I'll tell you all how the story ends

[cleartranquil]

Who: Ghost Quest kids and all those who want to see them.
What: So as it turns out, going against the label might've been a bad move. Who knew, right? 
When: Feb 3rd and after 
Where: Pride HQ
Warnings: Talk of torture, aftermath of violence, aftermath of brainwashing, dudes there's some dark stuff.

For the past three days, the troublemakers and ghost helpers of Pride Records were kept locked away from their friends and their bands. 

As far as everyone else knew, they were just gone. And then they were back. 

They are all worse for wear, some far more than others and some much more mentally than physically, but they are all returned to their penthouses, finally, at the end of their ordeals. 

But, at least they're back. Somewhat in one piece. For the most part. 

Comments

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Hey.

Tell me you're in one piece.

Not okay.

Just in one piece.

[traumatizing]

[It takes a day or so before Terry can actually bring himself to start replying to texts, but at least she doesn't get the same "sorry, couldn't charge my phone," story he's been giving everyone else. She almost certainly knows enough from Yuffie to know it's bullshit.]

I'm alive and in one piece. I'm sorry.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

It's alright, I thought you might have needed time.

Yuffie needed time.

I'm only a short walk away, if you need.

If you don't, that's alright too.

[traumatizing]

[He kinda does but. HA HA HA ASKING FOR HELP don't be ridiculous.]

I don't think I'm leaving my room for a while.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

I don't want to either.

[traumatizing]

What happened?

[stylistic_disloyalty]

That thing I said I was worried about?

Yeah, apparently doing whatever she did to all of you stressed her out.

And I was the outlet.

I knew it was coming.

[traumatizing]

[There's not really an answer to that. Not in text anyway. He looks like shit, and he feels like it too, but fifteen minutes later he's there knocking at her door.]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Fuuuuuuck, you didn't!

[Yes, she's been waiting for the response and when it didn't come she'd hoped he'd just... fallen asleep or something. But Terry deserved to know-- he'd been the first person she'd told about this horrifying deal, he deserved to know.]

[Luci rolls over and throws on her robe, wrapping the collar of it around her neck and going to the door. She opens it.]

Come on, come here. [She opens her arms for him-- he does look like shit. Who cares what happened to her-- she'd known it was going to happen. Terry didn't deserve the end of Lesedi's ire.]

[traumatizing]

[He hugs her tightly, like something precious that could get stolen away if he doesn't hold on, and when he pulls back to look at her it's all concern in his eyes. Terry's never been great at worrying about himself-- he hurts, sure, and he's all kinds of fucked up. But that doesn't matter.]

Are you okay? [Dumb question. Terry frowns deeply as he scans her face.] What did she do to you?

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Terry calm down, I'm fine.

[She's so good at lying. It's so easy sometimes, even when she's wincing because ow, her back is still stinging from all the marks Lesedi put into it. Luci pulls back and combs Terry's bangs away from his face, looking for marks. Yuffie and Terry, and she never could have helped keep them away from it.]

You're not fine, I can see it in your face. Come on, come here. [Luci indicates her bed. It's mussed and there are sweatclothes everywhere, but it's still a place to at least be comfortable.]

[traumatizing]

[Terry sits, but he's not ready to let this go. If this had been months ago, he'd probably believe her. Back before he knew Luci and thought she was untouchable somehow. Unbreakable. But he knows her now, and knows Lesedi, and no one comes away fine after seeing her. That's not how it works.]

Please don't lie to me. [He swallows, pausing briefly as he looks down at his lap and then back up at her. Almost desperate.] It's... I won't push you if you don't wanna talk about it, but I told you I'm here for you and I meant that.

CW: Dubcon injuries

[stylistic_disloyalty]

[The request sends a startling shock through her. Usually when she lies, nobody says anything, they just accept it. Or they don't and she doesn't care about whoever is calling her on it. Terry she does care about, and he's calling her on it.]

[Maybe he deserves to know that it happened, but can she honestly put the burden on him concerning what happened? She doesn't want to talk about it, but she's going to run out of turtlenecks eventually, and then he'd find out later. Two waves of this shit.]

[She can't do that to him.]

