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

[Voice]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

[have another pause that lasts too long]

You're hurt. You've been kidnapped and scarred with memories that'll never go away. You got your boyfriend and your friends. You'll be alright.

Me, I got jackshit, but who the fuck cares 'bout me anyhow? It don't matter no more.

[Voice]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Of course it matters, you freak. You really think I'd even bother to ask if I didn't care about it one way or another?

[Voice]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

...What 'bout it do you wanna talk about?

[Voice]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

I don't know. What happened to your daughter, for one.

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

Fuck.

[there's the vague sounds of him fumbling with the tablet] Fuck that fucking idiot told you that, Jesus fucking Christ. Just forget 'bout it. Don't spread that 'round, you hear?

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

I definitely won't, but... well, I really don't have to, considering your human self kinda broadcasted the fact to... everyone.

[ her tone isn't mocking, for the record. she's just stating a fact. ]

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

[have a lot more uninventive and therefore censored swearing, Cordelia!]

Great. Fucking great. That all?

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Is there anything else you don't want me to know?

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

I could write a fucking book on it.

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Then people will buy it, and you'll finally have money. See? Everybody wins.

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

You wanna know what happened to my daughter? She's your age, that's what happened to her. She grew up without a mommy and daddy and boy, ain't that tragic now, but that's the way things go.

Anything else?

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

My--

[ pause. pause forever. ]

When was the last time you saw her?

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

...I died twenty-two years ago, Cordelia. I was kidnapped by my Sire, tortured and fed on 'til I was turned, then she dumped me without a clue as to how to deal with wanting to eat folks. The Turning process ain't nice where I come from. It rips you up inside, drives you crazy. It takes months before you're either undead or just fucking dead.

She weren't even talking then.

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

[ her voice is low as she says, ]

I'm so sorry, Harvestman.

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

[have another pause on his end. When he does speak, he sounds tired]

I ain't fishing for sympathy, I ain't looking for... I just want you to know I got reasons for behaving the way I do. Toward vampires. Toward everyone.

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

I know you aren't. And... well, I think I should apologize. For being so pushy and everything.

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

I reckon that's your natural state of being. It don't bother me too much.

Can I swing by and visit you, when you feel better, or will that hot boyfriend of yours rip my head off?

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's... actually true. Carry on.

[ pause. ] Sure! Angel's a bit tense these days, though, but don't let that bother you. I'll tell him to not rip your head off if you do come and visit.

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

Now I don't know him all that well, but he reminds me of somebody and if they are alike, tense is probably Angel's natural state of being.

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

It kinda is, to be honest.

He reminds you of somebody? Well who is it?

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

There you go again.

A Hunter I work for. I keep telling him he needs a damned vacation.

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, okay? It's just you offer up some interesting information and, well, who am I not to ask about it?

...you work for a Hunter?

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

Sometimes. I get the feeling things work a lot differently for you than it does for me. All us good monsters abide by the rules - the treaties, we call 'em, and in turn we don't get staked and there's a system to get an adequate blood supply. One of those rules is that we don't reveal ourselves to normal folks, which is why I didn't damn well let anybody know I was a vampire for awhile. That's a big one, break that and you're fucked.

So I ain't the hero type, alright? I get information he wants, or I do some other small job. I owe him so I can't exactly say no.

[Voice/ Locked]

[glowingseer.livejournal.com]

Huh. So in your world it's like... don't kill and you won't get killed in return?

[Voice/ Locked]

[fireburned.livejournal.com]

More or less.