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 Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 7:49 am
take a deep breath
He took his sweet time with the shower, washing himself down and forgetting about the bandages until they were soaked through and clinging to his skin. The blood just seemed to keep coming. Maybe he pulled open a wound or something. Maybe there really was just so much damn blood to wash out. He felt nauseous between the smell and the heat.
Eventually Jack left the bathroom without a word and immediately shut himself in his room to take a breather and change. Chel was left alone.
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Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 11:09 am
take a deep breath
Chel heard the drag of feet, the movement of the door. Somewhere in her mind she vaguely knew it was her turn to shower, but the idea of getting up made her ill.
When he left to his room it was silent. She couldn't do silent.
She reached to the letters with shaking hands. She didn't know why- reading them was out of the question between the blood splatters and dyslexia, but maybe if she pretend long enough it would turn into something to do.
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Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 8:23 pm
take a deep breath
While she busied herself with David Arrowak's three letters (one at least she could appreciate regardless of the blood, being a collection of polaroids instead of writing), Jack changed. Scrubbed his head with his towel. Tried to steady his hands, his heart, his stomach. Goddamn lightweight, feeling dizzy with just some rum. And a little blood. A lot of blood. God, the dead bodies--
He clenched his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths.
And then Jack finally left his room, rubbing at his face like he had a headache. If only.
"Someone's nosey," he grunted. "You gonna shower?"
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Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 10:56 pm
take a deep breath
Jack would only hear silence. She wasn't moving.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2016 8:10 am
take a deep breath
"You awake?" He approached and made to nudge her shoulder if it appeared she fell asleep. Neither of them had suffered concussions (that they were aware of anyway), but Jack still didn't like the idea of getting too comfy right now.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2016 10:32 am
take a deep breath
It was the second question, closer now that caused the movement. She hastily wiped her face (probably spreading some of the blood and grime around) and there was something of a sniffle.
She made a small noise of acknowledgement and the papers slapped back onto the table. "Yeah. M'fine."
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 9:17 am
take a deep breath
He plopped down on the couch beside her with a groan. There were going to be some bruises to deal with tomorrow. After a small pause, Jack touched her shoulder. Awkward. Genuine.
"No, you're not," he said. "None of us are."
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 10:48 am
take a breather
She didn't shrug out of the touch but neither did she lean into it. She just let him do as he pleased, the way she always did.
"M'good. Really," and she showed her face to provei t, like the fact that her mascara hadn't run was proof enough of her emotional state. "Don't worry about it. I couldn't read the letters anyways."
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 3:23 pm
take a deep breath
He took his hand off because the minimum effort threshold had been crossed, but the only reason he didn't look as visibly shaken was because Jack had a knack for bottling up and compartmentalizing--one had to in order to live under his parents' regime. The shower had done him some good, but he had a hollow look in his eyes even as he strived not to think about the bodies.
"You can stay the night," he told her, since he couldn't remember in that initial haze as they walked whether or not he had actually said as much. Off to the side, his phone began to ring, but he ignored it. "But you should really clean up. It helps."
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 3:34 pm
take a deep breath
"You jus' don't want t'smell me all night," she joked back. Chel had a knack for it too, just in a different way. Jokes upon jokes upon jokes.
She was tired, but stood up to go to the bathroom as requested. Like fulfilling a task he'd set out for her would somehow rectify the situation. The shower water was warm and instead of a nothingness her head was filled with an amplification of thoughts she didn't normally address. This was why she used to get high all the time; easier to not think.
Autumn's words are still ringing in her head. You're the ******** up one. She shrugged them off but it doesn't mean they don't stick. Deadweight.
After getting out of the shower she realized she didn't have anything to change into but the bloodstained, ripped clothes she'd had on before. She forfeited the pants (walking around in underwear and a shirt was nothing new for Chel) but the shirt and bra had to go on, blood or not.
She eventually emerged from the bathroom, turning to see where Jack had ended up.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 7:55 pm
take a deep breath
The hangar holding his shirt clanked when she opened the door; a belated offer posted while she was in the shower. A pair of yoga pants draped over one of its shoulders, drawstringed since otherwise they'd sag to the floor on her assless figure.
Jack was lying back on the couch, an earbud in and his iPod in hand. His stomach didn't feel up to anything more than water, and his mind was in a strange state of buzzing white noise. Music helped.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 8:29 pm
take a deep breath
She noticed the clothes and almost left them there for a moment, but then sighed and returned back into the bathroom to change. She left her clothes on the floor, not seeing any need to tidy up because she was Chel.
Her feet dragged to the living room where she found him. She felt an urge to collapse onto him, to forego their tension and reach a truce for the night in some sort of unspoken embrace, but then her eyes caught his injury and she rejected the idea. Instead she took a seat on the floor near his head and leaned over, putting her head on the very lip of the cushion. It wasn't comfortable but she'd fallen asleep in weirder positions.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 9:39 pm
take a deep breath
"What are you doing?" he asked with a tired glance.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 9:42 pm
take a deep breath
"Sittin'. S'at a crime now too, grumpy?" Never tired enough for quips.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 10:15 pm
take a deep breath
"You don't want to sit on the couch?" He was already moving so he wouldn't be taking literally all the space.
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