Welcome to Gaia! ::

Yuurei was in her bed still. She had been feeling better the more she was awake, but only to the extent that she could eat some solid foods and walk to the bathroom without needing Ty to stay in there with her. He had excellent bedside manner and said he understood that she wanted to be alone with Alex. He had helped her look decent enough, brushing her hair where he could, helping her get dressed so she wasn’t in week old pajamas from when her doctor came the first time, helping her brush her teeth so her breath didn’t reek. She didn’t look good, but it was good enough for Alex to see her, not that she knew the woman (but it wasn’t like she was a guy). And this was for a reason.

She couldn’t take care of Lucia until she was better. She couldn’t even find Lucia until she was better. And she couldn’t figure out what the hell happened. All she knew was that Lucia had been the only one in the house. Everything else was blank – other than that sob-like laughter. She shuddered at the thought. The sob-like laughter the splitting pain. More laughter. And then she remembered – that wasn’t Lucia’s laugh. Her eyes went wide for just a moment until they closed reflexively as the throbbing resumed. Her head began to hurt and she had to stop thinking. Talking to Alex would be enough work. But someone had to find Lucia.

Ty had called the lab for her. Alex was coming over right away, of course. He was supposed to let her in and then leave the women alone. But he didn’t know what to think. Something was up with Rei – she was hiding something and it was ridiculous. What the hell had happened to his sister? It had something to do with that Lucia, who was still nowhere to be seen. Tossing his blonde hair out of his eyes, he glanced out of the window and opened the door as a woman matching the description his sister gave stepped onto the porch. ”Alex, right?” he asked, his Australian accent softening the vowels.

Yuurei heard the door open. Alex was here, that meant. Taking a breath, she pushed her blonde hair behind her ears and propped herself up a bit higher on the plush pillows. She just had to get through this. Then she could relax at Ty’s apartment until she was better. Just get through this. Her amber eyes flicked to her bedroom’s doorway.

Ty nodded at the Italian as he extended his hand and gave her a firm handshake. He wasn't sure how much information Rei wanted him to save for her to tell the lab representative. He decided to play it safe and be pretty mum about it all. His half-sister could explain everything. "She's doing better, honestly," he said, ushering her in to the house and to Yuurei's first floor master suite. Of course he didn't say better compared to what. But as Alex entered the room, he stood outside of the doorway, eavesdropping.

Yuurei smiled when she saw Ty show Alex her doorway and the brunette stepped into the room. She knew she looked like crap, but recognized the woman vaguely from the pool party Ebony threw. "Hi Alex, it's good to meet you." Her voice was slightly hoarse and a little scratchy. A subtle pink blush flashed across her unnaturally pale cheeks as she reached to the night stand and took a sip out of the cup of water.

Her head was no longer open and bleeding everywhere, but there was still some blood visible matted in her hair. She hadn't been able to take a real shower. The gauze on her right temple stretched behind her head to the back of her skull where the gash had extended to. She was still almost deathly-pale, though certainly not as bad as she had been before a few blood transfusions. And she was sickly thin from not eating in a week. Well, she thought, at least her appearance would drive home the fact that she could hardly move her head without it throbbing.

"I should probably explain my appearance," she said with an attempt at a small smile that only resulted in a cringe as pain spread from her forehead to the back of her skull.

The woman's lips pursed seeing Alex's visual response to her appearance. I guess it’s worse than I realized, she mused, just watching her reaction. Her amber eyes were calm as she scooted gingerly to the side to make room for Alex to sit on the edge of the bed if she wanted. Taking in a sharp breath was a wave of pain rose up she bit her lip and wanted to smile at the kind offer, but didn’t risk it. While you would think that after a week her head would be better, Yuurei tried to keep her body clean of medicine and was avoiding painkillers, though she hadn’t had much of a choice when she was unconscious.

”Thank you very much, but my brother – Ty has been a great help. Which is part of what I wanted to talk to you about.” She paused taking a breath. That would come later.

”So. I don’t really know how to start. So. I guess the best way is to just go right for it.” Her eyes slid from Alex’s face. She had never been that good a guardian, she knew. The motherly thing just wasn’t her. But hopefully what happened hadn’t been her fault. ”There’s something wrong with Lucia.” There. She said it. Her eyes flicked back to Alex’s face to gage her reaction.

”Lucia – attacked Prajna. And then me. She—she did this.” It was painful to say, to talk this much, but Alex had to understand. She brought the glass of water back up to her lips and took another small sip.

Was she serious?!, Ty thought, eavesdropping. Lucia had attacked her! Then there was no way he was letting his sister stay here when the crazy b***h could come back at any time and try to murder Rei again! No. That was it.

Yuurei smiled sadly, knowing she couldn’t really explain all of it. She didn’t understand most of it. What had Lucia and Prajna been talking about? Why had Lucia hit her? Still, she should start at the beginning. She’d have to be brief, but hopefully ”Okay. Lucia and Prajna fought when infected. She told me the day before ..this happened that she wanted to apologize to Prajna.” Yuurei couldn’t bring herself to repeat again that the raevan she had been entrusted with had attacked and almost killed her.

