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 Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:21 pm
“I’ve woken up like that…three times now I think.” He replied. It meant a lot more than that, but it wasn’t as though he could share that. “Once when the dogs got loose… and twice since then. They… they got into my Hotel Room, I had the catch on, the one that keeps them from opening it even with the master key.” He shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. “If I lay back, I'm either going to fall asleep or be sick. I don’t know which.” He added. He wanted food, but he didn’t really want to show that he wanted it. He wasn’t crying god damnit. He was just tired. He swept the heel of his hand over his eyes to remove the dampness there before fumbling at the glove box for the first aid kit. He could at least put something on his neck, the X of the cut was too much. He put a cotton square on it and taped it down, it was a little too big for just a bandaid… but he could at least say it was to keep the cut ‘breathing’. He tried putting his hands to the vents, but it -hurt, the air too warm and he had to draw back, instead of leaning against the door and letting it sting his face. He missed the dogs, he missed Priam and Sterling… But it was his…fault. He deserved everything he was going through, even the Knight knew that. “They left notes… threats…” He murmured. “They know so much…” The car was dangerous. warm enough he wanted to open his jacket, warm enough he might sweat, might sleep with the gentle hum of the engine a lullaby that might lead him too close to the people who’d be hurt all the more if he was careless.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:22 pm
Ilya listened. Really listened. He'd had his doubts about Yu in the past, but none of this sounded crazy.
Not considering last night.
"What do they know, Yu? Priam and Sterling got a poorly doctored record with your name on it. Sterling thought it was me, he came over and demanded answers. I don't have access to those records. Or, I shouldn't."
He was quiet, because he didn't want to just out and say 'I looked them up to try and find you'.
Instead, he said, "Nobody blames you. Nobody's mad at you. I told them what I thought, that someone's trying to set you up, and they've both been out looking for you. They're worried about you. For good reason, it seems. They're hellbent on finding you. And, I don't think running away is going to keep them safe. I'm going to be blunt." He glanced at him while they were stopped at a red light. "...I don't care how deranged someone is, this isn't something someone does for fun. Someone's doing this to hurt you. So what enemies do you have that would go this far to get back at you?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:23 pm
‘‘If I knew that I’d have turned them into the cops even if they just arrested me too!” He shot back. “Ilya, the last note said things about Priam’s fall, and wouldn’t it be a shame if the house burned while they slept, slept like I slept when they DUCT taped me to a ******** bed frame and drove a knife into the mattress! If I go back to them, they’ll DIE!” He slammed his fits down on his own legs not wanting to dirty the car. “They had my whole record... they can get anywhere I go and they ....I’m not letting them hurt Priam or Sterling or you. If you want to help then tell them that! Tell them I’m alive and I’ll figure this out but I can’t... won’t let whomever this have a reason to hurt them again!”
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:24 pm
He was quiet again, not swayed by the display of anger. He'd pulled into the drive through of a restaurant. No one was there; he pulled up to the first intercom and rolled down his window, speaking to them first. "I'm picking up a mobile order," he said, acting as if Yu's words had no affect on him. He gave his name and pulled forward. He sat in silence for half a minute before someone was passing two stuffed white bags full of food. He passed them to Yu, thanked the associate, and then rolled up his window.
Finally, he spoke to Yu again. "I ordered a little bit of everything. You're welcome to any of it. We're going to visit Priam. And Sterling," he said, but there was something lingering on his voice, and he wondered if he'd run out of time. He wondered if it was cruel to keep this information from him for as long as possible or if Yu would resent him for it.
"...They're at the hospital," he said finally. "Sterling was attacked last night. I think you three should stick together. They're safer with you than without. And so are you. You're all targets when you're alone. I was a target when I was alone, and the only thing I did was--"
He was quiet, inhaled, relaxed. "The only thing I did was tell them not to trust the papers they'd been given. And." He exhaled. "...I pulled some strings to see if your record had any information about where you might have run off to. And, I'm sorry. For prying. I shouldn't have done it. It didn't help find you."
He wasn't looking at him again, just focusing on the road as he drove towards the hospital.
"...Whoever is doing this doesn't seem like they're going to stop with just driving you away. Sterling was attacked last night, even with you avoiding him. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found him in the snow."
He didn't want to tell him how bad, he wanted to give him a moment to process.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:28 pm
His blood ran cold. Attacked.... Sterling. “How.... where? He had to know. He rubbed furiously at his face and was tempted by the food, but it sounded like Priam and Sterling could use it. Still, his mouth watered. He pulled out the notes instead, angry at the intrusion, at the judgment and assumptions. Tired and scared as hell. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind… the timing. But it… it couldn’t be. The glittering crystal, the harsh words… No… no, that man had…died. Sterling must have just been out looking for him…that was all. That was ALL. Ilya was right about one thing though, whoever was doing this wasn’t going to stop with driving him away, he reached up to rub gingerly at the mark on his neck. It seemed like there were only two options, and even that might be a lie. Find the one behind this, or…. finish what he started. But even if he found them….what if that was still the only option?
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:28 pm
"Eat," Ilya said, insistent; he was still focused on driving. "I got enough for six people and there's really only three of us eating. Please. If something is going on, you'll need your strength. You can't go into this sleep deprived and starved."
This was a world where people could drain energy, where they could teleport, where people could use some magical power to transform into greater beings and wield magic. Where cats could talk.
