It's not been long since everyone has arrived; though the room is empty but for two people. One is currently on the couch, not particularly conscious, the other standing in the corner, looking on with a dark look in his eyes.
Of course, the couch is occupied by the Sheriff and his horrific injuries. The corner by one of his men, one of those who brought him back. A message has been sent upstairs, via an Erica, that he will see his guest. It's almost a request. Still, with the stains of blood spreading across the couch, his expression is impassive. However, there is dark fire burning in his eyes.
—
This is all too much. Violence, vampires and insanity. If only the sun had claimed her life then she wouldn't have to worry about any of it. Still she does as she's told, especially since she's very far from home and surrounded by people who could make her afterlife quite miserable. The 'vampire' Rose follows Erica when summoned, keeping her words and thoughts very much to herself. Gee, whatever could be making her so uncomfortable?
—
Hearing the incoming steps, Will slowly forces himself to sit up. He allows them both to enter before looking towards them. Only the slightest of winces would suggest his injuries. Well, that and the big holes in bits of him. His voice, though, lacks its usual faint Southern hint, instead bearing an entirely neutral accent. "Rose. Three points. You are not a vampire." One hand moves to hold against a part of his body. "I can help you understand. You are free to stay or leave here as you wish, for the moment. Do not lead anyone here without my approval. Do you understand?"
—
The sight is enough to make her want to be sick, and she very nearly is. There's a large part of her that believes that all of this is her fault. She should have stayed hidden. Tears begin to surface but she pushes them back as she watches him. A fanged tooth nibbles on her lip before she slowly nods. "I-I'm sorry." That's not what he's asked her, but Rose did nod. Obviously that must mean that she understands. "And thank you." There's a pause as something triggers in her mind. "Has anyone found the mayor?" And Ivan, by proxy.
—
It had been a trying day for Ivan, spent frantically darting around, attempting to find yet another kidnapped figure in his life. He's starting to get used to constantly searching for someone who is missing. It's almost enough to make a man wonder if he's the common factor in all these disappearances. Regardless, the Mayor was only found on the side of a road, glamoured, after the chaos of the terrorist attack on the parade. It took Ivan a while to calm him down, and get him somewhat settled.
And it is only now that the man arrives at the mansion, upon hearing his summons. Solemn, intensely sober, he is escorted a la Erica over towards the room the two 'vampires' occupy. The only warning to his presence is a brief knock upon the door of the room, before it creaks open. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
Oh yes. Think of the Devil, and he will appear.
—
"Please understand that my being between you and the blast was as much circumstance as heroic," Will replies, his speech a little jilted with the effort and pain of moving ribs in and out for using his voice. "I will ensure that any reports on the mayor's-" He breaks off, his attention moving over to Ivan.
"Just the man." Will's eyes gleam with an horrific mixture of rage, pain and ancient hunger. "We have much to discuss, and soon." A slow breath draws in, and the vampire's arm twitches slightly. "I am unimpressed."
—
He can say whatever he'd like, she's still not going to think very highly of anything at the moment. "It's all my fault. I'm sorry." It always will be that way. "I should just see my sister." Hope will likely try to kill Faith, and she knows it. This is why she's saying it.
Ivan's arrival nearly causes Rose to jump out of her skin. She looks at him with large eyes, her fear apparent. This is awkward. "Please," she finally says, turning back to Will. A step is taken as if she's going to reach out for him but she catches herself. "This can wait. You're hurt. We shouldn't be here." Perhaps she is just looking for a reason to leave, but she believes that she's making a valid point.
—
Mild surprise is written on Ivan's features once he takes stock of all the inhabitants of the room, but soon enough, he wipes his face blank of expression, adopting the neutrality necessary when dealing with the Sheriff. Unlike before, he refuses to give into that nagging amount of fear present in the back of his mind. Unlike before, he insists on remaining as stoic as possible. "Rose," he says, voice uncomfortably blank and low, "stop talking, please. I apologize for what happened at the parade personally and assume full responsibility, of course. They…" He cuts himself off here. Perhaps now is not the time for him to talk, either.
—
Slowly, the Sheriff of Dallas draws to his feet, the pool of claret beneath him now being added to by a slow drip from his fingers. "If your sister should do what I think she will, then another crime will be added to tonight's list," says he, low and level, now staring at Ivan. "Or perhaps this boy here will deal with it."
