The words won't come

[gaveherwings]

Who: Daedalus gaveherwings , Re-l proxysearch , later Shiroe zealouspeter 
When: Tuesday Night
Where: Re-l's efficiency
Summary: Re-l's told Daedalus to go stay at her spare apartment, in case any at large criminals decide to pop in later on at their place. Later, she catches up. Honest conversations had, over Lonely Dinner. And an empath's not gonna be sleeping the night through.

Comments

[proxysearch]

[Re-l's gone out on her own to look one last time, but then she's gone back to the other apartment to gather her things. A note on the door for security would reveal that she's expecting someone to come in and put up cameras and a new lock system tomorrow, but she can't be too careful this time. Daedalus, Vincent-- The latter can protect himself but Daedalus can't.

She still hasn't forgotten the last intruder they had.

She packs two changes of clothes and her pajamas, and then she gets back in her car and drives to her efficiency, far from her usual routes. She parks a block away and then heads up, turning the lock quietly and slipping in. It's late. Daedalus might even...

Oh.]

Hi.

[There he is, alone in the dark, looking up at her with wide eyes. She sets her back in the corner and goes to him, sitting down slowly.]

You should be sleeping.

[gaveherwings]

[He's expectant, closing up his digital paperwork and reaching over immediately to turn on the plug-in electric kettle. A second mug and teabag have been waiting up for her also, next to his own half-finished one.

He keeps his voice low, because apart from the rain outside it's quiet enough that no one needs to speak over any noise. He likes it when the city is still. The silence was more nerve-wracking sitting up alone, though, than he's willing to admit.

Her presence is like a candle in the dark, and Daedalus smiles faintly, leaning back against the side of the bed.]

I thought I'd wait a little longer. No new developments?

[proxysearch]

Nothing as of yet.

[She spots the tea and picks up the mug, moving to go heat her food and drink up. She starts taking off her outer clothes as she goes; the vest, tie, hair clips and boots all come off first.]

Are you all right? Is Shiroe okay?

[gaveherwings]

[A careful nod. That means the man is still out there- but at least no further horrors brought to anyone's attention. He expects there will be more, as investigations continue. That's an uncomfortable thought.

He considers the conversation he had with the man over the network, not more than two months ago, about naming Sea Monkeys. About Nietzsche. He had been the one leaving people mutilated and discarded in the streets?

Daedalus suppressed an uncomfortable shudder and glanced behind him, nodding at the curled up pile of blankets.]

Sleeping. He's fine, and so am I.

[He watches all the usual process of 'undoing', all the steps familiar to him by now. Vest, tie... he sets his NV aside, adjusting his robe around his shoulders.]

...are you?

[proxysearch]

[She returns to Daedalus' side with mug in hand and her bowl of food in another, sinking down on the floor and taking her first bite with her chopsticks. It's the experience that counts, right? Gin would tell her that. She takes a sip of her tea to wash it down, closing her eyes.]

Good. I was afraid with all the commotion, he'd be too stirred.

[Ergo wanders over, brushing against her back. She nudges at him; Not when I'm eating.]

I'm fine. Tired, but fine.

[gaveherwings]

[He shakes his head, watching her, leaning back with the soft satisfaction of having her right there. The world's...small, and intimately set right, with Re-l in the room. Even if they're both set on edge. Even if there's so much else left hanging.]

There's been little commotion, right here.

[He explains gently, glancing back up at the bed, Shiroe still sleeping- he's brought his own pillow and blanket, plans to camp cozily on the floor, at let Re-l take the unoccupied recliner.]

But I imagine it's a mess down at the station. At least...it's not all bad, there are just as many newcomers working to keep the peace involved as there are...violent sadists.

I've called in to check on Tenma. He'll...probably need some recovery time, maybe some additional counseling.

[proxysearch]

[She nods, taking a few more sips of her tea first before responding. It's good on her throat and it easily warms her up. She's exhausted.]

It's a mess all right. At least we can look forward to a little bit more quiet before the storm really hits with this trial.

I spoke with Tenma for just a bit. He seemed all right, though I don't doubt that he'll need counseling after this. He was in a terrible state when we found him, Daedalus.

[Re-l leaves it at that, because she doesn't want to think about the acidic slugs or the broken bones. She closes her eyes, setting her mug down.]

Some days, I wish I could just sleep and not worry about any of this. I wish I could act like everything outside of the apartment didn't exist.

[gaveherwings]

[Daedalus looks her over sympathetically- she does look like she could use some time off. Or at least a decent night's rest. He'll just be sure she's not so wound, and try to keep their catching up brief. Save the detailing questions for later.

He's...not sure he wants to try to sleep with the thought of whatever really happened to Tenma, so he's grateful for it.

He reaches for her shoulder, a comforting touch, and an understanding nod.]

