sortinghat_logs | (no subject)

[Jumps at the scream and hurries over to the bed, not at all phased by a corpse coming back to life.]

Sveethott, hyu okay?

[Puts a hand to his back over the covers, rubbing gently.]

Edited 2012-10-01 13:32 (UTC)

Oh god... [he whimpers, some of the tension easing out of his back. Someone could touch him. Someone was touching him. He could feel things and he really was alive again. And while his brain recognized Mamma's accent, thoughts of "No, Jaeger, bad, don't trust" running rampant, his body really didn't care]

[He was up and out of the bed, throwing himself into Mamma's arms, muttering "oh god" over and over again between his sobs]

Shh, shh, iz okay dollink, Mamma's here. [Easily scoops him up in her arms and cradles him, stroking his back and kissing his head, murmuring soft phrases in German.]

Not my mamma. [Compared to the way he huddles against her, the words come out petulantly, almost reflexively. He slowly relaxes under her loving touch, but the tears don't stop] I died.

Vell, Hy vill have to do for now. [Continues to stroke his back, bringing up a hand to gently wipe his tears away.]

Ja, hyu did, but hyu iz back vhich is not someting a lot ov others can say.

[He whines a little bit, ducking his head away from her hand]

How iz hyu body other than alive?

[Gently puts one hand at his chin to lift his face so she can examine him more closely, taking in pupil response, skin colour, and breathing quickly.]

Tired, sore, energized, hungry, hyu tell Mamma.

[whines again, shifting a little in her grip]

I feel like I've been dead. Like everything is disconnected. Hungry. Not really tired, just... drained. Hollowed out, like.

Vell, das better dan feeling notink at all. [Doesn't let him escape her grip, gentle as it is, and holds up her hand with three fingers extended.]

Okay, ve chust need to make sure everytink is vorkink properly ja? After dat, Hy can get hyu someting to eat. Now, how many finkers am Hy holdink up?

Yes, yes it is. [He would know. He spent three days like that.]

[He gives her a blank stare] Gee, I'm not really sure. I think maybe is it three? [Yep, part of him is back to normal, that's for sure]

At least eet seems like hyu personality is de same.

[Rolls her eyes and carefully sets him back down in the bed. She then proceeds to poke and prod and gently ease his limbs this way and that, making sure all are in working order. A prod with her wand at his middle and she can see his organs are perfectly fine as well.]

Vell, hyu iz vun lucky boy ja? Body iz fine. But seeink as how hyu didn't eat for three days, ve start schmoll for food ja?

[Waves her wand to summon a glass of water, figuring if he's functioning well enough to snark at her, she wouldn't have to start with ice chips.]

Drink dot und if hyu can keep eet down ve go get hyu some food.

[he waits until she's looking away to stick his tongue out at her, but he still does it with every ounce of childishness he can muster. Jaegers, humph.]

[Humph humph humph.]

I told everyone it wasn't a cursed death...

[He pouts as he takes the glass of water, taking small sips from it]

[Shrugs at him, watching and waiting for him to finish the water.]

Hyu never know - stranger tings have happened.

Having Eriq's ghost hanging around him, he hadn't really had the chance to miss him or mourn him like he would have normally, so Arthur had only been a little put-out when he'd abruptly disappeared mid-conversation and hadn't thought on it very much.

That was, until he came walking into the Great Hall, very solid, very much alive, and quite obviously very distressed. His first reaction was to just.. stare, his urge to jump out of his seat and grab him up in a hug stalled by his shock at actually seeing him alive at all.

He got up, and made his way over to Eriq, sitting silently beside him. Both elbows rested on the table in front of him, and he pressed two fingers to his lips, then very carefully put one arm around the other boy, gripping his shoulder.

"Hey."

Eriq folds the instant Arthur's arm goes around him, pressing up against the other boy and tucking his face into the crook of his neck. He couldn't stop shaking, but gosh, it was nice just to feel the warmth of another human again.

"Hey," he croaks, his voice a little rough from emotion and disuse.

That kind of reaction was only to be expected, and as many questions as Arthur has, there's only one on his lips as he wraps his free arm around Eriq without giving a bloody toss who might be looking.

"Are you okay? Well.. comparatively speaking."

"No," he shakes his head, relaxing a little more into the other boy with a small sound. "But I'm feeling much better than yesterday."

