video;

[wolfishflame]

[It's dark. Whoever's broadcasting is outside in the middle of the night, and the camera slowly adjusts to the little amount of light filtering in from the stars and the barrier overhead.

When the broadcaster speaks, her voice is almost too hoarse to be recognizable, but it's Aly. She speaks quietly, but firmly.]

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
With what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire-- [And at that word, an angry gout of crimson flame flares up from her hands for a moment before disappearing.]
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate-- [The fire flares up again.]
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And will suffice.

[As she reaches to turn off the feed, something that looks a lot like blood can be seen smeared around her mouth.]

Comments

[Video] ... If there's a one-on-one setting for these things, assume Nita's trying for that.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Hell of a time back home, huh?

[Nita sounds tired, and that's not just because she couldn't sleep.

She doesn't ask if Aly is alright.]

... You need medical, or do you normally have that covered?

video; private

[wolfishflame]

[Aly laughs bitterly, still largely in the dark.] "Hell"'s sure a word for it.

I'm not hurt. [THEN WHOSE BLOOD IS IT, ALY]

Re: video; private

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita's brow furrows.]

You look like you've been in a fight, though.

I mean, not being hurt is still good, but...

Would this be 'hell of a good time' or 'hell of a bad time'?

video; private

[wolfishflame]

[Aly bites back something very uncharitable.]

Wish it had been a fight, that'd at least have been a better time.

Re: video; private

[unfavorableinstigation]

['Bad time' it is, then.]

... Between talking about it and getting your mind off it, which is better right now?

[Nita's had to do both, at different times.]

video; private

[wolfishflame]

I'm not really sure I can do either.

Ever heard of a primal scream?

Re: video; private

[unfavorableinstigation]

Yeah.

[There's a question in that one word, too - since Nita's almost never heard that term in a positive contrast. For sheer expression, though...]

Maybe if we go out to the Bay, just away from the ships?

video; private

[wolfishflame]

[Aly winces.]

I don't...do water. [Understatement, Haskell.]

Re: video; private

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita hmm's.]

Not sure how far inland we can go.

Are you somewhere up high already?

video; private

[wolfishflame]

Yeah, roof. High as I can get. Need to watch my back right now. I mean. Probably not so much here. But it helps.

voice; private

[annihilist]

[...Well that isn't good. She's not horribly injured, probably, or she'd be in a hospital instead of posting to the network. That's a plus. But Aly is clearly also Not Alright, and at a guess this has something to do with what she's told him about before. Devin doesn't bother with video right now, but voice will be slightly harder to ignore than a text.]

Where are you?

voice; private

[wolfishflame]

[Devin. Aly grunts; her voice is still the kind of hoarse that comes from screaming into the crook of your arm until you can't scream anymore.]

Roof.

[Helpful, Haskell.]

voice; private --> action;

[annihilist]

[Not all that helpful, no, but Devin can make some reasonable assumptions.]

Dreaming Bridge?

[Just to be sure. There is some indistinguishable murmuring in the background, the timbre of another person's voice. It's the middle of the night, so the only person it could really be is the Fool.]

We'll be there soon, sit tight. [He refrains from adding 'kiddo', even if it's on the tip of his tongue.] I can stay on the call if you'd like.

[They won't do much more than get into more appropriate clothing before heading straight to her. Indeed, the sound of rustling fabric can already be heard.]

voice; private

[wolfishflame]

Yeah. The Bridge.

It's okay. I can wait. I'll be okay, really. [No demurral this - simply a reassurance. She's not in danger. Not that kind of danger.]

voice; private-->actually action this time, whoops

[annihilist]

[He-- appreciates the reassurance, on some level. It doesn't sound like she's trying to brush off his concern, just assuage the worst of it. Devin is certain Aly is not okay, but not being in immediate physical danger is something. If she were bleeding severely, hopefully she or someone else would have gotten her to a hospital already.]

All the same, I've got nothing else on my schedule for the evening. [It is possible to imagine a tiny, strained smile on his face with those words.]

[He ends the call, hurriedly changes into better clothing and grabs a few things that might be of some comfort to Aly, plus things to get her cleaned up. Altogether it's not very long before Devin and the Fool arrive at the Dreaming Bridge, making a beeline for the stairs and coming out onto the roof. It's only there that he really chooses to slow his pace much, not wanting to startle Aly unduly.]

[He wavers over a thought, an impulse that feels at once completely fitting and utterly alien. Then Devin lowers the bag he's carrying and holds out one arm in mute offer - he's really not a hugger, but if there's any time for it, it's now.]

[wolfishflame]

[Aly turns when she hears footsteps, her heart rate spiking, ready to fight, always ready to fight, when she sees Devin and instantly calms down. Well, sort of. As much as she's able, anyway.

When he holds an arm out, she stares at him for a moment, not exactly sure what he's offering, before coming to a realization and hugging him tightly, trying to suppress a sob. There's blood on her face, and Devin should be able to smell that it's animal blood, not her own. Something big and raw, part of a fresh kill.]

[annihilist]

[It is some sign of growth, Devin muses distantly, that any discomfort with the embrace is due more to unfamiliarity than his training now. He sets this aside to examine later, as Aly needs to be the center of his focus.

He circles his arms across her back and shoulders, a bit less tightly than her grip but still solid, protective. This close, it's relieving to smell that the blood isn't what he recognizes as human. Why Aly would have animal blood at her mouth-- well, she had shown up in the forest that one time decidedly four-legged. That's got to be related somehow.

What does he even say? For a little while Devin is silent, searching for words that don't sound hollow in his own head.]

I've got you, [is what he murmurs softly, almost into her hair. He has questions, but they'll keep.]

[wolfishflame]

[And that's what finally does it - that's what breaks Aly's tight control, and she begins crying in earnest, her face buried into his shoulder. She tries to keep herself from crying too loudly or too obviously, but even if he wasn't a vampire with superhuman senses, Devin would be able to tell.

She doesn't let up her grip. It's good to have someone here and real because maybe then everything that she just experienced was one big nightmare and she could ignore the blood on her mouth and chin because if it had all been a nightmare then that's not real either.]

[annihilist]

[There's really not much Devin can do but be there and pretend he doesn't feel a creeping sense of helplessness taking hold. It's faint, at least, since this seems to be what Aly needs right now. After, though-- well, they'll cross that bridge when they come to it. Maybe being there is the best thing he can do.

Tentatively, Devin makes tiny circles with his thumb against her back, raises his other hand and cradles Aly's head against his shoulder. Things the Fool has sometimes done for him, for comfort and contact. Devin's heart aches for her with every sob and tremble, and he'll stay there patiently for as long as necessary, until she's ready to move or speak or whatever else.]

voice, private;

[afoolsgold]

[well that's--alarming. On many levels.]

Aly. What has happened?

voice, private;

[wolfishflame]

[Raspily:] I've made a huge mistake.

voice, private;

[afoolsgold]

[that bodes ill. The Fool gathers himself, preparing to leave wherever he is.]

Let us avoid another one. Tell me where you are, and I will come to you.

voice, private;

[wolfishflame]

[She hesitates, then gives out her location. It's atop a roof somewhere in the city.]

...will you and Devin be coming together?

voice, private;

[afoolsgold]

We can.

[he hopes. He hasn't asked yet, but he can't imagine Devin denying him in an emergency, and especially not one that involves Aly. They both have a soft spot for her, after all.]

voice, private;

[wolfishflame]

Okay.

[None of the cold fury is present in her demeanor anymore. Mostly she just sounds...tired. A girl lying in the ruins of her tower of mistakes, accepting her entombment.]