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+---- Thread: cut our teeth and make our bones right here (/showthread.php?tid=7764)
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
[say]"You fucked up,"[/say] Isla repeats with a raise of her eyebrows, because that could mean a lot of things if Remi wants to be that vague. It could mean that all the rumours are true, which she sincerely doubts based on the wendigo's mood earlier that evening before he'd headed out with Ronin.
As he continues, she bites the inside of her cheek to stop from snapping at him, because honestly yes, that is exactly what the majority of the scientific community in the complex want right now. But she's not so easily swayed (or bullied by Suuuuusan).
[say]"Right now we're at or what,"[/say] she says quietly. [say]"But that's only going to stay that way if I know what actually happened up there. The siren, Ronin's injuries... what went on?"[/say] She glances over him again and frowns. [say]"Are you hungry?"[/say]
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
[say]"Well it's a Christmas miracle."[/say] He drawls tiredly, of not being put down. Or at least, not yet.
Isla's eyes aren't the same shade of blue as Ronin's, and Remi supposes that's a good thing. It makes her easier to look at, not that he can quite articulate why. Still, he feels a snarl on his lips, a yawn in the back of his throat, and a tear cutting against the back of his eye; it all feels like far too much to handle, so he shifts his gaze back toward the ceiling.
[say]"I ate."[/say] He answers flatly, clearly not too intent on opening up about what happened.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
Running her tongue along the bottom of her teeth, Isla pinches at the bridge of her nose and rises to her feet again, because if Remi doesn't want to open up, then Isla has absolutely no chance of making him. And if she doesn't stand a chance, no one else does either. [say]"I suppose we will have to wait until Ronin wakes up, then,"[/say] she mutters, rising to her feet and nodding up towards where someone is absolutely watching behind the two-way glass.
[say]"I will have someone take a look at your injuries, and ensure you have an IV of all the important nutrients. Once Ronin is awake we will go from there,"[/say] she says, before heading back towards the door. [say]"I can't help you if you don't want to help yourself,"[/say] she adds quietly.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
Remi lets Isla get all the way to the door before softly saying, [say]"You can't help me anyway."[/say] Maybe he's just sulking about how things have gone, maybe his wittle wendigo feelings are hurt, or maybe he's just finally come to terms with the fact that for all of Ronin and Isla's smiles and jokes, Remi is always just one mistake away from being cast out. There's no trust here, no friendship, no understanding. Just a terse agreement that so long as he's a good pet he can sit on the furniture. They can talk and talk all day, but gods help him if he barks even once.
Glaring up at the one-way glass, Remi hopes he has the gaze of some wet-behind-the-ears intern, as he slowly smiles.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
[say]"I can,"[/say] Isla objects, sounding just as terse as the wendigo in the bed behind her. [say]"And I am trying to. But gods, every time you are given an inch something goes wrong, and it is very difficult to convince people that you are worth it lately, Remi."[/say] Huffing out a long breath, she finally glances over her shoulder at him. [say]"But you are. I still think so, even if you've given up about it."[/say]
Leaving him to smile up at the two-way glass (way to help your own cause, Remington), Isla steps out of the room and clicks the door shut behind her. A few moments later, the lights softly dim, and soft music begins to play.
---
It's a further two days before Ronin is able to stay conscious without wanting to peel his own skin off (his words, not Isla's), and as soon as he manages to spill the beans about his side of the story, she's on her way to Remi's room. He's been left pretty much to his own devices since being brought in again, and given what day it is, even the muzzle has been removed.
[say]"Merry Christmas,"[/say] Isla says as she steps in.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
Susan and Hernkersplonker have really gone all in with the Christmas spirit this year, and by which I mean they've put real candles in Remi's room. Susan had the nerve to smile as she lit each and every flame as she cast the room into a soft, warm, and deadly glow. So yes, Remi was unshackled and unmuzzled, but that was only because there was a small portion of the room he could safely find himself in without risk of death.
Ho, ho, ho.
As Isla opens the door, she'll see a blur of movement as Remi shoves something under his pillow and quickly leans back. Dressed in a red shirt (to hide the way he's bleeding through the bandages around his chest) and white cotton sweatpants, he looks almost festive as he regards her. [say]"And a happy new year."[/say] He chimes back, looking skeptical.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
[say]"I certainly hope so,"[/say] Isla chimes as she heads into the room, only to raise her eyebrows at all of the candles. [say]"Well that's certainly... festive,"[/say] she murmurs, thinking absolutely nothing of blowing out the majority of them. (Not those near the door though, Isla might consider herself close to her favourite experiment, but they've all determined that trust is a rare commodity these days).
