Senkha & Oliver: March 3

Macglynn is here. Staring at Senkha. Why will you not wake up, waifu.

Senkha is showing far more signs of life than she has been in the last couple of weeks: tossing and turning in her sleep, muttering things, calling out names (mostly Oliver's). It's not this summer's nightmares, but it's definitely exciting!

Macglynn watches her. He no longer flinches to stand when she shows a sign of movement, as he did when this first started, but he stares just the same.

Senkha eventually calms some, no longer tossing and turning, though her hands still clutch at the covers for several minutes before they, too, relax.

Macglynn watches for a moment longer, just to see if maybe she'll wake up after that, but he looks back down at his project when she doesn't. The wood is now in a vague cane shape, and the carpet at his feet is littered with wood shavings.

Senkha inhales sharply and deeply, exhaling in something of a groggy groan. She lifts one hand to rub her eye, stretching the other arm stiffly. Her braces continue to make horrible screeching sounds under the blankets.

Macglynn looks back up, eyes widening. He drops his project and knife to the floor and practically vaults to her bedside. "Senkha?"
Macglynn puts his hand on the bed and leans over her.

Senkha finishes rubbing her eyes, now with both hands and opens them just slightly, cringing at the amount of Light. "Nnh..."

Macglynn still leans over her. He has the closest to a watery smile that a dead man can have. "Hey."

Senkha blinks a few times, trying to focus. When she finally manages it, she throws her arms around Oliver's neck with about as much strength as she can muster. Admittedly, it's not much, but she tries, damnit.

Macglynn leans over further, into her hug so she doesn't have to reach. He slowly lowers himself onto the bed beside her and kisses her forehead. Repeatedly. "Yer here. Yer here. Thank th' Light yer here."

Senkha is shaking as she holds onto him, not quite crying but something close to it. She rests her face against his neck, finally managing to say, "Oliver," again and again, her voice hoarse and cracking.

Macglynn brushes her hair out of her face and laughs. "Good mornin', love."
Macglynn tries to get up. "Don't- don't try movin'. Ah'm gunna go see if'n Ah can't find somebody."

Senkha doesn't let go of his neck. She seems like she's never -going- to let go. "--somebody...who?"

Macglynn remains where he is, not trying to stand any further. "Y'jus' woke up after two -weeks-. We need somebody ta look at'cha. A medic. Somebody."

Senkha frowns, still holding onto him but not protesting as much as she could be. "...I...alright. Medic. Alright."

Macglynn says: ... Yer gunna have t' let me go.

Senkha does so, reluctantly, and immediately returns to rubbing her eyes. Light, someone turn down the candles in here, seriously.

Macglynn smiles at her and slides off the bed. He does not turn down the candles, likely much to her chagrin, and opens the door. He sticks his head out and calls, "Anybody out there?"
Macglynn waits. Listens. When there's no response, he opens the door and steps out.
Macglynn returns a moment later, shutting the door behind him. "Nobody here."

Senkha has stopped rubbing her eyes and is now feeling along her torso and legs to figure out what's going on with her body. She stops doing this once Oliver comes back and smiles faintly. "Th-that's probably for the best."

Macglynn sits back down on the bed, looking at her like he's not seen her in a century. "Not ready fer th' noise, eh?"

Senkha immediately latches onto him again, holding around his neck and trying to pull herself as close to him as possible. She only lets go to trace a finger lightly over his features, as if trying to assure herself that he's real. "Not ready for the noise."

Macglynn slumps over a bit as she pulls on him, his expression a little dazed. "Right. Not ready fer th'- Light, Ah can't b'lieve yer here."

Senkha laughs weakly, still tracing her fingers over his features. She shifts position again, frowning as her leg braces screech, though she decides not to address them right now. "I've missed you so much--" Her voice breaks on the last word.

Macglynn says: ... N' Ah know y'hate th' noise, but if'n y'ain't feelin' right, Ah want y'ta let me know so's Ah kin call someone. Y'ain't in good shape, here.

Senkha buries her face against his neck, giving a soft, shaky sob. "I feel stiff," she finally admits. "And my legs hurt. I think it's because I haven't moved...have I?"

Macglynn says: Not much, no. Y'was thrashin' a bit las' night.

Senkha says: I was trying to wake up.

Macglynn leans over even more, until he's on his side and supported by an elbow. "Well. Y'did." He smiles. His eyes travel down the covers to her legs, and his smile fades. "That ain't why yer legs hurt, though."

Senkha tries to stretch her legs some and winces. "...I remember. A dragon chewed on one, and I said 'don't heal it' but...Light, must've melted the bones and fused them together all wrong. ...don't remember the other one, though."

