Art on the River [Closed]

[Lucien DeChain]

Lucien thought for a second, before answering the question.

"About three days... Maybe two and a half." Opening his eyes, he saw her look of concern, and felt her hand on his shoulder. Heard her words.

He smiled, stammering out his response hastily, as if there was nothing to worry about. "But don't worry about me, I'm okay. It's better that I don't sleep anywhoah when did the world get all spinny-"

He blinked. Twice. Focused his eyes on Rina.

"...How far, exactly?"

[Rina Vade]

It was clear that Lucien was extremely fatigued. Anyone with eyes could see that he was tired.

But there was something else.

There was a reason he wasn't sleeping. Rina could sense it, even through the mental shield she had learned to keep around her psychic abilities. Something that unsettled, even frightened Lucien, was keeping him awake. "Not far." the raven-haired young woman said quietly, taking him by the hand and leading him down the river, towards the Olympian apartments. Or at least nearer to them. Rina and her roommates had moved further away, so as to put the Experiments at ease. Rina wanted to help them, but having them wary wouldn't help.

The row of apartments were only five blocks or so away from the river. So close that the cry of seagulls and water birds hadn't faded by the time they reached the doorstep of Rina's home.

Opening the door, the trio ran straight into Mila, who was on her way out. "Oh! Rin, Senji went out and I just got a call that he's drunk again. I'll be back soon and have dinner finished." the look-alike said, her emerald gaze flitting over Lucien for a moment, though she said nothing about him.

Rina rolled her eyes. "That idiot. Bring him home safe." she replied as Mila took off down the street. She watched her go for a few seconds before making her way inside, motioning for Lucien to follow as she set Nill on her feet. The little girl promptly skipped over into the living room, and the flickering light and sound of the television emitted from the room soon after. Rina had opened a bedroom door and was now looking at Lucien, her expression giving nothing away, but her sapphire gaze still showing concern. "You can sleep in Senji's room," she began, her tone telling him that if he argued, he'd regret it. "Get some rest. I'll tell Mila to set a place for you at dinner."

[Lucien DeChain]

It was around the time that Lucien got to the door of the apartment that he realized he was about to enter a space that was alien to him. Rina, who he counted as friend, but had only met a handful of times, had her own space and her own life, which Lucien realized he knew next to nothing about. And now he was about to enter her home.

After the kerfuffle at the doorway, Lucien stepped inside and followed Rina to the bedroom. Suddenly, he was nervous.

"Uh... Well, you see..." He tried, hesitantly. He really didn't have a valid excuse, and truly, he was exhausted, and that bed looked mighty comfortable. From the look on Rina's face, he wasn't in a position to argue.

"Okay... Thanks, Rina. Feel free to wake me if you need anything."

And with that, he walked in the room, and flopped on the bed face-down, immediately asleep.

[Rina Vade]

They let him sleep.

When Mila returned home, Senji in tow, they got the silver-haired boy onto the couch, where he passed out instantly. Mila took her time making dinner, and Rina helped her. "So who's that guy?" the younger look-alike asked from over her shoulder as she stirred a pan of sliced potatoes. Rina glanced up from chopping vegetables for a salad.

"Oh, he's a friend. He helped me and Nill at the river, and looked really tired so I brought him here to rest." she replied with a shrug of her shoulders, finishing the salad as Mila took the chicken she had baked out of the oven and placed it on the counter beside her.

"That's good that you helped him." Mila smiled, watching as Rina set the table.

Rina faltered for only a moment, forcing a smile away, and then shrugged again. "Yeah...I mean, what else could I do? He helped us. It was only fair." she mumbled, though she knew her words were a lie. She hadn't helped Lucien because she was repaying a debt. She had helped him because she was worried about him. Even if he hadn't helped her, she would have offered him aid anyway.

By now, they were making enough noise that Senji had awoken.

He came shuffling into the kitchen, wiping sleep from his eyes. "Dinner time...?" he asked, muffling a yawn behind his hand. Mila shot him a disappointed look, but he only looked away.

"Are you sober, now?" Rina demanded, her tone calm.

At his nod, she finished setting the table and leaned one hip against the counter, crossing her arms. Unlike Mila, who scolded Senji, she kept a level head, showing her disapproval in her silence. And to Senji, that made him a lot more ashamed than he ever wanted to feel. "I'll go see if that guy is awake." Mila chirped, glancing at Senji with a frown one last time before making her way down the hall. Nill passed her on the way, skipping into the kitchen and taking her place at the table.

"His name is Lucien. Not "that guy", Mila." Rina called after her roommate.

