019 || [Action]

[fearless_damsel]

 [Heather isn't known for being one of the most stable people in the school. She stays up late, can be found wandering around campus long after the sun has disappeared, winds up in the infirmary much too often with a strange assortment of injuries...

But this is a bit different.

It's the evening, the sunlight dimmed, sky colored a light gray--

Comments

own thread own thread IGNORES THE ONE ABOVE

[sharpstone]

[ Fang's not usually an insomniac, but there's just too much going on lately to let her rest easy. The lingering threat of the Darkness, the falling island, and her own personal demons all mean that Fang is even more driven than usual...and every day without something happening is just another day for her to get more tightly wound up.

This, however, is a perfect example of being careful of what you wish for: Heather's current appearance, her blood-stained clothes and wild eyes, make for a very worrying sight. ]

Heather! You alright? [ But she doesn't see any threats... ] What's the trouble?

[sharpstone]

[ Fang smiles broadly. She knew Heather could do it. ] You got that right.

[ So saying, she covers the rest of the ground between them and hugs Heather, ignoring the blood for right this second. One arm's around Heather's waist, the other hand on the back of Heather's head as Fang speaks in a softer tone. ]

Easy now - I've got ya. It's just a nightmare, Kitten, and it's over now. You're alright.

[fearless_damsel]

[For a moment, Fang remains as the Closer in Heather's eyes, and she flinches and stiffens fittingly-- who the hell wants to be hugged by a Closer? But she isn't crushed to death, and more clips of Fang's voice confirms it. This is Fang. Once she admits it, the Closer image breaks apart, leaving only her professor underneath.

Heather's first reaction is relief-- she's so happy to not be alone in this place for once, and her company is someone she'd say she was close to. She whimpers slightly and trembles, and briefly buries her face in Fang's shoulder.]
... Fang, I--

[But if the Closer was Fang, then this isn't real. This isn't the Otherworld at all, is it? She tenses and looks up in time to watch the Otherworld peel away from reality, leaving not the nightmarish hallway, but the dorm hall she's familiar with. This isn't real. None of it. Or... was it...? Her eyes dart around wildly, disoriented and frightened again.]

What-- N-no, this is... No, this is all wrong, this... isn't... I saw it, dammit...!

[sharpstone]

Focus. [ Her tone is firm but not unkind. Fang pulls back slightly, putting her hands on Heather's shoulders. What happened? She had her for a second - she doesn't want Heather to slip back into whatever was going on. ] Heather, look at me. It's Fang; we're in Aldale. Everything's fine.

[ That last part is a lie. Fang's noticed the blood, and when someone's leaving handprints like that, things are almost never "fine". But her first priority is to get Heather calmed down and stable, otherwise they'll be right back at square one.

...She'd thought earlier that Heather could pose a threat to the other students, and Fang's hoping that's not the case. But Heather had attacked her out of nowhere, and not everyone can take a hit like she can. Fang puts the matter out of mind - she was creating problems she didn't know she had. ]

Talk to me. I'm here; I'm real- [ her hands tighten slightly on Heather's shoulders to emphasize the point ] -so depend on that. What's goin' on? What're you seeing?

[fearless_damsel]

[She takes in a few shaky breaths before forcing herself to make eye contact with Fang again. She isn't insane, what she saw was real, just invisible to everyone else, right? Like it always is. She should make her case, prove that she has at least a sliver of sanity left. It's more difficult than she expects or hopes.]

The... The Otherworld. It's everywhere-- there were monsters, I... I don't just hallucinate, it... had to be there, just... no one can see it. It's messing with my head again...

[But Fang is real, she knows that. Or she... thinks she knows that. Messing with her head indeed. She looks down at her hands idly, the faded blood staining them.]
You were... one of them. The monsters. I thought you were gonna... kill me if I didn't kill you first.

