(no subject)

[balancingminds]

The shadows keep moving, he has on all the lights but he can't make the shadows stop. He looks up, there was a ship and a sky, but they're gone. Is he truly awake? Lights don't mean anything, he can create lights in a dream, he looks down to find he's not dressed. Perhaps he was asleep then, that would be good. He needs to be able to sleep and then wake up once more.

Carefully he dresses, focusing on the texture of each piece of clothing so he doesn't hear all the thoughts and feel all the emotions. They're very close, people are scared and angry and something's hungry. His shirt is starched, the cloth smooth between his fingers as he buttons all but the last two buttons at his collar. Then the cuff links with the Xavier crest, he presses his finger against one of the Xs until the pressure hurts. Sweater next, soft cashmere that's light as he slips it over his head and adjusts it to fall just so. Then his jacket, heavy tweed that he bought in Dublin, a jacket for a tutor at Oxford, he traces the weave noting the threads of blue interspersed with the grey. He chose this one because it looked best with his eyes, Raven approved of the ever so slightly wider lapels, not as modern as he could be but a step forward.

This is reality, this is all real. He starts coughing, feeling every shudder through his body.

Comments

[itrunsinthefamily]

"Do you want me to come in?"
That may help him regroup a bit more easily.

[balancingminds]

"No, there are too many shadows inside,"

Too much of everything, he presses his thumb against his cufflink once more. This is reality.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"What do you need, then? is it worth going downstairs to see if your door's come back?"
If he can go home, she's thinking, there's a chance he can get proper rest.

[balancingminds]

"Yes, perhaps, that might work,"

Though the main Bar will be difficult but he can try.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"All right." She holds out her hand. "Same as last time. I'll stick with you."

[balancingminds]

"I can do that, you're present and real,"

He doesn't sound as certain as he wants to be and he closes his eyes to get his shields fairly solid.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"Exactly. I'm real and I'm awake, and so are you. And I'm not going anywhere until you're all right or you make it home."
(He'd probably have a lot of explaining to do if she followed him, is all. And, well... lunar cycles.)

[balancingminds]

"Yes, there is a solution, there always is somewhere. This one's just a rather difficult one to find,"

He steps out into the hall and closes the door behind him.

[itrunsinthefamily]

It is - and she doesn't know enough about the situation, and as far as she can tell it originated in the woods. She doesn't want to risk hurting whoever goes out to stop it just because it's the wrong time of the month.
"Ready?"

[balancingminds]

"As much as I will ever be,"

The hall doesn't look right, the lights are wrong and he holds his breath waiting for what's next.

[itrunsinthefamily]

Red takes his hand. "This'll go a lot better if you breathe, you know."

[balancingminds]

"Right, yes,"

Her touch briefly helps though nothing looks as it should. Soon there will be footsteps and people to take him away because he's mad.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"It's all right. We're just going down the stairs and to try the front door. I'll hold your hand until we get there, but you're going to have to be the one to open it - I doubt I could get you home."

[balancingminds]

"Yes, I can open a door. I haven't done anything that they can take me away for, have I?"

He hopes he hasn't, he doesn't think he has, but it's hard to tell.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"...Who would take you away?"
Her Majesty's guards don't apply in this case, and Security here likely would have stepped in if they needed to, by now. Red's... out of ideas, after that.

[balancingminds]

"Sorry, no, that's the past, when they thought something was wrong with me,"

It's not as coherent as he wants it to be but it's what's there. He doesn't want to hear those voices again.

[itrunsinthefamily]

She - doesn't quite get the idea, as she's picturing something closer to Her Majesty's guards after all. But that's her context for 'something is wrong with this person.'
"If it's in the past, that you ought to be just fine here. Here's the stairs."

[balancingminds]

"It is, lines are just getting blurred,"

Getting down the stairs isn't too difficult though he does end up coughing on the landing.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"You all right?"
As all right as the situation allows, anyway.

[balancingminds]

"I don't know,"

Finally the coughing stops and he looks down into the bar, so many minds.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"Just keep breathing, as best you can. It's not too far to the door."

[balancingminds]

"No, it's not. Are they all real?"

He does his best to keep his shields up, but they're wavering.

[itrunsinthefamily]

"They are."
It's just the bar, same as always. It's all real.

[balancingminds]

There are shadows and he traces a symbol on the banister,

"I'm awake and this is real."

[itrunsinthefamily]

"We're both awake and this is real. You're going to be all right."
He has to be.