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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 17:35:52 GMT -5
I yawn and listen to Neku rush words out, "You really wanna know?" I don't wait for him to answer and just say to him: "Somewhere in the Labyrinth... That's what you guys call it right? Anyways...There is a great piece of work a crossed to me, I can't really hear any street noise so I'm a little in at least." I frown and stop, thinking.
"Hey, are you near by? If you are, I can come find you... Where are YOU at?" I ask as my eyes droop shut, man... now I'm sleepy too.
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 17:41:11 GMT -5
"Don't move," I told her. Getting her moving might help heat her up - but if she were in hypothermia, she might get confused and wander in the wrong direction. "What's the artwork look like? I'm probably nearby."
If it were one of mine, I'd recognize it instantly. I thought I knew one she might mean, too - one of my larger endeavors. I only had a couple. My proudest was a semi-good representation of a man, half angel and half devil, but it could be any of a number of others - and it might not be mine, though something in me said that wasn't likely. I started to move deeper in, toward the area she seemed to be talking about.
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 17:45:26 GMT -5
"Hhhhmmmm?" I open my eyes and look over at the artwork. "Seems to be kinda angelic and demonic at the same time... like an Angel and a Demon as one, y'know...?"
I'm silent a moment before, "Neku...? I don't want you to find me." I feel sooo heavy and tired...
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 18:07:01 GMT -5
Called it.
"Alright, I'm on my-"
"Neku. I don't want you to find me..."
Wait, what?
"Namine?"
Her voice sounded sleepy. Part of me didn't think it was possible - it wasn't cold enough for this to be happening! But that was the only thing I could think of.
"Namine, stay with me!" I yelled into the phone, blindly running through the streets, finding the way by instinct alone.
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 18:39:28 GMT -5
"Namine, stay with me!"
I laugh softly as I let my eyes close, my body feels heavy still and my mind is foggy, "Okay." But I can feel myself slipping from the conscious world as I say that one world, its cold, I'm tired, and sleep is a release. One I'll gladly take.
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 18:51:41 GMT -5
I heard her slip away, and I clenched my fist. Dammit!
I rounded the last corner towards the mural, and saw her fall into unconsciousness. Double-dammit! I put my hand to her forehead - ice cold. Checked her pulse - weak... but steady. At least that was a good sign. Her heart was still beating; she must have just fainted. I didn't know anything about hypothermia, except that it was really bad, so I did what I thought was best - stripped out of my hoodie, wrapped it around her, then picked her up.
My place wasn't far from here; I could probably manage to carry her back there. I started back that direction; I knew a shortcut.
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 20:02:14 GMT -5
((Everything in italics is in Nami's head and everything else is outside of her head...))
Smiles.
Three of them, one belonging to myself and the others belonging to small children. My heart beats faster as one changes to pain and the other rage. Happiness melts into fear and guilt, "...sorry..."
And then shouts echo and echo and echo. Endless it seems as turn away from it, the shouts becoming screamed pains and then sounds of fear. Looking back I see one of the kids again, but they look different and their scared. They should never have to be scared.
Suddenly the cries twist into cruel laughter, "What do you mean child? Of course you can assist me~." Then comes more screams and more panic, but this time my own. I can feel claws dancing down my back and the air brushes my cheek. Looking to the side I scream and jump away. Those eyes that enter my nightmares. Black with red pupils bore into me and I scream again, louder this time.
But as my screams echo they morph and grow fainter, looking around I feel the panic hit me even harder. Where are they? Where are they?! The world around me bursts with light as a fire ball hits a few yards behind me and I'm thrown onto my knees...
A little girl cries and clings to my arm, she's scared and I know why. We're in a crossing and she's so young. I was scared my first time too, but I can't protect us. I'M USELESS AFTER ALL. And before I can stop them, before the slashing of hope can reach us they take her. And then the veil shakes, the world shifts, "... so sorry..."
And then I'm crying, tears crimson in color. But by this point I no longer care, I no longer want to know. I no longer want to feel this all.
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 20:31:25 GMT -5
I watched her, on the couch, as she writhed, caught up in some nightmare. I didn't know what was going on with her, but it couldn't be good. She kept whispering about how sorry she was.
Then she screamed - a sound that chilled me to the bone - and then screamed again. I put my hand on her arm.
"C'mon, girl, wake up... just a dream. C'mon... Namine..."
God, I hated feeling useless.
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 20:42:55 GMT -5
Pain.
Everyone's that I ever felt come crashing down on me.
