You laugh until you cry; you cry until you laugh

[sailorgenerous]

Who: Virgo musicians - Ghost Quest people and their friends
What: When eight musicians go missing, what happens to those left behind? What happens when those eight come back far worse for the wear?
When: Feb 1st-3rd and after
Where: Virgo HQ
Warnings: Talk of torture, violence, brainwashing, etc. It's ugly in here, folks.

The past three days have not been kind. The hauntings were odd, yes, but when your friends went missing without warning or a trace - well.

How have you been coping? Have you been coping?

And then they came back just as suddenly, and...it looks like your worries were not unfounded.

This isn't good, is it.

Comments

[sponsorigami]

I am.

[ He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her close, just like she has always done for him. Ivan doesn't ask if she's okay; she's not. He still has questions he can ask, however. ]

What do you need? What would you like?

[giglio_madonna]

[She needs Blanche's damned machines out of her head, is what she needs, but Ivan can't do anything against that. Luce takes in a deep breath, trying to unite her conflicting mind.]

Just... Quiet. While I can get it. [A wobbly smile.] They demoted me a bit.

[sponsorigami]

[ He leans against her, trying to encourage her to lean against him. It's so strange, for him to be the one giving physical comforting when he's usually so against touch. But for Luce, who needs it, he'll do it. ]

Quiet, I can give.

[ And he is for a few moments, but he thinks that he should get her out of the bathroom before Angel comes harping in. ]

Would you like to focus on something quiet?

[giglio_madonna]

[With the clinical way they'd all been treated... Warm touch is such a relief right now. And it's always what she defaults to normally. Without really thinking, she leans back.]

If you have any ideas, Ivan...

[She's all ears.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He'll keep holding her now that he sees that it is helping. ]

Why don't I show you how to fold some flowers?

[giglio_madonna]

That... might be nice. Maybe it will help.

[Nothing to set off the brainwashing, hopefully.]

[sponsorigami]

You can pick which ones, and if you want to switch to animals or something else, we can.

[ He moves to grab her hand and hold it firmly. He'll help her to her feet only when she feels ready to start moving. ]

[giglio_madonna]

...Rhododendron? [Carefully, she pushes herself up.] Can you fold that kind of flower?

I can't find directions, but it looks time consuming and monotonous

[sponsorigami]

Rhododendron... I think we can make that.

[ He helps her up and continues to stay close to her side so that their arms brush together. He hasn't let go of her hand. He's here. ]

so perfect

[giglio_madonna]

[On her feet again, she gives a relieved squeeze of his hand as they move.]

Thank you, Ivan... for everything.

[sponsorigami]

Don't mention it.

[ He walks at the pace she's comfortable with and leads her to his room. Ivan thinks that his room will be quiet, and he won't have to worry about leaving her to get the things they need.

Although, at some point he'll try to bring in some snacks and tea. But not because Angel said so. ]

[giglio_madonna]

[Normally, a Luce left anywhere is one that hums and looks about and seems as though she should be moving instead of being still. When Ivan comes back, however, she's taken a seat and using every bit of her strength to just... stay in the present.]

Oh, Ivan... You didn't have to.

[sponsorigami]

You would do the same for me.

[ He pulls over an end table to place the tea and food on and pulls another over to use as a table to fold on. Then he gets as stack of origami paper and a book of instructions. ]

I have this to help us fold the flower. I hope you don't mind.

[ This is one he doesn't have memorized. ]

[giglio_madonna]

It's fine, Ivan.

[She folds her fingers around the tea cup, letting the heat warm her fingers and stop their shaking.]

Even you can't remember every bit of origami.

[sponsorigami]

[ He smiles, but he bite back the urge to say that he knows he should know more. It feels like the different forms are at his fingertips, but he doesn't remember them. Ivan doesn't want to go in that direction until Luce is well.

... Or better than now, at least. ]

If anything, it'll just force both of us to slow down while folding. Not every flower grows the same way.

[giglio_madonna]

Even paper ones?

[She smiles faintly around the rim of her cup, finally raising it to her lips.]

[sponsorigami]

Especially paper ones. Paper is made from plant fibers after all.

[ Some might have different types of pulp, but it's usually plant based. Except for the rare kind that might be made of pure synthetics. However, that's another matter entirely. ]

[giglio_madonna]

That's true.... Everything comes from something. That's how it works.

[Gently putting her cup down, she nods to the paper.]

Well... Let's start, shall we?

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan studies the diagram for a moment before taking a sheet of paper into his hands. He bends the sheet one way, not quite folding it yet, unfolds, and tries a different way. His eyebrows knit slightly. ]

Ah! I got it. We start like this.

[ He does the first fold and presses it down. ]

[giglio_madonna]

I was worried for a moment.

[It's a joke, she promises. She adjusts a sheet of her own, mimicking him. It's not too hard just yet.]

[sponsorigami]

I have a long way to go still before I'm an origami master.

[ There's a slight pause in his folding, which he tries to brush off as figuring out the next step. Truthfully, what he said... just sounded strange to him. ]

[giglio_madonna]

...Ivan?

[The pause doesn't go past her, even with his attempt to play it off.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He should have known. Even if she is feeling off from whatever Virgo did to her, she still can tell. ]

It's... nothing much. Really. I just... "Origami master" sounds really weird to me.

[giglio_madonna]

Maybe it's...

[She doesn't finish her answer, instead making just a faint gesture instead.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He smiles weakly, something clicking faintly like he had a dream like this before. ]

It's like a puzzle I don't have all the pieces for. Just like for "heroes."