Unblinking, the clear blue of Will's look and the bloody mess of his body is in stark contrast to the clean, neutral lines of The Vault. "Either take her upstairs, or take her somewhere else. Rose's choice. She is safe here. She is also correct; I would suggest that you both are somewhere other than in my presence, for shall I soon lose control of mine hunger." Because synthetic just won't cut it when he's ruined the couch, shown by the archaic taint his words are collecting.
—
"That's the point, Sir." It's said so low that perhaps not even Ivan can hear it, but Ivan also is not a vampire. She looks to the ground as Will stands, his sight seriously causing her to fight back that which she has not eaten. Rose does force herself to look at Will, to see what she's caused. "If you need anything from me, just say so." It's the least that she can do.
Even with this being said she walks towards the door. He did request that they leave, and it's extremely uncomfortable in the room. A glance is given to Ivan on the way but that's all she offers at this moment. Whatever her decision, she's not going to enter into the conversation in front of the injured Sheriff. "Thank you," she offers again.
—
The dismissal comes as something of a surprise to Ivan, who had clearly expected more of a verbal eschewing at this point, but he's not one to complain. Instead, after narrowing his eyes speculatively, the man offers a cautious nod. "Yes sir…" And slowly, he begins backing out, pausing only to toss a look over his shoulder to the injured vampiric leader. "Sir, once you've regained your strength…I'll be at your beck and call."
—
"Good. Now go," says the vampire, his eyes closing for a brief moment against something. "Yes, yes you will," he replies, quietly, following the pair out with only his eyes. The sheer force of will (no pun intended) keeping him upright, keeping him able to function with the injuries of his body suddenly fades as it is no longer absolutely necessary, and he collapses bonelessly to the floor.
The other vampire in the room flits over, looking over his leader. The Sheriff's words are barely muttered. "Fetch me someone to drink."
In Some Other Room
Ericka is lovely enough to escort Ivan to the room Rose has settled down in, though she will find him considerably more curt and brief with their interactions. After being shown the door, he remains a couple of moments outside of it, almost trying to puzzle together exactly how he wants to present himself to the woman. His gift, after all, provides many opportunities. It would not be difficult to pull at her emotions and manipulate them, nor would it be difficult to mask his own.
In the end, he pushes the door open, appearing exactly as he is - somber, unimpressed, and deeply troubled - a much more sober version of the good-natured, cocky bastard he generally is. She is not acknowledged until after he closes and locks the door behind him. And then, with his arms crossed over his chest in a passive, but defensive gesture, he fixes his unblinking green eyes upon her. "Hey."
—
The sound of the door catches her attention. Most likely, she believes, it is yet someone else that she doesn't want around. It could be her sister, but that would likely be a worse scenario. When Ivan enters it nearly causes Rose to fall over. He literally is the last person that she expect to see. The surprise is literally worn upon her features.
Slowly she stands but she doesn't walk over to him. This isn't exactly an easy conversation to have, after all, and he's less than thrilled to be here. It's as if Captain Angry Pants is back. "Hey," she finally says as she plays with her hands. Nervous habit. When she speaks he'll notice that her teeth still have the fangs. "I…" A deep breath is taken before she looks to the floor. "I'm sorry. I know that you're mad. I just wanted to explain."
—
Ivan offers a faint shrug, dismissing her apology without second thought. Oh no, his intensity is almost startling, except she's seen it before. Albeit, not with this negative sort of undertone, but she ought to recognize the sheer willpower and determination he is staring at her with. "Please do," he drawls then, barely batting an eyelid at her moments. "Explain." That's how it's going to be. Curt and brisk.
—
It hurts, it honestly does. She'd step back from the attitude that she's getting but that would just cause her to fall back into her seat. Instead she basically retreats back into herself. He'd be able to notice if he is paying that much attention. Faith doesn't believe that he is.
After a brief pause she does nod, even if she keeps her gaze off of him. "It wasn't safe." This isn't an insult to him, it really isn't! She just doesn't even realize what she sounds like. "They would have hurt you, and it would have been my fault. And you've done so much for me that I wanted to save you for once." Rose is insane, there's no doubt about it, but she actually knows what she's talking about this time. Too bad no one believes a crazy.