Macglynn says: ... Ah'm not too sure m'self. But th' medic at Light's Hope said it may be a while 'fore yer walkin' normal.
Macglynn whispers: Oliver doesn't add, but thinks, "If at all."

Senkha doesn't let go of Oliver with either hand, still shifting her legs slightly. She winces at his thought, though she doesn't comment on it. "That's why they feel like they're encased in iron, then. I feel like a mechanostrider."
To Macglynn: For once, it's her thoughts that are clouded--weakly, so that he could look if he chose, but clouded enough that she's not sharing.

Macglynn uses the hand not busy being used to support himself to reach out and lift the covers from her legs. "Less noisy."
Macglynn whispers: He doesn't push.

Senkha shifts again so that she can see her legs. Her right leg is entirely encased in a heavy brace; the left, just from the knee down. The braces are obviously meant more for traction and not for walking. She is, however, at least able to wiggle her toes.
Senkha says: ...well. Now we're even more peculiar.

Macglynn says: ... We?

Senkha says: A zombie who fell in love with and married a cyborg. That's pretty weird.
To Macglynn: There'd be an inkling that she can't hide of pain, frustration, and sadness about her legs. She's trying very hard to keep from being honestly depressed about it.

Macglynn says: A cyborg! They's jus' braces. Ah don't think Ah could be married ter a robot.
Macglynn whispers: It's pretty clear from his thoughts and actions now that, as upset as he is about everything, what he needs to do right now is make her happy.

Senkha laughs; even this small motion makes those damn braces screech. "Oh come on, I think I'd make a very good robot. I could install rocketboots in the back of these and learn to fly."

Macglynn says: Bah! Ah don't trust machines. That black cowsnake couldn' kill yah, but Ah bet rockets would!

Senkha tries to scoot herself over so that she's in his lap as much as possible. Really, it's as if she can't stand to be more than an inch away from him at any given time. Her smile fades at the mention of the black cowsnake. "...is everyone alright?" she asks.

Macglynn sits up at a better angle, leaning against the wall behind the head of the bed so she can curl better against him. "Good few folk is messed up, but think ever'body's gunna be a'rite."

Senkha nods, resting her head against his chest now, because that takes less effort. "That's good. I'm glad people are going to be alright. Light, I feel like I've been on another planet."

Macglynn says: ... Fer once, no, y'stayed right here.
Macglynn rests his chin on top of her head.

Senkha sighs softly and links her arms around his waist. "I'm just so glad to be back. I've missed you so much. So, so much."

Macglynn says: ... Ah missed ya too. But y'said y'had yer reasons fer it.
Macglynn knocks her on the head. "How y'doin' in there?"

Senkha says: They're gone. The Imprints. I...I was afraid to wake up.
Senkha cringes as she says this, as if expecting Oliver to slap a bitch or something.

Macglynn says: Ah know.

Senkha says: ...you do?

Macglynn taps his head.

Senkha says: ...oh. I...I'm sorry.
Senkha doesn't seem to be considering that the way he's holding her might mean she has nothing to be sorry about.

Macglynn says: ... Whut d'you got t'be sorry fer.

Senkha says: For hurting you. For hiding instead of facing what scares me.

Macglynn says: Ah think we're all guilty 'a that.
Macglynn says: In some way.

Senkha turns her face to bury it against his chest. "I'm sorry I tried to die," she adds, in a muffled voice.

Macglynn says: ... So y'did try.

Senkha cringes and nods slightly. "I didn't expect to come back. I didn't mean to hurt you...I just thought you two would be happier..."
To Macglynn: --without me.

Macglynn whispers: Oliver actually seems legitimately hurt by this. All the effort he's put into loving her, all they've been through together, all he was going through at that moment- and she thought he'd be happier without her?
Macglynn says: ... Ah see.
Macglynn says: Well. Ah'm happy yer here. Jus' know that.

Senkha closes her eyes and exhales slowly, shakily, eventually just starting to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry."
To Macglynn: Sorry, sorry, sorry, so sorry, didn't mean t-- and then the smokescreen goes up again. He doesn't need to hear her entire logic.

Macglynn wraps his arms around her, silently. His chin is still rested on her head.
Macglynn says: 'S a'rite.

Senkha is still clinging to him and sobbing, shaking her head. "I missed you, I wanted you so much, I j-just wanted you two to be happy without m-my doubts..."

Macglynn says: Ah need yer doubts t' counter my dangerous ahdealism.

Senkha says: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't know w-why I was thinking like that.

Macglynn says: ... Well. Y'was bein' tortured. Ah jus' hope y'don't still think that way.

Senkha shakes her head, trying to pull herself more against him. She can't seem to stop crying, half out of happiness and half out of sadness. "You a-aren't mad at me, then?"

