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Aug 26, 2008 12:55:11 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 26, 2008 12:55:11 GMT -5
Open thread!
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When Iseabail finally left her room, she was numb. She couldn't go anywhere, do anything without being reminded of Armand. It was almost impossible for her to go to the cathedral right now, and that hurt, a lot more than she expected it to. She needed to get out. And so, she went to the Real World.
Wandering the streets of London, she knew she looked awful. Passersby stared at her and looked quickly away, unnerved by the obvious beauty that she usually had, but had neglected for whatever reason. It had taken this much for her to get her head back on straight; what would it take for her to heal from this?
She went to the Real World to see shows often enough that they recognized her and let her in, even if she didn't have a ticket. At one point, she had almost performed here, but something had gone wrong. Stepping into Her Majesty's Theatre, she went to her usual seat and sat down, watching without really taking anything in. How ironic that the opera was Tosca. She'd never gotten to perform that role and wondered how on earth she was going to be able to now. Armand was healed, but it had been a long time since he'd been in the theatre. And now she knew why.
She couldn't even cry. All Iseabail could do was sit there, heaving dry sobs, trying not to draw attention to herself.
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Aug 28, 2008 14:43:52 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 28, 2008 14:43:52 GMT -5
Mercedes sneaked up behind the actor, drawing her gun.
“You’re under arrest, asshole,” she whispered, cocking the firearm. The man jumped nearly out of his skin.
“I didn’t mean to! I didn’t know she wasn’t sixteen!” Mercedes grabbed his arms with a contented feeling. She lived for this.
“We’ve got a dark little hole in the bottom of the jail just for sickos like you,” she hissed, twisting his arm with unnessecary force. Then, it was gone.
The actor started awake, shivering in his chair backstage. He stood up and Mercedes silently slipped from his subconscious, manifesting in physical form after he’d left. She sighed. A perfectly good nightmare ruined by a light sleeper.
She was about to go in search of another wrong-doer when the sound of crying caught her attention. Oddly, I didn’t sound like that echo-y human subconscious crying, but like… like someone from her realm. Curious, Mercedes sneaked over to the curtain and peaked out.
“Aunt Iseabail!” she cried, moving from behind the thick red fabric and rushing to her ‘aunt’s’ side. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
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Aug 28, 2008 14:54:00 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 28, 2008 14:54:00 GMT -5
Iseabail had not been expecting anyone from Morpheus to be looking for her, let alone in the Real World. She looked up at Mercedes' voice, trying to calm herself. "Mercedes," she started between sobs, still trying to make herself stop crying. "Not physically, no," she said, glancing at the stage again. "I'm surprised ye havena heard anything from Bela," she said, obviously miserable.
After a few more seconds, she managed to reduce herself to breathing very very carefully. But she had to watch it; any strong emotions and she was likely to start off again. It was very unusual for Iseabail to cry, though, which is probably why Bela and Mercedes were so worried about her.
It was interesting that Iseabail had chosen to come here, at this time. In fact, if Iseabail were herself, she would probably say that God had been trying to show her something, but at the moment, she couldn't think of anything like that. It had been a long time since she had been to a cathedral and she felt guilty about that. Of course, that was just one of the myriad of emotions swirling through the Scot's brain; she didn't know what to feel, numb as she was.
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Aug 28, 2008 15:01:50 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 28, 2008 15:01:50 GMT -5
“Bela and I aren’t really talking,” Mercedes mumbled, thinking on her sister’s latest debacle and the cold shoulder it had earned her. Bela was just so obstinate! (Said the pot to the kettle.)
“What happened, Iseabail?” Mercedes asked in as close to a soothing tone as she could manage. “Will you tell me about it?” She couldn’t believe her aunt was weeping in front of her. Iseabail didn’t usually broadcast her vulnerabilities. Mercedes was stricken that the singer had admitted to being hurt. “Please?”
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Aug 28, 2008 15:47:13 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 28, 2008 15:47:13 GMT -5
"Och, Mercedes, ye shouldna let Bela ignore ye; you're sisters--ye should talk," Iseabail said, a poor attempt to resume her slightly maternal role. It didn't work; it was far too obvious that she was actually trying.
