hypnagothic | [The City] IC Contact

[ At a certain point she has to turn her face away and shut her eyes, and it isn't until she's certain that the sand has settled that she carefully opens her eyes back up to glance around.

Her gaze lingers on the stuffed raven before she looks back up at him, blinking a few more times to steady him in his vision. Things do still blur on occasion, but his face is clear enough to give her comfort. She can still see his eyes.

Vanessa has already seen a mirror and knows hers look a fright, but that gritty feeling that had been nagging since her return has mostly faded now that they don't feel as dry. ]

I wanted to find you on return, only I needed to know if my friends were alive.

[ And there are more yet that she needs to check on. She still doesn't know about Dorian, but that will come a bit later. Ethan knows she's here. As much as she wants to go to him, what she has here now is something that she wants too much to have put off seeing Morpheus for longer than she had to. ]

[ when she looks up, she'll find his gaze already on her, as it has been so many times now. his arms are still around her, embracing her close. ]

As far as I am aware, they are. Some may have been injured, of course, through their own actions or others. But they are alive, Vanessa, and were more concerned of your well-being than of their own.

[ She now wonders exactly what has happened here in her absence. Just how many people will she be expected to explain her absence to? The thought is tiring, but so everything is at the moment.

Swallowing dryly, she'll blink her gaze away to again peer toward the raven. So much blinking now for the woman who never blinks. ]

I am here now, there is no more need for concern.

[ This will be a phrase to be repeated several times over the next few days, and so she had best perfect it. And it isn't a lie. She is here now, and their concern will do nothing but cause them unnecessary stress. Nothing can be done, after all. Nobody here can do anything.

Still, she clings to him even more tightly, momentarily deluding herself into thinking that she can keep comfort close long enough to change something. ]

Yes. You are here, now.

[ one of his hands settles at the nape of her neck while his arms tighten around her again, the touch cool and hopefully grounding. ]

Perhaps, do you wish to wash?

[ Her sigh is one of content at his touch. ]

I washed up at Heine's, though I suppose it did little when I dressed once more in this. I must still look a fright.

[ She had enough trouble accepting this sweatshirt. As guilty as she felt with Badou still recovering, she couldn't borrow anything more from Heine. He'd already fed her and kept her 'safe' while she rested, and it was more than she deserved.

Once she can recall where her luggage is, she can change. She thinks perhaps it was near the bakery, wasn't it? But she doesn't want to think about that, it is a prick to the inside of her skull. ]

But I don't want to leave you.

I could accompany you within the washroom. Even assist, if you wished it.

[ She does wish it, but she can't stand him to see her as any more useless. Vanessa has managed this far, she can continue to do so.

She doesn't have anything to wear, though. Unless... She pulls back to glance down at the sweatshirt, gauging the length. Too short for public, of course. ]

I will be fine. I only need to be shown where it is.

[ But she is a bit unsure of leaving his room. What if someone is out there? She cannot see people, not now. ]

Then I will show you.

[ he tips his head forward briefly as she looks down, his words whispered into her hair like a blessing before a light kiss is pressed against her. only after does he pull back just slightly, only just enough so that he can direct them through the bedroom door to the bathroom. ]

[ Any time he initiates touch, she struggles not to lean and cling and stay.

Walking, he will find, is not her strongest ability at the moment. She can walk, of course, but the poise that carried it is gone, the silent creeping is replaced with uneven tapping, and there are moments now where she would wobble if not for his presence. ]

[ his arm remains around her then to help her balance. and thankfully, while Hob is technically home in the flat, he's currently asleep in his own room with the door mostly closed. so they are uninterrupted in their journey to the bathroom, and Dream makes a point to close the door behind them. he brings her over to sit at the edge of the tub too, sitting with her so that he can reach for the tap without having to pull away too much from her. ]

Not too hot.

[ She says it a bit too quickly, catching herself with a glance down in embarrassment. As though she could give the lord of dreams commands?! ]

...Please.

[ She can figure out his tap, many of them here are similar, but at this point it would be ruder to push him out of the way. ]

[ he moves to turn it down as she asks, though he is curious, glancing back to her. ]

Would the warmth not be more comfortable?

