not_meatbuns | Rebel 21 [Action

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Rebel 21 [Action | Accidental Voice]

[After a couple days of absence, Litchi is back from her short trip home. And, as always with her, it's a bath tub that she's landed in. One Yellow Thirteen's bath tub, to be precise. And she's not in the best shape.

Resounding not only through the apartment, but over the journals, is the sound of the tub cracking as if under a tremendous amount of pressure. Litchi lets out a pained whimper, curling into a ball as best she can despite one arm being tangled in the shower curtain.

The Boundary has cut loose. And Litchi is absolutely terrified.

The journal picks up another quiet groan before she falls silent.]

[[ooc: Backdated to a couple hours before the earthquake! ~~Also, sorry for unannounced disappearance for the update ;;~~]]

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[Litchi winces when she hears his voice. Or, more accurately, his overlapping another with a similar, but still different sentiment. Even her wings are curled close against her back as she shivers slightly.

No, no, no, this is all wrong. Lao Jiu... the limiter... this isn't supposed to keep happening...!

After a moment of trying to pull her memories into a straight line, she peers up over the edge of the tub. Her voice, weak and trembling slightly, is a dead giveaway of just how confused she is.]

Da...vid...? I-is that you...?

[...Something is so very wrong here. He kneels down next to the tub, trying to get a look at her. He'll keep his voice comforting and level.]

Yes, it is.

[He doesn't know what else to say right now. All he does is offer his hand to her. To hold, to help her up, whatever she needs.]

[For a moment, Litchi looks as if she might take a hold of his hand, but another sharp jab of pain shoots through her head. Wincing a second time and holding her head in her hands, she curls into a ball again.]

I... How did I...

[Oh god, it hurts. Lao Jiu... please...

The crack the tub suffered earlier lets out a creak and a snap, growing wider.]

[...When Litchi grasps at her head, Thirteen considers going to grab painkillers from his cabinet, but when he sees the tub crack open wider... his eyes widen a bit. What the hell is this?

...He has no idea how to help her, but he has to somehow. Something beyond his comprehension is going on... All he can do is talk.]

Litchi, relax. Just... focus. Focus on my voice if you can.

[Small nod. She's trying. Panicking isn't going to help this at all, but this is just so out of control that she's not sure what to do. The echoing voices are at least quieter now, but the power...]

P-please, just stay back! I... I can't...

[And, suddenly, the strain is gone. The migraine is still throbbing, and she's not sure the words coming out of her mouth are what she remembers saying, but she can feel that Lao Jiu has regained control. Still terrified but relieved that at least the imminent danger is gone, she slumps against the edge of the tub.]

...I-I'm so sorry about this.

[When she slumps down, Thirteen simply sits down next to the tub next to her.]

...Don't apologize. You haven't done anything wrong. What happened? And more importantly, are you going to be okay?

I... don't know.

[It's the solid truth. She really doesn't know if she'll be okay. Up until now, the Boundary has been so quiet; but she knows full well what will happen in the end once it's spiraled out of control. The question is: how much longer until then?

She swallows against a lump of fear, avoiding his eyes as she speaks. Of all people, oddly, she feels she can trust the full story to Thirteen... but it's still going to be hard as anything to open up about it.]

As for what happened... it's... quite a long story.

[The uncertainty sends something of a chill up his spine. Litchi normally avoids making people worry, especially unnecessarily. Of course, most of the time, she doesn't show up in a bathtub and have it crack with no visible forces in play...]

Take your time. Can I do anything for you, though?

[Normally, Litchi would never have admitted to such a thing, but the circumstances have changed quite a bit. It's either be honest now or really worry him later when it gets worse. It's only a matter of time.]

I... I should be fine in just a few moments, but thank you. Lao Jiu is doing his best, after all.

[The echoes are finally gone. Thank god. Glancing over at Thirteen for the first time since he walked in, Litchi gives him a tiny, uncertain smile.]

Though I suppose I should get out of your tub before I get into this.

[Without thinking, he'll just give a quick retort and light smile while offering her a hand again to help her stand. Who knows, it might make her smile again.]

Guess I'm part of the club now.

[She gives a weak laugh that sounds almost like a sob, smiling despite herself and taking his hand.]

