Tale from the Other Side

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Jude did not have all the facts. In fact, he had very few of the facts. The story he'd been told was partial and incomplete, but it had given him at least one small fact to go digging into.

Whatever had happened, Xarrah was there. He knew her well enough, although he wouldn't have considered her a friend, and that meant it was easy enough to spot her in the hospital on his way back out.

She was probably there to visit Dani, but Jude simply beelined straight for her.

"Xarrah!" He called lightly, careful not to raise his voice too much--just enough to get attention--as he waved her over. "Could we talk?"

Two guesses what he wanted to talk about.
 

MARIE

Delicious Gummibear
Inactive
Jul 11, 2015
1,185
Pronouns
They/them
Posting Status
Daily
Xarrah’s brother and boyfriend had managed down to calm her significantly from the hysterical mess she had been previous day. She was by no means okay but there was no way she wasn’t going to visit Dani. They had probably already broken the news about Xavier being gone and she wanted to see how the small blonde was holding up. Walking up to the hospital entranced she paused slightly, what was she going to say to the little girl? This wasn’t something she had experience with.

She heard her name and looked up at Jude. There was only one thing he could want to talk to about. Xarrah wished whole heartedly this could be avoided but he was waving her over with his good arm. Giving him a smile she walked over and waved awkwardly. “Sure, What do you want to know?”

@Romi
 

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
The answer to Xarrah's unspoken question was not well, or as well as can be expected, which turned out, in this case, to be the very same answer. No one could have expected Dani to be anything but a mess. She'd already lost almost everything, after all.

"I know it's kind of a... an awful conversation to have," Jude said as they scooted out of the way of the hallway. "But I wanted to ask about what happened. They've only told me bits and pieces." What he did know were scraps. It wasn't like what had happened was on a need to know basis, but the more he knew, the easier things would be, in his mind. It wasn't as if there was any reason to keep it a secret, based on what he knew.
 

MARIE

Delicious Gummibear
Inactive
Jul 11, 2015
1,185
Pronouns
They/them
Posting Status
Daily
Xarrah took a deep breathe, of course he didn’t want to talk about the weather or like how senior year was going. She knew this walking over to him, still it wasn’t a converstion she wanted to have. Obviously Xavier had died, what else was there to talk about? Her friend was gone and his little sister was left alone considering the rest didnt make out of Halycon city.

“Well, Xavier asked me to come to the beach so he could explain himself. I don’t know why he picked the beach out of all places considering my zappy problem.” She could feel her chest tightening as she moved on with her story. She didn’t want to remember this.

“Dani wandered off, and when we found her she was being pulled in by waves, tide whatever. It happened fast. Xavier went in and only Dani came out. I preformed CPR because she wasn’t breathing and then brought here.” That was pretty much what she told the police officers and doctors when they asked. She wasn’t sure what details he wanted. Xavier died, Dani was familyless and she was feeling guilty and horrible.
 

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Jude realized he probably came off as unnaturally calm. He'd dealt with a lot of world-ending crisis in the last year or so, and a death--even the death of a friend--was not enough to chatter his unnatural calmness. In a few days, he would break down. In a few days, he would cry. But for the first few days after the crisis, he'd be just fine, because Jude was the kind of person who kept himself together when the worst was going on.

This wasn't the worst. This was bad, but it wasn't the worst.

There was a lot of information even in what little she'd said. A lot of information that added up in strange and somewhat alarming ways. He kept a poker face, his lips tight together as he processed what he'd heard.

"Did Dani get time to call out to you guys? How awake was she?" She didn't seem to remember, but that was... well, it'd be unusual if she did remember what had happened right away. After that kind of major trauma, short term amnesia was expected.
 

MARIE

Delicious Gummibear
Inactive
Jul 11, 2015
1,185
Pronouns
They/them
Posting Status
Daily
Xarrah shook her head “N-no Xavier was yelling for Dani so we back tracked to look for her and then we spotted her in the ocean. It couldn’t have been more then five or six minutes all together.The waves were pretty strong. It felt like forever.” She smiled sadly, she had completely forgotten about Xavier in her panic to help Dani. It was as if he didn’t matter because she couldn’t see him. Her biggest regret was not remembering untill after she was at the hospital. She should’ve called once Dani was breathing. Logically she knew she had done the right thing. Xavier had obviously drowned if he hadn’t surfaced with Dani.

“They sorta struggled to stay above the waves and then they disappeared. A few moments later Dani washed up with no Xavier. Im not sure how.” Not that she wasn’t thrilled Dani was alive, she just wasn’t sure how the girl managed to wash up and her brother didn’t when he was most definitrly holding her up.
 

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
There were a lot of elements. A lot of components. A lot of moving parts. That they'd gone to the beach with a girl who couldn't go in the water without injuring people. That he'd taken Dani for a serious conversation about a subject Dani only barely understood. That he'd managed to save his sister, but drowned himself, lost completely without even a body to be found.

But he didn't say those things. He didn't say the words I think this is a suicide attempt. It didn't matter. Xavier was gone, and bringing it up would do absolutely no one any good.

"Dani's doing as well as can be expected," Jude said. "Physically they think she's fine. They're going to keep her overnight at least one more night to make absolutely sure there's no side effects. But how are you holding up?"
 

MARIE

Delicious Gummibear
Inactive
Jul 11, 2015
1,185
Pronouns
They/them
Posting Status
Daily
Xarrah nodded at Jude’s word, Dani was as fine as she could be expected to be. If she’d known what Jude was thinking... piecing together she’d agree. There was no way this was a freak accident it had to be planned. She didn’t even know what they were doing on the beach. Dani couldn’t swim, she could swim but not without hurting herself and others, and Xavier wasn’t a strong enough swimmer to stay above water.

“I...I just gained the ability to switch back to my human form so progress. I just...im still trying to piece this together ya know? Somethings aren’t adding up...the situation itself seems strange. Not Supernatural strange, just regular strange..” she didn’t want to burden Jude. He had enough to deal with all things considering. Not to mention the destruction of his previous home.

“What about you? I know we aren’t close but i’m here if you need talk. My advice might be a bit off but im a great listener. Plus I can Zap all bullies giving you trouble! Ill even pretend it was an accident.” Xarrah attempted to give him her trademark smile, putting some of her usual energy into it...but it was distinctively lacking. She was still a mess.
 

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Jude wished for a moment that he could read minds. He wondered if they were thinking the same thing. Her mention of things not adding up...

Jude made himself breath, and told himself it didn't matter. Xavier was gone. No amount of digging was going to change things. All the curiosity in the world wouldn't change anything.

At least Dani was safe.

"No one's going to bully me," Jude said with a small laugh. "Bullying the student council vice president with the terrifying father isn't exactly a smart plan. Plus, everyone on the island knows I'm a snitch."

There was no way he'd sit on it and not be sure.

"I'm alright," he said, waving it off anyway. "I've dealt with worse. I'm a bit worried about Gabe, but he's at least open to talk about it."
 

MARIE

Delicious Gummibear
Inactive
Jul 11, 2015
1,185
Pronouns
They/them
Posting Status
Daily
Xarrah smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. This was rough, she couldn’t imagine how some of the evacuees must’ve felt. She was breaking down at a friend dying and she’d known him less around a month or so. She sincerely hoped this was accident because if not she’d bring him back just kill him again. Necromancy was a thing, all she needed was a body and some magic. It was possible this was Manta Carlos. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew thats how all the horror movies started.

“Uh, Gabe? I don’t think I’ve meet him yet. Is a close ftiend of you guys?”
 
Forgot your password?