'Dite's Decdent Delights, Stupid-O'clock Tuesday Morning

[glacial_queen]

Karla 'woke up' with a gasp, slamming back against her mental barriers with an impact so violent it was nearly physical. Around her, the others were waking up, too, freed from Emma's mental link.

"Oh, Darkness! Oh, no!" she cried, voice cracking, before bursting into tears. "I'm so, so sorry you guys. I didn't mean--I couldn't help--I'm sorry!"

She pushed herself backwards, away from her friends, until she bumped into a wall. "I'm so sorry, so damn sorry," she kept repeating, clasping her knees tight against her chest. "Please forgive me...so damn sorry."

[And...resolution! Thanks to everyone who participated. Establishy, NFI, save for Team Rescue, open for broadcast.]

Comments

[trigons_child]

Raven got to Karla first by virtue of pinging first, muhahahah and wrapped her arms around the other girl. "We know," she said soothingly, trying to steal away some of Karla's panic and replace it with calm. Her relief at having her friend safe kept her other emotions at bay, for now at least.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Karla, we're--" Okay would be stretching it. Dinah crawled after her and laid a hand on her arm as Raven hugged her, then stretched out to hug both. "We had to help you. This is so not your fault. There's nothing to forgive." Then, for Karla's mind alone, through her fingers, shields up: I love you. So does everyone else here.

[icecoldfrost]

Emma, for her part, was going to curl up against a wall of her own and put her head on her knees, to hide her shaking hands and the bloody nose she'd gotten from over-extending her powers.

< Karla, sweetheart, don't cry, > she sent, not realizing she was still broadcasting to everyone and not actually talking. < My brain is leaking out my ears, and I can't handle it if you keep crying. >

[endsthegame]

"There's nothing to forgive," Ender echoed, his hands shoved in his pockets.

He was repressing any thoughts to do with wanting to get out of here and into a single room, possily with Ben around, thanks. "Don't worry about it."

[glacial_queen]

"But--but--Mother Night, everything you must have seen in there! Rose! Marjane! Glacia--everything!" It lacked the volume to be a full-blown wail, but it tried.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo had held it together about as long as she could, and for once the cynical front she put on had served her well, but sustaining that much rage for so long was draining, and waking up took the absolute last of it out of her. She barely had time to prop herself up on one arm and turn her head before she vomited.

"Fucking hell," she got out once she'd finished retching. She tried to lock her eyes on Karla's and rasped, "Not your fault. Got that? I don't even know you and I'm tellin' you. Not your fault. Christ on a pogo stick, are you okay?"

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine would be the one next to Katchoo with one arm wrapping around her and the other holding her hair out of the way, the second she was conscious enough to hear the sound. Rather expertly. Almost like she'd done that before. She twisted her head to look at Karla as well.

[glacial_queen]

"B-but, that's just it," Karla said. "That--Briarwood wasn't mine. It's Jaenelle's." Stuttering and stumbling, Karla explained about her summons home, the shape Jaenelle was in, the nightmares, the brutal rape, and, finally, her solution. "But she's so strong. SO powerful. Thirteen Black Jewels. They overwhelmed me and for a time I couldn't remember what was me and what was her. I thought I had been to Briarwood. and it all got mixed up with home..."

She covered her face. "Please don't be mad," she begged them. "I didn't mean to be overwhelmed."

Her memories or not, someone was still firmly caught in the victim mindset.

[trigons_child]

Raven had been torn between letting Karla go so she could breathe and allow others to get close and just continuing to hold on tight to reassure herself Karla was all right. She did finally give Karla some space, but remained close, keeping a hand on her arm. "No one is angry with you," she said, sending gentle pulses of warmth and comfort. "You are not to blame for anything that happened." She pushed her own questions and needs aside and concentrated on her friend.

[endsthegame]

"Thirteen black jewels," Ender echoed, unaware of the exact subtleties of the significance, but enough to make a guess. "You're just one, Karla. You did well."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Listen to Raven and Ender. They're right." Dinah gave Karla a light kiss on the temple, and another squeeze, then got up, leaving her in Raven's arms. Emma, you're still broadcasting, she sent, as low and soft as she could. I'm going to look for some ice, and maybe some Tylenol, 'kay? She padded off to the back of the store, and found a fridge in the storeroom, then grabbed ice and put it in a small ziplock back before returning with it to Emma. "Here. 'Dite, do you have any Tylenol or something around for Emma?"

