thisavrou_log | If You Listen Close, You'll Hear the Sound / of All the Ghosts That Bring Us Down

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original character: darin altway

If You Listen Close, You'll Hear the Sound / of All the Ghosts That Bring Us Down

Who: Darin, Open to Close and Semi-Close CR!
When: This week
Where: Kauto: Region 5 Hospital
What: Darin's been comatose since his bout with his shadow and it's time to wake him up with SCIENCE
Warnings: Probable blood and physical trauma

While his condition has stabilized since the shadows were officially defeated, Darin definitely isn't in the best of shape. His wounds are taking much longer to heal than they normally should, his skin is pale, and he's showing no signs of any real mental activity. In short: he's comatose. But, there's a glimmer of light in this dark cloud. Using experimental technology, someone (or a group of someones) can reach into Darin's consciousness and maybe try and pull him out of it. The problem? This might not work at all. Or things could go from bad to worse for everyone involved.

What's the worst that could happen?

I-The Hallway-
Interestingly enough, Darin's head isn't just a massive void of empty space peppered with memories of some really great explosions. Nor is it a palace with massive golden statues proclaiming just how amazing he is. It's just...a really long hallway. Each door is unmarked and unlocked, but if you put your ears to them, you can hear muffled voices coming from within. The hallway doesn't seem to have an end though. Pick a door, who knows what you'll find?

II-The Night It All Went to Hell-
One of the doors leads to a rather quaint hillock overlooking a quiet port town. It's dark out, but there's plenty of light from the spattering of stars and the twin moons; red and white respectively, giving the scenery and almost ethereal violet hue. There's a modest home on the hillock itself...which seems to be the source of some commotion. There's the sound of a fight, then some yelling. And then, finally, the spark of a fire being started...

III-Life Goes On-
This door leads to a bustling street in the port town itself. At the end of the street is a rather large smithy, and there appears to be a full garrison of knights standing about the premises, waiting impatiently. The sea are brings the fresh smell of salt on the breeze, and some of the knights are complaining to an older, stout looking gentleman about the rust on their gear. Meanwhile, a beleaguered, blue haired youth, no more than ten years old, is doing his best to measure up an impatient knight for some new armor. Except he's gone and tripped himself up with the measuring tape and fallen into one of the large barrels of water, sending a mixture of laughs and groans rippling through the platoon.

"Why do you even keep this kid around, Acteon?! He's more trouble than he's worth!"

IV-Something's Not Quite Right-
This door leads to an even larger marketplace...not just a port side town anymore. No, this is a huge bazaar in some forgotten nation's capital. There's stalls selling any kind of wares you can imagine: exotic fruits and spices, weapons and armor, fine silks and furs, if you can dream it, it's likely being sold here! Some well armored and equally armed guards push by you quickly though and head towards what seems to be a throng of people circling up. Follow them and you'll see a large man looming over that stout smithy from the previous door, who is in turn standing in front of a gangly-armed, teenage Darin.

"What's all this about?"

"Your brat! He comes up to my stall and he...he breaks my weapons right in front of my paying customers!"

"Look, I was just showing these fine folk what inferior gear looks li--" Darin is cut off by the larger weaponsmith.

"MY GEAR IS THE BEST IN THIS REALM!! ACTEON, EITHER REEL YOUR FREAK IN, OR I'LL HAVE HIM IN CHAINS!"

Darin's smug look turns enraged, and he's already jumping over Acteon to try and throttle the man.

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME YOU SECOND-RATE--"

The guards are already dogpiling on Darin which...doesn't necessarily slow him down. He pushes through them, and instead of attacking, just turns and runs for the nearest alleyway.

V-Chain of Command-
This door leads to...almost nothing, really. In fact, all that can be seen in this low light is what appears to be a massive steel gate. The bars reach up seemingly forever, and beyond the gate, there is nothing but blackness. The doors to the gate are pushed open slightly, but they're not fully open yet. Something appears to be keeping the doors themselves from being forced ajar completely. That something is Darin, hanging and covered in hundreds of chains, all of which are wrapped around the many massive iron bars. He appears to be hanging limp, but upon closer inspection, his arms are pulled taut, the muscles flexed and tight. As if, though unconscious, he's fighting to keep the iron gates shut.

-WILDCARD-

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Allura doesn't run a hand through her hair. It's already exactly where it ought to be, through some sort of Altean sorcery.

She furrows her brow for a moment, though. She had just been talking about if roles were reversed, after all. And if they were, that parental tone of Shiro's wouldn't have helped her mood much. Not everyone who needs help likes to receive it.