[Lucien DeChain]

A face splattered with blood, crimson red. Grinning maniacally. Eyes wide with insanity, pupils dilated with pleasure. Blood. Blood. Blood.

All of this blood.

And then, people. All the dead around him rose to their feet. Pointed at him. Spoke out in one unified voice.

"His name is Lucien."

Their footsteps slammed down, all together, drawing closer to him. They edged in, closed off any exit. The only way was death. He looked at them, in their empty eyes, and in those eyes he saw the void.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

He jolted up to a sitting position, reaching to his side for some sort of weapon. Cold sweat dripped from his frame, and as he panted he realized that he was not in that place anymore. He fell back down to the bed, wiped his brow and covered his eyes.

Then, he noticed the person who had walked into the room. Looking up at them, he thought of something to say. There wasn't much he could say, after that.

"...Sorry." He whispered hoarsely.

[Rina Vade]

Rina bolted from the kitchen after Mila when she heard the yell. "Mila, what...!" she stopped in the doorway, the lingering emotions of Lucien's nightmare assaulting her senses. She froze, eyes wide. Is that why he couldn't sleep?

"Rin?" Mila turned to look at her.

For a moment, Rina didn't move, and Mila gave a worried frown. Finally, the pale girl blinked, her eyes focusing on Lucien. "Go...back to the kitchen, Mila. Give me a moment, will you?" she asked, not looking at the other girl. Mila tilted her head, puzzled, but headed out and back down the hall, looking back once with a concerned scowl. Rina made her way to the bedside and sat down at the edge of the bed. If those nightmares were keeping Lucien from getting any sleep, there was thing she could do to at least help. "You remember what I can do with my QI, Lucien?" she questioned, keeping her azure gaze level with his. "It makes me a psychic. It lets me do a lot of things telepathically, but only if the other person lets me." she paused, glancing to the door as the sounds of talking rose up. They had sat down to eat. Rina turned back to the male sitting in the bed beside her.

"Next time you sleep, Lucien...let me in. I can take some of the weight of those dreams."

[Lucien DeChain]

Shakily, he looked up at Rina, as she entered the room. They were left alone again, and sat up to meet her. His face was pale white, and a few tears could be seen among the drops of sweat.

He nodded. He remembered what she could do. At her suggestion... He hesitated again.

"I.. I don't know. That place... I don't want anyone to see that. It's awful, and terrible. I can't burden you with that..." He whispered, shaking visibly now.

Curiosity caught him again. "How long did I sleep...?"

[Rina Vade]

At his words, she shook her head. "No, it's not a burden. I'm offering because I want to, Lucien. You're my friend." her tone had dropped in pitch for a moment, but as if realizing the softness of her voice, she visibly shook her head before continuing. She kept her voice stern. "Besides, if you're not getting enough sleep, you're vulnerable and that'd mean more work for me. I'd have to watch out for you." she huffed, crossing her arms and acting as if that would be an annoyance.

Her gaze darted to the open door at his question.

"A while. It's dinner time. Are you hungry?"

Although she let him slip for now, she wasn't going to just let him off the hook. She'd talk to him about his nightmares again. Standing, she held out a hand to him, keeping her eyes on the door. "C'mon." she said.

[Lucien DeChain]

Staying silent through her speech, eyes downcast, he felt as though she meant it. They were truly friends, and she was one who he could count on. At her notion of creating more work for her, he smirked sideways. She certainly had a way of making people feel guilty.

"Thanks... I'll try to let you in..."

And, though he felt guilty for deflecting the topic, he was pretty hungry. He nodded, and placed his hand in hers. As she led, he would go find himself at dinner.

[Rina Vade]

A soft smile graced her lips, but she turned her head away in hopes that he hadn't seen it before leading him down the hall and into the kitchen.

--

At dinner, Senji started being the usual ass he was.

"Stop glaring, Senji." Mila hissed at him, kicking the silver-haired boy from under the table. He twitched, looking over at her with a scowl.

"He's too close to her."

Rina had placed herself between Nill and Lucien, not really thinking anything of it. However, it seemed Senji had some objections. "Oh, Senji quit it. He's not going to hurt me." Rina pointed her fork at him for a moment before taking a bite of her salad. Really. Senji was so over-protective sometimes that it was annoying.

Senji shot her a look. "If he tries anything..." he began, but was cut off as another foot struck him from under the table. "Ow! Rin!" he whined, his attitude shifting suddenly.

"Hmph. Idiot." the raven-haired girl responded calmly, not even looking up.

He frowned. "Shut up, mangy mutt." he shot back, using a nickname he had come up with after he'd learned she'd been dubbed "wolf girl" at one point. This seemed to strike a nerve.

