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Post by Krakenbox on Jan 6, 2021 12:07:00 GMT -8
Being one with the universe was indescribable. The idea that was Ivory had seen and felt what it meant to be part of everything, for that brief overwhelming moment. The first thing she saw as her pupils remembered how to focus, was the shoulder of the hospital bed, then the flowers. The floral scent was a little overwhelming with the initial intake of breath, and she jerked her head for relief. Waking up was hard. Her throat was on fire despite the medication, where her skin was hot and nerves raw from her entire body being flushed with chemicals. The lining of her stomach creaked with every muscle twitch, and her bones grated in their sockets. The last thing she remembered was being with Rowan, and then achieving some kind of Nirvana, before being dropped back into a grey reality. Comparing it to the high was cruel, the banality almost worth mourning in itself. Coming down was hard on the mind — her brain chemistry lacked the serotonin to give her that rush of joy and relief, even when she saw Anthony there. He was disheveled, and had that stupid beanie — no, that wasn't fair, Ivory just felt like garbage and it annoyed her to see her son in such a state. He clearly hadn't slept, and his eyes were raw as his fingers tapped away at his cell phone. The breakfast an orderly had brought him was left untouched on a tray next to the flowers, along with a sandwich from lunch. Evelyn, on the other hand, had her makeup done and looked as if she had left an adventure, the designer navy pantsuit extenuating her long legs as she rushed to her partner's side. "Oh! Darling, there you are! I- we were so worried," she said, keeping her voice soothing. The Avowed leaned in for a moment to kiss her, and then held back, likely noting the potential confusion and the unpleasantness of having someone shoved in your face. Anthony's shoulders dropped as he let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The hurt in his remark was obvious, "What the fuck is this?" |
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588 
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Post by Ivory on Jan 6, 2021 19:26:59 GMT -8
Ivory's eyes parted, half-lidded and colored with a great sense of resounding indifference, her expression flat an emotionless even as the words of Evelyn first tickled against her ears.
As the Avowed dipped, confusion reigned against the cold features of the Pale Dragon as instinct kicked in and dipped away from the lowering face of her lover, the back of her head squishing against pillows as she searches for meaning for the act.
After a long moment, the Pale Dragon pushed herself to sit upward with great effort, her arms propping her up for some moments before she felt comfortable. Then glazed, aloof eyes fell upon the space, Ivory's golden gaze falling upon the sterile surfaces as ears detect the humming of instruments and ventilation in the backgrounf.
Then came the look of recognition as the truth of her circumstances bloomed in her mind. Eyes widened as they looked to her hands, her form trembling from the realization. The Nirvana was a high, a false promise of kinship with the universe propagated from a drug that should not be. Even worse, she has caused distress in those she loves. Anthony and Evelyn both now clambered at her bedside, their worries, concerns, and confusion hitting her as delicate fingers grip her sides while she hugs her own form.
Tears stream and, as the Pale Dragon seeks to speak, a hand moves to her throat, the pain she feels evident on her face along with her desperation and want to communicate.
Ivory's breathing becomes more panicked, becoming deep and rapid as she begins to hyperventilate.
In her time of need, the Fairest reaches, one hand moving to grasp the arm of her lover, while the other extends to her distant son.
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 6, 2021 23:02:43 GMT -8
Anthony's expression crumpled as he teared up as well, immediately regretting his outburst as he took her hand.
"Sorry." He smelled like recycled air and sweat.
Evelyn soothed, telling Ivory she probably got her throat swollen from the equipment and to let it rest. She was going to be fine, the paramedics had done an incredible job. The young adult clearly wanted to say something, but bit his tongue, face red.
Once the Fairest's panic attack is settled in the silence and repeated assurances, Anthony wrestled with his bag to provide her with an iPad to type and accommodate her shaking hands. There was organ and nerve damage, which he left out, but did broach that she was expected to be healing for at least a month. Her lover offered a drink with a stray, where the water had been thickened.
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 7, 2021 6:20:31 GMT -8
As both come into her grasp, the Pale Dragon pulls them into a tight embrace, her head buried on their shoulders as she listened.
Ivory was scared, but, as Evelyn soothed and both assured she would be fine, her breathing calmed and her body relaxed. Her family was here, despite their differences, both doing their part in the near death that had resulted.
In time the pair were released, though Ivory only rested back against the pillows once her situation was lightly explained to her.
Drying her eyes, Ivory accepted the water. Moving to cup Evelyn's cheek, the Pale Dragon would give her a loving smile. It was the best, wordless thanks she could managed.