"Considering 'alive' versus 'dead' I can imagine you must be."

This is.. awkward.. but he rubs his hand lightly up Eriq's arm and lets him lean against him, resting his chin on top of the other boy's head.

"It's.. good to see you."

Eriq doesn't see what's so awkward about it. Arthur is warm and solid and one of his friends. If anyone else has a problem with it, they can kiss his newly revived hiney. He's just going to stay right where he is as long as he can.

"Sorry for upsetting you like that."

Well, he's hardly going to move him after what he's been through. The apology catches him off-guard, though, and he peers at Eriq, looking a little puzzled.

"You're--?.. You didn't do it on purpose. I think. You don't need to apologise."

Herbert had gone back to normal himself sometime before Eriq had recovered, having spent most of his 'nice' time with his friend's ghost. Once he was more aware of what was happening, that effects were wearing off, he'd gone to the hospital wing, but that horrible girl was there, so he'd lurked around outside, just waiting. It had been hard, but he consoled himself bitterly with the thought that Eriq didn't need him, and when curfew came and he was shooed away, he slunk back to his dorm, wishing there was some way he could check.

During breakfast, he hardly could admit his huge relief to see the Slytherin alive, if not exactly well, and he kept glancing over at the other boy between pages of one of his anatomy books. But he didn't go over, just stayed at his table, shoulders hunched in, refusing to talk to anyone. Not that this went particularly noticed - it wasn't uncommon for the Ravenclaw to seem sour and uncommunicative to almost everyone in his House.

Eriq wished he would come over. because regardless of what Herbert thought, he did need him, he needed him badly, especially after what he'd been through. He even considered going over to the Ravenclaw table himself, just for Herbert, but though he was alive again, nothing quite felt real yet. He didn't know what was okay, what wasn't okay, where he ought to be, or what he ought to do, so he just sat at the table, staring at the food laid out before him.

Herbert almost got up a few times himself. No matter how angry he was with the other boy, how hurt, even someone like him could understand that death, however temporary, transcended some things. But then Aranea was there, too, always there first, and Arthur. Arthur, who had gone in one night from being someone Herbert could almost like to being about as high up on his shit list as anyone could get, for not letting him in to the Slytherin dorms when he needed to be there. No, he couldn't even think about coming within ten feet of those two. Part of it was incredibly selfish - he couldn't stand the thought of seeing either of them doing for his friend better than anything he could do. But a small part was out of consideration for a boy who didn't need to see anyone fighting or being nasty in front of him just then.

There weren't many moments to talk to Eriq alone, either, but he did force himself to walk past the other boy during their DADA lesson, before anyone else could. He didn't look at him, but he did stop in front of him, eyes on the ground, muttering, "I'm glad you're not dead."

He supposed that should say it all. He hoped.

It said more than enough to Eriq. And the fact that Herbert had avoided him for so long said so much more. In a way, it put him right back to where he'd been when he died, completely at a loss as to how to deal with things, and wishing that he didn't have to.

Because not dealing with it had worked so well the first time around.

Taking a deep breath, he slipped his fingers under Herbert's chin, gently lifting his face until they were eye to eye. "I'm sorry."

The smaller boy stared at him with huge, startled eyes, and then he jerked back, grabbing on to the strap of his book bag with both hands until his knuckles were almost white. "Don't- you got what you wan- "

But in a rare display of self control, Herbert didn't finish the thought. Maybe later he could be mean, maybe later he could say all the bitter things he wanted to, even though he was pretty sure the only good they would do would be to make Eriq really, really glad he had a girlfriend to cozy up to, and not some short, awkward, male friend.

Instead he stood his ground, and just shook his head a little. "It doesn't matter. I was being stupid. Same thing I always tell people not to be," he said, trying for a dismissive tone. "Live and learn, I think they say. Whatever. Anyway, you missed a few days of homework. I wrote it down for you, if you want it. It's simple enough - you could probably do it in a free period. I think the professors have been distracted."

He was babbling, he realized, and to stop himself, he looked down at the bag he was still clutching with a death grip, forced himself to relax his hands, and started digging through it, grateful for the excuse to look down again. He'd always been complete crap at this kind of thing, any sort of deeply personal interaction, and a few days of enforced pleasantness hadn't actually given him any better ways to deal with it other than pretending like none of it could possibly matter.