[sharpstone]

Thus the comment about my big stupid head, I take it. [ That's said lightly, almost as a joke - Fang wasn't offended by that. But there's a thin line that she has to tread; Fang's trying to remember what she knows about Heather's power, but she's also projecting a little. Her own personal demon is fueled by negative emotions, and from what she remembers from the time Heather really lost control, she's assuming the Otherworld works similarly. So she wants to keep Heather calm and grounded in reality while still getting the information she needs. ]

I believe ya. You wouldn't come after me otherwise. [ Heather's reaction when she realized Fang was real confirms this in her mind. No offense, Heather, but Fang doesn't think you're good enough of an actor to pull that off. She must have lost control of her power again; honestly, that's a little worrying, especially after the recent episode with the dogs

[fearless_damsel]

[She tries not to let her eye contact waver, but she fails. Her eyes wander down to the blood on her hands. She swallows dryly.]

... Yeah. There were... a few, I... I ran from most of them, but... [Her hands begin to shake.] I... killed one. And the others ran.

[There is a dull sense of dread, no longer the frantic terror of earlier. Somehow, this feels more stifling. Killed... It was a person, wasn't it? Not a monster at all. Not one of her monsters.]

so. many. words. oh man i just looked at it in preview i am so sorry

[sharpstone]

[ Killed? Fang can't stop her reaction - her eyes narrow and her lips press into a line. Not good. Not good at all. Now it's Fang who looks away, past Heather, eyes on one of the handprints but not really seeing it as she thinks quickly. Obviously the first priority is go to find whoever Heather attacked, but considering Fang's first-hand experience with the school's "teleport the dying to the infirmary" spell, she's holding out hope that Heather didn't really kill someone. Still, she has to go make sure

Haha, don't apologize! Your words are awesome, I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. :U

[fearless_damsel]

[She stares silently up at Fang, eyes strangely vacant. She seems preoccupied, as if she doesn't quite understand everything that's happening. It all feels too surreal, but she forces herself to keep listening. What is real? She isn't sure she even knows anymore. This definitely isn't the first time she has questioned her sanity, but it's the first time in a long time that she's had an episode like this. The one other time this happened didn't have nearly as much impact as this one already has.

She keeps her eyes trained on Fang as she speaks, trying to hold onto anything that feels more real.
Her eyes only waver at mentions of it being responsibility-- she knows it is, and she was not planning on running from it or shoving it under any rug... but talking to the principal? That would mean she'd have to explain everything she and her father worked so hard to keep hidden. She'll have to figure something out, some way to keep as little information leaked as possible. But that would be avoiding her responsibility, wouldn't it

i just always feel like a nut when that happens ;;

[sharpstone]

[ None of this is set in stone: Fang's making this up as she goes along, after all. She'll be open to renegotiating the plan, but the point was to give Heather something to hold onto. Wavering or backtracking now would only muddy the waters.

Looking at Heather, Fang wishes she could be in two places at once - she's not too keen on the idea of Heather being on her own right now. She's not that worried about the Otherworld returning, but Heather just seems so out of it, so different than how Fang usually thinks of her.

But Fang dismisses the notion. Besides being impossible, she doubts Heather would react well to being babysat right now. There isn't anything left to say, and Fang's out of time to delay. She needs to go find that student. ]

[ She gives Heather another quick hug. ] Be back before you know it. [ And since they're so conveniently near the staircase, Fang's gone in just a few seconds. ]

((ooc: would you like to do the supportive chat thing? and if so do you want it to be here/in a new post?))

Aw, but you should not! ;w; /patpat

[fearless_damsel]

[She watches Fang leave, expressionlessly. She just... stands there for a moment, staring off into thin air, as if in a trance. The next moment, she blinks, aware again. She gives a brief look at the blood on her hands-- it's a sight that's a bit too common for her comfort. She clenches that hand into a fist, like a test if she's functioning properly

fine by me keeping it here - I just didn't know if you were sick to death of this post!