—
Ivan pauses, trying to puzzle out exactly how to word his next round of comments. While it would not do to needlessly hurt the woman, he cannot absolve her of her actions entirely and move to coddle her like he would have in previous instances. This time, it's different. "…I think," he begins, his volume low and deliberate. "That your intentions are good, and your heart is in the right place." There. He's being nice again! "But what you did was dumb as fuck." …Kind of.
His eyes shut, if only for the moment, and he ends up shaking his head a little. "Rose. You don't understand. It is my duty to protect you - or it was. I don't know anymore. You left that night, and I still had to protect you. Which means I would still be out there, looking for you, and possibly getting into more trouble then could have ever shown up had you waited for me to fucking wake up. If I know where you are, I could take measures to keep you safe. I would have the upper hand, I could move preemptively, but that's it…you're a tactician's nightmare. You cannot just do whatever you like, willy-nilly. You've got to plan it out, do you understand?"
—
Well, that wasn't hard. He wasn't even being mean and she's already started to tear up. It isn't as if she wasn't expecting this but it's still hard. Still she allows him to speak his mind before even making a sound. It's only now that Rose looks up to him, her eyes shining with tears even if none are falling. "I know. No matter what I do it will be that way."
She's obviously upset but she's not going to just crumple into herself, not yet. She'll at least wait until he's long gone to do that. "They're still out there, those people. I thought that I could keep them away from you. That if I left maybe you wouldn't try and find me." The logic makes sense to her, at least! "I know, I know! I just don't get it." This point is accented by her hands, flashing the metal on her wrist. "I will never 'get it'. I just don't want to see you hurt."
—
Ivan lets out one of those soul-searching sighs, uncrossing his arms so that he may run agitated fingers through his dark curls. "No matter what you do impulsively, Rose. If you do things on your own, I'm not going to lie and coddle you. Yes, there's a fair chance that things may end up badly. But preparation can make up for the current situation. We know that they want you for some reason. By putting you under surveillance, upping security, you could be safe. Everyone could be as safe as we could manage. And frankly, that's stupid. You think after all I did - after all I've done for you, that I just wouldn't look for you anymore?"
Hammering down a broken girl is not fun. Ivan is not enjoying herself. But he needs to know that she understands the repercussions of her actions, and just how dangerous it is. After a moment though, he allows himself to soften slightly. "What d'you want to do, Rose. Or rather, what would you prefer to do - because chances are, you're not going to be able to get what you want. And…what's that on your arm?"
—
He's calling her stupid. He's making a point. She still believes that hers is a valid one. Rose just stares at him, obviously upset but unwilling to react for quite some time. "Because I hurt you." There. She said it. That's what he wanted to hear, she believes. "I did what I did and I would not blame you for not coming to look for me. I don't know why you feel obligated. I feel like I'm your project, no matter how you may actually feel. I don't want you to have that responsibility."
Sighing roughly she sits back where she was. This is not going as she had imagined, but she imagined that she'd actually be able to speak clearly. "Look what I did to the Sheriff. If people would stop protecting me then they wouldn't get hurt." Ah-ha! So she really is guilty. "I thought that if I saw the sun, there would be nothing to worry about. That's not going to work, obviously. I should just go talk to Hope." Faith lifts both of her hands to press against her temples, taking the opportunity to once more look at the floor. "It's nothing."
—
The admission that Rose's behavior was completely calculated, that she knew exactly how it'd hurt him, and used that to try to manipulate him…well, it leaves Ivan completely unsympathetic to a situation he would have, most likely, have been on her side on. He looks unimpressed by her words, and he feels almost numb to it all. "Jesus fucking Christ, will you grow up already?" Massaging his temples, the man bites out the harsh words with a look of impatience. "Let's be honest here. If you'd stop acting like a fucking child and going against everyone who's trying to keep you safe, then there would be less of a chance of getting hurt. To say that you'd want to kill yourself to protect those that are protecting you? That's fucking backwards logic, and bullshit. What you're doing then isn't protecting them. What you're doing is trying to displace the blame. Because if you're gone, you wont have to worry about them being hurt anymore. It's the cowards way out."