"All right, now. That's one too many apologies," she says, returning to the bed. "I'm trying to say that we missed you, not to make you feel ashamed for it!"

And as a gesture of good will, this time she'll start unhooking some of the wires and tubes from Darin. Not blindly. Things that she knows should be safe to remove. Look, it's a step in the right direction, isn't it?

"And... after all, you did prove abundantly that you can handle yourself, when the need arises. Yes, maybe it took some prodding to get you back. But you did come around, didn't you?"

He wants to say more. He wants to stand up and make him understand -- that's the right thing to do, isn't it? But...

Fine.

This is fine. He'll let her take this one. Maybe that'll get through Darin's head, finally. Move on, deal with it later. Or not, more likely, given the way things are going lately. There's already a lot he's got to make up for with the others, anyway.

"Just focus on recovering. Even if it's not going to take you that long, you've still been out cold for a while."

Darin shoots her a confused look, then gives the same look to Shiro. What was she doing? Why was she removing the wires when they had expressly told him not to? And for some reason, Shiro's tone bothered him.

"Uh...I guess...?" This was his response to both him coming around and to try and rest, as per Shiro's orders.

What did he screw up this time, he wonders.

"I'm...fine now. To an extent. Don't fuss over me."

"I'm not fussing, I'm -- look. you wanted these off, didn't you? Or did you suddenly decide you like having them on?" She pauses, looking at the door. "It's safe to say that if they were going to rush in and stop you, they already would have done it by now. And they'll have to fix them either way, so --" with a shrug in her voice, she concludes, "-- let's finish the job."

Come to think of it, shouldn't they have come in when he flatlined? Or did shutting the machine off also turn off how much the staff cared? Oh well. It's either not a big deal, or someone is going to get fired. It doesn't concern them, really.

"Look on the bright side. At least I'm not demanding that you take me on more adventures like that one, right away." It's almost snarky in tone, recalling the incredibly pushy girl from Darin's memories. Who Allura is nothing like, thank you very much.

"They're probably busy. They've had a lot of people come in after what happened."

He pushes himself up, carefully, and doing his best to hide that fact. Honestly, he's a bit at a loss for what to say next. Not exactly the usual. This whole thing has him thrown off. So...

"I'll... go check. If anyone's headed this way, I'll tell them what's going on. maybe get you checked out sooner."

One dialogue box option away from "I should go" like some kind of video game protagonist.

"Sh-Shiro...? Wait, hold on. You don't...you don't have to go so soon..."

He sits up further and just...grabs a bunch of wires and yanks them off so he can swing his legs over the side of the bed. He pushes himself off the mattress and hits the cold tile floor, his legs instantly buckling and sending him sprawling. Before anyone can rush to his aid, however, he's pushing himself up, knees wobbling like a newborn calf's. He steadied himself before standing to his full height.

"I'm...sorry I snapped. I'm sorry I resisted and I'm sorry I fought you guys for just trying to help me. I'm..."

He wobbles again, and leans on the bed for support.

"I'm just...a mess. The things the shadow said, yeah they're true and all. I'm...I've always been...jealous of you but..."

He rolls his hand at the wrist, trying to usher the words forth.

"I'm glad I did what I did, not because I thought it was some easy way out but because...I was just happy...protecting someone that mattered to me. Matters to everyone. And I know you hate being the person that gets protected because I'm the same way and...dammit, I'm rambling. My point is that...I chose this. Not because of some obligation but because you're my best friend and I'm just...glad that you were here for me and I'm glad I was there for you..."

'Jealous'. That word sticks out a bit. It's not something she would have guessed, but...

No, that makes a lot of sense. Given what his circumstances are, and how he didn't even like to be reminded of them. Compared to that, who wouldn't be jealous? And despite what I've told him, he still doesn't think himself a proper part of this team.

Wires. Wires everywhere, left behind. What to do with all them? After a moment's thought, she balls up all the dangling ends and throws them behind the bed. It's absolutely not a solution and she should be ashamed of herself, but hey, they can worry about that later.

She stays back for the moment, reflecting on how much of that she can relate to. And letting the two friends have their moment.

"Well... you're not alone in the mess department. There's that, at least."

It's deflecting. Like usual. That much hasn't changed a bit. No amount of shadow nonsense can change the deflection tendencies.

And, it's enough to stop him just inside the door. Resting his left hand against the frame for support he was pretending not to need a moment ago. "I wasn't talking about... being jealous, though." Because there's not much reason someone should be jealous of him, to be honest. "I meant ... pushing us away. We're all more capable than that thing wants you to think."

