Or is it all a blur?"
"Mostly a blur. It's really hit or miss right now." Indefinitely. Richard was quickly heading in the direction of completely non-functional. He'd never wanted Misha to know, but if he was going to be here, she needed to.
"You want----I can get you a notebook. You kept notebooks. I can help. Write down names, the things that you say that you won't remember. We can put together a catalog of everythin' you do when you ain't... you." Misha didn't know how bad it was, but she had a feeling. Richard didn't get all quiet unless it was bad. "An' maybe we can get Topher to help you again, if... he gets free." And isn't insane. "He can't just cure you? You'd think..."
Richard looked up at her, a little surprised. "You would do that for me." His notebooks were ... sort of secret. Misha knew they existed, but she'd never read one, let alone written in one. He wasn't even going to entertain the idea that Topher would come back and be able to help him. That was a hell of a lot to assume. "I ... thank you."
Misha smiled. "Sugar, what do you take me for..? Somebody's gotta take care of you." She reached out and touched his cheek, brushing her thumb down the length of his nose. "Better be someone who cares about you."
So, Richard was a crazy person, but he was fairly stable at the moment, and it was fair to say he was in his right mind when he leaned in and kissed her.
Misha blinked softly, freezing for a moment like she had to realize this was real. He was new to the Dollhouse. She remembered a time when she didn't know who he was, though she'd known him for years prior to coming here. She knew him. She took care of him. She'd fallen asleep in his arms countless times. Did she love him? Absolutely. And if she could kiss Ozzy, she could kiss Richard.
Taking in a slow breath, she almost shivered when she kissed him back, her fingertips still against his cheek.
They were happy to stay there and kiss---but life didn't agree with that plan. And by life, we mean Ozymandias Vick, who came jogging into the room and stopped for a moment, making a face.
"...Hey."
Richard pulled back. Not embarrassed, just kind of annoyed. "Hey."
"We're all supposed to be in the atrium for a head count."
Misha just barely peeked around Richard. For someone who normally seemed to follow the rules so politely, she swung her feet and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Just add two to your total, sugar." She was busy, thanks. Way to ruin a moment. Seriously. God, Ozzy! She didn't waltz on in while Oz was in the middle of his first freakin' kiss with Ava, now did she? And how long had Ozzy been in love with her? Yeah! You just don't do that to people! Tch!
Oz frowned. "This really isn't the time. You can shag all you want later. Let's go."
Misha looked like she was halfway to punching Ozzy in the jaw. She didn't want to end this moment, because the last time she had a moment that ended, someone ended up with someone else. She didn't have good luck or... consistency or... well, no.
No.
She knew Richard. She knew him. She knew that Richard would want to kiss her when they got back.
It was just a matter of whether or not he'd be Richard when they got back.