—
That's it; now she's crying. It's silent, really, but the tears are falling. It isn't as if Rose is doing it to gain sympathy. Ivan's merely stating what needs to be said. "And how exactly am I supposed to grow up when everyone treats me like a child?" The words are harsh and come out much stronger than she intends. So much so that she actually brings herself to stand, to look at him. "Do you really think I don't know that I'm the one responsible for all of this? It literally doesn't matter what I do try to do, Ivan. It doesn't. I was just going to the store when -this- happened." Yes, Rose is pointing at herself and exposing her teeth. "I have to live with the knowledge that I'm broken and a pain to everyone. I bet you even wish you'd never met me. I've ruined your life and I never even meant to."
The closer she gets to that last sentence the more she chokes up. Rose looks down again, down at her wrist and lightly touches that metal addition. "I tried to take a stand for myself, but everything moved. They're not where they were. I tried to fight for myself, and I ended up nearly stabbing the Sheriff." Chainmail is a bitch to stab, she should point out. "You're right, you're absolutely right. I'm a coward. Until I can get over whatever they poisoned me with I can't make logic out of everything, and I hurt you. All I ever wanted was for you to be safe, and not feel obligated to me. I'm sorry." She takes a deep breath, waiting for more to come from Angry Ivan.
—
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, god damn it!" Ivan hisses, eyes narrowed with a flare of unadulterated irritation in his voice. "I didn't treat you like a child! I never did, not once, but you've continually behaved like one! You behaved like a child when you ran away in lieu of discussing what is important!" He pauses to inhale deeply at this point, trying to calm his wayward emotions. "First of all. You are not a vampire. Your death will not solve any problems. All it will do it hurt the ones you claim to care about. Second of all - you were not responsible for anything but how angry I am now. It was not your fault you were kidnapped - but your actions since them have been less then mature. The parade was not your fault. And you need to get over that if you're ever going to move on from being self-pitying and useless."
—
Again all she can do is stare at him. A move is made to press at her temples again but she stops and denies herself the action. It doesn't matter what's going on inside her mind, she realizes. That is no excuse. "I know," she finally says, her voice starting out weak. "I -know- I'm not a vampire. I still believe that I am but I know that I'm not. I don't expect anyone to understand what I just said." This is not said out of self-pity but rather in attempts to just explain what's going on.
"But you're right. I have to take responsibility for what I've done, and that's exactly why I'm talking to you." Rose has developed quite the temper since her most recent capture but she's not angry at all at this moment. She's being open. "I'm not good at this, I'm not. You know, caring for people. I care for Hope and we all know where that will get me." If he even argues one more time that she won't try to kill her Faith might actually lose it. "I never wanted you to hate me, but I know I have to take what I deserve."
—
Oh, Ivan has given up on Hope completely. He is now completely, one hundred percent convinced that the Tyler twin is batshit insane, and will definitely kill Faith if given the opportunity. No longer will the curly haired man stand up for that particular twin. Therefore, all he can do at the mention of her is purse his lips slightly in discomfort. At least it looks as though he's coming to the end of his lecture - that's a positive. "I don't…I don't hate you." He clarifies in a low grunt, finally averting his eyes from her. A couple of seconds are taken as he tries to puzzle out exactly how he feels with regards to her now. "…I'm disappointed in you, I suppose." Beat. "What do you mean, you know that you're not one but you believe that you are?"
—
Disappointment is something that this particular Tyler is more than used to. She feels it often and has others feeling it even more. "I know that saying sorry isn't enough, I know. I just don't know what to do." And with that she blows out one more deep breath and finds herself sitting there. Words just aren't coming to her as she tries to figure out how to explain things.
"You told me that I'm not a vampire. I trust you, Ivan. I can't freaking trust anyone but I trust you. Mister Grant and his people have said the same thing, too." The entire time that she's explaining things her eyes focus on her injured wrist. "They just did something to me. Gave me something. Locked me up. It all just seems so vivid, right here." She only looks back at him as she taps her temple. "It had to be what they gave me. I mean, it's fading. That's why I can think about things. But my mind just sort of exploded when I drank it."
—
Ivan shakes his head faintly, only then taking the initiative to step forward and close the distance between the pair one step at a time. After all, the yelling is mostly done. She's apologized and seen the error of her ways. There's nothing more to do, but try to rebuild the mess that has been made.
Slowly. One step at a time. First with Rose, then with the Mayor, and then with the City. All he needs to do is keep breathing, keep moving one step at a time.