Sighing, Iseabail nodded. She knew just how stubborn the sisters could be; she had helped instill that in them, after all. So, she knew that she would get nowhere by refusing to talk to Mercedes. And she needed to talk to someone.
"Weel, Mercedes, how much have ye heard about Armand and Iker?" she asked, her voice resigned. This was clearly a very painful subject, but Iseabail would get through it, for Meredes' sake.
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Aug 28, 2008 16:05:39 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 28, 2008 16:05:39 GMT -5
“I know Armand doesn’t have a police rap the length of my arm, unlike his brat of a brother,” Mercedes snorted. “And Iker… Well, I’ve only heard rumors…” Mercedes didn’t really know a lot about Night Terrors. It had never become a part of her job, so she hadn’t looked into it.
“Did something happen? Did one of them attack you!?” Mercedes exclaimed, clearly alarmed. She’d never met Armand, but if he was anything like Alexander then she would be more than willing to believe he was capable of doing Iseabail harm.
--ooc: short ><--
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Aug 28, 2008 16:22:44 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 28, 2008 16:22:44 GMT -5
"No, he wouldna," Iseabail murmured, a small smile creeping across her face. Even now, even heartbroken, she yearned for him. She loved Armand so much; all she wanted was for him to be happy, and yet, she wanted to be with him. Wanted to be near him. Even if it was just on the stage, it would be enough. She would make it be enough.
Surprised that Mercedes would jump to such a conclusion, Iseabail shook her head, protesting violently. "Och, no. Dinna fash yerself, lassie; I'm all right in that way." It was touching that Mercedes was so worried, but Iseabail doubted that Armand was even capable of such a thing. Iker, on the other hand, she would not put it past him, but still.
"No, it's nothing like that," she continued quietly. "I had been possessed by Iker, the Night Terror of Visitation. As ye ken, I am telepathic. I think that that amplified Iker's effects. Either way, I wasna really myself. Bela said that it took me a month to come to myself and that only happened because...," she trailed off, blinking back tears. "Because Armand has broken my heart," she whispered, hating that she sounded so melodramatic. Yes, she was an actress, but she usually separated the onstage drama from her life. Now, that seemed impossible.
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Aug 28, 2008 16:30:42 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 28, 2008 16:30:42 GMT -5
Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief and then immediately felt guilty for it. Her breath had caught when she’d heard Iseabail had been possessed. How could Bela –how could madre and padre- not think to tell her about this!? Still, she was glad to know her precious aunt was physically fine.
Mercedes sympathetic instincts kicked in and she placed a comforting hand on Iseabail’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Iseabail,” she whispered. When another tear trickled down the vampire’s cheek, Mercedes enfolded her in a hug. “I’m so sorry. You can go ahead and cry,” she said, gently rubbing her hand over her aunt’s back.
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Aug 29, 2008 0:38:12 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 29, 2008 0:38:12 GMT -5
Iseabail didn't really know how to respond to Mercedes' I'm sorry, so she didn't. She just stayed quiet for a moment, wondering what she was going to do. What COULD she do, really? All she could do was abide by Armand's decision and refrain from seeking him out. And yet, she wanted to see him. She wanted him to know that he didn't have to give up opera for her.
And comfort was what Iseabail needed right now. Granted, if Armand had been comforting her, she probably wouldn't be crying, but Mercedes knew that Iseabail needed physical contact right now. Wrapping her her arms around her niece, Iseabail did what she was told and let herself go; she let herself cry like she never had before. If any humans wandered by, the sound would definitely be other-worldly, but Iseabail was far from worried about that, at the moment. For once, it was time to be selfish and cry her eyes out.
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Aug 29, 2008 9:26:05 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 29, 2008 9:26:05 GMT -5
Mercedes let her cry, just holding on and being there. She thought, several times, of clever things she could say to make her aunt feel better, but none of them ever seemed quite right. All Mercedes knew to do was to be physically there. She wished she'd had more experience comforting broken hearts.
As Iseabail's deluge of tears gradually subsided Mercedes slowly pulled away, using the sleeve of her trurtleneck to dab at Iseabail's cheek. There wasn't really any place for a hanky next to her gun.
She waited in silence for a while, unsure of how to continue. Finally, a thought occurred to her that made her smile.