He leans more against the door, shaking his own head slightly.

"And we're going to be there for you. As part of this team. That's what it means -- to be part of us. We're not in the habit of leaving people behind."

"I don't want to..." he sighs.

"I don't want to push anyone away. Whenever I do, it's not something I want to do. But..."

He swallows the lump in his throat. He has to tell them. He has to tell them the truth.

"My fate...it's undecided but...if things don't go the way we'd like? I don't want you guys to think you failed. I don't want you to have to endure the pain of losing someone like me. That's why I do what I do...not just for your sakes but because I'm tired of feeling guilty whenever I cause someone pain. But...in the end, I recognize that it's your choice so...I guess that's just the way it's going to be..."

Allura's expression shifts.

It's a sentiment she can understand, for obvious reasons. How much sleep had she lost, lying awake in bed, meditating on whether or not there was no way to save her father's AI? It was a pointless endeavor. She had done the best she could with what she knew at the time; and even if a solution revealed itself in retrospect, there was no way to return to that moment. And yet, the thoughts returned to her.

But for the same reason...

"If that's what it comes down to, then I'd rather carry the weight of that failure," she remarks quietly. "Do you really think we would so easily give up on you? You mean so much more to us -- to him, yes, but also to me -- than that."

"I'd rather try, than sit by and know I let someone else down by not doing anything."

In that, he doesn't need to look at Allura to know she'd agree. I'd rather carry the weight of failure -- and yes, he's right, she does. They'd all rather try, than just walk away.

None of them are the kind of people who give up. They wouldn't be in this fight if they were.

"Besides. This place... the worlds we've seen and the people we've met... all that's done has made me think it's possible to change what we're 'meant' to do." His hand tightens on the doorframe. The others' faces flicking through his head, every conversation about the future he refuses to accept.

"It's another chance."

There's so much more he wants to say. He even holds up his hand, as if to plead for Shiro to stay. But ultimately, he drops the hand back to his side.

He was so damn tired of seeing that man's back. He was so tired of staring at everyone's back. But there almost seemed to be a wall between them at this moment. Darin couldn't close the gap. For all his strength and all his determination, he still fell short.

And it left such a bitter taste in his mouth.

He straightens up, and once more does what he does best: he fakes it. He tells a beautiful lie with a wide smile.

"Well, I know you. And you'll never let me down, pal. I'm just glad to be back."

One day...I'll reach that back...

His tone just did a complete reversal in course. Did that last exchange really improve his mood that much?

She can't quite be sure, either way. Maybe it's her own naivety. But something does come to mind, from all those lessons about etiquette and hospitality: Sometimes pretending to smile will help you smile for real. The mood should be fostered, shouldn't it?

"In that case, maybe we should celebrate properly? As much as the hospital will allow, unless you're going to challenge what we're 'meant' to do there, as well."

If it's any consolation, he's stayed put at the door due to his body dutifully informing him moving in any other direction too fast will result in a faceplant on the floor. Which doesn't exactly make for a good, dramatic delivery of anything but embarrassment.

"Hey, if I can get away with climbing the curtains once, I can get away with anything," he says, more lightly than he feels. All things considered. This isn't over. Not by a long shot.

But maybe now isn't the time. Maybe they do need to unwind for a little while.

Fake it until you make it is something everyone in this room is familiar with.

He just edges back into the room until there's a convenient chair in his path again. Thank you for your service, noble door frame.

A celebration? Normally, Darin would be all about kicking back, relaxing, and enjoying having survived their latest ordeal. But something on his face betrays what he's actually feeling. He looks down at his hands again and begins to clench and unclench them once more.

"If you guys are up to celebrating, I'll sign off on that. But..."

And this where things seem to take a turn for the uncharacteristic.

"I have some work I need to do. And I need to start as soon as my body is properly recovered."

What this 'work' could possibly be, he's not clarifying just yet. But there's a fire in his green eyes. Whatever he's got planned, he's very serious about it.

All right, no. She's not going to let that one pass without prying.

"What do you mean? What kind of work?"

It's not the work itself that's the problem, of course. He's possibly one of the most productive members of Lion House. But his approach to work always seems to be more challenging himself. A game and a learning experience, wrapped in one.

That serious tone is different.

That makes two of them.

"Talk to us, man. What are you planning?"

Allura isn't the only one who Has Some Concerns about all of this. The last time something like this happened, he'd heard Darin went racing back to the scene of the incident. Running through the entire gauntlet over and over again.

