10)) mourning

[andcountry]

Ben has [ pause ] died.

[ A drop of water soaks into the page but is hastily smeared. What drop? You didn't see a drop. ]

There is no body, just [ another pause ] some personal effects.

Comments

Quicklog for Genius

[andcountry]

[ Cephiro walked into the clinic not long after writing the probably too-short announcement, still pale-faced, tight-lipped, and red-eyed. Then he stopped. He had initially thought that what he had at the moment constituted a medical issue, but now he wasn't so sure.

Here there were patient sign-in sheets. He wasn't a patient, that much was certain. And he didn't have a patient with him. He was pretty sure all he had was a grimy mechanical hand carefully wrapped in equally-grimy robes. That wasn't a patient. If he wasn't a patient and he didn't have one in tow, what was he even doing here?

There were also double doors leading to an area of the clinic that you were probably weren't supposed to enter without a nurse with you. He technically had part of a nurse with him, but the overly calm part of his brain that was keeping him upright and making more-or-less sensible decisions deemed this insufficient for just waltzing into the clinic proper.

So, Cephiro just stood there blinking and staring blankly as he considered his options. There was (a) walking up to the front desk and saying, "Excuse me, I have a disembodied hand. What should I do?" or (b) crying. Because he was apparently full of initiative today, he did both. ]

Excuse me...

\o/ QL

[man_genius]

Numbness. That's all Genius felt as he stumbled his way through the halls of Medical. At some level he felt detached from his body, as though he was looking on from a distance. This was fine with him. After all, what was he supposed to feel? Sniper was dead. Fred, Cloud and Grift were alive. Veda was alive and doing well. Ben was dead. Even the most sane person would have a difficult time dealing with such a rollercoaster of emotions, so for Genius it was much easier to shut himself off. Click. Like the flip of a switch. Too much to process in too short of time.

The mood at Medical was a somber one. Ben had been one of them after all and news traveled so quickly. Nobody said anything when Genius decided to leave early. He stayed just long enough to check up on a recovering Veda before he made his way out towards the lobby.

He was just in time to run into a sad little boy holding a bloody bundle of rags. Wait--no. Not just any boy…]

Cephiro?! What happ--

[He cut himself off. Ben.]

QL

[andcountry]

[ Cephiro looked at the ground and didn't say anything for a second or two. ]

I don't know what to do with his hand.

oops I totally fucked up that HTML. Sorry!

[man_genius]

His hand?

[For a minute, Genius looked rather green as he stared at what was left of Ben. Then, maybe because Cephiro looked like a child and all adults have an instinctive urge to not lose their shit in front of children, he snapped out of it. The receptionist looked horrified and there was a small crowd starting to gather around them.]

Let's...go back inside.

[He pushed the door back open and gestured for Cephiro to follow him.]

It's cool~ o/

[andcountry]

[ Cephiro followed Genius, glancing wordlessly back at the gathering crowd as he did so. He hadn't been expecting that kind of reaction, but retrospectively it probably made sense. He should have known. There was a delicate way to go about these things, right? ]

Sorry...

^_^

[man_genius]

[He took a deep breath.]

Yeah me too.

[He led Cephiro to the lab, which was one of the quietest places in Medical.]

Are you ok? [pause]> Hurt. I mean. Injured. You're obviously...not ok. None of us are...

[Keep it together, Brink!]

Just--here, let me take it. [He held out his hands.]

[andcountry]

[ He handed the bundle containing the hand over. Only the hand - the memory crystal was tucked away in his bag. It felt a lot like stealing, keeping it, but at the same time it didn't feel right to put it in with the destroyed clothing and the hand. It was different - dangerous - and not something just anyone would want to find out about. If and when someone was ready, there were enough clues in the clothing that they would know to ask for it. If no one asked, then he'd just hold onto it until Ben came back. If Ben didn't come back... well, he'd figure that out when it was time. ]

I'm fine-- [ he shook his head ] ... Not injured.

good lord i am really failing at HTML today

[man_genius]

[Genius cradled the hand gently, as though it were a newborn and not the only thing left of his ...friend? Yes. Ben was his friend. They'd managed to repair their relationship to a point where Genius could think that word. He was glad that they had.

