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[Damien Blaze]

Post Options Post by David B. on 3 minutes ago
"Arianna. Look at me."

He would stare until she did. If she did, his brows would raise.

"I'm not going away. If not today....we'll have to do this at some point."

[Arianna Barrial]

It might have taken an age before she gathered enough of herself together to look up. And at first she seemed fine, if for the slight line of tension in her jaw. His words didn't draw an immediate change, but it was more like a dam slowly heaving outward before beginning to crumble as there was too much water to hold.
Arianna's pale gaze grew brighter by degrees; her vision wavered and then swam with the saline moisture gathering and spilling out of her eyes and down her cheeks. His figure came to be blurred, like the ghost he might as well have been, and it was like she just couldn't keep herself together any longer.

Her gaze fell down again, followed by the a movement of her head dropping, and she seemed to turn inward.

"I...God, I hate you, so much." Hushed but audible, the first words came before she was cut off by what amounted to a sob. Her other hand came free of her other pocket to cover itself over her mouth. It wasn't really hate, perhaps, but a mess of frustration, shame, grief, and a whole lump of other emotions that were suddenly too much to handle and bear that it certainly felt like it could amount to hate.

How could he expect her to do this now?

[Damien Blaze]

Setting his food down, he wiped his mouth and stood, shifting around the table to (if she would let him) pull her into a gentle hug.

"I know you do, love. I know you do."

He'd gently rub her back, letting her cry on him if she so wished.

[Arianna Barrial]

If there was ever a time she could have just vanished to a puff of smoke, this might have been it. It was when he initially touched her that she jerked, sitting straight and dropping the cup while lurching to her feet. Her eyes hurt and she could hardly see, but...

"Don't touch me." Maybe she needed the comfort as he needed the comfort of something as simple as sharing a meal wit her, maybe not, but there wasn't a way for her to endure his touch this second, this moment, and maybe not for a good while beyond this. Heck, she probably didn't deserve it, either, considering he'd waited and she..? She hadn't.

"I can't—I can't—"

Arianna twisted, aiming to skirt around Damien and head towards the freedom beyond the doors, chest and throat suffocatingly tight. She lasted all of sixteen seconds if she was lucky, maybe as many steps while curiously wobbly before the darkness she hadn't realized was quickly overtaking her vision pulled her under...and one way or another, she collapsed in a heap.

Too much, it was all too much.

[Damien Blaze]

Arianna would find herself waking in the infirmary, Damien nowhere in sight. The nurse would be checking her vitals and, on noticing her awake, would say-

"Hello, doctor. You fainted- The young man who brought you here said he'll be around, if you change your mind. Left his number on the table."

She'd write something down.

"Please stay there until we can get your vitals under control."

[Arianna Barrial]

Arianna could feel her body give a few tiny but swift jerks, and then there was a sensation of falling. Falling when she hadn't even known she had before, and then her eyes snapped open as she gasped an inhale..! Honeyed eyes darted around, confused for a few moments despite the scenery being familiar, and finally the nurse's voice caught her attention and she focused on it, the tweaking pain in her chest and shortness of breath suggesting her heart was maybe beating too fast...or she was feeling it palpitate.

Either way...she gave a soft groan and allowed herself to sink back against the infirmary bed by degrees and shut her eyes.

'...just breathe...'

[Bailey Oleander]

It had been some time since Bailey had last talked to Arianna. Coming into the infirmary herself felt like ages ago, though it was quieter then than it was now. There was some hustle and bustle in one of the rooms, a nurse at the door talking to the patient inside. It was usually easiest for her to find the other blonde here, and with her thoughts weighing on her mind, a friendly face sounded wonderful.

When she found an available nurse, she'd quietly chime in, "Ah, excuse me? I'm looking for Arianna Barrial. Is she in now?"

[Arianna Barrial]

The nurse turned, blinking at first in curiosity and then some mild surprise at who the young agent was asking after.

"Oh, sh—"

"I'm here."

Well, if that wasn't an interruption who knew what was. The nurse heaved a brief exhale and was about to speak again when Arianna's voice once again cut her off.

"Come on over, Bailey? You may need to give my colleagues some room but I'm happy to see you."

The disembodied voice was quick to push her harried emotions away, along with her exhaustion. She nearly sounded normal.

[Bailey Oleander]

Her head turned in the direction of the other woman's voice, a small smile lighting her face as she made her way over to the room she'd seen the nurse duck in to. Mindful of the warning, she would make room for the staff, offering the other woman an even brighter smile.

"I thought I'd find you here." And looking miserable, besides. The brightness faded a bit, replaced with concern as she worried her lower lip. "Are you okay? What happened?"

[Arianna Barrial]

She probably didn't look the best, but she gave the smol cinnaroll a smile, anyway.

"I'll be fine. I suppose I got a bit overstimulated and passed out." She gestured lightly towards the rolling stool. "What can I do for you?"

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey eyed her for a moment, doubting over-stimulation was the full explanation, but not pushing with nurses around. She wasn't a close friend, after all.

"I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I know it's been a while since we stopped by with my other problem, too." But it was weird with her other friends and now her partner being gone. She didn't know what to do with herself, and Bailey was starting to realize just how much she'd secluded herself from others while she was here.

[Arianna Barrial]

Bailey was smart indeed, and Arianna continued to tolerate the medical attention. All things considered it was right to practice what she preached, but at the same time she wanted to shoo away the fussing.

"It has been a while; I'm happy to see you come by at any time." Her head turned, and she focused on her company rather than the nurses. "How is your grip doing, by the way?"

[Bailey Oleander]

"Much better, thank you." She couldn't help the mix of pride and relief at the question, flexing her fingers as she took a nearby seat, even going so far as to flex them against the seat of the chair. It didn't so much as shift or crack.

"You can't even tell anymore." Thankfully. "But I'm still working on some things. Like chopsticks."

[Arianna Barrial]

She would have clapped, but instead gave a beaming smile. "I'm glad~"

Her gaze caught the flex of the young woman's hands against the arms of the chair and she gave a nod of approval.

"That will come with time and practice. Are you proud of how far you've come?"

[Bailey Oleander]

"Me too. I probably shouldn't have panicked like I had, but it was just so different from what I've known. I honestly thought something was wrong with me." She grimaced at the memory, but the smile quickly returned. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

"I'm glad of the progress I've made, though I still have more to go." She would look over Arianna again, concern in her eyes as she waited for the nurses to finish their work.

"So what have you been doing? It's been a while."