|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:11 pm
Orin wanted to go home. He wanted to climb into his bed—no, his father's bed, like he did when he was a child—and cry. But if he did that, it meant answering questions.
And telling his father things he did not want his father to know.
For several hours, Goretti had frantically tried to find the Negaverse Agent, to beg her for the starseed back. He ran until his legs gave out, and he cried until he ran out of tears.
It wasn't adult. It wasn't manly.
He felt weaker now than ever before, because he had failed. He kept replaying everything over in his head, but worse than failing and knowing how he could have fixed something, he failed and still didn't know how to fix it.
He wasn't strong enough. He didn't deserve to be a senshi.
Once, he'd powered down and thrown his henshin pen off the side of a building, but in another fit of sobs he'd run down to fetch it immediately afterwards. He'd been so upset that he even apologized to it.
Staying out, dehydrated and exhausted and hurting wasn't doing him any good, but then…maybe he deserved it. He hadn't been able to do her any good. The nameless, lifeless civilian lying atop the roof, right where Cavnasite left her. He had thought, perhaps, he could take her to a hospital and they could save her, but even then he'd been too afraid to go back. His stomach was in knots and he knew that his father must know he was missing by now. Maybe.
Time was passing strangely. Maybe his father was still working. Maybe he'd fallen asleep without checking on Orin, for once.
Orin knew he should go home, but he couldn’t bear the thought. Didn't want to imagine his father's face, or voice, or anything.
So he had gone to her, instead.
Or, at least, to where she lived.
Goretti was still in his after school clothes when he arrived on Bellatrix's doorstep, face red and eyes bloodshot. He was perpetually sniffling and his eyes watered even when he had nothing more to fall. He had hoped that he didn’t look the mess he felt, but he had been too afraid to look in a mirror before knocking.
In the dark of the night, his knock was soft, and he stood, trembling and head bowed, half hoping she'd be there and half hoping he could avoid people for just a little longer.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:37 pm
It was pure dumb luck that Bellatrix was still awake at this hour. She had a slight cold and was too stuffy to sleep. The woman had decided that a nice hot cup of tea might do some good in clearing the goop from her nose, and was sitting on the couch, taking her firs sip when she heard the soft knock at the door.
With a frown, she looked at the clock that hung on the wall. Who in their right mind was coming over this late at night? It was past midnight…this was far too late for any kind of pleasure visit.
Her thoughts darted to several bad things at once, and the one that stopped her cold was it having something to do with Millie. Had she gotten hurt out there? Was she in trouble? It had been so long since she had become Caelian that she wasn’t even sure she could remember how to do it…but then again…
She absently ran her fingers over the signet ring she still wore. Sure maybe she wasn’t actively powering up to save the world…but that didn’t mean she couldn’t. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t. If she had to.
Slowly the woman put her cup of tea down and went to the door, drawing her robe closer to her. If this was some teenager playing a trick, there was going to be hell to pay. A second later she had opened the door and the trace of frown that was on her face deepened once again. “Orin? What are you doing here?”
Her eyes darted over him and a moment later she put a hand on her shoulder, voice raising in pitch just a bit from worry. “What happened? Are you okay?” Of course he wasn’t okay…but there wasn’t any easier way to ease in to the conversation of what he was doing there…and why he was covered in blood.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:48 pm
Orin didn't move for a long moment, even when Bellatrix's hand was on his shoulder. He drew in a breath as if he meant to say something, but all that came out was a shaky shudder. He shook his head meekly when words failed him. He reached up to rub at his nose, but his hand fell when he remembered that touching his face had since begun to do more harm than good.
"…Can I please come in?" he mumbled, voice raw and cracking. He didn't look up—he couldn’t.
The light would only show what had happened—at least, physically, and for as much as he didn't want anyone to see, he didn't want to stay out in the darkness where she could have come back. Where anyone could have.
Where he'd be easy prey, just like her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:56 pm
“Of course sweet heart, come in, please. It’s too dark out there for anyone to be out right now, let alone you…”
She tugged on his shoulder, ushering him inside before closing and locking the door. Something had happened, and she was getting very, very worried that something like this had happened to Millie too…was she okay? Was she in this bad of shape?
Gently, Bellatrix led the boy over to the couch, putting a small amount of pressure on his shoulder so he would sit down, before grabbing one of the footstools and sitting across from him, trying to get a good look at his face. “Now, honey. Tell me what happened? What can I do? Do you think you need the hospital? Is it just your face that’s hurt? Who did this, Orin…talk to me, honey. Talk to me, that’s what I’m here for.”
This poor boy. He was more like a son to her than she bet he realized. He was her daughters best friend, and he was such a good kid…whoever did this to him clearly had to be a monster…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:13 pm
Orin didn't argue when she gently pushed him onto the couch; he seemed in a trance until she tried to sit in front of him. It was instinctive that he turned his head to the side, hiding the worst of the damage. He kept his head low and his eyes averted, but he didn't know why.
He was ashamed, and that had to contribute to it.
"I don't want to go to the hospital," he said, and he didn't think he needed to. But then, he hadn't ever really needed to go. His face hurt but everything else was numb, and he was afraid if he went then everyone would find out. Somehow.