[icecoldfrost]

Emma retorted with a spate of highly colorful words and images, detailing exactly how imprecise and dumb verbal communication was before cheerfully flipping Dinah the finger.

"Talking hurts," she muttered rebelliously, pressing the ice pack on to her head. "When do we get to go smash the living versions of those creeps? I'll need a nap first."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"Behind the counter, I think, under the register." And if there wasn't any, there soon would be some.

Aphrodite's instinct was to go to Karla, to do something, anything, to try and stop the pain. But she was getting used to fighting her instincts tonight, so she moved first to check on Emma.

"Hey. I'm no healer, but maybe I can do . . . something?" There was an earnestness in her expression, almost a plea. It wasn't often that the goddess of love felt so completely helpless, and it was beginning to show.

[icecoldfrost]

"Sit with me a bit," Emma said, seizing an idea and patting the floor beside her. "It will be easier for me to focus if there's one person close-by, than having a dozen milling about."

And it would hopefully keep Karla from being too overwhelmed by people hovering.

"Or if you've got tea or something, that would be divine. Possibly for everyone."

[momslilassassin]

Ben slipped quietly back into the room after being thoroughly and silently sick outside.

He stayed in the background, uncertain of how close Karla wanted anyone male to be for a while.

[glacial_queen]

Karla peeked out from behind her hands, gauging everyone's mood. She felt almost like a child again, waiting to see if her parents were mad and how much trouble she'd be in. "Thank you," she whispered finally, "for coming in for me. I--I'm not crazy. Please understand." She glanced around earnestly. "I'm really not."

[thatsamilkshake]

At that, Francine swallowed hard to keep her own stomach in place and fully sat up, her arm still around Katchoo. "Nobody thinks you're crazy." Crazy was what they had told people those girls were. Crazy was what they had made those girls, but it wasn't what Karla was. "Anybody with that jammed into their head would snap."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"You're not crazy," Katchoo echoed gruffly, still pale and leaning into Francine. And maybe still vibrating just a touch with residual anger. "Even if they're not really your memories, anyone . . ."

She trailed off, wanting to throw up again; without the momentum of anger, this was treading dangerously close to flashback territory. "Christ."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

Emma had asked for tea and company, and those things Aphrodite could do. Staying next to her, she'd materialized a pot of water, then chosen a tea, hoping the scent would calm and soothe everyone's nerves. Letting the tea steep while organizing a bunch of cups to pass around, she watched the rest of the group carefully.

Something tugged at her senses and she looked up, recognizing the short blonde from the first week the store was open. Dite'd named her sunshine, but now knew her name was Katina. She was sitting next to Francine, who seemed extra concerned with the smaller girl's welfare.

Testing the temperature of the tea, the goddess of love frowned, wondering what it was that had caught her attention. Another glance, and seeing the way the two looked at each other, and she smiled, feeling better than she had since they'd found Karla on the causeway.

That was love, that was, from both sides. It shone to her like a beacon, breaking through the despair in the room, and she felt herself perking up as she poured a cup of tea and handed it to Emma.

[glacial_queen]

"So..." Karla cleared her throat a bit. "What happened? I remember the portal home, I remember almost seeing the dorms, and then I remember seeing you all in my inner landscape. What happened between then?"

[endsthegame]

Ender glanced towards Aphrodite; she had a firmer account of what exactly had gone down. "Ben said you came back in enormous emotional distress," he volunteered, at last. "From what I gather, that caused you to pass out - which you were by the time we got here."

[momslilassassin]

Ben took a half step closer to Ender and nodded. "You just shut down," he said quietly.

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

Glancing at Max, 'Dite had a feeling he wouldn't be talking much, which left it up to her. Taking a cup of tea for herself, she said softly,

"Max and I ran into you at the causeway. You were headed for the mainland. We -- didn't think that was a good idea and told you so." She winced, remembering being thrown, and seeing Karla's knife strike Max's hand. "You -- weren't happy with us. Max stopped you, and you -- you just weren't there anymore."

She motioned toward the teapot. "There's tea if anyone would like some."