"Don't worry about it, Rose. It's the past now. No sense in dwelling on it. We'll…start anew, yeah? Start over, from the beginning. An empty slate." He wrist is eyed by him as well, and he even holds out his hand, as if intending to touch it, though the movement is halted by himself. "Drugs, you think? Something powerful? Was it like the medication back at the institute?" Beat. "What is that metal thing?"
—
He's being far too nice about things and it will only end poorly. If nothing else, she'll just start to care for him more. That type of insanity is not something that he wants in his life. He can't. "Why?" The question comes as he steps closer. "Why are you saying that? I mean, how can you be such a nice person?" For a moment Rose is actually hopeful. That moment lasts for about as long as it takes for her to focus on the other topics.
The woman rubs at her face with her good hand before she shakes her head. "No. They did give me something like that to make me sleep. That's something familiar. This was something I drank. It tasted bad and just set off fireworks. Like everything I forgot was suddenly back, and gone just as fast." That's how it was so easy to convince her of things she normally wouldn't believe. The wrist guard is shown to Ivan when he asks about it. "It's to stabilize my wrist until I get it in a cast."
—
"Why?" Ivan inquires with a frown, stepping back as confusion takes over once again. With a tentative lick of his lips, he backtracks to try and make sense of the question. "Because…because I don't give up on people who don't deserve to be given up on. It has nothing to do with how nice I am, Rose." In fact, here he offers a dry snort of amusement. "I'm fairly sure a bunch of people wouldn't consider me very nice at all. But I've got to. I've just got to keep faith, otherwise what's the point of anything, really?" Beat. "No pun intended…"
When she explains the wrist guard, he nods his head once again, now feeling a bit awkward. After all, he's standing before her. Slowly, he attempts to approach her with the hopes of sitting beside her. "I see. Something you drank? Like in your water or juice or something?" Beat. "Does it hurt? Your arm, I mean."
—
"That's because people are idiots." It's ironic that the crazy person would ever resort to such name calling, but here she is. "Maybe I just trust people too much at first, but I don't think that's it. I honestly think that you're a kind soul." That's likely why she's so attached. "And it isn't just because you're cute, or because of how I feel about you. I've never seen you do anything that doesn't have some kind hearted motivation."
When he gets closer she shifts slightly, allowing for him to sit down next to her if he'd like. Rose isn't going to force him, though. She's gone and made things horribly awkward. "I think it was in water. It all happened so fast that night. It wasn't just water, though, and it was fast. As soon as I drank it everything changed." He likely doesn't understand what she's talking about, she realizes. Being crazy is hard. Rose finally smiles, though, for the first time in a long time. "It feels like I attempted to stab someone who wears armor." Yes, she's talking about Will. "It hurts like hell."
—
Ivan can't help it - his lips quirk into a wry smile. You'd think he'd enjoy, or even embrace such shameless flattery - and while he does, to a certain extent, it also makes him feel the need to scratch the back of his head gingerly. He can be modest sometimes, see! "Thanks. Seriously, thank you. But…don't do that entirely. I'm a good guy, I am, but I'm not perfect. I just don't want you…to get your hopes up too much, I guess. I'm no angel."
But, things are looking good! At least, better then the were before. And so, he allows himself to revert to old practices. "It does? I can get you a couple of pain killers, perhaps? And…" Beat. "Well. Once everything settles down, you know? What are you going to do? Stay here, perhaps?" For the moment, this is all he can ask. Bringing up the topic of how she feels for him almost scares him, and considering his inexperience with insanity and V, he can't exactly diagnose her.
—
"I don't want an angel." Rose looks squarely at Ivan as she says this. The woman is completely serious and for the moment doesn't seem to be talking through insanity. She certainly is in different sorts than she had been when he last saw her. "If they do exist, they really are overrated." Looks like she's changed her views on a few things, too.
It's still awkward for her at the moment. She wants to lean in closer to him, but she made him so mad. Her hesitant movements are just as obvious as his. "No," comes the immediate response. "Thank you, but no. I think I've had enough drugs for a while." Even at this Rose smiles. She's trying to make the best of the situation and prove that she's working on being sane. Ivan's questions do cause her to pause and consider the situations. "I'm going to talk to Chloe. She thinks she can unbreak me. I'd kind of like that." Poor girl doesn't know what she's talking about. "Past that? I think I have to go back to that place. I just want a normal life, and I don't want to be monitored, but shy of implanting a tracking device in me I think I don't have a choice."
