sleep with one eye open hold your breath and cry [closed/complete]
Characters: Helenus, Telemachus, Cassandra
Date/Time: Sometime in the past few days
Location: Cass and Hyacinthus' apartment
Rating: PG? PG-13?
Warnings: Talk of darkness, Ajax and a really dorky boyfriend.
Summary: Helenus goes to check on his sister, ends up talking with Telemachus and they agree something has to be done to help Cass. She then wakes up and they skip off ala Wizard of Oz.
After their wonderful guests from the past had left, Helenus was fairly sure he was in Cassandra's place more then his own. She had obviously been upset by Ajax and Helenus wanted to be there for her. Maybe protect her like he hadn't before though he hadn't quite figured out how to protect someone from a ghost. While he was working out this plan, he decided to head over to her room and keep her company if she was there.
He knocked on the door more as warning in case Hyacinthus was there but pushed it open without waiting for any response. "Cass? Are you here?" He called, closing the door and taking the few steps into the apartment.
--
She’d had a break down. There has been talking and crying and-
Telemachus was certain he would never leave her by choice. Not someone like Cassandra. He just worried at times that he could not be what she needed. He hadn’t been there. He worried that he couldn’t understand. For the moment at least she seemed satisfied by soothing words and comforting embraces, perhaps that would be enough to guard against ghosts.
“Shh!” at the sound of Helenus Telemachus slid himself off the bed and out to greet the man of Troy, before he could wake his sister. “She’s napping. I would not recommend being the one to wake her.”
--
Helenus bit his tongue at the shushing. He was a little put out that Telemachus was there but pushed that aside. It was pointless to get upset at the other man. From what Helenus could tell he seemed to truly care for her.
He still wanted to check on her himself, so being as quiet as possible he stuck his head in to see that she was actually asleep. Satisfied, he came back out to Telemachus. "How is she doing?"
--
Telemachus headed into the kitchen to make… something. To do something instead of just standing there.
“About as well as you’d expect,” he said with a long shrug, an answer that in equal parts explained everything and nothing at all. Those were his favorite sorts of answers but, knowing how little Helenus was likely to appreciate the nuisances of such things where Cassandra was concerned, Telemachus continued anyway. “Nightmares. This last game of theirs just brought everything back for her.”
--
Helenus followed and leaned casually against the counter. Not in Telemachus' way, keeping himself out of his way. He didn't feel the need to keep busy, but he wasn't about to leave so easily.
He sighed softly at the other man's answer. "I know that. She isn't..." He grimaced, cutting himself short since he wasn't sure how much he truly trusted Telemachus. He felt useless though. "Something needs to happen," he said vaguely. Letting his words fade like an unspoken 'or else'.
--
“I won’t argue that point. I would agree to it even. “ Never over stepping, never appearing as anything but noble, all for the best interests of the woman he loved and the brother she adored. Calm and collected and not worried or flailing when the situation demanded strength. “It’s not as if we can get her a therapist to talk to. I think it helps to keep things… modern. She just needs the push?”
--
Helenus didn't like the idea that he would have to work with Telemachus, but Cassandra would probably need them both. He was right, they couldn't find someone else to help her, which only left them. "She needs both of us," he said after a long pause, not quite looking at Telemachus as he said it. Reluctantly he looked at the other man. "Will you be able to handle the darkness inside of her?"
--
It was such a dramatic thing to say; in the warmth of the apartment in the clean of the kitchen it felt almost absurd. The instinct to laugh or brush it off into something more comfortable was almost impossible to resist. Telemachus bit his lip for a long moment and thought. Handle? Debatable. But he would stand by her in the dark. He would follow where her madness led. “I love her. So yes.”
--
"Good," Helenus nodded, accepting his answer. If Telemachus had answered immediately, Helenus wouldn't have trusted it. But this was different. Telemachus' father was brave so he had to have some guts too, right? He hesitated but then gave Telemachus a slight smile, warming up slightly to the other man. "Thank you. For loving her."