"It's…" he faltered, and couldn't seem to find the words. His throat was hoarse and he was still shaking. "I was out," he managed. "…And I saw someone get hurt. And I couldn’t do anything. I tried," he argued desperately, but there was guilt in his voice. He blamed himself and couldn't even try to hide it. "But I couldn't do anything. And now—and now she's—"
His voice broke again, and he hunched forward, curling into himself. His stomach churned like he could throw up, but he'd already done that, twice. There wasn't anything left.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:03 pm
“Oh Orin…” Her arms were around him before she could stop herself, holding him close, as protectively as she possibly could. This poor boy…this war was one of the most terrible things she could think of…nobody should have to experience these kinds of things…especially when they were still just children. “Orin…whatever happened it’s not your fault. You tried, as you said. I’m so, so sorry that it wasn’t enough to help…”
He should have been with someone. There should be a rule that the younger children should be with someone when they powered up…why hadn’t she been there? Maybe she could have helped to prevent this…
Finally Bellatrix swallowed. “Orin, honey…Millie wasn’t there with you was she…? Is Millie okay…? She wasn’t the one who…”
Her voice trailed off, the fear was evident in every word she had spoken.
If something had happened to Millie…
Well, she wasn’t sure what she would do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:09 pm
"No!" Orin blurted, and finally looked up with frantic, guilty eyes. "No, she never would have let anything like this happen. She's strong, stronger than me. She's not even a chibi senshi anymore. And she's got everything worked out and she would have been able to do something about it. She would have been able to help."
He sniffled so hard it shook his whole body and then just shook his head. "No. She's fine. I was going to come her to talk to her, I think, but I…I don't know. I don't want her to think I'm weak. I don't want to be weak. I wanted to go home—to dad, but he…"
Orin shook his head again and buried his face in his hands. His words were muffled, but he was speaking just loud enough to be understandable. "He doesn't fight, not like we do. I can't go to him, he'd just worry. But I know you'd understand, and you take such good care of Millie, and I just. I wanted to talk to someone. But he can't know. I don't even know how I'm going to tell him about this," he moved his hand to reveal his injured face but did not make the effort to conceal it again. "I don't want to lie to him, but I can't tell him the truth. He wouldn’t understand, and he'd just worry and he's already worrying so much, Bellatrix. He doesn't sleep, all he does is work and worry about me, and I can't make it worse for him!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:35 pm
“You can always come to me, Orin. That’s what I’m here for. I hope you know that I think of you as my child as much as I do Millie, so don’t you ever have any hesitations about coming to me for help. I love you and I feel that it’s my job to help protect and take care of you.”
His face didn’t look too terrible, he had a split lip and it looked like his cheek would be bruised but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it was at first. And Millie was okay. Millie wasn’t the one who was hurt. She could deal with that. She could find a way to fix all of this. She had to.
“Everything will be fine, Orin. I’ll tell your father that you ended up staying the night here after coming over to work on school things with Millie, he won’t be worried, and I’ll take the blame.” Bellatrix pulled away, going to the kitchen and filling a bag with ice, then wrapping it in some paper towels, before bringing it back to the teenager. “Here you go, put this on your cheek, it’ll make it start to feel better.” She handed him the makeshift icepack, as well as a damp paper towel to wipe his lip off with.
“We’ll find a way to make all of this okay. I promise.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:59 pm
Orin let her work; he trusted her judgment and didn't try to pull away this time. He just sighed and held the makeshift ice pack. "I don't want you to get in trouble, though," he finally sighed; his adrenaline was depleting and he just seemed tired. His eyelids were heavy and he was exhausted and even though he had questions and didn’t want to sleep, he didn't think he could put it off.
"…Thank you, Bellatrix," he mumbled a few seconds later.
"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have you. I think…I'd be a lot worse off. I feel bad. I feel awful, but I just…I'm so tired," he confessed. "I don't feel like I have anything left in me. I feel like I could sleep for a hundred years."
…And a part of him wanted to, if it meant he didn't have to worry about thinking about this when he woke up again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 1:32 pm
“Then you must sleep. Not a problem. Go ahead and lay down on the couch, I’ll tuck you in, and tomorrow things will be a little bit better…and you can talk to Millie. I know she isn’t going to think that you’re weak, she doesn’t think things like that, and I know that she cares so much for you, Orin.”
Bellatrix pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch, draping it over the boy and tucking the ends underneath him. “Everything will be brighter in the morning, and I don’t say that just because the sun will be up, kiddo. When you get some sleep, you’ll be able to think clearer…”
And hopefully…some of this trauma would seem more like a nightmare than anything else…
The woman pulled out her cell phone, shooting Dresden a quick text. ‘Orin is here, so sorry to worry you, I thought he had left ages ago, I’ll drop him off tomorrow! Take care, Dresden. ~<3’
There. That took care of the father situation as well…
All there was left was to sleep…sleep and heal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 1:38 pm
Orin watched her as she moved and tried to take her words to heart. He was tired and he wanted to put faith in them—wanted to think that it was going to be that easy, and that everything would be okay.
…But she was right. Maybe in the morning he'd be able to think better, and maybe Millie would be able to help him sort out everything else.
"…Thanks, Bellatrix," he mumbled sleepily. Fighting had taken a lot out of him.
Fighting with Cavansite. Fighting his emotions. Fighting to make sense of these.
He couldn't fight anymore.
Not tonight.
And the moment he gave into the fatigue, he was out.
It wasn't guaranteed to be a good sleep, but it was a sleep he needed.
Even if he only dreamed of that poor, nameless civilian he'd left on the roof.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
