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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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 Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:41 am
Hearing Kane let out a deep sigh relieved Texas to some extent. At least he was helping now, even if Kane had already gotten to this state long before he had arrived. The demonic didn't bother getting himself any soup, but he did eventually decide to sit down in front of Kane and watch him eat, making sure that he did like the soup, and, more importantly, did seem to be feeling better because he was eating it. "Thanks," replied Texas, smiling gratefully for the compliment on his cooking. "But I don't think it's anything all that special." Of course, then again, Texas never really thought anything of his own was particularly all that special.
Kane's concern was almost a little unnerving. Not that Texas didn't like it, but hearing his concern once was weird enough. Hearing it again was almost completely baffling. Despite how unnerving it was, however, Texas felt a little hope. Perhaps... perhaps this whole situation wouldn't make him lose Kane as a friend after all. At least that much was okay. "Me?" If anything, he sounded surprised that anyone would even bother to be concerned for his well-being.
After a small pause, he shook his head. "I'll eat later. Do you want anymore, or would you rather wait?" The demonic shifted the topic back off of him rather quickly, much more concerned with Kane's state than his own. Right now, Texas Pete had no problems. His life was relatively content. Kane and his brother, on the other hand...
...Now those were the two he was worried about.
"If you're done," continued Texas, "I could show you to the bathroom. Could stand under the showerhead and wash the mud and grime off; I'm sure that'll help you feel a little better too."
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:46 pm
Honestly, Kane's last comment had been less out of concern and more out of discomfort. He really just wanted Texas to stop staring at him like that while he ate. It was...unnerving...he didn't like this much attention focused on him. If he'd just leave to get his own food, Kane wouldn't feel like such a circus act at the moment.
Still...more food was tempting, but he wasn't stupid, so he shook his head. "No...maybe later, but not now." He'd basically admitted that he wanted more, but dammit...it was good to have a decent meal for the first time in a long time.
Texas' next comment, however, made him pause and stare blankly at the other demon for a moment. What...? Oh wait, that's right...not everyone else bathed in the river or lake. Of course. It had been a long time, yes, but he DID know what a bathroom was. If the memory was a little vague.
"...probably feel less like a half-dead animal anyway," he muttered in admittance, eying his mud-splattered limbs once more. He felt like some sort of charity case right now. Like an injured animal found and brought in to be pampered and taken care of, to nurse it back to health.
Oh hell, was that really far from the truth?
That was depressing.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:27 pm
Half-dead animal? To hear Kane describe himself in such a way made Texas' heart weep. Still, that was the reason why he was here, no matter what sort of lucky had made Kane find Texas' house in the first place. Texas could help nurse his friend back to proper health and keep him safe from the terrible storm outside. With a nod, Texas stood up before offering a hand to Kane to help him stand up.
Whether he took it or not, the demonic waited a few moments before heading down the hallway to the bathroom, noting that he would probably have to clean up the now muddy wall once Kane got himself into a shower. "Alright. Here's the bathroom... shower's over there, I'm sure you're aware of what everything in here is."
Even if Kane lived in the wild, there was no way he was totally oblivious of the idea of a bathroom. "Maybe once you get yourself cleaned up, you can have some more chicken noodle soup. Don't eat too much, though, if you think it will get you sick." Texas got out of the way to let Kane go into the bathroom as he chose, before offering a, "Good-bye," to give him some privacy while he got himself cleaned up.
...In the meantime, Texas was going to get out a mop and bucket. Time to clean up the mud trail...
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:08 am
Kane stared at the offered hand blankly for a moment, then sighed. A little too late to try and look tough. He started to get his feet under him, then took the offered hand to stand. As antsy as he felt about going deeper into the house, he knew that the more he resisted, the most suspicious it looked. And he wasn't about to admit that he was actually worried...about crossing paths with the fae again.
Why, he wasn't sure. He just...wasn't ready yet.
He seemed half in a daze, nodding vaguely as Texas left him alone. It took some puzzling over for a bit, and a little trial and error, but eventually Kane got the shower figured out. After testing the water, he climbed in, placing one hand on the wall for support, then simply standing under the stream, letting the water run over his head and down his body. Muddy water pooled briefly in the bottom of the shower before swirling down the drain, eventually growing clearer the longer the demon stood there.