[Luci unbelts her robe and pulls the collar down. She doesn't say anything for a change, she doesn't have to. There's a dark band around her neck, a bruise from something that was too tight and stayed there too tight. Around it are several angry-but-healing bites. From human teeth. Her wrists have the same banding bruise that appears when the cuffs of her robe slide down.]

[Once she's sure Terry's seen it enough to put it together, she wordlessly wraps herself in the robe again.]

I know you meant it. But I knew this was coming. [She just hadn't known what form it would come in.] You and Yuffie... You didn't do anything to earn what you got.

[traumatizing]

[That's... He doesn't know what he expected, but this isn't it. Terry's quiet for a long while, and part of him feels like he should be angry- like this is exactly the kind of thing that makes him mad, but he just doesn't have it in him right now, it's not even in him to argue he deserved exactly what he got. He's just sad.]

[Terry swallows again and he reaches for her hand, just a small gesture of affection and solidarity. Something he hopes is comforting in some small way.]

You didn't earn this.

[It's almost all he can even say, and he says it softly, almost silent. Choked with how horrified he is that someone could do this.].

[stylistic_disloyalty]

It's the price I paid to keep Xanxus alive. If I didn't earn it, I sure as hell signed on the dotted line.

[She laces her fingers through Terry's when he takes her hand, and urges him to lay his head on her shoulder with her other.] I don't know what you did, but she's not reasonable. Whatever happened... shouldn't have resulted in this.

[traumatizing]

[He moves as directed, but he's hesitant to touch her for fear of aggravating a wound. Or maybe she just doesn't want to be touched right now. Terry spends a moment hesitating before he turns his body toward her and puts an arm lightly around her.]

Is this it?

[The whole debt. He certainly fucking hopes Lesedi's not gonna be calling on her again.]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

[Lesedi had gone to town on Luci's back, but she can handle Terry's arm around her. No wincing, no making him feel worse when that kind of touch can keep Luci together. She wraps her arms around Terry's shoulders and holds him for a long and silent moment.]

I don't think so. She said she wanted a playmate, seemed to imply I was the only one who could take it.

[She still doesn't know if that meant contractually, or something else...]

[traumatizing]

[He looks up at her at that, eyes roaming her face like he's searching for some hint that this might not be true, but of course it is.]

Luci-- You can't.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

What are my options? [Her laugh is hollow.] Throwing someone else under this bus? Who do you suggest?

[traumatizing]

What if I offered? [And the way he says it suggests he would in a heartbeat.] Even if I could just take some of the heat off you.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

NO!

[Luci puts Terry's face between her hands before even she can catch up with what she's doing. She forces him to look at her.]

Don't you dare think about that, Terry. Don't you dare. She did more to me than put a collar around my neck and give me a few love bites, she did things even I wouldn't do to someone without months of trust building. She didn't care if it hurt or if I wanted it or not, she didn't care. I can't--

[Her voice wavers and she takes a moment to swallow and steel herself.] I can't let you submit yourself to that. Not to mention there's no guarantee she'd actually hold up her end of any kind of deal.

[Luci swallows again and lets go of Terry.] I got through it because I knew why I was there. It wasn't random, it made about as much sense as something like that makes. It won't be the same next time. [She leans in and kisses his forehead.] I'll know I have aftercare waiting somewhere for me.

[traumatizing]

[Honestly, what she says makes him more sure that she can't keep doing this. Not alone. If there was someone else who could take a share of the pain... But she's right, there's no guarantee Santiago would keep her word. It's Luci's reaction more than anything that makes him relent before he's even begun to argue, and he nods slowly.]

You can come to me, alright? Any time, I don't care what I'm doing. [He takes her hands and holds them in his lap. Tightly, but gentle too.] I will always have time to look after you.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

What about you? [Luci squeezes the hands holding hers with a faint smile.] Can I look after you, no matter what I'm doing?

[Something happened to Yuffie, she's assuming something happened to Terry too. Something he's not talking about. But if he can't just yet... she can still take care of him even if she doesn't know what happened.]

[traumatizing]

I'm okay. [He lied. But the offer is... He really appreciates it, and he smiles a little sadly.] I don't wanna inconvenience you because I messed up my lipstick or whatever.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

...are you kidding me right now, Ward? [Luci frowns and wraps her arms around Terry, exerting nearly no effort at tossing him bodily fully onto the bed.]