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

[loveconservative]

[She jumps, and tilts her head to look up at him. She didn't expect something like that. She leans herself back against him, though, feeling... safe? It feels safe.]

I am all right. I'm only worried about Tsuna.

[connivingbird]

Don't lie to me.

[Why are they insisting on doing that? Don't they realize that he hates it when people say the opposite of what they mean? He was able to taste little flicks of it, laid over the need to find and make sure the other was safe and that was annoying.

But he will still hug her a little tighter and try to guide her over to where he had left Tsuna.]

You might think you're alright, but you aren't. They're breaking you no matter what.

[loveconservative]

[She looks up at him, wide-eyed. Her expression is glassy and shaking and she doesn't want to cry because Tsuna really was treated so much worse than she was she has no right to explain.]

But they hurt him. Not me. [No they hurt you too nia omg.]

[connivingbird]

[She has every right to complain, even if it was about how they should have left Tsuna alone. Ankh frowned, his arms tightening slightly.]

Can't you see? They used him to get at you. You're not to blame. He's not to blame. The only ones to blame are those who had the power to do the hurting.

[loveconservative]

[Terror shoots through her. In maybe the first real lively action she's made since she got back, she snatches his hands to pull him close, jumping to her feet and then throwing her arms around him.

She's so scared that he even said that.]

Please don't talk about that. Please. What if you're hurt too? We can't make them angry--I made them upset and this...

[connivingbird]

I'm a lot harder to hurt then they might think I am.

[The memories clashed and snarled and tangled but he knew that pain wasn't normal, wasn't right. Everything was too raw and the part that curled up in the center of his hand knew that it was wrong.

Ripped your wings away, reduced you to nothing, poor caged bird.]

Everything that happened is not your fault. None of it.

[loveconservative]

Don't you understand? If you are not hurt-- then they will hurt someone else to hurt you. You can't make them angry. I don't want them to come after you. Please Ankh, stop talking like this...

[connivingbird]

Nia. They will only find out if I let it slip or if someone else tells them. I'm not gonna blow my cool in front of them and I'm not gonna tell them anything.

They're strong, but we've just gotta be smart, get it?

[loveconservative]

I am not very good at being smart.

[Well at least she's honest.] I think I keep messing things up. I don't realize it but it happens...

[connivingbird]

Then I'm going to have to be smart for both of us.

[He didn't know if he could do it. There was something that Ivan said, something that doesn't make sense and Ankh was going to need to think it over to tease the sense out of it. Eight of them got caught but what else was going on? The ghost needed to find his sister. The ghost wanted to protect them, needed to protect them.

He was going to focus on his ability and start using it properly. The way he was now, all it did was cause him headaches and snappy words.]

Let's not talk about it any more. Just try to heal up and rest.

[loveconservative]

I'll try not to cause any more trouble.

[But she's good at that, isn't she. Maybe the band would've been better with its original lineup... She tries not to think about that. She thinks Tsuna would have been much better off with someone else.]

But... could you please keep an eye on Tsuna?

[connivingbird]

You're no trouble at all to me.

[Who cared what anyone else may think. Nia was his person to worry about. He didn't consider her any trouble even if others may think otherwise.

He sighed and hugged her tighter.]

I'll keep an eye on you both. As much as I can.

[loveconservative]

I will try to lay low so you do not have to protect me. [Because even now isn't that what he's trying to do? Protect her from her own destructive feelings?

She grips onto him.]

Ankh... does your family ever speak to you since you arrived here?

[connivingbird]

If I didn't want to protect you, I wouldn't have even gone through this trouble so stop saying that.

[His human.

The possessiveness of his own feelings was almost like getting hit with a bat, just there and sudden and large. He hadn't felt this instinct before but there was something more to it, buried a little under his own flash of something...

Empty eyes, empty smile and a trembling voice saying that no matter what...

He could strangle his thoughts if they actually made sense.]

I don't have a family. I think?

[loveconservative]

[She doesn't comment on it again, having a feeling it would only frustrate him if she protested or promised again.

She looks up at him in a sort of surprise. It's dulled by her being freaked out, but it's still surprise.]

My family hasn't spoken with me since I signed onto Surviving Friday.

[connivingbird]

You have a family?

[It's weird, but he never really thought of any of them really having any family but the band. Maybe it was because he didn't have a family and he never really heard of the others talking about theirs.

I have to take care of my brother even if...

He hissed, rubbing the head of his head.]

Surviving Friday is your family now.

[loveconservative]

I... thought I did. But sometimes I do not know anymore. I... remember someone differently.

I don't know what to think. And when I am thinking these things, I do not know that I will be able to not do bad things anymore.

You are my family, and I am happy here, but... [She never wants to hurt one of them again.]