—
Ivan's brows furrow at that admission of Rose's, and Ivan finds himself licking his lips once more uncomfortable. Is her disillusionment a good thing? He simply cannot tell. "What do you want, then?" He inquires gently. Her official decision on the subject of drugs is taken with a nod of his head, and with a faint smile on his face, he quirks his head in her direction. "Alright. Good on you, then. That…it all, actually, sounds fairly intelligent." Beat. "Do you think she can? Fix you, I mean. Not that there's anything to be fixed, but…you know."
—
She may be crazy, as evident by her responding out of order, but she's at least trying to touch on everything he's brought up. One thing just happened to seem more important. "Ivan, I'm broken. I know it. There's something up here." She points to her temple again, this time with her injured hand. "Or not, really. I can't lie to myself and say that I'm perfectly fine, but I can acknowledge it and try to be more adult with my decision making." See? Rose has been thinking about things.
"Chloe helped me once already. It was something small but she brought the memory back. She wants to help me more." Rose doesn't look all that hopeful but it is something that she's willing to try. "I don't know if it will work, but it's the first step to being away from facilities and medication." She will point out that she's been without her medication for days and look how clear her mind is! "I just want to be somewhat normal. I'll never be normal, and I don't want to be like everyone else, but I'm done with where I'm at."
She's looking intensely at him now, the desire to be more intimate there but she's doing well at holding back. "From there? I want what everyone else wants. I'd like to love, to be loved, and not to be a burden to those who care about me." That's not too much to ask. "I don't want to stay here. Right now the only person I want to be around…" She stops dead in her tracks. "I just don't want to stay here."
—
Well. This is what Ivan wanted, wasn't it? He wanted her to be mature and recognize what was happening, and now she's doing it. And so, there's no reason for him to insist that she's perfectly normal and fine - as it would only contradict what he wanted to accepted. Instead, he offers a curt nod, brows furrowing slightly in thought. "That's…that's really mature of you, Rose." He approves. "That's really good. I'm…I'm proud of you. I really am. You'll be good, Rose. You're getting better. You're already much better then the way you were when I first met you…remember?"
But now she's staring at him with a familiar look in those eyes, and this drives the lad to pause. Empathy gives him the ability to feel out the sudden shift in the atmosphere, and without consciously deciding to, he ends up leaning forward to her. During another time, Ivan would have probably taken advantage of the opportunity to steal a kiss, but the distinctive memory of waking only to find that she had left keeps him from doing so.
Obviously, Ivan hasn't learned his lesson quite yet, however. "You…you're welcome to stay at my place. You know, if you'd…like and all."
—
This is what people have wanted, isn't it? Faith Tyler was an extremely bright young woman before the incident that left her mentally unstable. Most people didn't like Faith all that well. At least now she has friends, somewhat. The change is a scary thought but she's trying for those that she does care about. "I don't think I can forget," she calmly explains. It's a sensitive moment in her life but she won't be upset at him for bringing it up. "You didn't like me very much, and for good reason. But you didn't know what all happened to me, either."
It isn't as if she expect him to ever forget what she's done to him. Falling asleep next to him was a wonderful experience, at least for her, and she used it against him. Yet he's close to her right now and it's comforting. All Rose really wants is to be next to him at the moment, even if she can't bring herself to say it.
Of course he hasn't learned his lesson! She only gets worse as she gets better, and think of his image! Well, maybe people will support him for caring for an ill woman. Rose just blinks as she looks at him, his words finally catching her by surprise. "You… would want that? After everything that happened?"
—
"If you…ah. If you don't take off on me in the middle of the night again, why not?" It's a joke, really. Or at least, that's what Ivan's pushing forward with a ghost of a laugh and a lopsided, tired smile. "I want you safe, Rose. The easiest way to do that is to know where you are, where I can find you. So…I mean, why not have you bunk in my apartment for a while, huh? At least…at least until we catch the assholes who did all that to you, and at least until people begin to forget your name once again."