"Why you...! Ego-centric jerk!" she exclaimed, snapping her eyes up to glare at him.

"Oh yeah? Witch!"

"Moron!"

"GIRL!"

"PRICK!!"

While the two of them tossed insults back and forth, Mila turned to Lucien with a sheepish smile. "They do this all the time. Don't worry." she told him, holding back laughter.

Next to Rina, Nill squealed in delighted laughter, clearly enjoying the antics of her friend and Senji.

[Lucien DeChain]

Lucien felt like a stranger amidst the friendly (and not-so friendly) banter at the table. He happily ate, though, and as the insults were tossed back and forth, he quietly chuckled along. He was somewhat confused by the reason for the argument, and, when the girl next to Rina caught his attention, he leaned back to talk to her.

"It reminds me of how things go in Anaheim. Lots of bantering, sometimes fist fights. But it's all out of love."

And he smiled. A bit happier now. A bit less tired.

[Rina Vade]

Hearing the odd man talk to her, Nill looked over and smiled brightly at what he said, nodding in agreement at the part about it being out of love.

This family was very close, and Nill loved being apart of it. She came everyday and whenever she could. Rina was the nicest person ever. She helped the other experiments any way that she could. And for that, Nill was glad.

--

Mila finally quelled the two with a stern look. "Enough. You two bicker worse than a married couple." she huffed, finishing her food and taking her plate to the sink.

The raven-haired girl and silver-haired boy exchanged a look, then looked back at Mila, speaking at the same time as they pointed at each other. "But I didn't start it!"

"Stop copying me!" they said together, glaring at each other.

Mila laughed as she came back to the table. "You two are so alike, it's no wonder you fight like siblings."

Looking at each other again, they both crossed their arms and turned away from each other with a huff. Nill laughed from beside Rina again. She'd always enjoyed the antics of her friends. "I'm going to my room." Senji stated, getting up and taking his plate to the sink before stomping off down the hall.

"The next thing they'll be arguing about is who beat who's score on a video game." Mila chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

Rina blew a strand of hair away from her face and dropped her chin in her hands, elbows resting on the table. "It's not my fault I can beat his highest scores without a problem." she muttered, earning another giggle from Nill. Rina flashed the little girl a rare smile and then glanced at Lucien. "You still need sleep." she observed. She didn't mention her earlier offer. Not in front of Nill or Mila, she wouldn't.

But Lucien still wasn't off the hook.

[Lucien DeChain]

Lucien looked to Rina as she commented, smiling softly. He was still quite tired, and truthfully, he was a bit interested to see how Rina's power could help him. Though he was nervous about letting such a thing be (I mean, how often does someone see your dreams?).

Somehow it seemed invasive. Like letting someone into your innermost being. Lucien could only imagine a handful of people he was willing to do that with...

Oh God, now I'm thinking about him...

"Y-yeah, I know. He yawned. "I'm still pretty tired. I hope that I don't.. Scare anyone.. This time."

He glanced over at the girl who had been in the room when he woke up. In truth, he felt awful for it, and it must have been awkward as hell. He wanted to say sorry, to mumble out a hesitant apology, but he couldn't.

[Rina Vade]

Yawning was contagious.

"Mila, can you take Nill home tonight?" Rina asked, stifling a yawn of her own behind her hand as she glanced at the little girl and then to her roommate, who nodded. "Thanks."

"No prob." Mila smiled, taking Nill by the hand. She caught the look Lucien sent her and offered a reassuring smile before leading Nill out the front door. Nill waved before pulling the door shut after them, drawing another, rare smile from the raven-haired girl with sapphire eyes.

After they'd gone, Rina grabbed Lucien by the wrist and quite literally dragged him into the living room, where she instructed him to sit on the couch while she went to collect a pillow and blanket for him to use. She came back with the said items and dumped them on the couch before taking a seat beside him. "I really want to help, Lucien. I won't really see what it is you see, but what I can do is hold on to the negative emotions."

She left out the fact that she usually became overwhelmed with too many negative emotions. She didn't want to worry him, and she was determined to help him.

[Lucien DeChain]

He waved goodbye as the two others left, and then Lucien was being pulled by the hand to the living room. Plopping down on the couch, he found it quite comfortable, and was more than happy to wait for Rina's return.

Once she had piled the blankets and pillow on the couch, and she had sat, Lucien grew more nervous. How does this work? Does she have to hold my hand or something? Or kiss me while I'm sleeping EWWGROSS.

Holding on to the negative emotions... That meant that Rina would be experiencing those emotions. Taking his burden as her own.

"I'm ready if you are. But.. A-are you sure? I know you want to help, but... You might not like what you find..."

In fact, he was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to sleep much after this.