--
Telemachus shrugged for what felt like the thousandth time that day. If he’d know Helenus was comparing him to his father he would have cringed, twitched even, but clueless of the mans thought process he instead allowed a smile. “She makes it very easy.”
--
Being cold in bed tended to wake a person up, especially when they were used to leeching body heat off of either their twin brother or their lover. Being woken up from being cold also made Cassandra a bit cranky, but that was because she had barely been sleeping ever since Ajax showed up. She needed to stay awake, make sure he didn’t come for her again. Now she could do something to protect herself and she fully meant to. Even if the thought of seeing him again terrified her.
She pushed her way out of the bed and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before she made her way out into the rest of the apartment to find where Telemachus had gone. Upon seeing him with Helenus, though, she stopped in the doorway and watched them, blinking in a somewhat confused manner.
--
He smiled sadly at Telemachus, thinking of home. "Many people back-" Helenus choked back what he was saying to Telemachus when his sister appeared. He grinned at her confused look, quickly hiding his own sadness though she probably knew him well enough to see it anyway. “I came to see how you’re doing,” he explained.
--
“Hi, Cassandra!” Any sadness Telemachus had was pushed aside at the sight of her. He waved like the dork he was, rushing over from the kitchen to put his arms around her and the blanket. Telemachus was very well trained that way. Nothing would happen to her on his watch. “Your brother and I were just talking in a mainly manly fashion. As you do.”
--
Cassandra rested her head on Telemachus’s shoulder and reached out for Helenus. She wanted hugs from both of them, damnit. Especially if they were going to wake her up. The jerks. “Manly? Am I allowed to know about what?” she asked quietly. Even if she was still confused and sleep deprived, she was curious.
The two main men in her life hadn’t really talked a whole lot without her there (as far as she knew anyway), so any chance to have them bond was good. Especially if they told her nosy self what they talked about.
--
He gave a dramatic, pained sigh but Helenus let himself be pulled in, joining in the hug. He kissed the top of her head and stepped back a little. Shooting Telemachus a quick annoyed look first for giving Cass such a lame explanation.
“How did you sleep?” He asked, hoping it would maybe divert her attention a little bit. It probably wouldn’t work, but at least he tried. Helenus wasn’t quite sure he wanted to tell Cass they had been talking about her, that would probably end badly. And he liked having another room to escape too.
--
Hey, no one said he had to lie and it didn’t seem necessary now that the situation had moved forward. Telemachus excepted the sigh as his due and nodded absentmindedly into the question of sleep, like he didn’t know the answer. “Well I hope?”
--
Helenus pulling away was the exact opposite of what she wanted so she grabbed his shirt and tugged him back in. She was very demanding with her physical contact when she was just woken up. “It was good.” She paused to pout at Telemachus. “Until I got cold. We need fireplaces here or something.”
It seemed like ever since winter had set in, she couldn’t shake the cold that had settled in her bones.
--
He didn’t bother fighting her and just made himself as comfortable as possible. Helenus was more in the mood to ignore big problems, but this was his sister. Maybe it should have just been said straight out that they had been talking about her, and were worried about her but it was too late now. “No nightmares this time?" He asked, knowing she was just as likely to not mention any problems as he was.
--
Good Helenus, Cassandra has trained you well. Or maybe not that well since he had to bring up something she doing fine at ignoring (for the most part) and didn’t really like talking about what was bothering her. It was easier to fix other people than to fix herself. “Not really. Not tonight anyway.” She refused to look up and meet his eyes.
--
"Cass..." Helenus hesitated, glancing at Telemachus over Cassandra as he gathered himself together to finish. "Cass you can't do this to yourself." It was still not what he should have said (that they had talked about her, he was scared, he loved her). Since she wasn't looking, she probably couldn't see the worry in his eyes that he would lose her again.
--
This was not going to be pleasant was it? Telemachus gave her an extra squeeze. He wasn’t going anywhere and no one was going to get her- he’d just promised and had no intention of breaking it so quickly. “We know you haven’t been sleeping. I can tell when you’re having nightmares. We even know why. But you have to talk to us.”