Warm is fine. Just...

[ Softer. ]

Not too hot. Please.

[ She can check the temperature with her fingers, so he won't have to blindly guess. ]

[ he nods. once she finds it acceptable, Dream turns to find something to put into the water itself. surely Hob has something pleasant smelling ... ]

[ It's plenty warm, but steaming. It will likely get cold much sooner than a normal bath would, but she only ever stays long enough to wash.

Vanessa would doubt that Hob would have anything scented like that, but then she is going by what she has seen of Heine and Badou's washroom... And she does not care. She isn't thinking of indulgence in any capacity beyond staying near him for the moment. She certainly isn't deserving of it.

She'll tug off the sweatshirt to fold with care before slowly leaning down to unlace her boots. ]

Has anything else happened since— since we last saw one another?

[ A much more pleasant, delusional phrasing. As if she's merely forgotten to look up from a book for a few days. ]

[ as she leans down, his fingers lightly touch her back so she if she'll accept his touch there, and if she doesn't pull away for flinch too badly then he will help to start unfastening her dress. ]

I presume you are aware of Ethan Chandler's condition?

[ The touch is immediately relaxing, though when he mentions Ethan, she freezes momentarily, eyes closing with grit teeth. The horrors are ceaseless.

She still cant imagine how he must have felt to have woken with her gone. She should not spend too long coddling herself. Not when he's somewhere heartbroken after having likely feared the worst. ]

I am now.

[ The boots drop away to reveal worn down stocking, somewhat torn for her earlier struggling. ]

He never told me. I found him... Constantine was attempting to...heal Badou, and Ethan and Heine were... [ It wasn't Heine. But that isn't her story to tell. ] They would have killed one another.

Edited (words?! ) 2023-12-03 08:46 (UTC)

As with others similarly affected, he likely could not control himself.

[ his hands pause at her freezing, staying still until she speaks, finishing the unfastening as she discards her boots and stockings. ]

I came upon one who had been both involved as well as injured by him. I was then called to Hob.

Not at first. He did manage to come to his senses, but he...must have been so frightened...

[ The sight of him just before he turned and ran still hurts, even with her experiences over the last two days doing so well to override nearly everything. The thought of the scene, the violence and the anger, it forces her to look up with a stare toward the wall, listening even as she grinds her teeth. Is there something in his wall? Did rats come to the city?

Did—

Vanessa is snapped out of the fleeting descent by the name to turn and look to him with eyes wide. ]

How badly was he hurt?

He lost a great deal of blood, though Constantine was able to aid him and call for me before she left to aid you. He is resting in his room now.

[ he's leaving a lot of details out since she doesn't need to hear all of it, but he does let her know they're not completely alone in the flat. ]

[ If she could get any paler... ]

I should not be here.

[ First Heine had selflessly looked after her in her shock, despite Badou's injuries, with the wolf's victim recovering under the same roof as her, and now somehow Morpheus is managing the same. He's known Hob so much longer, too, what sort of worry must he have felt? Everything has become a disaster.

The same sound (there's no sound) has her looking back to the wall and shaking her head with little jerks while standing up, uncaring of a partially undone dress. Her nails lightly scrape at the back of her hand as her mind turns in circles. ]

Please tell Mr. Gadling that I am so very sorry. I will do whatever I can to aid in his recovery.

[ he watches her rise with a growing frown, standing form the edge of the filling tub when it seems for sure she is leaving. ]

My lady? You will not stay?

[ Of course, she has to sit back down unless she wants to talk out barefooted. ]

But how can I? I could not imagine him even bearing to look at me, nor wishing me to remain under his roof. Does he not blame me?

[ Even Badou's acceptance feels beyond her deserving, and he has been a close friend. The growing shame is enough to drown her before she can even touch the water, and her shoulders droop. ]

I know that I must go to him and apologize, but at the moment I do not think myself strong enough to bear anyone's hatred.

[ Morpheus reaches for her hand so that he can tug her back to sitting, sitting next to her once again while still holding her hand delicately. ]

Why would you think Hob would bear you blame or hatred?

[ Her red-eyed gaze is unsteady when she looks back to him. ]

My connection to Ethan is no secret.

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