(no subject)

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine knew something was going on. But Pat was still scarce around the coffeehouse, and neither Theo nor Jesse were giving anything away. Having given her evidence to them in hope that it could help get the Goddess of Pain off their collective back, and then still being kept out of the loop burned a little. Maybe more than a little. Rae went about her days and nights trying to ignore her growing uneasiness. Over the last few years, she had learned to hate the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was always accompanied by the nagging feeling that something had gone wrong.

She tried to not let her worries and her bruised ego affect her, but when they were in the coffeehouse, Theo and Jesse were as mild and close-mouthed as usual. Sunshine found her parting "Enjoy" when she brought hem their plate of Killer Zebras to be fairly terse and pointed, and she winced every time she caught herself being unnecessarily short with her apprentice.

It was just good luck that she didn't have the closing shift, considering her mood. And, considering how the night turned out, good luck that she wasn't scheduled for the following morning-shift, either.

If pressed, Rae would admit the that the night wasn't particularly bad, but that was just because so many nights had turned out badly that they had long ago begun taking on shades of badness. This night was no worse than a number of others, just exhausting. The talking had gone on for a surprisingly long time - Rae had even had hopes of the night going well, what a joke - before the fighting had started.

~*~*~

The door slams open as Rae bursts through the entrance, her breath knocked out of her by the impact. She lands awkwardly but keeps her feet, just barely, the clotted mess that were her shoes leaving a smear of thick blood on the floor. Gripping the back of a chair for support as she coughs harshly, trying to get her breath back, she gives a quick hand-motion to close the door and make sure none of her assailants can follow.

Though she is exhausted and covered in blood, leaning hard on the chair, Rae is nevertheless grateful for the (literal) breather the bar's appearance offers.

Comments

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche appears, not quite literally, out of nowhere.

"Is any of that yours?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Adrenaline still coursing through her, Rae shakes her head hurriedly.

"No idea," she croaks between coughing fits. Having bloodied hands isn't conducive to covering one's mouth properly, but she does her best without getting them too close.

[street_sparrow]

"Right. Come on, there's a decontamination shower in the infirmary", he says briskly. "Then we can find out."

[sunbaked_baker]

A violent shudder runs through her as she straightens, the coughing eventually subsiding. Clearing her throat, she nods vaguely and moves to follow him. Only to nearly fall as she puts weight on her right foot.

"Ggh," she cuts back a curse as she gets a blood grip on the chair again. "...ankle's twisted." And gods, she sounds so irritated at that. Such a little thing.

[street_sparrow]

He slips under her arm without hesitation, not actively trying to catch her hands but not really caring much if the blood gets on his clothes either.

"Here. Let's hope that's the worst of it."

[sunbaked_baker]

She almost lets go just to keep him from touching her, but he is too quick. She'll have to endure it, though it turns her stomach.

"Hope so," she answers, managing to limp along towards the infirmary.

[street_sparrow]

If he has to throw out or burn these clothes, so be it. They're not his best.

He gets her to the infirmary as quickly as possible, knowing how badly she'll want to be clean.

[never_lost_faith]

"You are injured, Miss Seddon!"

It's Katrina Crane, who until this very moment had been consulting a number of large, ancient tomes of lore.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Don't," manages Sunshine between coughing fits, doubled over with the force of them and keeping her bloody deathgrip on the back of the chair for balance, "don't know if I am."

[never_lost_faith]

"Did you sustain an injury on your chest?" Katrina asks, in view of the coughing.

She puts a hand on Rae's shoulder, unafraid of blood and gore.

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae shudders at the touch, the coughing fits eventually subsiding. "I don't think so?"

"I don't hurt?" Except for her throat, from all the coughing, but that doesn't count.

[never_lost_faith]

"That need not mean anything," Katrina says. "Injured men on the battlefield often just keep on fighting and only notice their wounds after some while."

Pause.

"From the smell, those weren't men that attacked you, but foul demonic creatures. Stand straight and try to breathe more slowly?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae concentrates on stopping her shaking, steadying her breathing as instructed, seeking anything to focus on that isn't the sensation of being coated in the blood of dead vampire. Of dead people via vampires. She can ignore it when she's in the heat of things, but after... it's almost too much to bear.

"They were vampires," Rae clarifies, still holding tight to the chair as she stands, trying to calm down. She offers a faint smile, aiming for levity. "To give you an idea of what they're like - some demons in my world would be insulted if they heard vampires being called 'demonic.'"

[buh_bye]

Death looked over as on his way to his door, strange he would want to use one. He stopped and offered to help her.

"Are you injured?" he asked.

[sunbaked_baker]

The coughing fits are violent affairs, especially when one - one's hands in particular - is covered in blood and one is therefore unable to properly cover one's mouth. She pulls each breath deep, trying to regain equilibrium. Her bloody grip on the nearby chair doesn't loose.

"Don't... know yet," she manages, in between fits of involuntary coughing.

[buh_bye]

He offered his arms in support, "Should I take you to the infirmary, or do you need a bath first?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae doesn't take his arm, shying away from touching anyone when she is covered in blood. She nearly falls as her right ankle refuses to hold much of her weight, but keeps upright by sheer force of will.

"I'm going upstairs, for a shower. I'm.... I'm not hurt." It's not exactly true, but she really just wants to be clean, right now.

[buh_bye]

"Your ankle is injured," insisted Death, "Don't worry, these clothes don't really exist, besides I can get you to either your room, or the infirmary as quick as a wink."

He's being nicer to her than he is to people in general. Might have something to do with his scaring the crap out of her smaller self.

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae gives him a speculative look. He is Death, after all. "You can get me to my room?"

[herr_bookman]

The boy approaches slowly, from the side, giving her plenty of warning to let her know he's coming. "So, infirmary or bath?" he asks quietly, reaching the bar. He orders a large bowl full of hot water and a couple of towels, as well as a wet rag.

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae notices him around the time the coughs subside, and she clears her throat as she shudders. "Bath, eve... eventually."

"I don't think I'm hurt."

[herr_bookman]

"Good," Autor says, furrowing his brow. "Would you like the carpet up to your room? Do you need a drink?"

He calls the carpet out of his pocket, letting it hover near her.

[sunbaked_baker]

The wet rag is taken first, to clean her face and keep her from gagging from the thought of all the blood coating her. She shudders, cleaning what she can from the rag before starting on her hands.

".... Don't want to ruin your carpet." Rae can't think of drinks, right now.

[herr_bookman]

"It can be cleaned," Autor says, but doesn't press other than that. The boy orders another rag. Or three. "Do you want to sit down? Not on the carpet, unless you want to, but... I guess that's the same problem. Hm. Want to head to your room?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae isn't all here, at the moment, going through the motions of wiping the blood off her hands like one sleepwalking. She isn't thinking of the sick, thinly bloody water that she's leaving in the bowl of warm water. Blood-warm water.

"I should... yeah, I need to head to my room." And take advantage of Milliways' apparently inexhaustible water heaters. Rae lets the ruined rag fall back into the water, but can't look at it.