--
Helenus’s statement could be misinterpreted (deliberately on her part) to be about the waking up in the middle of the night thing. Telemachus’s...not so much. Why did they make her face these things? If they didn’t then it wouldn’t be a burden they took on. It wouldn’t be something they had to deal with; and, rightfully, it should be only hers. Not because she was selfish of her madness but because she didn’t want to burden them.
“I don’t want to trouble you. It’s...” she trailed off, unsure of how to describe it.
--
"It's not any trouble." Which was somewhat of a lie (it was always hard to hear about what happened in Troy after he had left) but Helenus didn't feel that bad about it. It was worse just to stand around and watch her hurt. He moved slightly closer of his own free will, needing her to know that he was there and real and wasn't leaving. "I know it's hard," he murmured. "But I...we really want to help."
--
“Because in case you haven’t noticed,” he said mildly,Telemachus tried to make his voice smooth to Helenus’s earnest. Whatever helped her. “We’re very fond of you. Infinitely enamored even. Words like ‘adore’ and even ‘love’ have been thrown around pretty much consistently.”
He poked her lightly. “It’s not trouble when you care.”
--
Cassandra pulled back enough to wrap her arms around herself, her blanket a shield against dealing with all of it. Though she may have poked Telemachus back, not that she would tell. “He’s there. Waiting.” Either in her dreams or in the shadows. Just because he wasn’t physically there didn’t mean he wasn’t there in spirit to remind her of the torment she had gone through. Especially since he returned to visit for the last game.
“I can’t forget. How helpless I was. How much is hurt. How...it broke something.” Her trust, her body, her last remaining shred of sanity? She couldn’t pick.
--
He let her pull back, even though he didn’t really want her too. It felt like she was trying to block them out. “You’re not broken,” Helenus insisted, hoping it wasn’t too little too late. He tugged lightly on a lock of hair like he used too. “You love, don’t you?”
--
“You don’t have to forget, we wouldn’t ask that of you.” Not after all she’d been through. A mind wipe wouldn’t remove all that. Maybe he needed to google PTS again.... “We ask that you move forward.”
--
She smiled, albeit a little sadly, at her twin. The tug did manage to make her feel like she could trust him. He was still the person she knew and loved growing up. “Yes but. Something else. I’m afraid.” That was probably the hardest thing for her to admit to. “If I forget, he could come again. I started to and then look at what happened.” His most recent visit had affected her a whole lot than she could easily admit to.
--
Helenus managed a small smile back but it wasn’t much. “If he comes, we’ll protect you this time. He will never be allowed to touch you again.” Silently, he vowed that if Ajax did show up for real, he would find the most painful possible death for him.
--
Telemachus resisted the urge to turn his hands into fists at the mention of the... creature who had forfeited his right to humanity a long time ago. It wouldn’t help anything to get angry. “He won’t get close enough to try. Three heads are better than one-” That sounded better in his mind. “Promise.”
--
She couldn’t meet their eyes for what she was about to admit. “He’s in the shadows, still. I see him out of the corner of my eye.” Maybe they wouldn’t allow him to touch her, but how could they get him out of the shadows when she was the only one who ever really saw him?
--
"Cass, look at the shadows. They're empty shapes." Even as he spoke, he knew it was probably pointless. The monster was in her head and he couldn't protect her from that. He didn’t feel that convincing either. “He’s not here.”
--
“How can we help?” They’d talked amongst each other now it couldn’t hurt to ask, though he doubted the answer would be something he liked. “That’s the main question.”
--
“I don’t know.” She shook her head violently and glanced around (slightly wide-eyed) to peer into the shadows. Why couldn’t Hyacinthus come out right now to distract them all and end this before she chased them away? “I know he isn’t there but still- I see him and can’t get free and I don’t want to be trapped by him anymore.” She was getting frustrated with both herself and her situation and she began to tear up, something she always did when she was that frustrated.
“I don’t know how to escape him, though.”