-Come on, girl-
And they drown me, I can feel myself suffocating. Almost as if they're reaching out and chocking me themselves. I can't get a grip.
-wake up... just a dream-
That voice.
Its just another one of them, it has to be. Their talking now as I feel as if my world has come crashing in on my, crushing me below it. And they just talk at me, scream at me, scold me, talk down to me. I feel all of their rage and all of their fears.
-C'mon-
There it is again, just beyond my range of hearing. Softly and luring, but at the same time urgent.
"...Namine..."
My body jerks and I'm sitting up. My eyes flash open and my vision is flooded with grey (?) hues. Then my arms are thrown around their owner, "Neku!" He's not glaring, he's not ridiculing me, he doesn't hate me, he's not one of the pains. And suddenly, I feel safe just like I did when I was leaning against Shiki or when Angel comes to my rescue. And I hold him closer and sob with out tears. "Neku, oh god! Neku!" My panic dies away and so does my fear. And I don't even care that I'm clinging to him like I would if he were a lifeboat in the middle of the Titanic's sinking.
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 20:53:03 GMT -5
Suddenly, a sobbing, heaving bundle of Namine is wrapped around my waist, and I'm startled... until I realize the desperate tone in her voice, and I wrap my arms around her again.
"Shhh," I whisper. "It's alright. Whatever it was, it was just a dream."
I was dying to ask what's wrong, what it was that could send her into a terror like that, but I knew prying would be a bad idea right now. Instead, I patted her back, and searched for a more comfortable subject.
"I hope it wasn't my mural that gave you nightmares," I joked. "I didn't think I was that bad of an artist."
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 20:57:25 GMT -5
Arms wrap around me and a hand pats my back. Then Neku pulls a joke that has me looking up in bewilderment, "YOU did that?" I cock my head to the side. "Well... I guess you do fit the whole starving artist profile." I smile weakly at my own, horrible joke.
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 22:37:54 GMT -5
I chuckled. I've never exactly been the most muscular of guys.
"Yep, that's me. Starving graffiti artist, Neku Sakuraba. Fighting the system since 2007."
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 22:56:24 GMT -5
I laugh now, soft and quiet, but its still there and I smile more strongly, "Really now? That's a long time." I poke his stomach from where I'm being held and smile bigger. "Does this mean I can invite you over for thanksgiving? I was planning on a small meal, but then I met you, Shiki, and even Sora... I think I'll have you all over for dinner." Sure, I'm still thinking about my... shared memories for I sure can't call that a nightmare, sorta kinda. But he's trying to make me feel better and its working, when he's not being a stick in the mud (ie. the code beta) he's a really caring guy... Its really kinda--
"Oh!" I flush now and look at the closeness of us. "Um... As scared as I am... I'm so glad my parents would never be able to walk in on this." They. Would. Murder Me. Then Neku. Then Angel. Bring me back to life. And then kill me AGAIN to make a point. Before resurrecting me again and yelling...
I flush deeper.
"We are pretty, um... close and, um... comfortable with each other." I don't like ruining good things but -damn- I suddenly feel like running away again.
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Post by Neku Sakuraba on Oct 28, 2011 23:02:48 GMT -5
I think I turned redder than Lea's hair as I hastily let go of Namine, turning away and running my fingers through my hair absently.
"Uh. I hope that you don't get the, uh, wrong impression," I stammered.
Goddammit. Girls - they always have to read more into everything.
Thanksgiving sounded nice, though. I hadn't had a real Thanksgiving dinner in...
I winced as I groped back, farther than the edges of my memory, and almost fell in to that black abyss that dwells within the back of my mind.
As far as I could recall, I think I'd only once ever had a real Thanksgiving, because Tifa took me and Lea - of course, he was still going by Axel back then - out for it 'cause she said we needed a proper Thanksgiving to be able to thank whatever powers were loking out for us that we were both still alive and well.
It hadn't been Network, back then. That was.... Thanksgiving, four years ago. It'd been a long time.
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Post by Namine Joy LeBeau on Oct 28, 2011 23:13:11 GMT -5
"Trust me, I don't... Just glad you care," I say as I back away as well... Farther into the couch. The same dang couch I was complaining about earlier. I frown, strange who things change, I kinda like this couch now.
"So, um... You want to come then? You can invite whomever as long as you tell me a head of time," Smiling brightly I say. "This is the year I finally get to learn how to make a turkey."
I laugh before adding, "And Neku... If I happened to talk in my sleep... Nothing I said concerns you, or anyone in this city for that matter. I just... attract pain I guess." Especially the more I can connect with a person.
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