When the roof caved in and the truth came out...
((OOC: I know that there are a lot of new posts. I just had to get this up before the wedding. I want to make sure that JD's reaction to his journal entry is shown and then that he's in well enough mental/emotional condition to go to the wedding.))
It has been nearly two weeks since Elizabeth's seen Josef. She was frustrated and stubborn, and she ( Read more... )
It has been nearly two weeks since Elizabeth's seen Josef. She was frustrated and stubborn, and she ( Read more... )
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"You're probably going to attract more attention than you'd like, doing that," he says, taking a few steps into the alley. Which has the advantage of getting him at least partially out of the horrible deathwind this whole 'winter' thing has brought along with it, as well as making it obvious that he's talking to her.
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She clears her throat and removes her fists from the wall, taking a tentative step back. The embarrassment mixes with her anger. She tenses at first, realizing this is a stranger that's approached her. She hasn't forgotten about Josef's relative, but this is an angel, who doesn't look anything like Josef. It's the angel part that relaxes her the most, and she smiles through her frustration. It's a little forced.
"Right. You're probably right. Of course, you are. Most people are right, and I'm usually wrong. Obviously, world. I'm just-- I'm not used to having outbursts of rawr like this. Ever. I'm not used to being this angry before. I took my anger out on the nearest object, which was this... wall." The wall that has remained unmoved this whole time. "And it sure looks like it's suffering, huh?"
On the other hand, her fists are a mess. Fantastic.
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He drops his hands, then, shoving them back into the pockets of his coat. Fucking cold. Kaden is from California. He does not approve of Chicago's idea of winter. "Oh, it definitely does," he says, glancing over at the wall and smirking a bit. "There are probably better things to punch when you're angry, you know."
Then he takes a few more steps toward her, reaching out to grab one of her hands and inspect the knuckles. No, he doesn't have a sense of personal space. "Case in point."
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When she hears the racket Elizabeth is making, she stops and stares. If this angel's trying to be subtle, she's doing a very bad job of it. Luka cocks her head as she watches Elizabeth, wondering what she's doing.
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She freezes at the sight of the small girl, offering her an embarrassed smile and pulling her hands away from the wall.
"Uhm. I was just-- The wall was making me very-- I don't think that-- Hi." Her face is red from anger, exertion, and embarrassment. She runs her fingers through her curls. "Don't do drugs."
Not that she's offering that as an explanation for why she was beating on a wall. It's just what people tell young kids, isn't it? Don't do drugs. Stay in school. Get ACTIVE!
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The jumpsuit is less of an issue for Luka. It could be a legitimate fashion choice, for all she knows! But she can't see why someone would want to chain their own hands together.
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Elizabeth stares down at the handcuffs on her wrist. She is having way too much experience with handcuffs lately.
"Uhm. It's a long story. Basically, my dad thinks I'm a whore or that I steal stuff, because he doesn't understand that I'm just-- I'm doing my duty as an angel. So he has buddies in the police department and in juvie. They decided to show me what happens to people who break the law." Those three words are said in Elizabeth's best imitation of a deep, manly voice. Her words in general are steadily sounding more and more frustrated as she relives the basics of what happened to her. "And what happens is they put handcuffs on you, put you in an orange jumpsuit, take your weapons away, and lock you in solitary confinement if you punch their ( ... )
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He leans against the back entrance of the Conrad, waiting for her as promised.
He doesn't know what happened.
He doesn't know if she's really okay.
Until he sees her, his chest will remain clenched painfully.
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She had to pick out clothes to wear. The only jacket she owns is still down at Juvie, along with her pepper spray, tazer, previous outfit, and her backpack. The only reason that she was able to keep her journal is because it's small. She smuggled it in her bra. They would probably normally frisk that area, but she punched the man before he got the chance. She's wearing a very thick hoodie, a scarf, and mittens instead. They'll have to do until she gets another coat.
Elizabeth is still frustrated and angry by the time she leaves her room, but none of that is aimed toward Josef. There's just a tightly wound ball of anticipation in her chest. It's painful, and it's been impossible to ignore for days. She needs to see him, the sooner the better.
