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 Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:33 pm
Lily walked into the library quietly trying not to draw any attention to the fact that she was there, on a school day, during school hours, skipping school. She could not go anyway, she would have been sent home, she'd been sent home the day before and she was no better today. No, she had even taken the bus to the library claiming she was carpooling this morning.
She yawned loudly though she hardly realized the noise she made and started to make her way over to the elevator. She would go to the top for, find a couch and try not to be noticed until school was over. She had homework she needed to do so, it wouldn't be to bad would it.
She barely made it three feet before she bumped into a cart containing returned book and knocked half of them to the floor. "I'm sorry," she mumbled yawning and stumbling to hurriedly pick them up. It was a clumsy effort and it was obvious that something was wrong with Lily. She stopped twice looking confused before she snapped out of it and resumed picking up the book. Her movement were shaky and uncoordinated. It was becoming an impossible task to hide her lack of sleep and at this rate she was going to find herself in a lot of trouble.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:20 am
Tony, at least, as wide awake and enjoying his day. He was working diligently, because during school hours things were generally a little quieter. True enough, there were higher education students, the general public, and students without classes at certain hours to deal with, but even so, the 'rush', if it could be called that, happened after school was let out for the day, and students wanted to come in to get their homework done.
He was getting some reshelving done, and doing an in house pick up on the same cart. He used the top and middle shelves for the books he was returning to their proper homes, and using the bottom for books he found out of their places.
Sometimes he got a bit mixed up, because he tended to not pay attention when doing something so brainless, but he was more than well practiced with all this by now.
He looked up when he felt a bump, spotting Lily just before she ducked down to pick up the books that fell from the cart. "Ah, I've got it," he said, moving to help her. There were only a couple on the floor, and soon enough they were back on that cart. He looked at Lily, tilting his head in concern.
"Are you alright, Miss Lily? You look very... tired. Uh. Worryingly so, in fact..."
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:31 pm
"I'm fine," Lily practically shout as she jumped up swaying slightly. She hardly noticed the sway, but it was noticeable. It could be attributed to jump of so fast, but Lily did not look too well.
"I just thought," she mumbled having a hard time coming up with a lie, but none came forth in her clearly befuddled mind. "I ...," she stampered for a moment before simply looking down at the floor. She huffed feeling the tears swim across her eyes.
"Sorry Mr. Darrow," she said softly.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:10 pm
Tony looked very surprised as she yelped her response, keeping his eyes on her just in case she did anything else that was wild and unpredictable. His fur was up, as it were: he could tell she wasn't fine at all. Of course, generally, when someone said they were fine like that they were not, in fact, anything of the sort.
He noticed the sway, and he frowned immediately.
Students tended to overwork themselves. Not too many, of course: a lot of kids weren't that dedicated to life or school and just wanted to goof off or play on their phones and iThings. But he saw some who were always a little run down, always a little stressed. A little dark around the eyes. A little underfed. Kids with too much on their shoulders.
It always made him wonder.
"Don't be sorry," he said quickly, moving toward her. He left the cart in the hall, not thinking it was likely to go anywhere. "Are you alright? Don't cry. Hey... is there anything I can do? Have you been sleeping?" He couldn't help but have his parental gear kick in. He rarely got to use it with Nate, yet living with the kid made him more susceptible to wanting to play the father. So he had to reach out to those around him.
The staff were getting a little tired of it. At least Dogby helped him by constantly needing to be tended to.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:36 pm
Lily frowned, she had wanted sneak into the library and avoid Tony at all costs. Did he work everyday, did he own the library. Why did he have to find her?
She shook her head feeling like a guilty child, "I got sent home from school yesterday, so I did not think they would let me come today. I haven't been sleeping, but I'll be okay. No need to worry right?"
Lily gave a weak smiled watery eyes, "just too much studying, AP classes and all. I was going to hide out upstairs if that is okay. Can't go home with the skipping school and all."
Had she just said that, yes she had. She'd admitted to skipping school and admitted to the fact that her parents were obviously not aware. Maybe aware she looked over tired, but not that she'd been hiding it as best as possible for to long.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:55 pm
Tony shook his head.
"You haven't been sleeping? You need to rest a bit, you look like you're about to fall over." He clearly was worrying, no matter what she directed him to do on that front. How could he not? She had been sent home from classes because of it? That made him doubly concerned: it had to be serious if it was getting in the way of class.
