hadriel | seventh; video + open to action (let's skip the charades, you're seeing right through me anyway)

[Nick has been notably absent from her usual post at Delight's bar for the past several weeks, but today, as she turns the video camera of her phone on herself, the familiar sight of shelves of multicolored bottles lined up behind her indicate her location. That's right - she's back, and she is smiling as she holds up a tambourine and gives it a good shake. If you've met Nick even once, you'll know that she is made of sharp edges and not someone who smiles easily.]

Hey ... I dunno who left this here for me, but I wanted to say thanks. This is ... this is really great.

[The fact that she is openly addressing Hadriel with her thanks is perhaps a testament to how significant this particular item is for her, since gratitude doesn't come easily for Nick, either. Then again, if you know her well enough, you may notice something different about her entire demeanor - something softer, something warmer, something much less feral and hostile.]

Oh, and one more thing ... [She sets the tambourine down on the counter in front of her and gestures to the bar around her.] Thanks for not letting this place burn down while I was out ... "sick." Everyone knows this place is a shithole, and we only got so many not-shitty things here. Delight's bar is prob'ly the best one. Gotta hang on to what we've got, right?

[She grins again as she reaches over to cut the feed and get back to work. Perhaps you're there to place an order with her for something to drink?]

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[Chris has noticed her absence, of course, but he'd figured she was just avoiding him like he was avoiding her, to an extent. Now he feels more than a little guilty for that assumption at her mention of being 'sick' and that's enough to prompt him to reply.]

Hey. So you're um, doing better now?

[From whatever state she was in before. She certainly seems better than last time he talked to her, at least.]

[What Ushahin did to her mind pulled into sharp focus just how petty her arguments with Chris have been. Nick can't even remember why they were fighting anymore, and she's sure it wasn't over anything important, just as she's sure that she doesn't want to keep fighting with him anymore. Moreover, that experience showed Nick just how important it is to keep those you care about close - and she does care about Chris, more than anyone else she's met here. They've been through a lot together, and he's her closest friend. It's hard to be close to people, but it's worse to stay separated. She knows this now, after having hundreds of years of experience shoved violently into her mind. The good parts balance out the pain and make it all worthwhile, and Chris has been the best thing about this place. For the first time in many long years, Nick has begun to feel something like hope again, and when Chris responds to her message, Nick knows that part of that is the hope that maybe it's not too late to patch things up with Chris. She gives him a faint smile, and a nod.]

Yeah ... um, some shit went down, but I got better. Not like, the zombie shit, I didn't get bit or anything. It was something else.

[How Chris feels about everything is... Complicated, to say the least, and he's not entire sure how to deal with any of it. So he's defaulting, again, to a state of just ignoring it, at least enough to have conversations that feel necessary like this one. He's worried, despite everything else, and her answer doesn't reassure him much.]

Okay.

[Should he ask more? He isn't certain; normally he would, but now he isn't sure how she'd take it. So instead he hesitates, before sort of compromising.]

'Something else' like something to be concerned about, or...?

[Nick chews on the cuticle of her index finger for a moment, considering what she wants to say. There's part of her that wants to push what happened to her aside - she doesn't really regret that it happened, and she isn't angry with Ushahin for it, because she knows it wasn't his intent to harm her. But there's no telling if the gods here will make powers go haywire again, so maybe Chris deserves to know.]

I dunno ... maybe. You know that guy Ushahin?

[Chris watches her gestures carefully, beginning to think it is indeed something to be concerned about.]

I've uh, talked to him, yeah.

[But he wouldn't say he knows much about him, just that he was pretty nice when Chris spoke with him and that he hears voices.]

He's all right. Kinda weird, but I guess maybe that's what happens when you live as long as he has.

[As long as she will, maybe.]

He's like me - not a Nightbane, but part monster. And he's got powers. He, uh. Back when people's powers were goin' off for no reason, he got inside my head. Not on purpose or anything - shit, I couldn't even control my powers, I kept switching back and forth from Morphus to Facade, shootin' off things with my hands when I didn't mean to. It wasn't his fault, but ...

[She pauses, frowning. It's difficult to remember, because it's the worst pain she's ever endured, and considering what she already experienced? That says a lot.]

It hurt. A lot. It's like - I couldn't tell where his thoughts ended and mine began, and Chris, that guy has seen some serious shit in his life. I dunno how he's still alive, honestly.

Edited 2016-10-30 03:02 (UTC)

[Chris is quiet while she talks, listening carefully, trying to keep the mess of different feelings he has both from talking to Nick and from hearing the story under control. Nick doesn't seem angry at Ushahin for what happened so Chris will hold off on any anger or blaming as well, instead just trying to process the whole idea of what Nick's describing.]

That sounds um... Not fun.

[It's an understatement of course, but this is far outside his area of expertise; he can't even really imagine something like that, and doesn't really want to especially when he's having difficulty keeping his emotions under control already. Still, while the response may seem distant he is paying attention, willing to listen if Nick wants to explain more.]

[Nick laughs weakly, the kind of sound you make when something isn't really funny but silence isn't appropriate, either.]

Yeah, it sucked - a lot. I mean, I thought my life was shit.

[Not that she suddenly thinks her life is fine - it's just not as terrible as it could be.]

I think ... he's really lonely. And seeing all that - not just seeing it but feeling it - I guess now I really know that's not how I wanna be for the rest of my stupidly long life. I mean, I always thought it was easier to keep people away. Less complicated, y'know?

[She shakes her head.]

Maybe complicated is worth it.

seventh; video + open to action (let's skip the charades, you're seeing right through me anyway)

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[Video] /the latest tag back

[Video] shhh it's all good <3