What was he doing here? Why was he here? The obvious answer being 'because Texas dragged him into his house' aside. He'd had other options for dealing with the storm. He could have gone to the HQ and holed up in a spare room for a few days. It wasn't the best solution, but it wasn't as if he hadn't done so before in rough times. If he really wanted to swallow his pride...he could have gone back home. His mother would have been all too eager to invite him in, even if he was ashamed to be there. Would have been better than this at least.
So why had he stayed out in the storm? Something Texas had said earlier outside came back to Kane. Was he...punishing himself for some reason? The idea was absurd but...he found himself considering it for a moment. Why would he do something like that? For something he'd done? Well, he knew what he'd done...just not why. Maybe...because he didn't know why he'd done what he'd done.
The water had run clear for some time now and the tiger demon blinked repeatedly at the streams running down into his eyes. Sighing, he turned off the water and briefly shook off most of the water before getting out. He noticed a towel sitting out and wondered momentarily if Texas had left that for him. He couldn't remember. Either way...he was technically still dripping, so...
Having toweled off, Kane emerged from the bathroom hesitantly, glancing about to make sure no one was there. Coast was clear. Good. He reached up to run his hands through his wet, shaggy hair, then headed immediately towards the entrance to the home, figuring he'd find Texas somewhere along the way most likely.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:35 am
Cleaning was such a menial task that allowed someone's mind to run away so easily. While most people usually left into a fantasty world full of music, imagination, or something more interesting, Texas found himself stuck wondering why Kane hadn't come to find help sooner, before he was such a mess. Pride had to break eventually, but it took Kane's pride an almost ridiculously long time to give in to coming to find shelter anyway. Sure, Texas didn't know if he hadn't tried to find shelter before, but the animals showed signs of hiding long before the monsoon finally hit the Isle.
After all, it had been weeks since Texas heard the squawking of birds in the morning hours, or the hoots of owls during the nighttime. And certainly, Kane didn't get to looking so frail, weak, and tired just overnight. It would have taken a while for him to get to any state like this, a state where even his stubbornness was gone.
But something else seemed wrong underneath the surface. It wasn't just the weather that had been getting Kane down. Kane seemed all too willing to comply with shelter until he got to the doorframe and suddenly started resisting... and then resisted going much further into the house until after eating. The resistance struck Texas as rather odd and sudden, and he knew that the lame excuse Kane offered wasn't the true reason as to why Kane was suddenly twice as nervous about accepting Texas' help.
He could theorize all day, but no answers would really come unless he asked Kane questions about what exactly was going on. But this wasn't the proper time to do that. If the feral demonic had problems that he hadn't brung up yet... Texas didn't need to embarrass him into silence by bringing them up. But, he would keep a watchful eye.
His thoughts came full circle as he wiped the last bit of mud from the wall and floor, grinning at his accomplishment. Texas dropped the mop in the bucket, and headed to the sink to dump it all out. When he headed back towards the bathroom to make sure Kane was making out okay, he ended up running straight into the freshly washed demonic, stopping himself before he rammed into him.
"Oh, hi." Texas chuckled lightly. "You look a lot better now." Though, perhaps the lack of mud made Kane's weakened state even more obvious. It took all of Texas' trained resistance not to cringe at his friend's state. "Feeling better?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:35 am
Kane halted, rigid, before the other demon could make contact. Physical contact was still on the 'do not want' list, no matter how out of it he might be. "Gee, thanks," he muttered, dripping far less sarcasm than he normally would have with the remark. Still, he glanced down and aside, rubbing his neck as he continued. "Yeah, I'm better now..."
Awkwardly, he'd noticed a brief flicker of Texas' eyes towards his form and suddenly he was all too aware of how...'non-threatening' he seemed right now. He'd been in denial while on his own and even here before getting cleaned up. But now? He couldn't deny how sickly he seemed in comparison to his normal physique.
Nothing like making him feel more weak than he already did.
Maybe...if he could get away from the other demon for a while, he could scrape together some remnant of pride. Hard to do when he couldn't leave the house. "So, uh...you want me out of the way somewhere? I don't need much. Just a corner or something." Texas had already gone so far out of his way, done so much for him...Kane felt uncomfortable, like he owed him already more than he could pay back.
He hated owing people.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:50 am
Good, Kane was feeling better. He didn't look better, besides for the lack of mud that had been dripping from all over his body, but at least he was feeling better. That was the first step of nursing Kane back to health. The next step was to actually get him physically in better shape.
...Perhaps mentally too.