"You told Bela about this?" Mercedes giggled. "She's probably breathing holy fire down his neck right about now. I can just picture him chewing her out," Mercedes said, wildly hoping the image of little Bela rushing to her aunt's rescue would cheer the heartbroken woman. Mercedes had few experiences with heartbreak and she hoped she was doing the right thing.
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Aug 29, 2008 16:34:47 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 29, 2008 16:34:47 GMT -5
"Tapadh leat, Mercedes," Iseabail said, pulling away slowly. "I...I needed that." And it was rare for Iseabail to admit needing someone else; she was usually so strong on her own. At the same time, she was very glad that Mercedes had stumbled upon her; she probably would have tried to deal with things by herself, even though it was clear that she shouldn't.
She shook her head, smiling very slightly. "No, I didna tell Bela anything," she responded quietly. "Your sister found out on her own. She practically broke down my door. Apparently, I wouldna let her in," Iseabail trailed off. She didn't really remember a lot of things from the past month, just that she had been fighting to regain a sense of herself.
The thought of Bela attempting to intimidate Armand, tough, dear Armand, was too much. Though still almost ready to burst into tears, Iseabail laughed. "Och, I just hope she doesna overdo it." Knowing Bela, she probably would. And yet, Iseabail wasn't sure what "overdoing it" would contain. Of course, Bela had more sense than to turn him into stone, but that didn't mean that Iseabail wasn't worried. "They had better no' hurt each other," she murmured, quite worried now. They were both very capable, but maybe that was the problem.
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Aug 29, 2008 16:44:25 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 29, 2008 16:44:25 GMT -5
Mercedes smiled, glad to see her aunt was recovering slowly. She gently patted her aunt's shoulder where her hand rested. She could see the worry building in Iseabail's eyes and immediately moved to circumvent it.
"Bela will be fine. She knows when enough is enough." Total lie, but it was what Mercedes thought the dear woman needed to hear.
Mercedes looked around the theater, thinking. Wasn't there some sort of ritual girl's partook in to comfort broken hearts? Chocolate bingeing was one she'd learned from watching Bela. The desk girls at LOS went out for drinks from time to time. Maybe that was more appropriate, given their ages and the circumstances.
"Hey," Mercedes coaxed, tilting her head to make eye contact with her aunt. "Do you want to get out of here? We can go back to Chimera and talk about how inconsiderate males are. Sound good?" she asked, standing up from her kneel next to her aunt.
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Aug 29, 2008 17:09:49 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 29, 2008 17:09:49 GMT -5
"Aye," Iseabail agreed, knowing full well that Bela probably didn't know when enough was enough. It helped, though, at times, to delude herself. She had seen enough of the truth of the world to want to be able to believe a lie, occasionally.
Looking around the theatre, Iseabail nodded. "Aye, that would probably be for the best," she said. She was only depressing herself more, dwelling on the past. She did need to speak to Armand at some point, but she didn't think she was ready to seek him out. If he came to see her, that was fine, but she couldn't go to him.
As she stood up, Iseabail smoothed her skirt. "Aye, let's get ou' of here," she said again. It was definitely better for her to be in someone else's company; she didn't have as much time to dwell on things. When she was alone, she started to depress herself.
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Aug 29, 2008 17:23:57 GMT -5
Post by redtopaz on Aug 29, 2008 17:23:57 GMT -5
"Great!' Mercedes said, glad to see her aunt was up to going out. The vapiress eyes were a little red, but noting some powder couldn't fix. Mercedes looked around for a human. They'd need one to get back to Morpheus. She caught sight of a janitor sleeping in one of the back rows, drooling in his sleep. Perfect.
She gently led her aunt up to the man and slipped silently in to his subconsciousness. A grandfather, eh? He hadn't committed any egregious sins, so he wasn't really Mercedes sort of scare, but maybe Iseabail would want a bite to eat before they headed back.
"Interested?" she asked her aunt, looking around the man's inner mind.
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Aug 29, 2008 20:01:21 GMT -5
Post by Maestro on Aug 29, 2008 20:01:21 GMT -5
Iseabail shook her head, looking around the man's mind with slight distaste. While she had been out, she had actually regained some of the beauty that she had lost over the past month. She had desperately needed to get out and get food, that much was obvious. And now that she had, she was feeling slightly better. But very slightly.
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