Office Hours - We Could Be

[shieldof]

[Faith's door remains closed, the brass "PRIVATE" plaque silent and unyielding. Trying to force the door yields no results, but- she said you could contact her here, so just go ahead and knock. Worst case scenario, you're no worse off than before, right?]

((OOC: Please tag your top-levels with the appropriate week and day.))

Comments

[shieldof]

[Faith's check-ins with Shannon have slowly gotten more and defeated and sad as the week has worn on with no more success. Tonight, she takes the rare step of answering the door herself.]

Lady Shannon- I'm sorry, there's still no- ...I'm sorry.

[reflectsdargent]

[ Shannon greets Faith with a teeth-showing smile. It isn't a nice one. ]

Of course there's not.

[ If Faith knows even the slightest smell of alcohol, she can smell it on Shannon. In her hand she holds a bottle by its neck, swinging it slightly. It is entirely empty.

She leans against the door frame. ]

Out of the way. Lemme in.

[shieldof]

[Faith frowns, but steps aside.]

...Are you well, Lady Shannon?

[....]

To what degree are you UNwell-?

[reflectsdargent]

[ And Shannon strolls in like she owns the place. This time, unlike all the other times, she takes a seat. ]

Ooo, that's the fifty-thousand dollar question. You wanna guess?

[shieldof]

I could, I suspect I don't need to.

[She pulls out the chair facing her desk.]

Please, sit. ...Please.

[It's an actual request, at least, though definitely born from a slight concern about Shannon's current level of motor control.]

[reflectsdargent]

Ohhh, come on, if you're gonna ask, you could at least indulge me?

[ Thankfully, it seems while she is definitely wasted, Shannon's walking pretty well, not overly stumbling or anything. It shows more in her voice—more rushed, slightly slurred—and her face—flushed so very red.

She does sit in the chair Faith pulls out, but for a moment she seems to consider going around the desk and stealing Faith's. Classic. ]

Seems like it's only fair. You guys did kidnap all of us, after all.

[shieldof]

[She winces a little, at that.]

Very well then. You are highly inebriated and I imagine likely to regret it later.

[reflectsdargent]

Oh, this? I've been sooo much worse. Do you know about any of that?

[ She's still smiling that mean smile. ]

[shieldof]

Enough to know that I regrettably cannot be certain of the specific instance you mean, if you're not speaking in generalities.

cw self-loathing and also crude sexual humor

[reflectsdargent]

Awww. Do you feel bad for me? Poor, poor Shannon, all she can do is get drunk and get dick. [ She giggles to herself. ] That why your god fixed up that hole in my stomach?

Re: cw self-loathing and also crude sexual humor

[shieldof]

I- don't believe your selection was related to your alcohol consumption, or, ah. Romantic inclinations, no.

[reflectsdargent]

Then why?

[ The smile drops off her face very sharply. ]

If you have your way, I'm going to be stuck here for the rest of my life. Away from everything familiar, or anyone who cared about me.

So why? If it's not some fucked up pity, why, Faith?

[shieldof]

...I understand your injuries were quite severe, Lady Shannon. Is it really so strange that someone might wish to help, even the cost of transporting you here?

[reflectsdargent]

Why only me?!

[ She's half-shouting. Her eyes burn with angry tears. ]

My dad didn't do anything wrong, but no one yanked him from the jaws of death. Goddamn Boone, he was just waiting for a chance to save the day!

[ Someone might wish to help. Someone did wish to help. Someone— ]

Why not Sayid, if you wanted someone competent?! He was right there!

[ His arms around her, his desperate, heart-broken face fading from her vision. ]

[shieldof]

I- I do not-

[oh this is fine]

...because you were, as you said, also right there, in that moment. Bringing people this far across the realms- having to choose twenty five out of infinity-

[reflectsdargent]

[ oh honey this is Not fine- ]

He said he loved me!

[ The tears finally spill. She hasn't cried once since getting drunk, not even when talking about... Well, all this. But now—

She starts to curl in on herself. ]

He- he meant it. He believed- in me, and I- you want me t-to never see him again!

[shieldof]

...I don't know for how long, Lady Shannon. But not forever.

[It can't be forever.]

That would- I'm certain.

[is she though]

[reflectsdargent]

[ Her heart clenches. She could barely believe Sayid. She can't believe this. ]

Can you send a message? You could take us, can you just let him know I love him too? Please? I never got to say it back.

[ Everything she'd been feeling for the last 5 days, uninhibited. ]

[shieldof]

If- no, when I find your home. I will.

[something something filled with determination]

[this definitely won't get really tragic at any point]

And- ...I cannot say when. I am sorry. But you will yet get the chance to deliver it in person someday.

[reflectsdargent]

[ The sentiment is too good to be true, but the very thought of it— well, it just sends Shannon spiraling into sobs, burying her face in her arms as she does.

She...may not really be able to do anything but cry for a little bit, Faith. Sorry. ]

[shieldof]

[oh solarinace, she is not qualified for this]

[uh]

[gonna just]

[slide a handkerchief across the desk for shannon]

[don't be cry]

[reflectsdargent]

[ i'm gonna be real faith she is not even gonna notice it i am so sorry

there was this one german web game i played in college about rehabilitating abused stuffed animals and there was this turtle who had a mental block and when he realized it he just cried and cried and cried until he ran out of tissues and kept crying after that, and you're like, shit, what do i do? how do i help the turtle?

but the answer was, you just had to wait and let him cry. sometimes the turtle just needs to get it all out.

what i am saying is in this scenario shannon is the turtle. you just kinda gotta let her cry. ]