Event: Consolidation Theory, Part Four and Five

[snowblindmods]

Characters: red-marked characters and their new friends
Location: ???
Date: Morning 354, Morning and Day 355
Summary: A quiet morning and a confusing morning, or maybe they're both, or maybe they're neither.
Warnings: gore, psychological horror, warn for specifics in the subject lines

Part Four OOC Post
Part Five OOC Post

Comments

[keepscalm]

[England nods, in just as minimal a fashion as he shook his head, and waits for Ginger to put the shirt on with his gaze averted as politely as possible. When she's done, he extends his unbroken arm to brush his fingers against her good hand. He's almost afraid to touch her at all, for how injured they both are.] M'sorry.

[lacecase]

[She tries not to, she really does...but Ginger's never been very good at bottling her emotions. Even when she tries so hard to keep in the things that she's feeling, they always end up bleeding out of her. So as England's fingertips brush hers, she latches onto them, the only kind touch she can imagine accepting in this moment, and tears begin to stream down her face. Self-consciously, she tries to keep herself quiet. There are so many others here, and they all must be hurting so badly.

What right does she have to cry about it?]

No...no, don't, I...

[She isn't sure what she's trying to say.]

I don't know how I'd be without you.

[keepscalm]

[Yeah--England wishes he could cry. But all he can think is that he deserves this. It's only fair, for what he did in that tower. He hasn't got any tears to shed for a comeuppance that he earned. He feels worse for those who are taking on this burden anew...like Ginger.

He lets her squeeze his hand and wishes he could do more. He wishes he could even say more, but every word chafes his damaged vocal cords.] S'all right.

[It's all right to cry. It's all right to feel however she's feeling.

Aside from that, not much is all right. But that's all he can say for now.]

[lacecase]

[The words mean less than just his presence, ultimately. Ginger being Ginger, and not having been on either end of what happened in the Tower, she can't speak for what he may or may not deserve. All she knows is that this is so wrong, and she doesn't want to be here. But that, despite all of that, she feels just a little bit less miserable and afraid to have his hand in hers.

She doesn't plan on letting go anytime soon, and stays huddled by his side. Eventually, slowly, she calms down enough to assess the damages that he's sustained and takes a shaky breath.]

There's food...maybe we should try and eat.

[Not that she sounds very excited about the idea. She doubts either of them have much of an appetite, and she isn't confident in her ability to keep anything down.]

[keepscalm]

[England nods again, though even thinking about swallowing food makes his throat ache. They'll need nutrients for their bodies to heal properly.

Of course, he left his own food back in his cell, but he's more concerned about Ginger than himself. He wishes he could bring the food over to her like a proper gentleman.

The words are more breath than voice, but Ginger doesn't know Morse code and he doesn't want to leave her in silence.] Just eat what you can.

[lacecase]

Alright.

[And yet...she doesn't move. She doesn't want to move, or eat, or think about eating, or think about moving. She doesn't want to be anywhere other than where England is, because she feels that as soon as she's not sitting immediately beside him, she'll lose that immediate sense of security his presence brought. Or, well, measure of security.

Instead, she just takes a deep, shaky breath.]

Just...in a few minutes.

[keepscalm]

[England is similarly loathe to let go of Ginger's hand for any reason, though even if he did, he'd be pretty useless for bringing the food over. He questions why they're still being given solid food when it's obvious that many of them can't feed themselves, but he assumes that's because Robert Miller couldn't get away with using IVs or liquid dietary supplements. Anger prickles in his chest, which is at least better than the hopeless ache permeating his being otherwise.

He rubs his thumb along the side of Ginger's hand.] Take your time. [It might be a while before either of them have any appetite at all.]