Out of the way? Kane was being ridiculous. Why would he want to shove his friend into a little corner? Texas shook his head, immediately rejecting the suggestion. "Kane, you're a guest and a friend," there was that word again, "and I won't let you be relegated to a corner during this storm. Many of my siblings have moved out at this point... you can use one of their bedrooms during your stay."
What would be a bedroom fitting for Kane? He wasn't exactly a man used to any particular comfort, so sending him to Criofan's room might be a little counter-productive. Plus, it was upstairs, and Kane was weak enough as it was. While he trusted Kane's ability to get up some stairs, it was more comforting for the over-concerned demonic if he didn't suggest Kane try exerting himself more than he had to.
...Aha! "Esmee's room was always rather simple and Spartan in design. You can sleep in there. She's got some books in there too still, I think, if you want to look through them." He didn't picture Kane as a reader, but nevertheless.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:08 pm
Kane's expression flickered imperceptibly at that word again, instantly returning to a distant sort of indifference. Use someone else's room? That seemed a bit odd...even if they'd been gone for a while. Maybe it wouldn't have been strange for most other Pae'il...only the territorial demon. He'd just have to deal.
Books? Kane raised an eyebrow. He look like some sort of bookworm? He didn't come here for books. Okay, granted, he didn't come here on purpose anyway. "Unless you mean for me to sleep on 'em, I don't think that's necessary." His tone mellowed a touch, betraying the fact that weeks of fitful sleep, or lack thereof, were catching up with him at last. "I just...need somewhere to rest. If it's got that, it's fine."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:18 am
"It's a bedroom. If there was no bed, that would be a terrible title for the room," mused Texas, before nodding and motioning for Kane to follow him. Esmee's room was located down a hallway, right across from the now mostly barren study. It was a little weird to have the study that was once so full from wall to wall be empty, but that was the way most of the house felt these days in any case... empty.
He turned to the right to the door of the bedroom and tapped it lightly, opening a door to a medium-sized room with not much in it except a dresser, a bookshelf, and most importantly, a bed with a couple light sheets on it. Texas took note of the sheets, deciding that he would have to find Kane an actual blanket once the man got himself to sleep. "This is her room. Feel free to settle in, and please," the demon looked over to his feral friend and frowned slightly, "get some sleep. It looks like you could use some time to rest." While his lack of sleep wasn't painfully obvious, the malnourished state he was in implied to Texas that he couldn't keep going at full speed for very long.
After Kane walked in, Texas smiled and offered a quiet and sweet, "Good night, Kane," before closing the door slightly behind him to make the room a little darker. Then, he walked off, to go take care of some things... namely, his musical faun son and the overthinking lavender faerie that had burrowed a hole in the upstairs floor and decided to stay there until he could sort out his thoughts.
...Unfortunately, Magnus didn't seem to be doing that too well, and it was disturbing Texas, especially since he wasn't totally sure what to do for him. Magnus kept asking Texas to sort through his thoughts for him; that was impossible, but it didn't stop the deeply concerned demon from trying to do so anyway. After getting Vangelis to bed, he went to join Magnus again, to attempt once more to understand why Magnus was so deep in thought for reasons not even Magnus could adequately explain.
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:33 pm
If Kane hadn't been so out of it, he'd have had something snarky to say to Texas...about the bedroom, about his comment to get some sleep...even about the 'good night' wish. Not that he needed to be told to sleep. That was sorta' the point in asking for a place to rest. Should have been obvious when he'd actually asked for that.
As it was, the tiger demon had almost hit 'zombie' stage, so he nodded simply as Texas left, closing the door and leaving him in the dark. Of course, with Kane's eyes, it wasn't exactly dark. He could still navigate the room easily in the dim shadows.
While the faint scent of other Pae'il hung in the area...it was plain that no one had lived in here for some time now. In the forest, it would be as if a previously-patrolled territory had been deserted because the owner and defender had moved on. That was the thought that Kane held in his mind as he tried to get used to the idea of staying here. Absentmindedly, he rested a hand on the bookshelf, glancing over some of the titles.
...he needed rest.
Considering that this was a far warmer and more comfortable sleeping location than Kane was used to, he showed no concern for the sheets on the bed and whether they'd be warm enough as Texas had worried. In fact, he didn't even bother to move them, instead crawling onto the bed and lying on top of them. Kane curled up on his stomach in a very catlike fashion, head on his arms, and wings spread over himself like a built-in blanket.
