I won't pretend that I intend to stop living

[mildwildchild]

Who: erryone in Pride
What: recovering from the events of December 7
When: late December 7/early December 8 - ???
Where: Pride HQ and wherever else they're allowed to go
Warnings: Carnies? references to I Will Twist the Knife


So maybe you've just gotten back from the most mellow kidnapping ever and you're itching to tell your bandmates about what went on with the cool helmeted guys while everyone else was at that stuffy party. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a little while to tell them, but that's okay - surely you can keep yourselves occupied until everyone else returns.

Or maybe you're one of those who wound up at that party of Naomi's, and your night was a little less fun. Now you're back at HQ, possibly with mended physical injuries and almost certainly with a few new psychological scars. Now's your chance to check in on your friends and bandmates who missed out on all the trauma and deal with things as best you can.

Comments

[traumatizing]

I don't...

[He trails off as he looks down at the hand on his shirt, looking distinctly uncomfortable. It's not pretty under his shirt and Terry just. He doesn't want anyone to see him looking like that.]

I can't, I'm sorry. I just-- I can't right now.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie can deduce that whatever's going on under Terry's shirt has something to do with last night, so he simultaneously wants to not talk about it and to talk about it immediately. It's a difficult decision to make, but he makes it pretty quickly, frowning up at Terry and setting his jaw.]

Let me see.

[traumatizing]

[Terry swallows, still looking down uncomfortably. When he looks up at Maxxie, he meets his eyes with an almost distressed look on his face.]

Maxxie...

[notahobby]

[Maxxie presses his lips together, but he doesn't pull Terry's shirt up.]

I wanna see how bad it is.

[traumatizing]

[Okay. Fine. Maybe it's not as bad as he thinks it is. Terry sighs after a moment or two and slowly pulls his shirt up-- It hurts when he lifts his arms, moreso when he has to stretch to get the shirt all the way off, and there's some muffled noises to that effect.]

[He drops the shirt on the bed and has to fight the urge to pull his arms around himself. There's cuts and bruises all over, (the joys of pale skin,) and some particularly angry looking bruising across his ribs and on the sides of his neck. Someone had an eventful night.]

[Frowning, he watches Maxxie's face carefully for some indication of what he's thinking.]

[notahobby]

[Maxxie swallows but his expression remains steady as he gets up on his elbows to inspect all the damage. He didn't know what he expected, but it's worse in person and up close. Very carefully, he brings his hand up to Terry's neck and brushes his fingers over a nasty bruise.]

[When he speaks, it's just above a whisper, and it's as though his voice is threatening to break.]

How could anyone do this?

[traumatizing]

It looks worse than it is.

[This is pretty much what he didn't want. Terry frowns, taking Maxxie's hand so he can both get it away from his neck and give it a reassuring squeeze.]

I'm fine, okay?

[notahobby]

[It takes Maxxie a moment to tear his eyes away from the bruises, pulling his hand away and frowning up at Terry's face.]

Nothing's fine. This is all so fucked up. She said she'd make it better, but... you still look like this. And the guys are all messed up too, and I'm-- I was fucking getting high while all of this was happening.

[traumatizing]

[He puts both hands on Maxxie's shoulders, squeezing gently in some attempt to be reassuring. He doesn't really know what to say to make Maxxie feel better, and he frowns in sympathy, silently scanning his face for a moment or two before he speaks.]

You know you don't need to feel guilty about that, right? [He lightly brushes one of his thumbs back and forth.] It's not like you could've done much except get fucked up too.

[notahobby]

Well how the hell am I supposed to feel?

[He looks him up and down again and sighs, making no move to get up or anything.]

[traumatizing]

I don't know.

[He sighs and reaches for his shirt, carefully getting off Maxxie to sit next to him on the bed.]

But I know you didn't do anything wrong.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie watches him go, then lies back down again and turns onto his side to curl up a little.]

I just don't know where we're supposed to go from here. I can't look at anyone without remembering that room... you and the guys and Yuffie... It was so fucked up.

[traumatizing]

[Terry hesitates, but he lifts his hand after a moment to brush some of Maxxie's hair out of his face.]

That must've been awful. [Frown.] It must be awful.

[notahobby]

I don't know what to do! I know no one attacked me and that they didn't mean it... they couldn't help what they were doing... but I'm afraid now.

[He sighs, closing his eyes, not flinching away from Terry's touch.]

I can't stop being afraid.

[traumatizing]

[Terry sighs softly and shifts a little closer to Maxxie, combing his fingers through Maxxie's hair in an attempt to be soothing.]

Well you're safe right now.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie curls up a little tighter and sighs again.]

Sorry. I know you didn't exactly sign up for this. Wasn't part of the whole friends with benefits package.

[traumatizing]

It's fine. [He gives Maxxie a small smile.] I really don't mind.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie rolls onto his back and looks up at Terry, apologetic.]

Good, because I can't go back to my place right now.

[traumatizing]

[He inhales sharply as he puts his shirt back on, and very slowly and carefully lays down next to Maxxie. He does realise that he can't really lay on his side like he wants to, but this is happening now. He'll just turn his head to look at Maxxie instead.]

I'm not exactly great company right now, but you can stay here a while. [He smirks a little.] We have really good coffee.

[notahobby]

[He quirks a smile.]

So I've heard.

[He takes a deep breath and lets the silence settle for a moment before he turns back onto his side and shuffles a little closer to Terry.]

[traumatizing]

[Terry sighs softly and lifts his hand to brush his fingers lightly along Maxxie's jawline. He does really wish he could turn on his side to face Maxxie, but it'll do more harm than good really.]

[notahobby]

[He smiles gently.]

I'm sorry all this happened to you.

[traumatizing]

I'm sorry too.

[And worried, but that can sit on the backburner.]

[notahobby]

[Maxxie reaches out to put his hand on Terry's chest, softly so that he doesn't hurt him.]

I just wish I knew where to go from here.

[traumatizing]

[He sighs softly and covers Maxxie's hand with his own.]

None of us have had the chance to really process what happened yet. [sigh.] You'll figure it out.