--
Helenus took a slow breath, he was not going to get upset. It wouldn't help anyone. "It doesn't have to be immediate or anything but, you were free of him before. Right?" He took an edge of the blanket and used it to wipe away any tears.
--
“Lets go out.” Telemachus wondered if maybe he should think before he spoke. Too late now. He tugged both sibling towards the door and smiled like the conversation hadn’t happen. “Out out out. You won’t give up and you won’t try. Lets do something else then.”
--
“I-what?” She looked very confused and stopped walking. Tugging Telemachus back towards her, she frowned. “I want to try though. I just don’t know how.”
--
Helenus was too caught by surprise at first by the tugging that he went a few steps before stopping himself. “We’ve told you Cass, we want to help.” He gave a small, helpless shrug. “But we don’t know how either.”
--
If the tactics aren’t working you change the tactics. Telemachus mimicked Helenus’s shrug. “You can’t get rid of the shadows. So lets take you somewhere that’s all light. Art museum? Park? We’re clueless but we’re leaving this apartment now.”
--
“Why?” It was about more than confusion. It wasn’t safe outside of the apartment. Still, she took a hesitant step forward, showing that she was still willing to try. Maybe. “Leaving doesn’t give us the answer, though.” It might convince her she was safe for the most part, though.
--
Helenus smiled slowly, understanding Telemachus’ logic. It was a stretch, but it was worth a try. “Staying here isn’t giving us an answer either,” he pointed out. “Come on. At least you’ll be doing something besides sleep. Laaazy.” He teased, poking her side.
--
Babble goes the boyfriend, who is trying his best. Babble babble babble tease. “Moving forward in a literal sense can be nice I’ve heard. Somewhere. You look wonderful.” Because everyone looks their best after just waking up. “And why not?”
--
“I need to get a jacket. And shoes.” Stalling is the way to go. Always. “Thank you? I just woke up.”
--
Helenus rolled his eyes at Telemachus’ babbling. He couldn’t help it. “Then hurry up.” He shooed her out of the kitchen. “Though you do know how to work the blanket, it’s probably too cold for that.”
--
“Hurry hurry hurry!” Telemachus sees your stalling and eye rolling wondertwins, and raises you a consistent Life Coach style determination. “No shower just clothes. Five minutes tops.”
--
Cassandra hurried, still mostly confused but willing to go along with it since it was clear she had no choice. She still felt safer inside, but if she got too freaked out they would let her inside right? Hopefully. She dressed in the most casual clothing she had- a sweater she stole from Telemachus and some jeans. Sneakers were even worn.
“Do we have to?” She asked as she stepped back out, pulling her hair back into a messy bun.
--
Helenus excused himself after Cass disappeared into her room, he hadn’t come over expecting to go out. All he had one was a t-shirt so he ran back to his room for a jacket. Luckily it was just down the hall and Neoptolemus wasn’t there. He got back before she was done.
He still had no idea what they were doing, but at least it was something. Better then arguing and crying in the kitchen. He was ready and waiting when Cass came out of her room. “You should have asked that before you changed.”
--
“Yes we have to.” Telemachus, mentally grinning at her shirt choice, wrapped his arm in hers Wizard of Oz style. He would have start in on some show tune to make her laugh, but with his inexplicable Boston accent the otherwise apathetic people of New York would probably throw things at him. “There is life outside your apartment.”
--
“I just woke up, have pity.” She twined her arms with Telemachus and Helenus, wanting both of them to be close to her if she really had to go outside. Once they go to the door, though, she was almost stopped dead in her tracks, barely shuffling to keep up the appearance of moving. They might have to carry her out of the apartment. Or at least pull her out.
She whispered, “I’m afraid.”
--
“That’s ok.” Helenus tightened his grip slightly, so she knew he was there. “You can do this.”
--
“It would be strange if you weren’t a little scared,” he smiled at her. Because who wouldn’t smile at her? If it came to carrying her, well, he would. If that’s what it took to make her happy. “But you’re one of the strongest people I know. I know you can do anything you ever wanted to.”
--
Cassandra nodded and took a deep breath. It took her a few moments, but eventually she managed to step out of the apartment. She was shaking as she did so, but she managed it.