Ilya was new to this world and so very ignorant, but if those things could be real, so too could this--and it was all the more reason to be prepared.
"I found him unconscious in the snow, outside of Priam's house. The old one. I don't know what he was doing there, he wasn't dressed to be out in the cold. He hasn't woken up since. They're calling it a coma. They don't think any oxygen was cut off from his brain and aside from the cold, they can't figure out why he's unconscious. Priam's said he must have passed out from overworking himself a dozen times. I think he's just telling me that so I don't worry."
But, he worried. It was in his eyes, his mannerisms.
The fact that he was still out working when he should be at home, tucked in bed and sipping soup.
"But they're running tests. Nothing's come through, but Priam's supposed to text me as soon as they get any updates. I think he said his brother is coming in to take care of the dogs. I took them out this morning, and at lunch. The house was in one piece last I checked."
Dogs, filthy dogs, that Ilya cleaned up after, after walking them. He looked drained, but that was hardly the most tedious of his challenges in the past day.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:29 pm
Yu lost enough color it looked like he might pass out right there in the car. With shaking hands he pulled out some of the food, not wanting to argue. He didn’t check what it was just found plastic silverware and opened ... something. He was not hungry anymore, the smell of it turning his stomach. It couldn’t be what he thought, he’d never... But if Sterling was... if that’s what he thought of... “If I go in now, it... still might put Priam at greater risk.” He whispered. He couldn’t admit that he might be the reason here. Sterling- if it had been him - was right, he deserved this, but Sterling didn’t. Nor did Priam. He closed the take out so he could twist back and fumble to reach his bag, he pulled out the papers and stuffed all but the last one into his jacket, stuffing that last one, the threat that mentioned the fire and the roof. “They sent me an obituary- the... last foster family I was with. I didn’t look it up but - it said sudden, and this note... implies cutting throats. Given how close they got to me... should I really be near Sterling? I don’t... sleep lightly. They got close enough to nick me while I slept and I didn’t even know.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:29 pm
"I don't know how they did," he said honestly. "...But you can't go on like this, Yu. You look like you haven't slept. I know it would do Priam well to know that you were all right, but."
...But if it did put them in danger...
"I can go with you. I can help. You can't set fire to a hospital, and we won't let anyone on the roof. If we're in a group, no one's throat is going to be cut."
There wasn't an easy answer, he knew that.
"...If you won't go in and see them, I'll go tell Priam that I might have a lead. I'll give him hope and leave the food, and come back here. Don't get out of this car without me, Yu. If you need to go somewhere, I'll drop you off. Do you have money? --Do you need anything?"
There was only so much he could see Yu doing while he was still driving, but the hospital was just up ahead. He could pull into the parking garage and sneak him in, or hide him for a few minutes if he needed to.
He wasn't sure what to make of this but he didn't want them to be separated. He didn't want to lose this connection--not when Yu was the one being left notes, not when he was the one getting information about what was going on, about who was being threatened.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:31 pm
“No, I’ve got some saved...” he replied, wrapping arms around himself. He’d need to come back - he needed to check Sterling when it was safe. “Can you... tell me what room he’s in? Maybe I could... send a gift, something to assure them.” He thumbed the food container again. He should eat, he’d need the energy to do what he hoped to. “Thanks for the food, thanks for telling me too.” He added. He waited till Ilya got out of the car before checking around him as best he could - and then crawled into the back seat to make himself eat some of the noodles he’d blindly taken. It did nothing to help how tired he was. He folded himself up and dragged his duffle on top of himself hoping it would hide him at least a little. He was exhausted Enough- and warm enough that even with the creeping dread he was soon asleep.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:31 pm
Ilya was gone for only ten minutes, and in that time he struggled not to just blurt out that he had answers and that Yu was in his car, only two minutes away from the room. But, he persisted. Priam seemed relieved and hopeful at the prospect that Ilya might have an idea of where Yu was, and didn't try to fight when he said he was leaving to check it out.
It was a good excuse to get out of there quickly. Priam was spending the night, he'd be safe in the hospital. He was a doctor, he knew that he was going to be overbearingly protective and make sure that Sterling was getting the best treatment. Soleiyu was there and watching worriedly over the two of them.
Jarvis was fine from what he'd gathered, which meant that he didn't need to go home and check on the dogs.
He went back to the car and, at first, was alarmed that Yu wasn't in the front seat--until he got closer and found him curled up under his bag in the back seat. The tension eased out of him; he looked around and saw no one in the parking garage. He went to his trunk and opened one of his emergency bags--a small pillow, barely the size of a chair cushion, and a soft blanket. He shook it out and opened the door to the car at Yu's feet, carefully placing the pillow within reach but not jostling Yu while he slept. He draped the blanket over him--partially for warmth and partially to give him some privacy. He closed the door so quietly it barely sounded with more than a 'click', and then returned to the driver's seat.
The car was almost silent when it turned on, except for the low hum of the engine stirring, the click of his door closing and his seatbelt going on.
Ilya had eaten with Priam--nearly nothing, but enough that he could say he'd had a meal. He was tired, but he had too much on his mind to sleep. Too much to try and figure out.
He pulled out of the parking lot carefully, quietly, and left the heat on low to make sure it stayed a comfortable temperature.
He could drive. For himself, for Yu. For as long as he needed to.
He could keep moving so Yu could get the rest he so desperately needed, and maybe the peace and quiet and solitude could help settle his own mind.
He didn't know what they were facing.
He just knew that they had to face it.
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