023: [ visual ] / [ location: Hyperion Hotel ] Before I come undone

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

No, no, no -

"No!"

Cordelia wakes up with a start, sitting upright on her bed with her hands clutching her blanket like a lifeline. For several moments she looks around her in alarm, wondering where the hell she is and where the others are, wondering if this is another one of those times she unfortunately opened her eyes only to be sliced and diced again and--

Then she rests her head on her hands, and breathes. It's over now. It's over and done with and they're all safe but the images are still burned in her brain, like a vision that's been put on eternal loop.

Slowly - mindful of the pains that plague her - Cordelia gets out of bed. She looks down at herself, sees the numerous bandages that are wrapped around her body, and sighs.

And here she thought she'd be safe in Taxon. Pfft.

She gets up, and walks over to the mirror. Cordelia looks at her reflection, and bites her lip.

God.

"Mummy girl much?" she whispers.

[ ooc: backdated to a day after the horrors. ]

Comments

[visual]

[faderbroderson]

Godric jolts awake in bed, wrested out of a sound sleep by Cordelia's cry. Few other things would have woken him; a tree could have fallen outside and he might have only turned over. But Cordelia's voice, crying out, is something that he's become unfortunately attuned to. For the briefest moment, he's back in the Master's makeshift torture chamber, listening to someone else's suffering. But he's not, of course. He's in his room, and the cry came from the tablet. He reaches for it, groggy and still recovering, but unnaturally whole. The injuries he'd suffered are completely gone.

"...Are you alright?" He knows she's not, but his tone indicates that he's asking in relative terms.

[visual]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

She grabs her tablet, and for a few moments contemplates on setting it to voice. Cordelia doesn't want anyone to see her, not when she looks like a History exhibit reject.

But then, this is Godric, and god knows he's already seen her in a state far, far worse than she's in right now.

"Hey," she whispers. Any other day and his question would have garnered a catty reply. Now? Cordelia finds she has no strength to even think of a sharp answer. "No. You?"

[visual]

[faderbroderson]

"...I've been better." Godric has been in very bad situations in his long life, and has suffered worse injuries than the ones the Master inflicted on him. But by its nature, torture is horrific and traumatizing, and there had been one element of it that Godric had not been prepared for. As someone who's been a vampire most of his life, his mind had never been invaded. Apparently there truly is a first time for everything.

"Nightmare?"

[ location: cordelia's room ]

[undoing.livejournal.com]

No surprise, Angel's in the room. ...but he's doing his dark corner routine and lingering back in one of the chairs in the back and while it is visible from the mirror his lack of reflection doesn't give away his presence. He's not trying to hide, he's just...in one of his infamous moods where he shuts down save for watching - also known as hovering, but at least he's keeping his distance. For now.

He says nothing, just lifts his eyes from the book in his lap and watches her.

[ location: cordelia's room ]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Cordelia is really trying her best not to cry at just how awful she looks. She's just thankful that she's alone in her room, and she turns around, ready to head back to bed and hide there forever--

--and then she yelps, hand clutching her shirt and her heart beating like a drum. Because Angel's suddenly there, and how come she didn't notice him before?

"...are you trying to kill me on purpose?" she demands of the vampire.

[ location: cordelia's room ]

[undoing.livejournal.com]

Angel still doesn't say anything, just casually folds the top corner of the page he's on over and shuts the book. He sits back and presses his lips into a thin, unrelenting line as he leans back and shakes his head by way of answering.

Don't be fooled by all that calm, Cordelia. Beneath that he's still freaking out and shutting down like this is his way of keeping all that at bay.

[ location: cordelia's room ]

[demonologist]

Wesley knocks softly and then pops his head into the room. He knows that Angel is likely lurking in the room, fretting over her recovery.

"I thought you might like some tea. It's earl grey, very soothing. I also took the liberty of making you some toast. Peanut butter and jam. I wasn't sure what you'd like."

He hovers by the door, not wanting to intrude if she would rather be alone, or only with Angel.

[ location: cordelia's room ]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Shooting the seemingly comatose Angel a dirty look, Cordelia walks over to the door and opens it.

"Only English people like tea, Wes," she says, frowning at him openly - as if unsure of why he's here in the first place. "I like coffee better, remember?"

[ location: cordelia's room ]

[demonologist]

"Yes, I do, actually. It's just that we had to use the coffee pot as part of the rescue." He pauses, adjusting the tray in his hands. Yes, he's acting like a mother hen but he's just over-protective sometimes. Angel is worse! "I suppose I could hatch some coffee. A cappucino?"