Date/Time: Sometime in the past few days
Location: Cass and Hyacinthus' apartment
Rating: PG? PG-13?
Warnings: Talk of darkness, Ajax and a really dorky boyfriend.
Summary: Helenus goes to check on his sister, ends up talking with Telemachus and they agree something has to be done to help Cass. She then wakes up and they skip off ala Wizard of Oz.
After their wonderful guests from the past had left, Helenus was fairly sure he was in Cassandra's place more then his own. She had obviously been upset by Ajax and Helenus wanted to be there for her. Maybe protect her like he hadn't before though he hadn't quite figured out how to protect someone from a ghost. While he was working out this plan, he decided to head over to her room and keep her company if she was there.
He knocked on the door more as warning in case Hyacinthus was there but pushed it open without waiting for any response. "Cass? Are you here?" He called, closing the door and taking the few steps into the apartment.
--
She’d had a break down. There has been talking and crying and-
Telemachus was certain he would never leave her by choice. Not someone like Cassandra. He just worried at times that he could not be what she needed. He hadn’t been there. He worried that he couldn’t understand. For the moment at least she seemed satisfied by soothing words and comforting embraces, perhaps that would be enough to guard against ghosts.
“Shh!” at the sound of Helenus Telemachus slid himself off the bed and out to greet the man of Troy, before he could wake his sister. “She’s napping. I would not recommend being the one to wake her.”
--
Helenus bit his tongue at the shushing. He was a little put out that Telemachus was there but pushed that aside. It was pointless to get upset at the other man. From what Helenus could tell he seemed to truly care for her.
He still wanted to check on her himself, so being as quiet as possible he stuck his head in to see that she was actually asleep. Satisfied, he came back out to Telemachus. "How is she doing?"
--
Telemachus headed into the kitchen to make… something. To do something instead of just standing there.
“About as well as you’d expect,” he said with a long shrug, an answer that in equal parts explained everything and nothing at all. Those were his favorite sorts of answers but, knowing how little Helenus was likely to appreciate the nuisances of such things where Cassandra was concerned, Telemachus continued anyway. “Nightmares. This last game of theirs just brought everything back for her.”
--
Helenus followed and leaned casually against the counter. Not in Telemachus' way, keeping himself out of his way. He didn't feel the need to keep busy, but he wasn't about to leave so easily.
He sighed softly at the other man's answer. "I know that. She isn't..." He grimaced, cutting himself short since he wasn't sure how much he truly trusted Telemachus. He felt useless though. "Something needs to happen," he said vaguely. Letting his words fade like an unspoken 'or else'.
--
“I won’t argue that point. I would agree to it even. “ Never over stepping, never appearing as anything but noble, all for the best interests of the woman he loved and the brother she adored. Calm and collected and not worried or flailing when the situation demanded strength. “It’s not as if we can get her a therapist to talk to. I think it helps to keep things… modern. She just needs the push?”
--
Helenus didn't like the idea that he would have to work with Telemachus, but Cassandra would probably need them both. He was right, they couldn't find someone else to help her, which only left them. "She needs both of us," he said after a long pause, not quite looking at Telemachus as he said it. Reluctantly he looked at the other man. "Will you be able to handle the darkness inside of her?"
--
It was such a dramatic thing to say; in the warmth of the apartment in the clean of the kitchen it felt almost absurd. The instinct to laugh or brush it off into something more comfortable was almost impossible to resist. Telemachus bit his lip for a long moment and thought. Handle? Debatable. But he would stand by her in the dark. He would follow where her madness led. “I love her. So yes.”
--
"Good," Helenus nodded, accepting his answer. If Telemachus had answered immediately, Helenus wouldn't have trusted it. But this was different. Telemachus' father was brave so he had to have some guts too, right? He hesitated but then gave Telemachus a slight smile, warming up slightly to the other man. "Thank you. For loving her."
--
Telemachus shrugged for what felt like the thousandth time that day. If he’d know Helenus was comparing him to his father he would have cringed, twitched even, but clueless of the mans thought process he instead allowed a smile. “She makes it very easy.”
