Through the Deep End (Finished)

[Vyn]

Deep within her own thoughts, Mephitisia was still struck by her own emotions. The extent of her worry, of her concern, was honestly disturbing to the usually detached doe. People didn't mean anything to her, nothing meant more than reaching the ends to her means. Right?

Perhaps... Perhaps not so much as she had originally thought.

Mephitisia stroked his cheeks as he trembled, absently noting Peaches's presence with a small nod. Otherwise her eyes were for Pravus and his pain. Something about it hurt on a level that she didn't quite understand, nor did she want to. Forcefully she ignored it and put her attention back to the feline as he grasped her leg a bit harder, if his nails cut she would've never noticed.

"You and I both know that was far from his intention." She said, tone flat but...mixed with something else. Like that inner twisting in her gut, Mephit ignored the deeper feeling to her chillingly soft voice. "I am sure he would have never willingly left you."

She would not pretend to know them well, but there were things she grasped to quite quickly. The feline's attachment to his Queen was undeniable and that the Queen had shown him something akin to love in return was also hard to ignore. That alone combined with the fact that few men nor women willingly wished such an untimely end made even her outsider's opinion quite brutally honest.

Now what she needed to do was get t he feline off the bloody ground. As soon as his grip relaxed, she would ask Peaches to assist her in removing him from the bloodied floor, until then and would user her free hand to stroke his cheek and return his tight squeeze with the other.

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches took a deep breathe and placed the bottled on her belt alongside her fan. Lightly she placed a gloved hand on Pravus' shoulder. He was just so... pathetic. It hurt to watch. She knew what he was madly in love with Queen Serafino, it was obvious. This just... this was just so difficult to look at. She didn't remove her hand though.

"Pravus... he never would have left you. This is different. He didn't have a choice. I'm really sorry Pravus." Peaches said as clearly as she could manage. She glanced at Mephit. They had to get him off the floor didn't they? This would be interesting.

She wanted to hug the poor man. However, that didn't make anything better. "Pravus. We're going to... we're going to move you all right? You can't stay down here." Peaches slipped her hands around one of his arms. Please, please listen Pravus.

[Spiderfly]

Pravus nodded fervently over and over again. Yes. . Serafino wouldn't have left him willingly. The nodding was almost feverish as his mind raced. Yes, he wouldn't have left, perhaps. . perhaps he hadn't left? It was all a bad dream? Surely, this was a bad bad dream, it had to be.

He calmed, to an eerie stillness. Yes, this was a dream, certainly it had to be. For both of the Cards beside him to show so much worry, for them both to care. No one cared for him besides the Queen.

"Okay." He said flatly, blinking slowly as his eyes dropped back to blank. The trembling continued only slightly through his extremities, hardly noticeable. The cat's amber eyes flitted around a little before settling on the faces in front of him.

"Where. . . are we going?" Pravus asked as he leaned on the two to get himself standing. The blood rushed from his head and left him reeling for a second, leaning against both ladies to keep his feet until his balance returned. "Will my Queen come by soon?"

[Vyn]

Mephitsia couldn't stand these emotions. They muddled her head and made her heart ache and she would've tossed them out in an instant were she given the chance. For a moment she closed her eyes, muscles tensing, and then she relaxed once more and her orange eyes open to peer between the two felines. Peaches seemed to have the talking bit covered, she understood what words to say to be consoling while Mephit understood only blunt honesty.

Her arm slid beneath Pravus, supporting him smoothly and lifting him to his feet with Peaches's assistance. They had only taken a few steps toward the stairs when Pravus spoke up once more. He had...descended back to his safe place where the death of his lover was only a dream. Mephit didn't know how to respond, comforting words were not her thing. Were she the sort to speak without thought, she would have said 'no' and left it at that but instead she glanced imploringly at Peaches.

Let her say something for him where Mephitisia could not.

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches felt something break inside her. Something that she assumed she had fixed a long time ago. Apparently it was only temporary, and she was still rather broken. She was just as useless as she had always been.