I know...I know. Sometimes I feel that way too.

[proxysearch]

[She eats a little more of her food, appetite lacking since her conversation with Black Mask. She's running on empty, though; a full stomach and at least six hours to sleep should be enough to make her feel better. But right now, she can't think beyond the apartment, beyond the uncertainty that she's bringing hell down on Daedalus and Vincent.

Re-l looks up at the touch, nodding as well. She reaches up to touch his hand.]

I know. This city is so different from Romdeau. Even at its darkest days, Romdeau wasn't as bad as all this.

[gaveherwings]

No. [He shakes his head, fingers sliding up her arm to her shoulder, brushing loosely into his hair.]

That's not true. Not entirely true.

[Romdeau was hopeless. Romdeau had such failing life, such dwindling stagnation. Romdeau had been haunting and aching and lonely, in it's darkest days.]

At least I have you here.

[proxysearch]

Please. Of course it's true. Romdeau was riot after riot, people dying on the streets... But it was for only a few days, and then it was over.

[Re-l closes her eyes, stomach tightening. People being stabbed on the streets, AutoReivs set on fire... She doesn't like thinking on it.

Instead, she turns her eyes to him, moving a little closer briefly.]

I know. I'm glad you're at my side.

[gaveherwings]

It was a few days for you.

[Daedalus corrects with a shake of his head, in a tone that edges uncomfortably, quietly on reproachful. But he can shut his eyes and talk about it matter-of-factly, as if stating history off the page, if he distances himself.]

Romdeau started to fall apart right after the Rapture went up. Before then, but The autoreivs fell rapidly to Cogito from there, and...Regent Donov's collective turned over everything.

The great age of man! [A soft, bitter scoff. He shakes his head.] That was...about two months, from the end. But the Wombsys had stopped functioning long before then. I knew that we were finished, and it wasn't going to change.

That's even harder than this wild and unpredictable city here. Something terrible might happen tomorrow- someone could step out of line and do horrible things...but at least we don't sit helpless, knowing it, dreading it.

[Ironic, considering they're here right now, instead of the other apartment. Daedalus bows his head.] There will be security installation tomorrow morning

[proxysearch]

[She frowns, watching him. Two days of hell for her, two months for him. She squeezes his hand tightly and keeps her eyes on his face, watching to be sure that nothing she saw before--

Daedalus had been so empty those final days. And he hated her.

She wonders if he really doesn't hate her anymore or if he's just hiding it, like Iggy did.]

I know. I'm sorry.

[I'm sick of your apologies.]

The sooner we have a security system up, the sooner we can go back and feel a little safer.

[There's a deeper frown on her face when she finally lets go of his hand.]

I'm sorry I've given you all this trouble.

[gaveherwings]

[Cameras, alarms...they weren't a real defense, but enough of an illusion of safety to return and pretend they were safe.

He could play along with that, as long as they could return to the comfortable way things were.

Was that the ultimate happiness? Daedalus...isn't sure. But it's the fondest reality he's lived yet, in that apartment, with Re-l.

To be honest, he'd liked that place they'd 'technically squatted' in after the earthquake even better. Back when it felt as if they desperately needed one another, to get by day by day in this new place. At the beginning of a warm, bright summer.

Here in the cool dark, in another unfamiliar place, sitting together...it reminds him of that with a warm wash of nostalgia.]

It's no trouble. [He relents, sighing, and scooting closer to offer her his shoulder to lean on.] No trouble from you. It's the rest of the world that's trouble.

[zealouspeter]

[it wasn't the first thing he'd heard-- he was a chronic eavesdropper, that was true- but it was the first thing he cracked his eyes open at, blinked blurry-eyed and waited for them to adjust. the apartment was a comfortable place to be, all around: high enough from the ground for anything going on below to be easily ignorable, and with those two--]

[well. it wasn't steady, of course (they were living creatures), but it wasn't anything bad.]

[and that's mainly why he kept still, though he'd never say that when asked; he'd really woken up after Re-l had sat on the floor, kept watch in the ears-only sense of the word.]

[they weren't good together, he'd muse, in a complete way. too many underscoring problems on both sides for that. but that was probably better-- people who fit together perfectly were weird, suspicious, and alright, he might've been wiggling down just a bit further into the blankets, eyes still half-open but mind officially awake. the two of them should've been the ones sleeping, really (and where in the world did that

[proxysearch]

Of course it's trouble. It always is.

[He had to clean up after she was gone for Romdeau. He had to deal with Raul. He was the one who had fallen apart, not her. Not even when she finally saw Vincent in his true form and had realized who he was... Not even then.

She's not sure if she can feel disappointed any longer in Daedalus that he gives up so easily. She just detaches herself from it.

She tries to do that here.]

I'm sick of those two.