[sharpstone]

[ Despite Fang's last remark, it takes a while for her to get back to her room. First she'd had to find the student and take him over to the infirmary, then checked over the rest of campus just to make sure she didn't miss anyone. Then it'd been back to the clinic for a status update on the kid and giving the doctor on a duty an (extremely sketchy) outline of what had happened, leaving Heather's name out of it. Only then could she come back to Shyvere.

She opens the door, calling out softly. ] Heather? I'm back.

[ As she closes the door, she gets a good look at herself and shakes her head. She's got blood on her, the consequence of first hugging Heather and then carrying the kid over to the clinic, plus the bruises from earlier are starting to form. She's a pretty sight. Well, first things first. ]

Found the kid. Doctor said he'll be fine, though I think they're gonna keep him there for a day or two.

Hang on a tick. [ She goes back into her bedroom and reemerges just a minute later, sans her sari and arm guards, tucking the ends

I will never be sick of it. For it is beautiful with its RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF COMMENTS. :D

[fearless_damsel]

[She looks up with a slight start, caught in the middle of, well, pacing a hole in the carpet. She stops and turns to face Fang.] Hey... [Her hair is damp, and the blood and grime on her skin has been scrubbed away; there are some small cuts and bruises visible now on her face and hands, but nothing serious. She is wearing what she was-- a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans-- minus the vest, which she has discarded on the floor by her feet, bloodied side up. We don't want to bloody up your room too much, Fang. ;;

She looks away and nods at the mention of her victim.] ... Good. [A pause.] Those doctors must've seen every injury ever by now.

... I'll be alright. Just... [A small, bitter laugh.] Trying not to go crazy.

I'm glad to hear that. Especially because here are more words.

[sharpstone]

[ Well, Fang did offer it as an option. She can hardly blame Heather for taking her up on it. As for the blood, Fang doesn't mind too much - if she wasn't good at getting blood stains out, her clothing budget would be a lot more than it is.

Fang makes one last stop - poking her head into the bathroom long enough to grab a small, clean towel. She unfolds it as she walks over, then puts it over Heather's head and starts to gently tousle her hair dry. Please accept the physical affection and care-taking. ] We do tend to get into scraps around here.

[ There's a slight pause. Despite Fang's outgoing nature she is, in many respects, a very private person. With a few exceptions, she doesn't go out of her way to hide anything, but it's rare for her to volunteer too much as well. She's been trying to figure out how to say this, and she doesn't have any better idea how to begin than she did before. Her voice is soft. ]Look, I dunno exactly how your power works or what you see. But you're not crazy, least not any more than the rest of us. ...I

So. Beautiful. /tears of joy ;A;

[fearless_damsel]

[She accepts the gesture, without her awkward reflexes kicking in for once-- she doesn't flinch or tense at the contact. You may or may not notice that Heather's roots are showing through more than usual, the blonde fading out and streaked by black. She'll have to re-dye it soon. She looks up at Fang quietly as she speaks, listening intently

Hahah, so long as you're pleased!

[sharpstone]

Oh, I've definitely got a few screws loose. I thought it was part of my charm, really. [ Fang isn't too attached to life. She can't be - her mark seems to be inert, or at least not advancing any, but Vanille's certainly is. And Fang's never once for an instant considered their fates as separate. Vanille's timer is hers, as real to her as if her mark were active. Which means, considering where it's at and how fast it's moving, that she probably has a year left - eighteen months if she's lucky, six if she isn't. It's funny, in a very dark way: though Fang keeps thinking of it as the end, she won't actually die. She'll live forever one way or another, either as a monster or as crystal.

But why bring it up? There's nothing anyone can do. It is the one thing that Fang accepts as inevitable, unchangeable. Nothing is impossible, except escaping her fate. She acknowledges this, but it would probably just upset people. They may hate her when she's gone for keeping it a secret, but they'll have to adapt and move on. ]Fair warning: my guy'll