"I need to learn my limitations. And in order to learn those, I need to learn what the extent of my powers are."

He lifts his head and turns to them.

"All my life I've been too scared to really delve into what I can do. I thought my strength and my ability to recover quickly were the ceiling, but there's a lot more that I never even knew about. Meeting Dromas again before the Moira picked me up, seeing what he could do only cemented the fact that I never wanted to know what abilities Diomuhr's soul granted me. All of that changed when my shadow showed up. Someone who readily accepted Diomuhr's help? He raised an entire colosseum from the ground without breaking a sweat. He just...rearranged matter into what he needed it to be. Those powers aren't exclusive to him. They're mine."

He laughs, as if he can't believe what he's about to say himself.

"I have magic. I always did. But it doesn't follow the conventions and laws that normally govern my world. And I not only need to understand it better, but I need to train my body. Doing what I did to my shadow took everything I had. It was a do or die moment and, let's face it, I got lucky. But I don't like relying on luck if I can help it. That means I need to learn how to tap into my magic...turn it into an extension of my body just like I would any other weapon, like a muscle. And I need to raise my stamina so I'm not just a glass cannon. I need to be ready in the event something like this ever happens again."

"So, please don't take this as more fussing over you -- but -- can we help?"

Allura really shouldn't look as excited as she does. It's as if her whole expression lit up the moment the word 'train' came up.

"I'm not exactly a practiced alchemist, so unfortunately, the most I can teach you about magic is second-hand. But if it's training your body, I should be able to help with that. We can come up with something specialized."

He's got to smile. Even if it's the kind of smile people make when they know someone is about to get themselves beat. Allura's idea of training had involved shooting them with the Castle ... but it worked. In the end.

So, part of him is a little curious what she'd come up with for this instance.

"And as long as it's not another arena... I'm in." Heck, he'd try even if it were. "Physically anyway. I'm more than a little shorthanded in the magic department."

Shiro that's not funny.

"But, seriously. Part of the team means we work together. On this, and everything else."

Darin is actually a little surprised. And his face says as much.

"Are...you both sure? I have some ideas for what I think I need but...it's mostly going to be centered around my physical abilities. It's going to be pretty grueling. I need to be put to task. If you really want to do this, I won't stop you but..."

He trails off and considers his options, then nods as he comes to a decision.

"I want you guys to come at me with your best. Don't just put me through my paces...I need you guys to try and break me. If you two are up to the task then..."

"Normally, I'd extend the offer to go one-on-one against you with a battleship. Unfortunately, I still don't have mine." She hums thoughtfully. "Well, that shouldn't be much of a problem! Piloting the castle isn't all I'm good at -- I'm sure I can come up with something more creative."

And then, in case this isn't terrifying for both the men in the room, she adds, "Perhaps we should try to get the other paladins involved, too. It's a good team exercise, to work together against a much stronger opponent."

Alteans. Go hard or go home.

"We're not shooting him with the Castle... Even if it were here."

There is such a thing as overkill, even where Darin is concerned. Besides, that thing is more than just a battleship, it's a whole flotilla unto itself. He pauses, thinking.

"Allura, how much can you tell Pidge and Hunk about how the training room worked? Maybe they could recreate it, here, somehow." Good for the two of them to bond over, too. Speaking of which... "Add in Lance and Keith taking him on at the same time, we'd have a lot of angles of attack covered."

Another thoughtful pause, glancing up at her. "More, if you wanted to throw in too."

"Wait wait wait, back up. Rewind that tape for a second." He gives Allura an incredulous and frankly insulted look.

"Did you just say 'battleship?' As in you we're going to attack me with a battleship? You do know I don't have a robot lion right? I can't punch ionized photon blasts--"

He stops himself and blinks twice.

"Wait...can I punch ionized photon blasts? Is that a thing I can do? Shiro, I rescind my comment about Allura being a lunatic. I wanna punch ionized photon blasts. Also if you think Lance and Keith can take me I don't know who you're overestimating or underestimating here."

"Let's not forget, he created a building out of thin air. And creation -- controlling a large amount of matter and energy, and organizing it in delicate patterns -- is a much higher difficulty than destroying. For all we know, he could make his own robot in the middle of the battle and fight back."

She gives a 'look, I am not completely insane' shrug.

"Since that's the sort of sort of strain he'll need to adjust to, that's where I would focus the training. No matter what he's facing, he needs to go in unarmed. And if he wants to change that, he needs to fix it himself. Every time."

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there's sad breath of the wild music on now as i type

OH NOOOOO

oh nooooo

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