The smile was extended to Anthony as the iPad was provided. It took Ivory a moment to settle into typing, but she got there. Soon she slipped it around to face Anthony direct.
I'm so sorry.
The words were coupled with a genuine expression of guilt and love. When he had enough time to read it, the dragon would flip again. Thinking on what was said she considered for a moment before typing again.
Do I need to stay here?
How was New York?
This time both were shown the message, so as to include Evelyn, even though she could only speak to one of the questions.
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 7, 2021 14:34:43 GMT -8
Evelyn shook her head, "Oh, goodness. Ivory, no there's nothing to be sorry about... No they can't force you-"
"They're wanting a psyche eval," Anthony interrupted, serious again. "And you need long term care. Just bed rest might prevent a full recovery."
"She doesn't need to worry about that right now, she just woke up," the Avowed gently pressed, not wanting to shock the woman further. "I know lots of doctors that can work miracles-"
"I don't want any of your friends screwing with this family," he said calmly, "I don't care that Abi had an open relationship, or have some stupid view that she can't move on from dad. What I do care about is these parties... You guys are acting like you're college kids." His jaw knotted, not looking at either of them.
"I'm moving back in."
Evelyn looked to Ivory, equally calm; he didn't know about the gifts of the Antler Crown and was being a concerned teenager.
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 7, 2021 15:41:16 GMT -8
Ivory listened to the light back and forth between Evelyn and Anthony, her face calm, but saddened to an extent as Evelyn tried to soothe things over easily and convince Anthony that it was best to let her go home. And Evelyn was right, but for reasons that Anthony did not yet know. And Ivory was beginning to think the time was nearing when Anthony would need to be told. There was a sigh, though Ivory's damaged throat made the noise a weak rattle lower than a whisper. Eyes raise, looking to Anthony for some long moments as Ivory considered her hidden thoughts. Eventually, though she typed. The first message was pointed to Evelyn: It might be close to time.
Can you find me a physician or nurse for my care at home? The right kind. Typing was hard, but Ivory hoped her knowing glance would help Evelyn along. She wanted a doctor among the Lost, not a mundane. Then a longer one, this one for Anthony:
Evelyn is part of this family.Long term care can be done from home unless there's something serious you aren't telling me.
I can get someone to help with my care at home and I'm sure a house call can be arranged for the psyche eval. With a psychiatrist of my choosing.
And you are staying in school. If you want to live at home, fine, but you aren't putting your life on hold just because of this.
Where is my phone?Eyes rest on Anthony, she wanted to understand how he felt. She needed to know how to put him at ease, especially after putting her foot down. StrayToday at 4:39 PM Getting a read on Anthony Wits+Empathy+WP @dicecord-CoD roll 7 Dicecord-CoD BOT Today at 4:39 PM stray rolled 7 dice and got 2 successes. 6 6 10(2) 5 1 10(7) 7 |
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 7, 2021 16:31:34 GMT -8
Anthony's eyes scanned the response, and his attention briefly flicked to Evelyn. Ivory hadn't seen him this resentful before, but there it was. Whether he blamed the woman or didn't trust her was unknown, but given their conversation before he moved out, he felt the woman had ulterior motives, or liked the idea of Abigail over anything actually connected or responsible.
Evelyn had pulled back while Ivory was in mourning, and needing time, and exploded onto the scene the second the Hunterheart opened the door; volunteering more opportunities with the Emeralds. Anthony seems to have some inkling of what that entailed?
Declaring Evelyn was part of the family clearly stung. He physically flinched as he fished her phone from her purse.
"Fine. Doctor shop," he said, earning a hard look from the Avowed. "I didn't understand the measurements they told me, but you took an amount that meant you weren't supposed to survive. So. Yeah, they're going to check if you're suicidal."
"She isn't, Anthony, it was an accident."
"Who was the guy you were with?" he asked, ignoring Evelyn. "You were in some junkie's apartment."
Ivory's lover shook her head, "Can't we please not interrogate her? She needs rest."
"Fuck off!" he finally snapped, "You aren't going to freeze me out of this just because you fucked the people who signed my adoption papers. You enable this! God help us if Evelyn stops being fun for five fucking minutes. It's like you aren't even a person!"
The redhead flushed, biting her tongue as she fidgeted with her necklace, unconsciously leaning towards the Dragon as the fully growth youth that was almost twice her size dropped his voice.