He knew all too well how draining it could be, not sleeping properly. And he was an adult, and wagered it had to be harder on a teenager stressing out about themselves, their parents, and their school work.
"Skipping school? There are a few chairs upstairs that you might be able to rest on, but I think what you need is a good nap. There's a sofa in the office, you can take a break there, undisturbed." He tilted his head, as if saying 'please' at the end, in case she tried to deny the offer. The sofa was very comfortable, and he was hoping she might get a little sleep.
She really looked like she could do with it.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:16 pm
Lily nodded it was true, she did need sleep, thought falling over was a bit extreme she thought. She thought she looked at neat as always, though she could not really tell. Looking in the mirror bleary eyes after a patrol followed by a sleeplessness night and guard duty before school. It would have been easier, if it was for the nightmares brought on by a guilty conscious.
She nodded again, until she realized what it was Tony said and her hand went up nervously as if to explain, but the explanation fell away as Tony suggested she sleep, a nap on the sofa. It sounded so nice and Lily closed her eyes thinking about it for a moment, but then shook her head.
"No thank you," she said still shaking her head and feeling a bit dizzy, "I don't want to sleep. Please I'm fine really. I can sleep after school."
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:19 pm
Tony watched her with the concern any parent might have for their child. Or step child. Or random kid they saw in the street that looked like they might need some help. Or student visiting their library. He was waiting with his breath slightly stopped, though he was not consciously aware of that one, as if holding his breath until she agreed to take care of herself.
A tricky ultimatum, and it turned out he lost the effort.
Breathing heavily, a physical reaction to compliment the deflated look he bore on his face, he tilted his head to the side in wonder.
"You'll be perfectly alone in there. Maybe just to sit down in quiet? Read, or work on your homework. Dogby could keep you company if you'd like? I just... it's the most comfortable chair in the library, at the very least." He kept trying, not wanting to go up when it was time to close and find her zonked out in one of the corners.
Though, if she declined him again and he didn't see her leave by then, he would certainly remember to keep an eye out for her.
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:59 pm
Lily felt like she was about to cry, she really did not expect Tony to be so insistant. How on earth did Nate get around him? He did not seem like the type to listen, but Tony seemed like the type who wanted listening and currently Lily wanted to escape. She didn't however, instead she nodded with a weak smile.
At least she would be alone, "I think I would like it if Dogby was there. When I am home," Lily yawned, turning her head slightly to hide it. "... Eamon follows me everywhere, with increasing, er, um frequency."
It was an admission and Lily did not even realize it. She had basically said clear as day that her dog was worried for her, more and more it seemed.
She looked at Tony expectantly, waiting for him to lead the way to the office. She probably pass out on the couch, not that she expected to stay passed out, no the nightmare would wake her. She just hoped the forthcoming nightmare did not result in a scream. That would not be good.
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:08 pm
Tony looked relieved, nodding his head. Dogby, after all, would be more than happy to keep her company, as she was a fiend for attention. So it would work out well, and he didn't feel bad talking for her. Mostly because she was a dog, and couldn't exactly give her opinion on the matter anyway.
"Alright then. That's good," he said with a smile. He was worried, though, that even her dog seemed to know that she was beyond her limit, while she was content to argue against the fact. Maybe if he could just get her sitting down where it was quiet and she was not stressing out, she might get a little bit of rest. Even if it wasn't much, it would be better than nothing.
And he was simply worried. Anything would be better for her than how sleep deprived she seemed to be now.
He motioned for her to follow him behind the desk. There was an extra office, one that should have been his but he didn't like being closed off and away from the goings on at the front desk, where they had a little green room of sorts. He motioned for her to sit down, before calling Dogby in. The little dog waggled her tail, her whole backside, as she looked up at Lily excitedly.
She was oblivious to any and all things bad. She was just there to be a buddy.
"If you need anything," Tony said, pulling a blanket from a nearby set of drawers and offering it to her, "I'll be at the front desk." He smiled warmly, fatherly in his way.
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:30 pm
Lily quietly followed Tony, not saying much of anything and not really trusting herself to keep talking. She already said to much, next she would be telling him she was a senshi. She was none to sure where Tony stood one the whole skirted and bowed terrorist thing, though she doubted he would turn her in or anything.