--
Being cold in bed tended to wake a person up, especially when they were used to leeching body heat off of either their twin brother or their lover. Being woken up from being cold also made Cassandra a bit cranky, but that was because she had barely been sleeping ever since Ajax showed up. She needed to stay awake, make sure he didn’t come for her again. Now she could do something to protect herself and she fully meant to. Even if the thought of seeing him again terrified her.
She pushed her way out of the bed and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before she made her way out into the rest of the apartment to find where Telemachus had gone. Upon seeing him with Helenus, though, she stopped in the doorway and watched them, blinking in a somewhat confused manner.
--
He smiled sadly at Telemachus, thinking of home. "Many people back-" Helenus choked back what he was saying to Telemachus when his sister appeared. He grinned at her confused look, quickly hiding his own sadness though she probably knew him well enough to see it anyway. “I came to see how you’re doing,” he explained.
--
“Hi, Cassandra!” Any sadness Telemachus had was pushed aside at the sight of her. He waved like the dork he was, rushing over from the kitchen to put his arms around her and the blanket. Telemachus was very well trained that way. Nothing would happen to her on his watch. “Your brother and I were just talking in a mainly manly fashion. As you do.”
--
Cassandra rested her head on Telemachus’s shoulder and reached out for Helenus. She wanted hugs from both of them, damnit. Especially if they were going to wake her up. The jerks. “Manly? Am I allowed to know about what?” she asked quietly. Even if she was still confused and sleep deprived, she was curious.
The two main men in her life hadn’t really talked a whole lot without her there (as far as she knew anyway), so any chance to have them bond was good. Especially if they told her nosy self what they talked about.
--
He gave a dramatic, pained sigh but Helenus let himself be pulled in, joining in the hug. He kissed the top of her head and stepped back a little. Shooting Telemachus a quick annoyed look first for giving Cass such a lame explanation.
“How did you sleep?” He asked, hoping it would maybe divert her attention a little bit. It probably wouldn’t work, but at least he tried. Helenus wasn’t quite sure he wanted to tell Cass they had been talking about her, that would probably end badly. And he liked having another room to escape too.
--
Hey, no one said he had to lie and it didn’t seem necessary now that the situation had moved forward. Telemachus excepted the sigh as his due and nodded absentmindedly into the question of sleep, like he didn’t know the answer. “Well I hope?”
--
Helenus pulling away was the exact opposite of what she wanted so she grabbed his shirt and tugged him back in. She was very demanding with her physical contact when she was just woken up. “It was good.” She paused to pout at Telemachus. “Until I got cold. We need fireplaces here or something.”
It seemed like ever since winter had set in, she couldn’t shake the cold that had settled in her bones.
--
He didn’t bother fighting her and just made himself as comfortable as possible. Helenus was more in the mood to ignore big problems, but this was his sister. Maybe it should have just been said straight out that they had been talking about her, and were worried about her but it was too late now. “No nightmares this time?" He asked, knowing she was just as likely to not mention any problems as he was.
--
Good Helenus, Cassandra has trained you well. Or maybe not that well since he had to bring up something she doing fine at ignoring (for the most part) and didn’t really like talking about what was bothering her. It was easier to fix other people than to fix herself. “Not really. Not tonight anyway.” She refused to look up and meet his eyes.
--
"Cass..." Helenus hesitated, glancing at Telemachus over Cassandra as he gathered himself together to finish. "Cass you can't do this to yourself." It was still not what he should have said (that they had talked about her, he was scared, he loved her). Since she wasn't looking, she probably couldn't see the worry in his eyes that he would lose her again.
--
This was not going to be pleasant was it? Telemachus gave her an extra squeeze. He wasn’t going anywhere and no one was going to get her- he’d just promised and had no intention of breaking it so quickly. “We know you haven’t been sleeping. I can tell when you’re having nightmares. We even know why. But you have to talk to us.”
