♕ |[33]| O cruel hands that hold me powerless! O helpless soul of me!

[had_not_lived]

[Audio; filtered away from Billy and Todd]

[He sounds a little shaky. Good luck getting him to explain that, he won't.]

I-is there... Can I stay with someone tonight?

[ooc; after this, which is still in progress. XD also brb inna few~ <3]

Comments

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[adamantined]

Our sofa has a pullout. We've also got an extra bed.

Are you okay?

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[had_not_lived]

Would you mind? [He sniffles, just barely. Runny nose you know. Perfectly normal.] Just for tonight I mean. I don't wanna be in anyone's way.

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[adamantined]

[noting this sniffle]

Of course I don't mind, and you won't be in the way. This apartment was made for four people and there are only three of us. You'll fit right in just fine.

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[had_not_lived]

[You can't hear him nodding, of course, but he is. He can deal with finding something permanent tomorrow.]

Th-thanks Claire. Really. I'll head over.

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[adamantined]

I can stay on the line until you get here.

[Because...]

Are you sure everything's okay? I mean... obviously everything isn't okay.

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[had_not_lived]

Okay.

[You can hear some shuffling, then the faint echo of footsteps as he gets into a stairwell.]

I'm-- [Neil hesitates, wrestling with how much to admit.] I'll be all right, really. I just need to get out. Get some fresh air.

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[adamantined]

Well depending on where you are, you'll have plenty of time for that.

[Claire, meanwhile, gets up to unlock the door preemptively.]

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[had_not_lived]

Yeah.

[The word sounds a little hollow; it could just be the lobby echo.]

I'm sorry to just. Show up like this, with no real notice or anything just. I needed to get away for a little. You know?

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[adamantined]

You don't have to apologize. Seriously. It's... so not a big deal. You don't need to explain yourself just... don't apologize.

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[had_not_lived]

Okay. Okay. I'm still... a little worked up, that's all.

It shouldn't take me too long to get there.

[ooc; i think he may run into yvaine on his way there, can we 'hang up' the audio & skip to action unless you'd rather assume? ♥♥ if that's ok, if not no worrieees~ ♥]

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[adamantined]

Okay, well. The door's open. Just poke your head in when you get here, and we'll get you settled.

[ooc: I AM GOOD WITH EITHER! I just might be a little slow re: finals and paper writing ffffffff /murders school]

[action;]

[had_not_lived]

[He agrees and switches off the device. Not that he doesn't appreciate it; he does. But he'd like some time to compose himself, and it's tough to do while speaking. A little time in the open air can only help calm him down, lessen the redness of his eyes.

It isn't too much later than expected that he arrives at Claire's, rapping lightly on the door just in case before trying it, thinking to announce his presence. And then, as instructed, he pokes his head in to look for his gracious emergency hostess.]

[ooc; slow is fine, i will be off to bed shortly anyway but i can backdate forever! <3]

[action;]

[adamantined]

[Said gracious emergency hostess is actually at the kitchen table going through tips from earlier in the evening, arranging bills and coins into neat little piles so that she can keep them from becoming needlessly unorganized and subsequently lost. Every so often, she glances up at the door to make sure that she hasn't gone momentarily deaf and missed Neil coming into the apartment, and it's on one of these upswings that she catches the knock on the door.

The money goes ignored for the time being as Claire pads around to show Neil in, shoving her hands into her back pockets.]

Hey. I'm glad you made it.

[ooc: backdating is basically my best friend. and sleeeep well when you do <3333]

[action;]

[had_not_lived]

Thanks. You haven't been waiting too long..?

[He manages a smile, but can't manage to keep the sadness out of it. The last thing he wants right now is to be obtrusive; he's angry at his roommates, but more hurt. He doesn't feel welcome in his own home now, it's hard not to be a bit touchy about it.]

[action;]

[adamantined]

[Claire makes a show of glancing around the apartment, which isn't empty in its other rooms - Ginny and Dawn nose deep in their respective business - but the immediate area is quiet: the television is off, only the kitchen light is on. The basic requirements of someone with very little to do and all the time in the world.]

As you can see I've been very busy. [It isn't a good joke, but she tries all the same, adding a small smile for effect.] Not too long at all, don't worry about it.

[She can pick up on his mood by degree but she doesn't press. If it's something that he wants to talk about, then she'll gladly listen. Her general disposition at all, however, requires that she at least ask basic questions.]

You sure you're okay? Do you need anything? A sandwich? I'm good with most lunch meat.

[action;]

[had_not_lived]

[There is a part of him that wants to talk about it; of course, that's buried way down below a lot of grief and anxiety and (most of all) the fact that he's a teenage boy. Bad enough that his face is still a bit puffy and he's obviously been crying; trying to explain everything wrong with the situation would be as bad as walking in on that again.]

I'm not hungry.

[Not that he's eaten, but betrayal has left his stomach lurching ever since he walked into that bedroom.]

Really I feel a lot better now.

[It's a rather obvious lie.]