Gingerly, uncertain, Ivan takes the initiative to reach over and brush a lock of her dark hair out of her face, just barely allowing his rough fingers to graze her cheek. "I'm not saying you have to, or that it's the smartest or best move to make. But…if you want, you can. Y'know? I'm still here."
—
It is meant for a joke but she isn't laughing. No, Rose looks horrible at the mere mention of it. She opens her mouth to explain everything but no words come out. The woman nearly starts crying again but thankfully is distracted by the rest of the conversation. "Well, you do have a comfortable couch." Yes, she's suggesting that she sleep there. "It'll be hard for you if you do, you realize. As you said, people know my name. I'm a walking target. I think that's why I was jumped that night." She's still not given anyone any details of what happened, not in great length. It makes her uncomfortable to try.
Rose closes her eyes at the slight touch before sighing. "Someone has to talk to Hope." She's not trying to be mean but she does love her sister. "I'll do it if you want, but I should take someone else with me." All this time people have thought that she's crazy but she honestly just knows her sister. "Because you know that if she finds out I'm staying with you, it won't be pretty. And according to the state of Texas I can't make the decision of where to live."
—
They'll hammer out sleeping arrangements later on, Ivan is sure. For now, he's much too preoccupied with the rest of the problems that seem to sprout up, one by one, always. "Yeah, but it's not going to be that much more difficult, trust me. All I do is mess around with things I probably shouldn't. My sister used to say that I was too much of an idiot to appreciate living a normal life - that's why I gamble so much. Addicted to the thrill, you know?"
Speaking of sisters. There is no better buzzkill then mention of Hope. Automatically, it prompts the young man to sober up and recall his hand from her person, almost as if he had been slapped away. "I'm not talking to your sister," he draws the line there, his drawl holding elements of bitterness. "I'm sorry. I can't. I'd prefer it if she didn't have to know at all, but seeing as you want her to, that's fine. Just make sure she knows I wont take kindly to her blind accusations and hostility any further."
—
The more they talk, the more relaxed she becomes. Faith smiles at him, almost seductively at first, her entire features lighting up. "Would you say that you're gambling with me?" At this point there's no way that she's going to start taking her medication again, not unless someone makes her. "As long as you're a betting man, I think I'd like to take you up on your offer. Until you get sick of me, that is."
Uh-oh. Talk about a major buzzkill. Rose isn't the best at reading people but his sudden change does trigger something. She shifts so that she can face him fully, concern obvious. "What did she do to you?" There's no beating around the bush with her sometimes. Something he should know by now. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry." Rose runs her tongue along her teeth again, those fangs still so foreign to her. "I don't want to tell her, please understand that. And I won't if you don't want me to. My only concern is that she might call the police if she finds out."
—
Ah, but if only she had offered that bit of flirtation before Hope was brought up! Ivan's response would have been very different a mere ten seconds ago. Meaning, he'd actually respond to it, instead of jump right over it thanks to his recently sobered state. The question is met with a wry quirk of his brows and a shrug of his shoulders. "She didn't do anything, don't worry." He offers, as unconvincing as it is. "We just have irreconcilable differences, is all." As in, she blames him for all the badness that has gone down with Rose, while he doesn't. With a sigh, he begins to massage his temple methodically. "You're right, I suppose. You probably might have to tell her. But…you'll have to take those fangs off before you do. She's gone off the deep end. And I'm serious - she's gone batshit crazy."
—
"I don't know what they are, but I can't take them off." Rose actually offers to show him how realistic they are and uses a finger to try and move one of them. It seems quite cemented in place. A dentist can help but she doesn't know this. "And I know what you're talking about." The 'I told you so' is not going to be mentioned, and his words actually explain what happened between Ivan and Hope. "Don't worry; I won't make you talk to her. She's not a bad person, or she wasn't before she got involved what that church."
Hey! She can actually recognize things like this. It's a step in the right direction, perhaps. Rose reaches out for Ivan, to try and console him, but uses her injured hand. It is her dominant hand, after all. It's just instinct. If he doesn't move away then she'll try to touch his cheek. "I don't have to tell her until this whole mess is sorted out. She would just be a liability, right? I mean, I'm involved but there's no reason to involve her right?"