Macglynn says: ... Ah can't be mad at you.

Senkha says: You can't?

Macglynn says: Don't have it in me.

Senkha says: I didn't mean to hurt you. With any of this.

Macglynn says: Ah never thought y'meant ter. Y'don't have nuthin' t'be sorry about.

Senkha 's sobs begin to slow, merely punctuated by sharp, shaking breaths. "Everything just went all wrong there," she murmurs.

Macglynn says: Ah think yuh'd waste less breath talkin' about th' things fer us that go right, hm?
Macglynn smiles at you.

Senkha manages a laugh, wet and sloppy, probably getting snot all over the place. "I'm here," she finally states, softly but firmly.

Macglynn nods. "An' Ah think that's whut matters most." He pulls up a bit of the cover to wipe the snot off her face. It probably needed changing anyway.

Senkha says: --is she alright?

Macglynn balls up the snotty part of the blanket and shoves it aside. "Dizzy? She's... she's back t' herself."

Senkha doesn't respond to this either positively or negatively, except to say, in a carefully neutral voice, "That's good."

Macglynn says: Ah think she's ready t' grow up, now.

Senkha says: I hope so. ...I'm sorry I'm not...I mean, I...I know I probably should be happier, but...

Macglynn says: This ain't a happy story.

Senkha doesn't start crying again, but she does sigh heavily, painfully. "I'm not a very good mother," she admits and then, with another sigh, "And I'm all full of self-pity. I'm sorry. I'm awake, and we should talk about happy things."

Macglynn says: Well. Ah should'a thought about that b'fore Ah-- naw. Y'know whut? Fer whut it's worth, Ah think yer doin' a damn fine job.

Senkha says: You do?

Macglynn says: All things considered?
Macglynn says: Most mothers don't gotta deal wi' this.

Senkha says: I don't hate her. It just...it hurts to love her. More than it hurts to love you.
Senkha says: ...not that loving you hurts, really. Not hard to be more than nothing.

Macglynn puts a hand on her shoulder and pushes her back so he's looking in her eyes. "We'll make sure it all turns out a'rite."

Senkha seems almost childish as she looks back at him. "Are you sure?"

Macglynn grins. " 'A 'course Ah'm sure! Y'don't git this far without first bein' sure 'a ever'thin'."
Macglynn says: ... Save fer the, uh. 'Dead' thing.

Senkha considers this and seems to come to a decision. "We'll figure it out. You and me. I...I'm not completely sure -how- we'll figure things out, but we'll figure them out."

Macglynn says: Ah think we first need t' figyer out whut it is we gotta figyer out.
Macglynn nods at you.

Senkha blinks a few times, looking at Oliver blankly. "Figure out what we have to figure out," she repeats.

Macglynn says: ... Well. When y'say "figger it out", whut does "it" mean?

Senkha says: Figure out our family. Figure out what to do with Dizzy, where to go from here.

Macglynn says: What -can- we do with Dizzy, other'n teach 'er t' defend 'erself an' hope she grows up? Ah think... hell, if we lose 'er again, Ah'm--
Macglynn says: Ah don't want t' give her up, but if this happens again, that jus' means that there's no way th' two 'a us kin take care 'a her.

Senkha actually sags with a bit of relief as he says this. "I thought the same thing. I'm just so...so afraid of more ill happening to her. That there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Macglynn says: So we'll give it a last hurrah. She means th' world t'me, but if Ah can't keep 'er safe, then... well. Ah'm gunna have t' let her go t' somebody what can.
Macglynn says: ... But please, give th' kid a chance-
Macglynn says: Ah think...

Senkha looks at Oliver curiously, still clinging to him around the waist.

Macglynn says: Ah think she was hurt by this jus' as much as you, even if 'er legs is workin'.

Senkha sighs reluctantly and presses her face against his chest again. "I don't doubt it. That's the worst part of all this...none of it is -her- fault. It's not like she chose to have these things happen."
Senkha says: Of course she's hurt by these things as much as I am. I'm not -angry- with her. I don't hate her. I'm just afraid.

Macglynn says: Ah'm jus'... makin' sure.

Senkha says: I made this bed. I'm going to lie in it. I'm done running away from things that frighten me.

Macglynn says: Huh, an' here Ah would'a thought yuh'd be tired 'a layin' in a bed.

Senkha snorts and weakly squeezes Oliver a bit tighter. "I promised Dad I would, when this all began. I told him I wouldn't give up. I'm not going to be like my mother."

Macglynn says: Good. Ah didn' marry a quitter.

Senkha says: No. No quitting. Strategical retreat sometimes, but never quitting.