He gave the kid a quick once over, then sighed. Genius had no idea what to say--he was so bad at providing comfort to other people.]

I'm going to kick his ass when he gets back.

[He blinked. That was not what he thought he was going to say.]

He's a Jedi. He should have known better than to--do whatever he did to get the Tree to do this! [He closed his eyes.]

You shouldn't have had to...you know. This. God was there nothing left of him but his clothes and hand?

[That..sounded strangely familiar.]

we love you anyway <3

[andcountry]

[ The ass-kicking remark did get a slight smile from him, although it fades quickly when he shakes his head at the last question. ]

No... I don't know how he did it.

YAY! I AM LOVED! <3

[man_genius]

He went to far didn't he? [Genius shivered.] Same thing that got Sniper. Some people disappear from this place you know? But they don't usually leave anything.

The weird thing is...I had this moment today where I swore Ben was nearby. You know that feeling you get when you're being watched? Back of your mind, kinda like a chill up and down your spine? It was just a brief moment and I didn't think anything of it...I almost wonder if it wasn't him doing some weird Force thing...

[He trailed off. He knew Ben could do incredible (dangerous) things in his mind. It was possible that the other man had tried to call out? It was also weird how he wasn't even second guessing Cephiro or asking for details. It was almost like he knew....or maybe he didn't want to know. That was probably more likely.]

Sorry. I'm rambling. It's been well--you know.

:3

[andcountry]

[ The rambling and the tangent was odd, but rambling is never really just rambling, is it? Cephiro listened intently, with a hand over his mouth. He dropped it when Genius stopped; sighed, and nodded. ]

Yeah...

[ He paused and did that straightening-up and looking around thing a person does to signal that they're going to politely leave if there isn't anything else - but then changed his mind about halfway through. ]

No, it's interesting. Um. [ He looked up at Genius, attempting to meet his gaze for the first time. ] I do want to talk about it, but... later?

[man_genius]

Of course.

[Meeting Cephiro's gaze was a big mistake. Just looking at the boy's big sad eyes was enough to loosen the pain in his own chest. So after a moment he turned his attention back to Ben's things in an attempt to look busy and not like a full grown adult male on the verge of exploding into a sobbing fit of rage and sorrow. He was a terrible actor but damn it, he was trying.]

Don't worry about it, kiddo. Do you need someone to walk you home?

[andcountry]

[ For a moment there, he thought he could get past his physical appearance - ignore it for a while, like it wasn't an insurmountable obstacle to being an adult. He didn't know Genius well, so he had no idea how much his child-like looks were defining the way the other man acted around him - until he said that.

Cephiro's shoulders slumped slightly. He sort of wanted to correct him, or at least let him know that he didn't need to pretend at being so strong. On the other hand... now wasn't really the time, was it? It was never the time. You can't correct things that are just assumed without making a bit of a scene, and Cephiro had already done that today without even trying.

He shook his head. ]

No, I'm fine. Thanks.

[ He went to head out, but then paused. ]

Take care of yourself, okay?

[man_genius]

[Of course, Genius completely mistook the slumped shoulders for signs of exhaustion.]

If you're sure.

[He was about to start folding away Ben's clothing when Cephiro's words made him look up.]

Yeah. You too.

[andcountry]

[ If you're sure. Cephiro paused momentarily in the doorway. What was it about those words that made one less sure? Then you end up saying something like, "only if you want to," and then the other person follows you and you let them because you both think it's what the other wants.

Cephiro was pretty sure it wasn't what either of them wanted, though. Maybe they could both use the company, but he didn't want to go straight home and Genius didn't need some little kid to withhold his emotions in front of. It would be better if they both left each other alone.

So, he slipped out without another word. ]