like broken clocks and shattered memories...makes_you_tickSeptember 9 2010, 23:34:39 UTC
He can't work up the nerve to call her, but he has to know how she is. So during one day, instead of getting up from his three hours of sleep and going into the shop, he dresses all in black again and heads over toward her apartment, ready to watch her. He doesn't fear being seen (even if the consequences of being seen would be disastrous)- he knows he's good enough, even without the help of invisibility.
He'll just see how she's doing. If she's moved on from That Day, he won't bother her. It's too hard to tell over the Network.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...peopletalktomeSeptember 10 2010, 00:16:48 UTC
Curses, curses, curses. Emma wonders sometimes how much it would cost her--everything maybe--to get the deities to afford her a curse-free bubble to live in while stuck here, but then, the last one she went through wasn't so terrible. School, which she knew inside and out and felt at home with even, and at least had no phantom-memory of other things she still can't quite put her finger on. Sometimes at night she feels suddenly cold, feels pain in her chest, through her clavicle in a way that doesn't make any sense because when she checks for marks or bruises or anything, nothing is there
( ... )
like broken clocks and shattered memories...makes_you_tickSeptember 10 2010, 01:08:09 UTC
At first, he tries to help her hold things with telekinesis, but- well, he can't resist the opportunity. He starts walking in her direction, timed so he'd practically run into her.
Once he's within fifteen feet, he looks up from his watch and 'notices' her there. He freezes in the spot, looking awkward on purpose. He doesn't leave it too long, though- soon he's taking a single, hesitant step forward. "Hi, Emma. Can I help you carry any of that?"
He's a good actor in part because he doesn't really think about it. He just places himself in that situation.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...peopletalktomeSeptember 10 2010, 03:22:09 UTC
At first she freezes; everything from her toes to her fingertips, and for a second it feels like her heartbeat has gotten lost in the silence too. Then time starts again and she has to shake herself into doing something, saying something, and the only thing that brings her back to the point of being able to do that is to try to remember the last thing she said to him.
It was a curse. Maybe that's not it. But it's what sticks out to her and it radiates the intent of deflecting the blame from him and her alike, so she feels herself nodding before she can do anything else. It's hollow, wooden even, but she still can't move, can't turn away or walk forward, so it's the best she can do.
She should say thank you and she tries, but the way it escapes is lost in a suddenly reacquired---never truly lost in truth---stutter and backward steps in her words and pauses.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...makes_you_tickSeptember 10 2010, 03:30:19 UTC
Her reaction is what he's been both expecting and dreading. This was what he needed to see. He tries his absolute best to ignore it, but a small frown does show up on his face. He grabs what he might be able to from her, trying not to get in someone's personal space for once. He steps back.
After a too-long silence, he says, "You know, I've been thinking. I've been trying to figure out a way to help...with what happened. The best way is to probably forget it entirely. I can arrange it- if you'd want that." Who wouldn't want to forget that day? He supposes he was okay with it. He barely sleeps and when he dreams, that's not the nightmare he has.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...peopletalktomeSeptember 10 2010, 05:00:15 UTC
Nightmares. Emma didn't have them during any of the curses because in those curses what happened never did, and that eliminated the problem, but as desperate as she is to be rid of her shadows, she feels an intense aversion to being caught up in any other deals, anything however well meaning. It just feels too likely that a good intention can go terribly wrong here.
"N-no, that's, I mean, um," she pauses, eyes closing, brow furrowing. She can feel her heartbeat, all erratic beats and nothing to be comfortable about. "Thank you but I, I'm fine," she lies with a half smile. "It's just," what, Emma, think of something. She jumps on the matter at hand. "...this darn bag," and a laugh bubbles up from in her somewhere, but there's a tinge of hysteria to it that is none too subtle.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...makes_you_tickSeptember 10 2010, 15:48:36 UTC
"You're not fine, Emma," he says, quietly. He'd say it angrily, but he's worried she just might break apart in that case. "And it's my fault. It wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me. Let me make it right. I'll talk to the deities- they can remove that memory."
The only other time he made a deal with the deities, it was for Elle. They took her out of the City before he'd finished 'paying' for her life. In this case, though....it was different. Emma would be better off at home, regardless- and he'd be asking for far less. After his past with Laszlo, he's not making this offer lightly. Still, this was their fault, too, they should help clean it up.
He used to revel in seeing someone terrified out of their wits, but he's gotten so tired of being the monster. It hadn't been what he wanted, after all.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...peopletalktomeSeptember 14 2010, 05:39:52 UTC
If Emma could understand Sylar she would try to help him, but the only way Emma could ever understand him would be if, by some miracle, she was cured of her own obstacles, the things that have always held her back, or at least as long as what has ended up counting. She swallows nothing, her throat dry and her heart fluttering unhealthily
( ... )
like broken clocks and shattered memories...makes_you_tickSeptember 14 2010, 16:03:44 UTC
Sylar lets out a heavy sigh. He can't argue that point- he hates people messing around in his head more than just about anything. "Fair enough," he says, staring down at the things he's carrying. "There has to be some way to fix this, though. I don't want you to have to hurt like this." I want to be able to talk to you again. I don't want to be responsible for this. I was trying to be better, damn it. Why won't my past leave me alone and let me try?