--
Helenus’s statement could be misinterpreted (deliberately on her part) to be about the waking up in the middle of the night thing. Telemachus’s...not so much. Why did they make her face these things? If they didn’t then it wouldn’t be a burden they took on. It wouldn’t be something they had to deal with; and, rightfully, it should be only hers. Not because she was selfish of her madness but because she didn’t want to burden them.
“I don’t want to trouble you. It’s...” she trailed off, unsure of how to describe it.
--
"It's not any trouble." Which was somewhat of a lie (it was always hard to hear about what happened in Troy after he had left) but Helenus didn't feel that bad about it. It was worse just to stand around and watch her hurt. He moved slightly closer of his own free will, needing her to know that he was there and real and wasn't leaving. "I know it's hard," he murmured. "But I...we really want to help."
--
“Because in case you haven’t noticed,” he said mildly,Telemachus tried to make his voice smooth to Helenus’s earnest. Whatever helped her. “We’re very fond of you. Infinitely enamored even. Words like ‘adore’ and even ‘love’ have been thrown around pretty much consistently.”
He poked her lightly. “It’s not trouble when you care.”
--
Cassandra pulled back enough to wrap her arms around herself, her blanket a shield against dealing with all of it. Though she may have poked Telemachus back, not that she would tell. “He’s there. Waiting.” Either in her dreams or in the shadows. Just because he wasn’t physically there didn’t mean he wasn’t there in spirit to remind her of the torment she had gone through. Especially since he returned to visit for the last game.
“I can’t forget. How helpless I was. How much is hurt. How...it broke something.” Her trust, her body, her last remaining shred of sanity? She couldn’t pick.
--
He let her pull back, even though he didn’t really want her too. It felt like she was trying to block them out. “You’re not broken,” Helenus insisted, hoping it wasn’t too little too late. He tugged lightly on a lock of hair like he used too. “You love, don’t you?”
--
“You don’t have to forget, we wouldn’t ask that of you.” Not after all she’d been through. A mind wipe wouldn’t remove all that. Maybe he needed to google PTS again.... “We ask that you move forward.”
--
She smiled, albeit a little sadly, at her twin. The tug did manage to make her feel like she could trust him. He was still the person she knew and loved growing up. “Yes but. Something else. I’m afraid.” That was probably the hardest thing for her to admit to. “If I forget, he could come again. I started to and then look at what happened.” His most recent visit had affected her a whole lot than she could easily admit to.
--
Helenus managed a small smile back but it wasn’t much. “If he comes, we’ll protect you this time. He will never be allowed to touch you again.” Silently, he vowed that if Ajax did show up for real, he would find the most painful possible death for him.
--
Telemachus resisted the urge to turn his hands into fists at the mention of the... creature who had forfeited his right to humanity a long time ago. It wouldn’t help anything to get angry. “He won’t get close enough to try. Three heads are better than one-” That sounded better in his mind. “Promise.”
--
She couldn’t meet their eyes for what she was about to admit. “He’s in the shadows, still. I see him out of the corner of my eye.” Maybe they wouldn’t allow him to touch her, but how could they get him out of the shadows when she was the only one who ever really saw him?
--
"Cass, look at the shadows. They're empty shapes." Even as he spoke, he knew it was probably pointless. The monster was in her head and he couldn't protect her from that. He didn’t feel that convincing either. “He’s not here.”
--
“How can we help?” They’d talked amongst each other now it couldn’t hurt to ask, though he doubted the answer would be something he liked. “That’s the main question.”
--
“I don’t know.” She shook her head violently and glanced around (slightly wide-eyed) to peer into the shadows. Why couldn’t Hyacinthus come out right now to distract them all and end this before she chased them away? “I know he isn’t there but still- I see him and can’t get free and I don’t want to be trapped by him anymore.” She was getting frustrated with both herself and her situation and she began to tear up, something she always did when she was that frustrated.
“I don’t know how to escape him, though.”
--
Helenus took a slow breath, he was not going to get upset. It wouldn't help anyone. "It doesn't have to be immediate or anything but, you were free of him before. Right?" He took an edge of the blanket and used it to wipe away any tears.
