004 :: How to save a life (death trigger warnings)

[not_a_lamb_nor_ram]

[ Rest had not come easy for 808 -- trying to fill the gaps in his mind was both tiring and frustrating. It didn't help that the other denizens of the place had begun to find themselves in differing levels of hysteria, but something told him to keep his calm and not to give in...

Only to find, after a restless sleep, a figure lying face down on the floor. 808 doesn't know this person, but seeing the lavender hair (perhaps it's just the color?) momentarily gives him a sense of peace and comfort. He might have even seen him around the inn. Wondering though what this person might be doing in his room, given they all have their room assignments, he reaches out -- ]

Um, excuse me but I think you've got the wrong room-- ?! [ -- to touch the shoulder of a cold body. He tries to move the person, to have him face up to see if there's something he can do, but he finds to his horror that what he is holding is not a slumbering person, but a corpse. Regardless, he tries, stubbornly, to shake him awake. ]

Oi-- wake up! Wake up! This isn't your room you have to-- you have to go back!

[ Panic setting in, 808 brings a shaky hand to the person's chest, as if expecting something to happen -- like a glow would come out of his hand, and that the person would miraculously open his eyes. The lack of response suddenly makes him upset, to the point that he feels that his still-beating heart had been wrenched from his chest. Not completely understanding as to why he is upset, why he isn't thinking of doing something rational like calling for help, and the frustration over such pile on him. ]

Open your eyes, please. Wake up! Get up, just-- please!

[ Tears well up in his eyes as desperation marks his voice -- this person is wearing the same kind of clothing he is and even bears the same marks on his forehead. They might be related, they might be strangers, 808 doesn't know but all he knows is that he wants to this person awake -- alive. ]

Don't do this... come back...

[ Words come through 808's lips over and over again -- wake up, please, open your eyes, wake up, come back... -- as fear, sadness, loss, anger and loneliness overwhelm him. In the chaos, the litany of words come like an eerie mantra through the thin walls. In the middle of the room, 808 is on his knees as he holds the dead body against him, and tears come unbidden. He doesn't know, nor does he care if others can hear him, all he knows is that he will do anything in his power to bring this person back. Right now however, 808 just wanted to hold him, as if letting go would be too much to bear ... ]


(( OOC: Pardon the tl;dr, but here you have Kiran holding what is undoubtedly Mu's "corpse" as a physical manifestation of his greatest fears. Snap him out of it? |D;; ))

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

[1006 feels himself drawn to the 8th floor, and until he arrives, he can't for the life of him figure out why.

But the sound of such an anguished voice stirs...something protective in him, and he finds himself almost compelled to investigate...


...It's something else to see what is quite obviously a corpse with one's own face, but 1006 manages to choke down his surprise and call to the one still living.]

Words can't raise the dead.

[not_a_lamb_nor_ram]

[ Part of him feels pathetic for weeping over the body of a dead stranger; that death, being a reality he knows he has to face, and one that he has come to face, would upset him so much --

But it is less of the fact of death, and more of what he could have done, what could have happened; what he can't do, what he doesn't know that people dear and precious have slipped past his fingers.

The voice makes its way through the chaos in his mind -- is it the tone, the mere sound of it, or the obvious wisdom in them. He looks up, wiping at his eyes with the back of his bandaged hands and words just leaves him.

808 looks at the person who entered, then hesitantly back down at the body he is holding; then back up again. ]

I--

[ He feels relief, then feels upset all over again, only to dive back into confusion. ]

I don't-- I don't understand.

[lamb_of_gold]

[1006 forces himself to keep his eyes on the redhead and not the body in his arms.]

Come away from there. It might be diseased. This place seems to be playing tricks on us, and all of them so far have been quite cruel.

[not_a_lamb_nor_ram]

[ For what feels like a long moment, 808 just stares at the man by the door. For some reason, he strongly feels that he should believe-- he should listen to this stranger. ]

But I can't-- I shouldn't-- there's no one here who can help him.

[ As he says that however, his hold loosens as he sets the body down, almost reverently. ]

[lamb_of_gold]

He's beyond help by now. The best thing to do would be to leave him in peace.

[There's a thrum of familiarity to the words, but 1006 can't place why. Instead, he offers his hand to 808, beckoning him a little closer with his fingers. The familiarity is replaced with a fierce protectiveness of this person. Strange.]

[not_a_lamb_nor_ram]

[ With the body on the ground, 808 clutches at the dead man's scarf as the one alive is holding out his hand to him. That close to him, 808 almost feels safe, that he can be safe and that nothing else will go wrong. He first looks to the hand, then up to the face --

For one last time, he looks down to the dead man. 808 folds the cold hands over the still heart, and takes his large scarf to cover the body as much as he can, carefully, reverently.

And then he reaches for the other man's hand and gets up from his kneeling. Finally standing, 808 is able to look at the other man's face, studying his features for a few long moments as he firmly wonders if he didn't know him. ]

Where do we go?

[lamb_of_gold]

Away from here. The place is unimportant. As large as this building is, I'm sure there is an unoccupied room somewhere.

[not_a_lamb_nor_ram]

[ 808 nods. While there's still that lingering feeling of uncertainty, he holds onto the feeling that he can trust this man -- ]

I'll go with you. We can-- we can also head to the rooftop, or downstairs..

[ "as far away as possible." ]