Without understanding why, the demon realized that for once, he could relax. He was...safe here. Not sure why exactly...but he was. It was rare that the demon ever fell asleep without leaving a proverbial eye open for danger. He may have still, but something left him feeling disarmed.
Maybe it was just the pure exhaustion.
Whatever it was, the demon cast his slitted eyes once more over the darkened room, then let them drift shut as he sank into a much-needed, deep sleep.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:08 am
After futile attempt and futile attempt, Texas gave up on getting Magnus to say anything more useful, determined the man was hallucinating from a lack of sleep, and watched over him until the fae of intoxication finally closed his eyes and was lost to the world once again. Seeing Magnus like this broke Texas' heart; he didn't know what to do with him... But hanging over his lazy bones like this wouldn't exactly help any matter. With a sigh, Texas left the room, wondering what he should do now.
While he hadn't eaten yet, that thought didn't actually cross his mind. Instead, his mind immediately went to the warm blankets he had thought of getting Kane earlier. The demonic headed for the laundry room, soon returning with a recently dried quilt blanket and heading towards Esmee's... no, Kane's guest room.
Since he left the door cracked, Texas pushed it slightly open and slipped into the room, holding the quilt blanket. Texas wasn't too fond of the darkness, but his vision wasn't terrible. The demonic blinked a couple times to adjust before approaching the bed. The sight he saw was intriguing, to say the least. Kane looked oddly... peaceful. Texas almost felt bad putting the quilt blanket over him, worrying that he would disturb him, but he lightly did so anyway.
Then, Texas moved to the corner desk and sat down, resting his head on the desk. He was a little sleepy, but he wasn't going to go to bed yet. Not until he knew that was enough.
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:01 am
Kane's deep sleep had given way to dreams, faint at first and fleeting, then shifting and changing to something more tangible. It was a dream that was like a memory...and yet not. It was a memory of the very event that haunted his waking thoughts...and yet different. Some details had changed...but the general result seemed to be much the same. The fae...he was there...so close...his lips on Kane's...
Back in the waking world, Kane stirred slightly, twitching as Texas laid the blanket over his sleeping form. The gesture was translated into his dream as contact from another Pae...
Wings flaring upwards, blanket still draped over them, the demon awoke suddenly with a feral snarl. For a moment, he seemed like his old self....wild, eyes glowing with reflected light, wings spread, and snarl fading to a low growl. However, that instinctual fury was soon replaced by confusion...then quiet understanding as the surroundings became clear to his night vision. Which also revealed Texas sitting nearby.
Dammit.
Kane lowered his wings, sinking back towards the bed, only now glancing over his shoulder in realization at the blanket draped over his form. So that...and in his dream...and why Texas was in here... Understanding was a bit slow after his abrupt awakening, but the demon eventually remembered where he was and how he'd gotten there. It helped that his momentary adrenaline rush had also given way to his exhaustion, both physical and...otherwise.
It wasn't happening again...no need to over-react to a stupid dream, right?
Still, the tiger-striped demon seemed a bit shaken as he lay back down on the bed, reaching back over his shoulder to pull the blanket higher and tighter around his body. The dream lingered, if only in Kane's mind...vivid as a real memory...complete with sensations of touch, sight, smell, taste...
He closed his eyes, willing the dream away, back to wherever such horrible things were supposed to go when they were over. As much as that disturbed him, as much as he was unnerved by the lingering feelings the dream had caused, in addition to simply being exhausted at this point...something else was disturbing him more.
The urge...to actually talk about it.
Where the hell had that come from? And yet, he was so tired on so many levels...he didn't even like admitting he HAD emotions, and yet the emotional roller coaster he was riding was going to kill him at this rate if he didn't at least acknowledge it. He had to figure out how to deal with it...and talking...was definitely something he hadn't tried yet.
Pulling the blanket up higher once more, reflective slitted eyes darted towards the other demonic in the room, before a quiet voice emerged from the folds of fabric.
"...Texas?"
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:39 am
Texas was beginning to daze out, but was determined to stay awake. No, he wouldn't go sleep, not until everything was okay at least for the moment. Kane looked fine and peaceful, but how was he supposed to be sure with the way he altered his state? He had to make sure, had to make sure...
The demon jumped in his seat when he suddenly heard the snarl. His eyes snapped over to Kane, who actually had hints of how he used to act showing. What was going on? Instantly concerned, dozing off was now the last thing occurring to Texas' mind; instead, he watched Kane's movements carefully, trying to see if he could tell what was now bothering his feral friend.