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 7, 2021 17:00:31 GMT -8
Ivory was stunned by Anthony's coldness and their was a great deal of distrss upon her face as the boy stonewalled Evelyn. However, when the truth of his emotional pain came to light as he snapped, hurt bloomed on Ivory's face as a tear rolled down her cheek as her bottom lip quivered. She held herself together, barely, knowing Evelyn needed her support. The Pale Dragon venture her head forward, pecking the Avowed's cheek as a distraction while a squeezed hand aims to get her attention.
A new note was typed:
May we have the room, please?
I need to speak with Anthony alone. I will call soon.
I love you.
Ivory hoped Evelyn would understand, but Anthony needed to understand things about "Abigail" and what had happened. She could not tell him everything, not here. However, the chance existed to convince the boy to speak with her after they had gotten home. Where the truth could be more revealed.
She granted Evelyn as reassuring a smile as she could manage and then shifted her gaze to Anthony, granting Evelyn a window to leave and be safe from Anthony's venom. She would gesture for Anthony to join her at her bedside, silently pleading with her eyes.
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 8, 2021 9:58:07 GMT -8
Her son jumped from the sudden kiss, "Sorry," he repeated.
He kept his eyes on the wall as Evelyn nodded, slipping from the bed and swapping to her phone to make some calls. Wiping his eyes with the sleeve around his wrist he waited for Abigail.
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 8, 2021 11:21:09 GMT -8
Ivory gave a reassuring smile to Anthony, her expression still somewhat emotional from his display.
It's okay, she mouthed.
She'd squeeze Anthony's hand, settling in for a few moments to allow her son to acclimate to their newfound privacy.
Then the typing began.
You think I would freeze you out?
Anthony, there is nothing in this world that I would ever place in front of you. Ever. You need to know that.
You're my son. That piece of paper that suggests otherwise doesn't matter.
She was speaking of the adoption papers, of course.
I know that you don't trust Evelyn, so I am going to ask you to trust me, okay?
Evelyn will never take precedence over you and if she attempted to she knows damn well it won't go well.
That said there are things she knows about me that you don't. Things I want to share with you, but I can't do that here. That is why I want to go home. Do you understand?
She'd give him a moment to read through and process before she concluded with a final conclusion.
And I am not suicidal. You mean too much to me to do that.
I will explain everything. I will take the psyche eval from a professional Evelyn helps me locate and I will happily get a caregiver at the house to help me heal.
I will do all of this, but I won't stay here in this hospital longer than I have to.
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 8, 2021 18:14:23 GMT -8
His eyes scan the screen, "No," he said plainly. "You said she was 'part of the family' but have you...asked? If either of us are into that idea?" He rubs his eyes, sighing before gently squeezing her hand,
"I know now's not really the time to get into this. Seriously, it can wait." He shrugged at the line of special secrets — Ivory had always walked a flexible line of parents or friend. It was hard to broach either label from their minimal age difference, and her position of authority that they had both opted into. They more or less had worked out their own zone of found family where the woman was akin to an older adult sibling — closer than a cousin or aunt, but he had only called her 'mother' in the last few years before Arthur's accident.
As the gap shrunk with the boy becoming a legal adult in his own right, he had waffled every now and then. Why that was was a mystery even to him; he couldn't even call it embarrassment. Arthur's sudden fostering as an older child had not been met with optimism, and earned some scrutiny of why an older single man with money was interested in the first place. The Spring noble had to bust his ass to be the perfect role model. Trust had been worked over the years with decent parenting decisions; the occasional Batman joke from classmates earned a good humoured laugh. As soon as the school population grew, most didn't even know they weren't blood related.
He didn't even care about his friends mistaking Abigail as some sort of teen mom, and had shrugged off the cracks about her being a MILF, or his dad's squeeze with the occasional surgical delivery of ruthless schoolyard violence. Playing the troubled foster kid earned adult sympathy as required. If anything, Anthony knew how to adapt.
"That's not how depression-" he nipped the sentence, realizing he was arguing something that didn't need to be argued at all. "Look. You haven't given me a reason to think otherwise. That's why I was confused?"
He left out all the other adjectives that came to mind.
"The only information I had was a phone call that you might not make it. Your heart stopped? The whole psyche eval thing was broached to me that you wouldn't be allowed to leave until it was done, like it's the law. Without context, you basically took an entire pill bottle by yourself. But someone was with you, and called the ambulance, so it doesn't come off that there was a plan. Or he panicked. I dunno. He didn't give his information to follow up with. It's really shady. I don't know what any of that's about, but Evelyn trying to shrug it off as No Big Deal really, really pisses me off. And I'm not going to let that go to make either of you comfortable. I think it's irresponsible, and dumb, and means I don't give a shit about you being actually okay."