—
"I never said she was a bad person," Ivan points out mildly, his eyes widening speculatively. "I think she has good intentions. She wants to do good. But fear does many things to people. Couple that with an insane, but eloquent leader, and that's what happens. Good intentions become corrupted." Beat. "She's a bitch, though." This he cannot help but grumble out. But soon enough, he finds his grumbling to be gone. Surprised by her touched, he is prompted into looking over to her, brows arched. "…Mhmm?" He cannot help the way he leans into her touch, looking for her brand of comfort. "Yeah…yeah, sure. You're right." It's difficult to tell exactly why he's agreeing - whether it is due to the seduction of her touch or whether it's due to the fact that she's proposing NOT telling her sister. Either way, it's a win-win for this lad! "We'll have them checked. Your teeth, I mean. And your wrist too, I can get you to a doctor soon. It'll be private and confidential."
—
Hey, he's agreeing with her! This is at least something. "It's all my fault, too. And before you say that I should say this, it's true. Even if I had died that day it would be the same. I guess it's Tripp's fault, too. We can't be blamed but we're the cause." This is something that doesn't upset her at all, most likely because she can't remember it. Faith is just speaking facts. "I think I used to be the bitch, so it's kind of funny. But she's who she is now." This could be the first time she's heard herself cuss but it doesn't seem to bother her at all.
The mention of getting her wrist fixed actually makes her realize that she's touching him with that hand. "It's okay, really." Her wrist, that is. "I'll be fine, but I should get the teeth changed eventually. If only just to be able to be in public." At this rate Rose might actually get used to them. She pulls her hand away, since it is injured and all, but uses her other to touch him on the leg. "When I can be there, that is. For now I'm content to stay indoors."
—
Ivan allows himself to relax slightly, due in part to the air of comfort that has begun to envelope the pair of them, and though he doesn't actively respond to her musings about her past, it's clear that it's being processed by the man. He's just entered a very strange state, one in which he doesn't feel the need to talk quite as poignantly as he did when he first stalked into the room, incensed. "You're not a bitch, Rose…Faith." Ivan offers, low and undoubtedly intimate in tone. "You're a lot of things…but you're not a bitch."
When she pulls the hand away, the man automatically casts his eyes down, preparing to shift away, only to be stopped by the hand at his leg. His gaze flits over to the said limb before he ends up licking his lips. "Indoors sounds good. How about it then? How about we head home? You look alot better now than you did that night - more healthy. So I guess you've probably gotten something to eat. But maybe we could grab some take out or something?"
—
The combination of what he says and how he says it causes her to watch him closely. She's processing a lot of things as well, and it takes a while for her to react. Slowly a smile creeps into place, one much like the one she used when asking if he were gambling with her. "Faith. You're only one of two people who call me that." No, Hope's not going to actually be mentioned. "I don't mind it so much when you say it." It doesn't sound forced upon her.
Her smile grows momentarily as she chooses to make a comment. "Indoors sounds like a very good thing." When he mentions that she looks better, Rose can't help but blush. He seems to pay attention, at least. "I honestly feel like I'll never stop being hungry, or cold." She has had the longest week in history, after all. It's all in the past, though, and not something she wishes to talk about. The blush remains as she looks down. "I-I'm ready."
—
Ivan curls his lips into a broad, boyish sort of grin, glancing to her out of the corner of his eyes. "Yeah? So it's okay if I call you that from now on? Faith? D'you…want me to?" With this almost juvenile question thrown into the air, he sniffs inconsequentially and returns his eyes to the front of the room, already shrugging off the thick wool coat that finds itself slung over his shoulders. Without offering her the opportunity to refuse the article of clothing, he turns to hand it over to her. "Put that on and lets get out of here before the sheriff decides he does have enough energy to skin me alive, okay? Let's go." And with that, he makes his way to his feet, peering to the young woman politely as he waits for her to follow.
—
"Well, you seem to like it more." Most of the people she's met didn't even know it was her name until she hit the news. It went and ruined all of her fun. "And it is my name. Rose is, too, but it's not the same. It just doesn't sound as silly when you say it." Then again, he's not saying it in the same sentence as her sister's name.
The whole conversation has her about as giddy as a school girl. Before she can react to anything she finds a coat offered to her. There is an argument there but she decides that now is not the time for it. It takes her some time to get her one arm into it due to the injury, but eventually it is on and she's standing. "I won't let him do that," she replies. "I'll behave. I promise."