Suddenly, the feral actions he knew his friend for were lessening, and Kane seemed more inclined to take the quilted blanket that Texas had thankfully gotten for him and bury himself in it. It was a good thing he had gotten the blanket then... This was starting to seem like he simply had a bad night terror, but why, then, was he not dozing off and just trying to become the blanket instead? This all seemed to be very unusual behavior; Kane seemed like the type who would recover quickly from a nightmare.
And then it came. Meek, quiet, muffled by fabric. Kane was talking to him. He hadn't been totally aware that Kane saw him until he saw his eyes shining in the darkness, and Texas blushed in surprised. Hopefully, he wasn't the reason for all of this.
...But at the same time, Kane seemed to want to say something. He clearly wanted to talk more than Magnus did...
"Kane?" The demon stood up, grabbed the chair he was sitting on, and moved it closer to the bed so he could get a better look at the mass that was curled up underneath its covers. After sitting back down, he quietly asked, "What is it?" If Kane wanted to say something to him, even something telling him to go away, Texas wanted to hear it. He wanted to help in any way he could; friends were more important than anything else, and right now, Kane was hurting.
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 4:37 pm
Kane hesitated momentarily...which was stupid, considering he was the one that had initialized conversation in the first place. Still, he'd always been more comfortable with actions than words, which is why he hated when something as messed up as this situation arose where words were actually required. Couldn't just...kill something this time and be done with it. ...well, he could...but that'd likely only cause more problems.
He was kidding, of course.
Mostly.
The voice emerging from the mass of blankets was still quiet when he started again, "You...called me your friend before. In fact, you keep saying that." It was obvious to any Pae, let alone the observant Texas, that Kane was uncomfortable with this situation, hell with speaking in general. It was lucky that Texas had even gotten to know the demon more recently, rather than months ago when his voice would grow harsh and grated from lack of use for weeks at a time. Still, he was determined to push forward. He was at a loss with how to deal with this on his own anymore and if he didn't deal with it somehow, the self-destructive behavior would only continue. Yes, Kane acknowledged now that what he was doing was self-destructive. He just didn't know why.
"That word," he continued, pushing forward despite seeming to take some sort of 'shelter' within the folds of the blankets, "...implies some level of trust." He paused, his eyes hidden once more in the darkness. "I can't say with any certainty...that any Pae has ever really trusted me. Not like that. Not that I cared. And honestly, experience has taught me not to trust other Pae either. Can't depend on them. So I don't really have...'friends.'" Of course, he omitted from his consideration a certain angel that had practically raised him. Still, could she even trust him? For as obviously as the woman...loved him, could even she trust the feral demon?
Having never talked about himself nearly this personally with another Pae, Kane fell silent again for a moment to gather his scrambled thoughts. "Texas...what I need to know first is...can I trust you?" Then, quieter, so much so that it was unlikely anyone would be able hear him without Kane's level of hearing, he muttered, almost as if voicing a private thought, "...'cause I'm not sure I can even trust myself anymore."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:36 pm
Texas leaned forward when the quiet voice came again, wanting to hear Kane more clearly. If he wanted to talk, the demon wanted to be able to hear everything that came from his lips. What did come, in fact, surprised him. It seemed that Kane had zoned in on one small word Texas kept saying... he hoped he wasn't the route of the issue. That would make Texas want to kick himself more than he was already beating himself with the way he was running around from left to right and from the floor to the ceiling.
Texas did trust Kane. He had defended him before, and Texas hoped that Kane would defend him again if it was ever necessary. Even Magnus hadn't been so willing to come forward and openly speak against Rais; he only stood in the corner and remarked on what an utter jackass Rais was being. That, in Texas' eyes, was enough to make Kane someone Texas could trust to come to his defense if it was ever necessary again... and therefore, it made him a friend.
Kane didn't seem so quick to count Texas amoung his friends, though, which surprised him a little, but perhaps even more surprising was the question that came opening up the option. "Kane," offered Texas, smiling though he had to wonder if Kane would even be able to tell with the lighting, "you can trust me. I don't tell other people's secrets... that's rather immature in any case, especially when someone entrusts you to something they want kept secret or even something they just want help with."
He settled back in the chair sightly, though his eyes were still fixed on the huddled form underneath the quilted blanket. "Friendship is a mutual thing, Kane. If I can trust you... you can trust me, too. I never betray a friend." No matter what benefit he would get from doing so.
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