exsiliumlogs | a congregation of exorcists

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a congregation of exorcists

Date & Time: July 9th, a few hours after this.
Location: Hospital
Characters: A WHOLE BUNCH OF EXORCISTS +1 Noah and Collette.
Summary: Lavi got his help and is taken to the hospital, word spreads and it's suddenly a congregation.
Warnings: none??

[ It's a few hours after passing out that Lavi drifts back to consciousness— and promptly wishes he wasn't. His entire body feels heavy and is still aching after all the strain that was put on it. It makes it incredibly tempting to just go back to sleep. Sleep as long as it takes for him to feel better and something tells him there's a lot of information to be retained too. A longer nap wouldn't hurt for once and he can tell he's lying on something soft and comfortable, which isn't helping the temptation in the slightest.

But something in the back of his mind urges him to open his eye, too. A pressing feeling of memories being half-remembered (there's something he's supposed to find out, isn't there) and eventually it's that feeling that wins out. He stirs with a soft groan, eye fluttering open. ]

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Am I what?

( Her voice sounds tight, and she can't meet his eye -- blinking rapidly again, wanting all of these things to stop, to make sense, to not be scary and dangerous and outside of her realm of handling. To not make her friends feel bad, or to be rejected 'cause she said or did the stupid thing again. She's been trying hard to not be so bad at it. She's been trying hard to be honest.

She's still so young in so many ways...

Nash was right. She really didn't play the innocent act so well right in the moment where she was trying to play dumb.

Sniffing, she realizes she should have just gone for saying allergies. )

[ He can't help but sigh a little, because this was becoming far too common a recurrence and he hated it.

He has no idea how to deal with it, being reassuring or even considerate wasn't his exactly his strongest point, it required efforts beyond the superficial he usually gave. He'd apologize, but without even knowing what had caused her to start crying, that just seems meaningless to him. There's plenty of other things to apologize for that he can think of (getting her involved in this mess in the first place) but he's not sure if he should right now.

So, at a lack of knowing what else to do, he finally drops his hand on her head for some awkward patting. ]

Don't cry.

If it was that easy -- ( she says, rubbing at her eyes again with a short, thick huff of laughter ) -- do you really think I'd ever start when I don't want to?

[ He chuckles, soft and without any real mirth, and there's two more gentle pats before his hand stills on her head.

Maybe he should apologize. ]

I'm sorry for getting you caught up in all this.

( She lifts a hand to encircle his wrist, grip loose at first. )

No, don't be.

( When her grip tightens, it's enough to be firm, pulling his hand down off her head. He's not someone she sees as being so much older than her that she accepts it: she has a brother, and he falls short of that age gap, or the inherent tolerance she has for babying (regardless of what it really was). He's a peer, and not one who leads her. She respects him... as a friend, and as a whatevre all he is. Conflicted historian, apparently! )

It's better to tell me what's going on. I get into way more trouble trying to figure it out on my own.

( Not that she looks up, still trying to make her eyes dry. It's not working so great. She hates being tired. )

Just ask Caesar.

Edited 2013-07-30 19:14 (UTC)

[ He offers no resistance when she tugs at his wrist, letting her pull his hand away. Not everyone appreciated the touch, he knows, but it's the one that comes most naturally to him and he inflicts on anyone regardless of age and gender. It's not meant to be condescending, it's just what it is. Something simple, not too personal.

He's not sure what else to do so he doesn't move or pull his hand away. It's a good thing she's not looking, his expression is too wry to be of any comfort.

He makes an affirmative noise, humoring. As much as he wishes he could take back everything he's just told her, it's pointless. What's done is done. He would have to face the consequences and right now that meant asking. Reluctantly, because her previous outburst isn't forgotten and although he doesn't want to push, he has to. ]

Promise me you won't tell anyone?

( She ends up transferring her hand from his wrist to his hand, holding it again by merit of not wanting him to pull back (again) and not knowing what else to do with it. Though she snorts, softly, and finally looks up again at his request. )

I'll try. ( She says. ) I promise I'll try not to. Though I might tell Caesar, but that kind of depends on him asking.

( And she's not sure he'd ask. )

[ Fine with him. His fingers curl loosely around hers as he puts more effort into making his smile less wry even though he feels like dropping it altogether at her reply. ]

You're terrible.

[ He says it jokingly, but he's making a mental note to be more cautious around her in the future because really, they're a lot alike. No more talk of the Order. ]

I'd rather you didn't, but Caesar's fine. If he asks.

[ Which he doesn't see happening either, but Caesar seems like he can keep a secret better than she can either way. (If only on the virtue of not caring.) ]

I'm honest.

( She corrects; and that is terrible enough, because it too is true, and also a lie. )

But I'm also better at not saying things people don't want spread around now than I was last year, so there's that, kind of. Except if it becomes relevant.

( She gives his hand a squeeze. )

I just don't want to make a promise that I might have to break, you know?

( Protecting friends is important. Her friends don't span just one single world. It leaves many places to cover, and many secrets to protect.