[Voice]

[bigbad]

Look, d'you need anything? Though I figure you've got Angel there waiting on you hand and foot, not to mention the rest of everyone. Just thought I'd-- never mind.

[Voice]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

[ well, isn't this a bit surprising. ]

You just thought you'd... what?

[Voice]

[bigbad]

Ask?

[That wasn't supposed to sound like a question. He's just not very good at this.]

Bugger. I'm just trying to... you know. Extend my sympathies and all that. Guess I'm trying to see how you are. Except it's not too hard to guess, is it?

[Voice]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

[Harvestman hasn't been planning on talking to her. He hasn't planned on talking to anyone - he's on the verge of throwing himself at the city's barrier like Buffy had. This joke of a city wasn't so funny anymore.]

You'll be okay.

[Oh, and he also sounds like shit.]

[Voice]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Harvest--

[ then she pauses, because, oh, right. Glitched. ]

....John?

[Voice]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

[there's a great deal of tight anger when he speaks. It's not directed at her, but that's hard to tell.]

John's dead.

[Location: Cordelia's Room]

[supercompacted.livejournal.com]

She waits a good few hours until after the transmission, because she knows that Cordelia's likely to be inundated with people checking on her for a bit, here.

But after Cordelia's hopefully had some time to settle again, Fred heads up to her room and knocks rather lightly. She's clutching the shirt they used to find her.

[Location: Cordelia's Room]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Cordelia slowly gets up from her bed. She's been staring at the ceiling for some time, willing herself not to sleep, but that has left her with almost nothing to do. She's actually grateful the knock came when it did - at least now she has some form of distraction that will, hopefully, keep the nightmares at bay. At least, for a little while.

She then walks to the door and opens it. "Hey," Cordelia greets Fred with a smile. Her eyes are immediately drawn towards what the other woman is holding, though. "What's that?"

[Location: Hyperion Hotel]

[levilup.livejournal.com]

Instead of chiming in on the tablets like so many others have, Levi tells Shane he'll be back later and heads off to the hotel, looking tired and dressed down. He knows he's not the only one, that the rescue had taken a lot out of everybody, and he's been ridiculously worried about Cordelia and Godric. Mostly Cordelia, because Levi knew Godric was okay, but Levi hadn't had the chance to see Cordelia yet, not in the middle of all the madness. Spike, Angel and Wesley had hauled her out before Levi could turn around.

So now, he's outside the hotel about half an hour after Cordelia's tablet had set off, and he clicks on his own, sending a message to Cordelia.

"Cordelia. It's Levi. Do you mind if I come in?" He's already been invited, but it's polite to ask.

[Location: Hyperion Hotel]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

No, of course not. My room's on the second floor, third room on the left from the hallway.

While waiting, Cordelia will put on a robe that will cover most of her bandages. She thinks about putting on some make-up, then discards it at the last minute. She has the right to not look so fabulous every now and then - and this is one of those times.

[visual] Pretend Puppet!Angel is Cordy. <3

[greenballadeer.livejournal.com]

Lorne tumbles out of bed at the sound of Cordelia's cries from the tablet. He hurriedly pulls on a pale blue bathrobe and flicks on his visual feed. He certainly doesn't look his best, but he figures she could use a friendly face right now, not just a voice.

"Cordy, you'll be back to your gorgeous self any day now. And I'm not just talking about the bandages here."

[visual] Pretending away! <33

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Cordelia appreciates the gesture more than she can ever say. She thinks about hiding away and clicking the device to set it to voice mode, but thinks better of it.

"Thanks, Lorne," she says softly. "Hopefully it'll be soon. Me and bandages? Never really went well together, you know? Now I just... look like a History Exhibit reject."

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Pfft, that's next season's hot look. I read it in Vogue."

The attempt is pathetic, she knows, and the smile is pretty much a mockery of the real thing, in a face filled with worry and sympathy, but there it is.

[ visual ]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

"You already read it in Vogue? And here I thought I'd be the one to revolutionize the whole 'sick girl' look as the new in thing."

Cordelia offers her own pathetic smile in return - but it's a smile, nonetheless.

[ voice ] fml forever i am so fail lately. ;-;

[aregulargirl.livejournal.com]

Cordelia?

[ max has heard about what happened and could kick herself for not doing more to help. once again, a friend of hers was in trouble and she couldn't do anything to stop it or save them. story of her life.

she's glad to hear (and see) that cordelia's back, though, and safe. still, she's worried, which is why she answers when she hears (and sees) her transmission. ]

[ voice ] but still loved! <33

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

[ by the time cordelia gets this message, she's been spoiled rotten by the presence and support of her LA family. She's infinitely grateful to them - and max is no exception. ]

Hey, Max.