”We went there and they seemed fine, but Prajna attacked Lucia with a fork and Lucia punched it really hard. Ty said he found those knuckle things with blood on them – I didn’t tell him but I think Lucia used those on Prajna. I mean she really injured him in two hits.” She closed her eyes and took a breath. It was a lot to relay and a lot to remember with a head injury.

”When we got home I told her I was going to call the lab because I figured something was wrong – like with the virus again. I was pissed.“ Her voice cut off as she struggled to remember something – anything about the events that unfolded after. But her mind was only pain.

”And then from what I can tell she just attacked me, hitting me on the head with a vase. I don’t remember her saying anything, really.” Her amber eyes flicked up to Alex and she sighed. This wasn’t an explanation, but it was all she had. ”And –“ she continued, ”I don’t know where she is and I can’t find her like this.”

Even though she was planning on asking the lab to take care of Lucia until she could do it on her own again, her body relaxed a little as she heard that they would find the frei and help her. She let out a soft sigh of relief at something else too. Alex wasn’t talking about forcibly removing Lucia from living with her. She obviously didn’t screw up enough that Lucia living with her still was a problem.

”Oh god, I’m so glad. I can’t really do much – like this, you know. I would have been out there looking for her myself if I could.” She paused remembering the panic from the virus. She had searched everywhere. But then Lucia had just disappeared; and Yuurei found out later that that was from going to the death world thing.

But the virus – that was an idea. Was that what happened again? ”I just don’t understand it. When she hit Prajna….she was so malicious. It wasn’t like her.” The blonde paused and licked her lips. What she wanted to say was silly. It didn’t make any sense. But the laugh she heard before losing consciousness – it just stayed with her. The laugh wasn’t the Kitten’s. But she couldn’t say that without looking crazy.

”Could it have anything to do with the virus? Or another virus? She wasn’t like this then, but it’s the only thing I can relate it to.” The woman paused. Her head hurt, but there was so much more she needed to say. She was worried. And she was scared.

There was no reason to leave it out, she rationed. Raevans were a weird concept. So maybe a weird laugh wouldn’t be so silly. ”This is going to sound – odd.” Yuurei chose her words carefully. If Alex thought she was insane she’d lose Lucia then too. That was the last thing she wanted. ”Before I passed out. – You know, after I was hit – I heard…something weird. I let Lucia do her own thing for the most part, but I do know her personality, habits, you know. And—before I passed out, she laughed. But it wasn’t her. It wasn’t like she normally laughs. It was her voice, but it wasn’t her laugh. I don’t—” she paused and managed a weak smile. ”I must sound crazy.”

The blonde nodded. Family -- well that was what she needed to discuss too. But how to approach the topic. "I'm really so relieved that you're so confident." Yuurei smiled a little thin lipped and her expression degraded into a soft moan of pain as her eyes clenched closed trying to shut out the pain. Her fingers clenched hard, turning her knuckles white as her head throbbed. This was too much work. Her breathing got more breathy as the woman melted into the bed, sliding her body down further into the covers so her head was more level, just resting on the pillow that lay on the bed.

So much for looking composed, she thought, letting out a breath as the pain dulled slightly.

Hearing his sister's moan from his position at the door, Ty scowled, stalked to the kitchen to grab the prescription pain meds that Rei had been refusing, and walked back with a fresh glass of ice water.

Without knocking, he walked into the soft purple room and handed his half-sister the meds. "Take them. And no excuses." He turned to the guest and smiled with a boyish charm, "Sorry -- she's been avoiding pain meds. But this has obviously taken a toll on her." He waited until Rei had swallowed the two white tablets before he continued.

"She wanted to talk about something else, but I can tell you, so she can rest." His bright green eyes were warm, but he made it clear in his stance and in the way he was motioning towards the door that this was what would happen. He looked poignantly at Rei.

"Maybe that's best. Thank you for coming, Alex. Please find Lucia soon...If you have any questions -" she took a breath, "questions after Ty talks to you about it, don't be afraid to come back in and ask."

Ty waited until his half-sister had finished before he led the way to the living room, and invited Alex to sit on one seat of the plush sofa. "So I wanted to talk to you about my sister's condition."

Ty leaned back against the couch and ran his fingers through his blonde hair, lightened further by the sun of the warm Australian shore. He certainly appreciated the kid gloves Alex was using with Rei. She needed the help -- so hopefully the Italian would understand the kid gloves he was going to be using with his sister.

"I didn't know about some of the things Rei told you, but I spoke with her and there is no way that she can take care of this raven thing the way she is. I mean -- you can see." He paused and examined the woman's face, giving her a little bit of time to take everything in. "I'm sure this is a fair shock. But -- ******** - it was to me too," he smiled charmingly, understanding the amount of thoughts that must be running through her head.

"So, I talked to Rei and I can't stay here for much longer -- I've already been away from work a week. I might be able to get a longer leave and work here, but I need to get back to Australia to take care of some stuff and grab more than just a weekend's worth of clothes.

So I was talking about taking her with me and staying -- it's summer there now -- until she's better. Once she's able to function as a guardian or whatever I'll probably come back with Rei to help her. We'll figure it out. But Rei needs to get better and she needs help doing it. And I have to get home to take care of s**t."

He looked at her, trying to see what she thought of his proposal. "I don't know if Lucia would be able to stay at the lab or another guardian until Rei comes back?"