--
“Lets go out.” Telemachus wondered if maybe he should think before he spoke. Too late now. He tugged both sibling towards the door and smiled like the conversation hadn’t happen. “Out out out. You won’t give up and you won’t try. Lets do something else then.”
--
“I-what?” She looked very confused and stopped walking. Tugging Telemachus back towards her, she frowned. “I want to try though. I just don’t know how.”
--
Helenus was too caught by surprise at first by the tugging that he went a few steps before stopping himself. “We’ve told you Cass, we want to help.” He gave a small, helpless shrug. “But we don’t know how either.”
--
If the tactics aren’t working you change the tactics. Telemachus mimicked Helenus’s shrug. “You can’t get rid of the shadows. So lets take you somewhere that’s all light. Art museum? Park? We’re clueless but we’re leaving this apartment now.”
--
“Why?” It was about more than confusion. It wasn’t safe outside of the apartment. Still, she took a hesitant step forward, showing that she was still willing to try. Maybe. “Leaving doesn’t give us the answer, though.” It might convince her she was safe for the most part, though.
--
Helenus smiled slowly, understanding Telemachus’ logic. It was a stretch, but it was worth a try. “Staying here isn’t giving us an answer either,” he pointed out. “Come on. At least you’ll be doing something besides sleep. Laaazy.” He teased, poking her side.
--
Babble goes the boyfriend, who is trying his best. Babble babble babble tease. “Moving forward in a literal sense can be nice I’ve heard. Somewhere. You look wonderful.” Because everyone looks their best after just waking up. “And why not?”
--
“I need to get a jacket. And shoes.” Stalling is the way to go. Always. “Thank you? I just woke up.”
--
Helenus rolled his eyes at Telemachus’ babbling. He couldn’t help it. “Then hurry up.” He shooed her out of the kitchen. “Though you do know how to work the blanket, it’s probably too cold for that.”
--
“Hurry hurry hurry!” Telemachus sees your stalling and eye rolling wondertwins, and raises you a consistent Life Coach style determination. “No shower just clothes. Five minutes tops.”
--
Cassandra hurried, still mostly confused but willing to go along with it since it was clear she had no choice. She still felt safer inside, but if she got too freaked out they would let her inside right? Hopefully. She dressed in the most casual clothing she had- a sweater she stole from Telemachus and some jeans. Sneakers were even worn.
“Do we have to?” She asked as she stepped back out, pulling her hair back into a messy bun.
--
Helenus excused himself after Cass disappeared into her room, he hadn’t come over expecting to go out. All he had one was a t-shirt so he ran back to his room for a jacket. Luckily it was just down the hall and Neoptolemus wasn’t there. He got back before she was done.
He still had no idea what they were doing, but at least it was something. Better then arguing and crying in the kitchen. He was ready and waiting when Cass came out of her room. “You should have asked that before you changed.”
--
“Yes we have to.” Telemachus, mentally grinning at her shirt choice, wrapped his arm in hers Wizard of Oz style. He would have start in on some show tune to make her laugh, but with his inexplicable Boston accent the otherwise apathetic people of New York would probably throw things at him. “There is life outside your apartment.”
--
“I just woke up, have pity.” She twined her arms with Telemachus and Helenus, wanting both of them to be close to her if she really had to go outside. Once they go to the door, though, she was almost stopped dead in her tracks, barely shuffling to keep up the appearance of moving. They might have to carry her out of the apartment. Or at least pull her out.
She whispered, “I’m afraid.”
--
“That’s ok.” Helenus tightened his grip slightly, so she knew he was there. “You can do this.”
--
“It would be strange if you weren’t a little scared,” he smiled at her. Because who wouldn’t smile at her? If it came to carrying her, well, he would. If that’s what it took to make her happy. “But you’re one of the strongest people I know. I know you can do anything you ever wanted to.”
--
Cassandra nodded and took a deep breath. It took her a few moments, but eventually she managed to step out of the apartment. She was shaking as she did so, but she managed it.