He finally looks back up to her, and he notices just what a bad state she's in. "I'm making things worse. Can I call someone for you? They could help you the rest of the way and I could...go away." He can't leave the City, but he could make sure she never sees him again face-to-face, barring another curse.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...peopletalktomeSeptember 17 2010, 23:12:15 UTC
She bites her lip but not hard enough for it to bleed, just hard enough to jam herself back into something more conscious, more aware. It's disorienting for a moment, contrary to the goal of orienting, and when she focuses again it is thin but there, fragile.
"No, no don't," she pauses, a breath. "Don't," that's all she can seem to get out. And because of this it's all she can do to keep moving, to have a barely present nod of her head as if to say 'this way' and just force herself to walk on because she knows this entire exchange will be over the moment her apartment door closes.
Well, that's what she tells herself. It's not the kind of person she wants to be, the kind that can be broken apart, maybe without the ability to fix when faced with what happened to them, but Emma has never taken the steps to fix even her most everyday of issues.
It seems that the piling up has come into effect, just not in a way she ever thought it reasonably could.
like broken clocks and shattered memories...makes_you_tickSeptember 18 2010, 20:11:51 UTC
He fights the urge to run away. He could, and maybe it'd make them both feel better, but he can't risk just dumping her there on the street.
So instead he just walks, following behind her and trying to stay out of her line of sight. Maybe if she didn't have to deal with him constantly asking her things, she'd calm a little. He doubted it, though. Damn it.
He stares down at his hand as he walks and wonders whether she's really broken beyond repair. He can practically feel himself trying to go numb at the thought.
He'll just see how she's doing. If she's moved on from That Day, he won't bother her. It's too hard to tell over the Network.
Reply
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Once he's within fifteen feet, he looks up from his watch and 'notices' her there. He freezes in the spot, looking awkward on purpose. He doesn't leave it too long, though- soon he's taking a single, hesitant step forward. "Hi, Emma. Can I help you carry any of that?"
He's a good actor in part because he doesn't really think about it. He just places himself in that situation.
Reply
It was a curse. Maybe that's not it. But it's what sticks out to her and it radiates the intent of deflecting the blame from him and her alike, so she feels herself nodding before she can do anything else. It's hollow, wooden even, but she still can't move, can't turn away or walk forward, so it's the best she can do.
She should say thank you and she tries, but the way it escapes is lost in a suddenly reacquired---never truly lost in truth---stutter and backward steps in her words and pauses.
Reply
After a too-long silence, he says, "You know, I've been thinking. I've been trying to figure out a way to help...with what happened. The best way is to probably forget it entirely. I can arrange it- if you'd want that." Who wouldn't want to forget that day? He supposes he was okay with it. He barely sleeps and when he dreams, that's not the nightmare he has.
Reply
"N-no, that's, I mean, um," she pauses, eyes closing, brow furrowing. She can feel her heartbeat, all erratic beats and nothing to be comfortable about. "Thank you but I, I'm fine," she lies with a half smile. "It's just," what, Emma, think of something. She jumps on the matter at hand. "...this darn bag," and a laugh bubbles up from in her somewhere, but there's a tinge of hysteria to it that is none too subtle.
Reply
The only other time he made a deal with the deities, it was for Elle. They took her out of the City before he'd finished 'paying' for her life. In this case, though....it was different. Emma would be better off at home, regardless- and he'd be asking for far less. After his past with Laszlo, he's not making this offer lightly. Still, this was their fault, too, they should help clean it up.
He used to revel in seeing someone terrified out of their wits, but he's gotten so tired of being the monster. It hadn't been what he wanted, after all.
Reply
Reply
He finally looks back up to her, and he notices just what a bad state she's in. "I'm making things worse. Can I call someone for you? They could help you the rest of the way and I could...go away." He can't leave the City, but he could make sure she never sees him again face-to-face, barring another curse.
Reply
"No, no don't," she pauses, a breath. "Don't," that's all she can seem to get out. And because of this it's all she can do to keep moving, to have a barely present nod of her head as if to say 'this way' and just force herself to walk on because she knows this entire exchange will be over the moment her apartment door closes.
Well, that's what she tells herself. It's not the kind of person she wants to be, the kind that can be broken apart, maybe without the ability to fix when faced with what happened to them, but Emma has never taken the steps to fix even her most everyday of issues.
It seems that the piling up has come into effect, just not in a way she ever thought it reasonably could.
Reply
So instead he just walks, following behind her and trying to stay out of her line of sight. Maybe if she didn't have to deal with him constantly asking her things, she'd calm a little. He doubted it, though. Damn it.
He stares down at his hand as he walks and wonders whether she's really broken beyond repair. He can practically feel himself trying to go numb at the thought.
Reply
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