The moment Herbert pulls from his grip, Eriq's hand drops to his side, his entire body sagging as if whatever support that had been holding him up was jerked out from beneath him. Even his eyes dropped, his attention going to the ground. He almost wished he could sink into it, like he'd been able to before. He was hardly Mister Sensitive himself, but he knew Herbert, and he knew that if the other boy was cruel...

Then he deserved it. He deserved everything Herbert was going to say, but never did. He could practically hear the rant in his head, unfolding like a red carpet to his personal condemnation.

"Herbert, please..."

"You don't want it?" Herbert asked, looking up again. He had no idea how else to address this - please what? What was he supposed to say? Yes, it's completely fine that I fancy you and you're not going to feel the same way, I forgive you everything, it was all a big mistake, so let's just go back to being best friends the way things were before, so you can have everything you want. The sad thing was, Herbert knew that was what would happen. Eriq would feel bad for awhile, obviously he already did, and then Herbert would forgive him, because who else understood him? And Eriq would have the beautiful girlfriend and the best friend and live ... happily ever after, or however that worked for normal people. People who knew how to be around other people. And probably a really good friend would be happy for him, but Herbert wasn't a really good friend. He was a petty, jealous person, and he couldn't help but wish he'd never, ever been so stupid as to think kissing Eriq was a good idea.

"I imagine someone else saved it for you, anyway. I knew you'd come back. You had to, even if Kirkland was an utter arse and wouldn't let me come in. Or the professors did. You probably don't even have to do it, so I'm not sure why I bothered. Something to do, I guess."

[For two days Aranea had been a blissful little girl again, none of her usual worries about grades, friends, or her boyfriend bothering her. All there had been was playing with Vriska, getting to know the little sister she had at the young age like she wished. Even everyone's constant demands that she was supposed to be older din't truly phase her. She was the perfect age.

And then on the third morning she woke up, in the uniform she had put on 3 days ago, curled uncomfortably around Vriska in a bed too small for two teenagers. Carefully she had crept out, memories of the past two days rattling in her head and moved to check her journal. She remembered Eriq being devastated, and the ink stain under his name in his conversation to Herbert makes her start to worry. And then she flips a few pages forward, and sees Arthur's writing. Sees Eriq's name.

Sees the word dead.

Dropping her journal she had bolted to the hospital wing. It was Ms Maryam who let her in, even though it was still a few hours before visiting hours. Perhaps she knew of their relationship, but either way Aranea couldn't find it in her to care. Still rushing she made her way to Eriq's bed and it's only then she stops, choking back a sob. Her hand shakes as she reaches out to touch his, feels the cold flesh under hers.

She's not sure why she stays, curled up in a chair by his bed, clinging to his hand like her warmth will bring him back to life, but she does. She stays for as long as she can, blocking out everyone around her. It takes Ms Maryam prying her fingers out of Eriq's and leading her off to the Ravenclaw dorms to get her to leave. And even then she spends the night curled up in her bed, sleep never coming, and taking the privacy to cry behind closed, silenced-charmed curtains.

The next morning Aranea only goes down to the Great Hall out of routine. So when she sees Eriq, standing, breathing, her hearts stops. And then again she's bolting, pushing through groups to get to him in an uncharismatic display or rudeness. And then she near flings hers at him, arms tight around his waist, her heart pounding when she hears the beat of his. She can feel the tears in her eyes and yet she doesn't care about her composure, her arms merely tightening around Eriq as she buries her face against his chest.]

[Still feeling raw and numb from being dead, and then not dead again, it takes Eriq a second or two to process what's going on. It was like he was watching Aranea run to someone else, watching her throw herself into someone else's arms. But then there's warmth against his chest, wonderful, perfect, brilliant warmth, and his arms enfold her, his head dropping down against hers. He pushes his face into her hair, and he feels it in such intense detail, as if he can feel each and every single individual strand brushing over his face.]

[He lets out a slow, shakey breath] Oh, I am glad for this.