"Pravus.... Pravus... he's gone. Like my brother. He can't come back. He can't come back to you anymore," She said as she choked back the tears. Why was it so hard to say? It was like losing a family members over and over again. The words just made it worse. She had to keep it all together though. She couldn't break down now. Peaches shifted carefully as they made their way to the first step.

"I'm sorry Pravus. I know how much he meant to you, and how much he still means, but he can't come back." She whispered. Could he really understand what she was saying? How far gone was he? "But Pravus... Pravus you know there are still people who...who... love you? People who really need you. Your Queen wouldn't want you to.... to... to be lost like this. Would he?"

Love. God. She had said that word.

[Spiderfly]

Pravus just nodded numbly over and over again as the girls led him from his dungeon back up to the palace proper.The sudden light from the sun outside seemed wrong as he emerged from the darker basement. It was too happy, too. . bright.

He lifted an arm shakily and shielded his eyes from it's glaring warmth. Nothing at the moment would warm him. A servant looked up from their duties as the trio passed and Pravus hissed, a scratchy warning sound. The Card quickly put their head down and skittered off in the other direction. What were people still working for? Didn't they care about what happened?

He shook his head. Not sure if he even believed it himself. At least he seemed to be thinking more rationally at the moment than before. Eye of the metaphorical emotional storm it seemed. This time at least, the heart-aching pain seemed to be receding, if only for a minute.

The cat was in essence compartmentalizing what happened, for now. He'd deal with it later, perhaps.

". . I need to lay down." He managed to say with dry lips.

[Vyn]

Mephitisia was thankful that Peaches had been the one to speak. She...understood that more. Emotional connections, the pain Pravus was feeling. Mephitisia could observe, she could sense the anguish coating his very presence but she couldn't grasp the actual bond he'd had with Serafino, not enough to gently speak the truth.

When Peaches had fallen silent, Mephitisia bowed her head a little to the woman in silent thanks before returning her full focus to the blood-stained feline.

"We're not far now, Pravus. Almost to your quarters."

In silence she finished the final stretch to Pravus's room and then inside to the bed. The blood coating his body and hers would make a mess of the sheets as she ushered him down but that could be dealt with later. If the curtains were not already firmly drawn, she would have silently encouraged Peaches to close them, if not then her focus would remain wholly upon the devastated feline.

"You should try to sleep, if you can..." If not, then she would get a sedative to help him. It was the least she could do.

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches acknowledge Mephit's nod with one of her own. This really wasn't something that could be easily dealt with period but it was worth a shot to cover up some of her own emotions at the moment. She could deal with them later. Pravus was more important.

Hesitantly she sat on the edge of the bed looking at the man coated in blood. The smell was just awful, how could he ever stand it? Well, he was completely distraught. It did help. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. Sleep, how was he going to sleep?

"If you need someone to sleep besides you, I'd be more than happy to. And if you can't sleep right now, I'll draw up a bath for you." Peaches offered as quietly and confidently as she could. Baths and sleep were two good things that shouldn't be forced. She eyed Mephit briefly before returning her gaze to Pravus.

[Kiki]

Kari, Spiderfly and Vyn receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!

[Spiderfly]

As he came more and more to himself Pravus' posture visibly straightened. At least, as straight as he could get with his spine. To hear they were almost there was a relief, his legs felt as if they'd give out. Was he really this weak? Really? He shook his head slightly.

How could he expect himself to deal with this. How could he expect himself to be fine? He wasn't, and wouldn't be, ever. But for now it seemed he had managed to block some of it. He pitied those who were around him when it came back.

He was mildly surprised as he was sat upon the softness of his bed. Apparently he had been so lost in his own head that he hadn't noticed where they were. Pravus shook his head again, he had to stop doing that. If he didn't function properly anyone could. . could. . kill him like they killed his Queen.

His fingers trembled and his eyes began to well again. "I think I need a bath I . . this smell. . ." The cat looked down at his blood-soaked hands.