Which she does a better job with than she'll even give herself credit for. )

Edited 2013-08-01 19:23 (UTC)

[ The correction gets an eyebrow raise, a hint of skepticism, but he doesn't comment on it.

Her words aren't exactly reassuring, but he wasn't expecting any reassurance from her in the first place considering everything else she has said. So he merely makes an affirmative noise, putting on a show of understanding.

But . . . ]

I don't see why you would have to. Tyki won't do anything. [ Not when so vastly outnumbered, he doesn't think. ]

But if he could, what would he do? More of what he did with you?

( That's dangerous! It's scary, and it's darn well cool on a level she won't readily admit, because admitting might be taken the wrong way right now.

Though already seeing he doesn't believe, she ends up shrugging her shoulders. She's too tired to want to know how to deal with this like the adult she doesn't feel she's ready to be yet. Can she just go home and let someone else take care of everything?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller? )

What, stick his hands in people?

[ He says it in a humorous way, but he knows darn well how Tyki uses his powers in gruesome ways. He'd seen what the Noah had done to Allen through Timcanpy's recording and it is something to be very afraid of. But there's no need to spook her further, so talk of flesh-eating golems being put in bodies is something he keeps to himself.

He squeezes her hand reassuringly instead. ]

Even when there were only two of us here, he didn't really do anything. [ As far as he knows. ] You have nothing to worry about. If he does or more come, we'll do our job as Exorcists.

Yeah, but what happens if you guys can't?

( SHe's not disparaging when she asks, searching his face with a serious expression slowly settling over her own. )

People are so keen on solving their own problems here, they forget they're not the only ones who can, or even should. Even if it's Noah or -- Yeerks or zombies or soul stealing swords or ghosts or demons or whatever other crazy stuff totally exists here. You won't get yourself into something you can't get back out of, will you?

( And that's the real fear. Not the rest, not even Tyki, has the same kind of fear attached.

She doesn't want to lose her important people. It's what it all boils down to, even as she adds to that number, knowing it's not a wise plan. Losing them when she doesn't need to feels like the kind of thing she doesn't want to be able to keep on rolling through unscathed. )

[ He gets it, he really does, and wouldn't it be nice if other people could help? But in this case they really are the only ones who can do anything at all when it comes down to Noah. ]

If we can't, no one can. The only way to even touch a Noah is with Innocence.

[ He says it simply, matter-of-fact, with an even expression. Because it is what it is and nothing can be done about it. Although it still depends on how strong the Innocence is, it's still the only way. If they're lucky (which they generally aren't but one can hope) there won't be any need to bring things like Innocence and Dark Matter into this all. ]

I'll be fine. As long as I have the deal, Tyki won't harm me. [ And by harm he means kill, but she doesn't need to know that. ]

What happens when he calls it in? And Innocence, is that genetic too? Or were you all given it? Your hammer, Lenalee's legs...

( A pause. )

Allen's arm?

I don't know, I have no idea what he might ask in the first place.

[ Something that scares him a little, but beyond information he can't imagine what Tyki could ever want from him. ]

No, we're chosen by the Innocence. They manifest in different types, I guess is how you'd put it.

[ He doesn't say anything about Allen's arm, that's not his to talk about, certainly not when it was harder on parasitic-users to start with, it's an even more sensitive topic for them. He doesn't elaborate much on types either, other than: ]

My Innocence is an equipment-type.

( She of course has other questions; it's a mark of how tired she is that she voices none of them, closing her eyes as she squeezes his hand once more. )

I'm glad you're okay.

( Is her concession, and her way of not pressing any more for the moment. )

They'll all be here all night, yeah? The other Exorcists.

[ He's relieved she doesn't press further, he's not sure how long he could continue before letting himself pass out mid-conversation to avoid any more questioning.

So it's for that and for saving him that he says a heartfelt: ]

Thanks.

[ Possibly he might not escape her curiosity for long, but for now it would have to do. ]

I'm sure some will stick around, knowing them.

Make sure some do, yeah? No one should get stuck here for long on their own,

( A smaller smile, referencing back to June and all it's trials at the hospital. )

I should probably go. Come back and check on you in the morning?

( She makes it a question rather than a presumption. Does he even want her to? )

I know.

[ He smiles back knowingly, the memories longer ago for him now, but still clear and easy to recall now that he's back. ]

Alright, fine with me.

[ He's not even sure he'll be awake then, he feels like he can sleep forever, but she can always wake him up if so inclined. ]

( She gives his hand one last squeeze before letting go. )

Get some rest! No more parasites at least for like, ten years, yeah?

[ He squeezes back before she lets go. ]

You too. And I'd say I've had enough for a lifetime, so no worries there.

( She flashes him another smile, wheeling back a half rotation before switching directions and taking herself on out. She'd need to bargain with someone picking this chair up again later; thankfully they weren't too far out from the apartment complex. It'd make the journey home easier. )

Catch ya later!

[ He raises his hand and musters a last burst of energy to sound somewhat cheerful as he waves her off. ]

See ya!

[ Time to pass out again, aw yeah. ]

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