[There's a noise like a choked on sob, her fingers curling in his shirt as she continues to hold onto him. She needs to make sure that warmth is real,that the beat she hears really is his pulse, that she's not gone insane from lack of sleep and grief. But he's there, he's really there, her cheek against her knotted hair and god she doesn't know whether to kiss him or lecture him]

[So instead she just shudders, her voice wobbling as she speaks] I was so scared, so worried. I... I woke up and I was normal and then I found out... what happened and I was so scared that this wasn't all part of whatever happened these past few days, that you were really gone.

[He let out a small sound, almost like a laugh as he nuzzled the top of her head, pressing a smile into her forehead] You know, every time someone was upset that I was dead, I couldn't quite believe it. I couldn't believe it, every time someone expressed the hope that it wasn't permanent. Even now, I still... [his voice cracked, and he sighed, tightening his grip on her]

I'm sorry.

[She stiffens slightly in his hold, lifting her head. Even if her eyes weren't watering again they'd still be red from the previous night and she can't help but look upset] Don't think that. Merlin, do you know how many of us would have missed you? How upset we would have been? I-I... our last conversation would have been when I was a child again, and I... Don't ever scare me like that again!

[And back against his chest goes her forehead, before she bursts into tears]

I'm sorry. [he murmurs again, even though he still feels uncertain about the idea that anyone should miss him at all. He can tell she's upset, and that she did, and well. That was proof enough of something, wasn't it?] I was a ghost though, so... you know. We still could have talked.

...It wasn't your fault I know. I just... [Her more rational side is making itself more clear, even if her death grip on the back of his shirt remains. Forcing herself to take a deep breath she shakes her head, ignoring how much more messier it will make her fringe] It wouldn't have been the same, and you know it. I... you can't kiss ghosts for one, and eventually... eventually I would leave the school and you never would...

Edited 2012-10-01 15:01 (UTC)

Yes, it was. I wished for it. It was entirely my fault, and it was selfish. [he knows that much for sure, at least]

[He frowns a little when she mentions kissing, pulling her away to hold her out in front of him] Areanea, my feelings for you aren't dependent entirely on kissing, you know. Honestly, as much as I love it, I would really rather be much more content to just sit at your side and listen to you speak. Yes, things would have been different as a ghost, because a ghost doesn't feel the way a person does. It was just... all emptiness and apathy, and honestly, yes, we would have drifted apart before you graduated.

But there's nothing saying that won't happen now, either. [And he didn't like that she invested so much in him. Not because he doubted it, or that he didn't like it, or anything like that. He just... saw her as someone who deserved more than that. She deserved more than to be emotionally crippled and clinging to him. She was too good for that] I mean, you could find someone better suited to you, for all we know.

You didn't know it would happen though. Just like I didn't know what would happened when I wished to have known Vriska when we were younger. I just. [sigh] I'm saying I forgive you, even if you made me worry so much.

[She starts a little at the sudden push away, opening her mouth to speak only to have her beat her to it. And even as she replies her cheeks are flushing] I know that. Did you ever think that maybe I would be the one more wanting kisses? Boys aren't the only ones who want physical displays of affections in romances. [To have physical affection that she had craved for years, be it from friendly hugs to romantic kisses] I just. I don't know how we'll end up, or where it'll be but I want to give it an actual go. I just know I don't want to drift yet.

[Stubbornly she shakes her head, grabbing his hands so he can't get away from her before she can speak her mind] And maybe you're right maybe we will. Maybe in a few months we'll drift apart and go our separate ways and live entirely separate lives. Life's not a story, I know that, and it's rare to stay with your school loves but... dammit Eriq if this is you telling me to leave just say it otherwise.... shut up! [She's getting a little annoyed yes. First he dies then this] Shut up and let me do what most girlfriends would do if they found their boyfriend had died and then did come back and worry. And fuss. Because right now you're perfectly suited to me and I'm happy, I'm so happy you're alive. So who gives a hippogriff about maybes and what ifs and can we just enjoy what we have while we have it!

[And you are getting the most peeved off look one can get from Aranea. She's an independent woman and she knows what she wants!]

Edited 2012-10-18 08:52 (UTC)

[Marshall spies Eriq sitting at the table and looking like how Marshall himself felt. Without a word he goes over and sits beside him and silently just puts an arm around the other boys shoulders before finally saying.]

"....I'm really glad I was right and that it wasn't permanant. I'm not going to ask if you're okay because I can see that you're not..and that's okay."

Edited 2012-10-02 02:06 (UTC)

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Hospital wing - night

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