When she sees him, she releases a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. It's cold like ice and painful but happy, relieved. It doesn't matter what else is going on, she hasn't seen him in two weeks and that takes precedence. Elizabeth ( ... )
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Right about what?
It's gnawing at him viciously. He has to know.
When he sees her, relief floods into him in one fell swoop. It's a miracle he is left standing. Josef wraps his arms around her tightly, protectively, as if with the gesture alone he can keep at bay whatever hurt her.
"Are you okay? What happened? Were you hurt?"
One question at a time, Josef. Do not overwhelm the girl.
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"I'm okay," she says. There's no suppression of pain, because it's true. She is okay. Her jaw locks a little as she continues though. "I'm angry and frustrated and betrayed, but I'm fine."
She takes in a deep breath. This day has been long, and she can't wait until it's over and she can forget that it ever happened. Or pretend that she can forget.
"I wasn't... hurt. I did hurt someone else! I punched him in the face. He deserved it, but I wasn't hurt." She wasn't hurt physically anyway. It's hard to describe how much it hurts deep within her that her dad lied to her. "It's-- Have you ever seen those talk shows where troubled kids are sent to like jail or a juvenile detention center to give them an idea of what they ( ... )
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Yeah. Music from really far away.
Johnny starts to walk. Where there is purple grass and unexplained music he is guessing there is a JD. It takes about fifteen minutes of walking before there are flowers falling on him, and for a moment, he can't help but grin. That's just so neat. He loves JD.
And then he finally sees JD on the bench. And bounds over, falling to his knees in front of JD, grabbing at his legs to ... try to comfort him, the narration guesses, though it's kind of in a weird way. A leg-hug.
He looks into JD's face and clings to his legs a little tighter, pressing his face into JD's pants. Don't worry, more by the calves than ... um, anywhere else.
"I'm so sorry," he says, his voice muffled. "And yeah, so you know, I AM REAL and I'm so, so sorry. I'll kill her. I will. Even if it makes me lose my wings or whatever. I'll do anything. I - " He looks up again. "I'll make you a casserole!"
He doesn't know how to cook. But that's what people do, right ( ... )
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"You don't have to... be down there. I'm-" He winces and clears his throat. It's so hoarse like it hasn't been used in weeks... and it hasn't. JD shakes his head. "Kill who? I don't-- You don't have to kill anyone. I'm glad you're real. I really am."
There's sincerity in his voice when he speaks, but there's so much detachment, too. His emotions are there but they're right out of reach.
He swallows thickly. There can't be more tears. He's cried so much. His heart has been breaking over and over again. Right when he thinks it wont hurt anymore, it prove shim wrong.
"I don't think so but you're-- It's nice not to be alone. For a little while. I didn't come out of my room for a long time. I forgot what... how it is to be with real people."
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"That - that woman who told you," Johnny answers, in a very quiet and intense voice. "She had no right."
Johnny will NOT cry. He will not. He will be here for JD in the best way he can. He wishes Elizabeth were here. Maybe she could help better than him. She knows about this kind of stuff.
He's still clinging to JD, hugging him HARD. He's got his head on JD's shoulder. JD doesn't sound right, and Johnny doesn't know how to fix it. It's driving him nuts to know there's so much pain here and to not be able to do anything about it. What good is being a healing angel if you can't heal this kind of stuff, too?
It's so stupid.
"I will be here as long as you want!" Johnny's voice might be a little excited - not happy, but almost drunk on the possibility of being able to help in any way. "Do you - do you want to be around more people? We could find like ... a movie or a store or something. It's Chicago! I bet there's lots of things to ( ... )
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"I had to know. Part of me already did know. I just couldn't face it on my own," he says quietly. Something in his voice breaks, and he stares down at his hands. "I mean all- Because of what I did, I don't even know how to-- I'm not sure which memories are real in my head. I have so many of them. I don't know what I really shared with Nate and what I didn't. If she hadn't told me, I would be-- I'd be making all these other memories up. I already have too many, and I don't know. I don't know what's... realThere's comfort in the presence of someone else that's real. With the way Johnny's holding him, JD wonders how he ever believed the embraces that he'd made up in his head. They were real enough to make him able to believe in them, but they were nothing like this ( ... )
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