She walked over to the couch and sat down. When Dogby came in wagging herself she smiled down at the pup and tiredly patting the couch for her to climb up with her before taking the offered blanket from Tony.
She pulled her legs up and covered legs with the blanket, her hand absentmindedly searching out the fluffy pup to pet. "Thank you, Mr. Darrow," she said softly.
The couch was comfy and was already feeling sleep threatening to pull her under. It was barely a few minuted before she was asleep and it seemed just a few minutes more before the nightmare that kept her awake began.
She tossed lightly, talking in her sleep, propped up against the couch. "No, please, no. That's not me, she said." The mumbling continued unbroken for a short time before it turned into what it turned into if she didn't wake quickly enough.
Lily shot upright like lightening probably terrifying Dogby, not that she noticed. A scream escaping her mouth in waking before she looked around wildly her breath coming in short pants.
She stood pushing the covers off with a frown on her face.
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:52 pm
Dogby was not exactly the tallest of dogs, her short feet making it near impossible for her to jump more than two inches in any direction. That didn't stop her from trying, at any rate, and the puppy bounced helplessly at the side of the couch in a profound effort to get up and join Lily on the seat. She was standing on her little back legs, front paws on the couch, her feet moving back and forth like she was bouncing in place, frustrated and eager all at once.
She could do it, she knew she could. If only the sofa would lower itself a little bit...
She managed to get up at length, after Tony had gone back to the desk, and she nuzzled next to Lily. She sensed the girl was tired, maybe, and sat down next to her quietly, resting her head on her lap. She was dozing by the time Lily woke up from her nightmare, letting out a surprised yelp and looking up at her in confusion.
She moved to stand up as tall as she could, offering a reassuring lick to Lily's chin.
Tony came running in, stumbling over himself, looking into the room in surprise.
"Is everything okay? Are you alright, Lily?" He looked a bit pale, panicked that something bad had happened. She saw them both on the sofa, though, and relaxed slightly. "What happened?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:03 pm
Lily frowned down at Dogby before giving an apologetic smile to the pup and petting her while her heart slowed. She looked away from Tony who asked what had happened. She really should not have fallen asleep especially not face up. At least face down she had a pillow to muffle the scream, if it came.
Lily shook her head, "It nothing, just a bad dream. Been having it a lot lately."
Giving another pat to Dogby she sighed and grabbed the blanket to fold it back up. Sleeping here was not a good idea and it was obviously not going to happen. "I had better go Mr. Darrow. I do not think it would be fair to anyone to be disturbed like that again."
She walked over still unsteady and handed the blanket to Tony, "I will go home and try to sleep." It was a lie, she still had quite some time until school let out, but maybe she could just ride around on the bus for some time."
She gave a tired smile and yawned, "Thank you for trying to help."
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:12 am
Tony looked miserable. He had hoped that she would find some rest, but it seemed whatever was wrong with her was persistent. He didn't pry, but he watched her with a pout on his face, concern evident in his expression.
"I hope you can sort out your nightmares," he said, taking the blanket. He frowned. "Perhaps talk to someone? Just take care of yourself, and don't just think it will go away without addressing it."
He couldn't offer much advice. His method of dealing with nightmares or other problems brought on by simply living in this terror filled city was to drink until he passed out. And he was fairly sure offering that as a suggestion was some kind of illegal. At the very least against his moral constitution.
Still, everyone had some kind of method, healthy or not, and he just hoped hers would be the former rather than the latter.
"Please be careful," he said, letting her leave the office and walking with her to the front desk once again. Dogby followed after her, padding along quietly. She wasn't upset by being scared, still thinking Lily was one of her many best friends.
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:33 pm
Lily blushed denial on her lips, but she did not try to deny it, knowing it was a moot point at this point in time. She fallen asleep and had a nightmare in the library. Lily nodded, but her words weren't very encouraging, "I think the only way to solve the problem would be to leave Destiny City."
It was said in barely a whisper, not really meant to be heard although she was address Tony. "Do not worry," she said her volume rising slightly, "I will try to talk to someone. Just having a rough time right now and its not just the nightmare that are causing a lack of sleep.'
She walked with Tony to the desk and gave another nod, "Thank you again. I promise I will be careful." She gave a wave to Dogby, not daring to actually try to pet her with her balance so off.
"Will you tell Nate that I said hi, please," she asked before heading out of the library.
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