So it would seem. I... really am sorry about this.

[Way to introduce him to the Tub Club, Litchi. Break the tub with Boundary overload.]

[He helps her to her feet and out of the tub, making sure she can stay steady on her feet.]

Don't be. The tub can be replaced. It's nothing.

[...And then he really notices she's wearing that New Feather sundress.]

...Let me get you some of my clothes.

Thank you, David. I really appreciate this.

[Not that the sundress is terrible, and she really doesn't want to be a bother, but it's most definitely too small for her. Now that she's on her feet, Lao Jiu tiredly crawls down onto her shoulder, curling against her neck. She absently reaches up, brushing past her hair to scratch the panda's ears.]

You did well, Lao Jiu.

Any time, Litchi.

[She'd do the same for him, at any rate. He'll return a few moments later with some of his clothes for her, which included a belt for the pants. He'll hand them over to her and leave the room again so she can change.]

[Once she's gotten changed into the spare clothes, Litchi comes back out into the living room area, hair still down, Lao Jiu still curled up against her neck. When she approaches Thirteen, she's a little fidgety.]

...I suppose I owe you an explanation, huh? I have to admit, I'm not all that sure where to start.

[He pulls out a chair at his table, and motions for her to sit down and take it easy. He'll be taking the seat next to that.]

Start wherever you feel most comfortable. I'm not going anywhere.

[Litchi slowly sinks down into the offered chair, pausing to think of where to start. It's probably best to just work her way backward. Eventually, no matter where she starts, it'll all lead back to the same place, anyhow.]

Well... you've seen the way I fight. The power I use isn't any ordinary magic. It's... well, to put it simply, it's forbidden. The power is incredibly dangerous, more than any one person can handle. The strain it puts on anyone who uses it is... immense.

[Her smile turns almost bitter.]

It's been years since I first got this power and until now, it's never been so out of control. It started a few days after I went home and just... hasn't stopped.

[His expression darkens heavily at this. He can ask the question that comes to his mind.]

...But why would you use a power like that if it's that dangerous?

I... [She trails off for a moment, trying to figure out how to word it. And then shakes her head. The truth, Litchi. Just... tell the truth.]

...I did it to save someone who means the world to me. It was the only way I could think of to become strong enough to save him.

[...His expression and tone softens as quickly as it hardened before. He leans forward and rests his arms on the table, listening to her very closely.]

...What happened to this person?

[Deep breath. It takes her a moment to dredge up the courage to get into this. It's the first time she's told anyone since Kokonoe dragged it out of her two years ago.]

He had been researching the source of this power -- the Boundary -- for some time. Several years, even before I ever met him. It... it ate away at his mind, but... he wanted answers.

[Head ducked, shoulders drooping, she blows out a shaky sigh. This is the part that still hurts the worst.] He disappeared one day. He was always glued to his research, but days went by and he never came in to work.

[Her voice cracks.] By the time I went to see if he was alright... it was too late. And it was all my fault.

[Thirteen listens to her story carefully. The "Boundary..." that was a word Nu had mentioned during the draft. He wondered for a split second if Nu had a connection to it as well.

But that could wait. When he sees Litchi visibly pained to talk about this... he'll scoot his chair to the corner of the table and rest a hand on her upper back.]

Litchi... look at me.

[He'll wait for her to make eye contact with him.]

Whatever happened to your friend, that wasn't your fault. He chose to research that power himself... and like you said, that was before you two even met. You can't blame yourself for the path he took in life.

["It was what I wanted." He had said that, hadn't he? Even though she couldn't quite remember when, she was certain she had heard those words before. But even so...

Tears stinging at her eyes, Litchi shakes her head.]

I should have noticed sooner. I should have been brave enough to try to stop him before it got so out of hand.

[There's that echo again. Nearly identical words, overlapping what she said. She gives a small shiver.]

...But more than anything, I should have been able to find a cure.

[Those tears welling up in her eyes tell tales of how deeply this has been troubling her. Possibly for a very, very long time.]

...Litchi, if I know anything about you, anything at all, I know that you would've done everything you could for him. And I know that you have.

And that's far more than what could be expected out of anyone.

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