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 8, 2021 18:48:46 GMT -8
Ivory listened, her attention on her son as he nudged the door open about his misgivings about Evelyn entering their family.
You're right, she typed, We can discuss it another time, I can see you have greater concerns. I will listen to what you have to say and call on you to discuss where Evelyn fits at a later time. You have my promise.
A small, knowing smile hit Ivory's lips as Anthony spoke of his confusion.
I know, responded the text penned by the Dragon's fingers, I won't say it isn't complicated, but it will be easier to explain when I have my voice back.
With the determination that the law required the psyche eval Ivory slowly nodded, though her expression and rolling eyes signified her annoyance, not at Anthony, but the situation.
Alright, so we stay here until it's done. Then we go home.
Clearly, Ivory's mind was made up. She wasn't staying here longer than she needed to... but she was wouldn't resist the evaluation if it meant it would color her poorly.
Thinking on his last statement, Ivory takes time to pen the next message, her face speaking of her care and forethought.
I understand how you feel, truly. Just give me some time when we get home and I will do what I can to smooth things out. Make them more understandable.
The Pale Dragon would let the moment sit. She had granted Anthony her promise to explain things. She would not do so here, but, if he was willing to let the matter rest until they got home, Ivory felt the day would go smoother.
After all, there were other items to discuss.
Would you mind if we talked about a few other things?
You never did tell me who knitted that cap.
Then came Ivory's mischievous smile.
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 8, 2021 21:56:34 GMT -8
Anthony nodded, jaw clenching momentarily as he mulled it over. It would be better not force Abigail to explain some obvious criminal activity when she couldn't even talk, but he was obviously distraught. "Can you at least...explain...why?" he ventured, voice thin. "No names or, like, details that could hurt you," he spoke softly, "Unless you're worried that police are going to pull security footage for an investigation? ...Did he threaten you?"
Was that why Evelyn kept shutting it down? Were they involved with something? He took off the hat, working the wool through his fingertips, "I didn't? Uh, Serena made it for me. She's-" he paused, zoning out of a moment, "My girlfriend." There was a finality to it, and he seemed a little smug saying out loud likely for the first time. His hand snuck to his phone, sending off a quick message. "Met at the start of the semester." |
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Ivory
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Pres 4 (Regal) - SL 1 (Noble) Fairest Hunterheart
Posts: 588
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Post by Ivory on Jan 8, 2021 22:41:05 GMT -8
Ivory's smile softened. She wanted to tell him more, truly, but this was not the place. And without his understanding of her world, Ivory could not explain it to him without undue risk to others.
Soon, she typed, I promise.
And no, he didn't threaten me.
I need you to trust me on this, honey. I won't leave you in the dark, but you need to give me time.
As the conversation turned to lighter things, Ivory sifted through her memories. Had he said a name at the coffee shop? Ivory didn't truly remember in honesty, she recalled him only speaking of a friend who had gifted it to him, but not a name.
Still, she learned two things... presuming Aello had gifted the beanie, which seemed almost certain given the evidence. She had Aello's name and the truth of her relationship with Anthony - or at least the relationship as Anthony saw it.
The smile grew to a true grin at Anthony's smugness, Ivory's nose wrinkling lightly in unsounded joy.
Start of semester? Getting serious then, she wrote. The semester had begun in August, after all. At the very least the relationship was an established one, in a sense. Tell me about her? How'd you meet?
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Post by Anthony Cartwright on Jan 9, 2021 23:55:25 GMT -8
Anthony blinked as he showed Ivory his cellphone wallpaper, where he had taken an angle shot with her. Serena looked around his age, wearing a powder blue hoody with black almond eyes, and skin tanned the shade of cinnamon. Her expression was defiant, hand brushing back a mane of brown curls as she masked her embarrassment by pursing her lips at the camera in a playful manner.
"Wendy introduced us. I've been helping her, umm," he seemed reluctant to call it tutoring now, "They got this rule where everyone needs to take an English course, and it's really not her thing." He laughed. "She's into science and art, but, I mean- her spelling's improving." The tone wasn't condescending, he seemed to genuinely admire her milestone as he mused.
"We...had a fight before Christmas," he brow pinched, "I think we'll be fine, though. I feel dumb now trying to drag her to New York. That was a lot to ask, and I only really did because she was getting upset that I kept calling us friends to...our other friends." Anthony coloured a bit, before shrugging it off. He never had a relationship that he counted, or survived beyond a couple of months.
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