[PRP] Well, this can go one of two ways... (Shiloh & Melany)

[Melancholies]

Shiloh... wasn't... so sure he was convinced. The flesh looked dead and strange and—and well, he couldn't really parse it, but it looked bad. Suddenly Melany was falling, the mark was shining, his own was shining. They were fighting each other, he assumed, will for will. He was quick to lean down next to her, arms wavering for support, gaze turned the other direction (it would be comical if Melany wasn't bleeding everywhere, this 'see no evil' boobies thing).

"You don't have to lie if you're not." He said hastily, "The marking—it glowed, and then mine glowed, and..." He bit his lip, "It looks really bad. Your back I mean." Even if it seemed like it worked; at what cost? And then there was the blood.

"Where's the bathroom?" He asked, "You're bleeding again, I'm gonna go grab a towel." Should he break the lock? He really didn't like how her skin was looking, nor the amount of pain she seemed to be in.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Down the hall," said Melany, "Wait, don't--grab my shirt, don't ruin another one of Horace's towels, I already feel terrible about the first--"

She shook her head. "It doesn't hurt, it just feels weird," she said, "I don't know how to describe it. But it's fine, Shiloh, I don't think she can get out..."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh made a face, "Listen, I'll buy another towel." And with that he vanished down the hallway. A moment later and he returned with the towel.

"If you say so." He was still making a face. "But I swear to god Mel, you better tell me if something starts to feel even a little wrong. Magic can be really dangerous, y'know?" He started to move, "I'm gonna touch your back, just letting you know." He went to dab up the blood.

After a moment, he added, "I dunno if talking about the things that'll trigger her'll make the marks glow like that, but... I mean, if there's anything you wanna think about or know, it might be a good time to ask?" He shot a text message to Horace too.


The Semblance of Unity
text to: Horheyhey

well
we r not dead

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I will, I promise," said Melany, pressing a hand over her mouth. "Um, I'm... Shiloh? I'm sorry about what she did. I'm really, really, really sorry... I just want to make sure you know? That I'm sorry."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh blinked.

"Of course I know that." He actually smiled, the expression genuine, "Look..."

He took a seat on the floor next to her, towel still gently dabbing up the blood.

"The s**t she did to me really ******** me up." He started slowly, "But like, if I blamed you, I wouldn't be here with you right now, y'know? You're just as much of a victim I think. S'why I'm not gonna give up." He snorted, "'Sides, I still gotta see one of your performances sometime. And Jamie really wants to try that sushi place we went to once. And who the hell's gonna help me with my math? I can't do that s**t."

"We're friends, I mean. I don't blame you."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Melany hiccuped. It was a watery, sad little noise. "Oh," she said. "Um, really?" Her gray eyes were suspiciously bright. "That means a lot to me, actually, Shiloh," she said, her head drooping a little. "I'm pretty lucky to have friends like you and Horace..."

She sighed. "You are hopeless at math, though."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Well, you know me," He said, his voice almost singsong but not quite—the syllables bounced around like popcorn though, "I'm good at the second hand embarrassment proclamations or whatever."

Once he had a good majority of the blood soaked up, he folded the towel neatly and put it to the side. "Besides, it goes both ways. I'm lucky to have people like you and Jamie." He chuckled childishly, that familiar painful hope bubbling back to the surface, "Every time I think about giving up, you guys always remind me I got s**t I need to be fightin' for and I force myself back up."

"Even if you guys do remind me about how bad I am at stuff." His cheeks puffed out in a pout, but she wasn't wrong. If he wasn't a dyslexic mess in English, math would easily be his worst subject.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"We remind you because we love you," said Melany. She didn't roll her shoulders, though she started to before stopping. "I don't think I can get up," she said, more quietly. "Can you get me one of my black ballet shirts out of the dresser? Anything dated 2015 or earlier is fine."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Duh," Shiloh said as he rose to his feet, "Right back at you."

As he started to rummage around for one of the shirts, he spoke up again. "Do you just feel weak? Does it hurt still? Sore?" He produced a shirt marked 2014 before handing it over.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Melany pulled it on. It was agonizingly slow to watch; the motions were harsh, jerky, painful, if her deep, shuddering breaths were anything to go by. She managed to get her arms through the sleeves without tearing anything, but clutched her arm to her side as she answered. "It's not much worse than before," she said. "I've got painkillers and antibiotics. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Welp. It was time to see if the "Jamie Please Be Truthful" tactic was going to work on anyone other than Jamie.

He watched the movements before having a seat again, and then (on her good side) he placed a hand delicately on her shoulder. "Are you sure?" He asked again, eyes wide and blue and shimmery. "You say it's not much worse, but you can't even stand up Mel..."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Melany couldn't keep eye contact. "Yeah," she said, "I've had worse, Shiloh, and it's better this way than any other way, what if she came out again and I did something that couldn't be fixed? I can't take that risk."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh watched her carefully, "Well..." His hand fell from her shoulder, but he was still sitting with enough proximity to be comforting. Maybe. "A lot of it too is that people keep antagonizing her." Alexis at the ball, whatever Eve had done... He shook his head. "Plus, I'm working on a way to fix it." He threw her an optimistic thumbs up.

"Well, me 'n Jamie and Horace too. And lots of others. No one wants you to hurt anymore, y'know?" Of course she knew. She read the listserv. "So if you're in an extreme ******** amount of pain right now, then I can take the mark off and help you deal with the other s**t. I don't... I don't think she'll hurt me, and Horace is smarter than that..."

Then again, The Spinel Lady had killed him before apparently. In the same breath he knew how to be respectful and not a ******** moron to her. In another breath, he realized if he unlocked her now she might come out and pull a 'b***h what' on him and he wasn't sure how well that would go either.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Right," said Melany, "And I believe in you guys, I know you'll do your best for me and whatever happens will be what you guys believe is the best for me, but... I don't believe in me, Shiloh. I don't think you're all trying to back the right horse, I... I was really serious when I asked for someone to make me dead on the listserv." She tucked her hands beneath herself. Melany was small, but her personality made her seem larger. Her effervescence took her from five foot nothing at all to at least a decent 5'6". Now she looked smaller than that. "I don't want to be someone that has to be managed or a risk that has to be mitigated. I just want to be with my friends."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh swallowed, his throat going a little dry.

"That... That's okay." He said suddenly, "That's fine, ******** it then, don't believe in yourself. You ain't gonna stop me." He puffed up, almost contrasting the way Melany was shrinking. The truth was that he'd probably go home and fend off another meltdown with Jamie because of his cycle of never feeling enough, but Shiloh had one thing going for him: he found strength through his friends and perseverance from the people he cared for. In private he could crumble. With others, he had to be strong. If everyone broke down, then what would that achieve?

"'Sides, you'd be doin' this s**t for me if I was in your place, wouldn't you? Just hold on a little longer so I can say I told you so." He sniffed nonchalantly, but it was obvious he was being serious in that weird Shiloh way of his.

In the back of his head, his mind told him not to make promises he might not be able to keep.

shibrogane