[say]"I had arranged for fairy lights,"[/say] she says with a roll of her eyes, before offering Remi a smile that suggests he might actually have Christmas presents. (Spoiler alert: he really does). [say]"Ronin has decided to give you the gift of consciousness for Christmas,"[/say] she tells him, and although she sounds casual about it, this is clearly a loaded statement.
[say]"He explained everything. About the siren, the dock workers, the reason you were unchained. He says that you saved him."[/say] She raises her eyebrows; not disbelieving, exactly, but trying to gauge Remi's reaction.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
Remi watches as Isla douses the majority of the candles, noting which are left and why, though he doesn't comment. [say]"Mmmm."[/say] The wendigo replies, shifting on his bed and marking Isla's movements carefully.
Normally the mention of fairy lights would absolutely have gotten a rise out of him, but today the only rising Isla will receive is from the wendigo moving off of his bed. [say]"Pick up a candle."[/say] He murmurs, eyeing one of the ones remaining by the door. [say]"And come here."[/say] There's no please, but Remi's voice softens significantly as he makes his request.
Moving to a very specific part of the room, his body angled just so, one might suspect the wendigo of having discovered a relative blindspot. He could always be seen of course, but if Isla stood before him, candle in hand to keep her safe and keep anyone watching at relative ease, her head would block the movements of his mouth.
If she trusted him enough to come, of course.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
Okay, I'll just take your salvation and fuck right off then, is what Isla wants to say, given just how sassy Remi has been over the last few days. Alright, he's always sassy, but this is inching towards the broody, and it makes it rather difficult to make conversation. But of course as his voice softens and he makes his request, the doctor raises her eyebrows and nods, lifting one of the (several) candles away from the doorframe and shielding it with one hand as she heads over towards him.
[say]"If there is mistletoe,"[/say] she teases, before remembering herself and how the relationship she has with Remi has been strained to say the least as of late. Clearing her throat and holding the candle just so, she tilts her head up at him. [say]"What is it?"[/say]
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
Mentions of mistletoe is like a slap, and the wendigo flinches ever so slightly. Closing his eyes and pulling in a breath, he gives his head a single but stern shake. No mistletoe.
Opening his eyes, Remi looks at the flame. So small and harmless, the sort of thing even a child could pass their finger through and be unharmed. Exhaling softly, enough to make the flame dance, Remi raises his eyes. He has never looked much like a regular man, not with his too-gold eyes and a body that was at odds with the things he was capable of, but today he was closer to what regular might look like on him, than ever he had been before.
[say]"I am..."[/say] The words are a whisper, and in order to help Isla read his lips more clearly, he tilts his head down slightly and over-enunciates. [say]"..done, Isla. I have nothing to live for."[/say] He continues. [say]"You say it is hard for everyone to trust me? That is hardly my fault. I run, I am punished. I stay, I am punished."[/say] Remi swallows, his eyes tracking up to hers for a moment before he gives his head the smallest shake.
[say]"I have nothing, Isla."[/say]
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
Isla doesn't know what she expects, but what she gets is enough to strip away any sass or snark from her voice and expression, the doctor frowning as she lets her pebble blues dance over Remi's face. [say]"What are you saying?"[/say] she whispers in return, holding the candle in such a way that its dazzle, combined with the angle of Remi's body, might block her response from the cameras. (Because it is obviously a blindspot, and the part of her that undoubtedly makes Remi want to kill himself makes a mental note to fix it as soon as possible).
[say]"I..."[/say] she begins, exhaling a lengthy breath and shaking her head. [say]"I am sorry. This is my fault."[/say] She reaches out, reconsiders, and then commits anyway, letting her fingers brush along the back of his hand. [say]"This whole thing was meant to show your humanity, but I haven't treated you anything like you were human. I would be done, too."[/say]
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
Her fingers against the back of his hand has Remi rethinking his earlier joke about physical contact with Ronin, because gods it feels far more intimate than it has any right to. But that's precisely his point; he's been so sequestered, so starved of all the things normally afforded to prisoners, that even this feels monumental. [say]"It is not your fault."[/say] He murmurs, fingers stiffening and his gaze avoidant.
[say]"I know what I am, the same way you do. I am watched every waking moment, Isla. I am never alone, and yet I always am."[/say] His gaze focuses again as he looks at, debating.
[say]"Twice I could have left Ronin up there. Twice I stayed and I no longer think it was the right decision."[/say] He admits sadly. For all the things he and Ronin were to each other, for their banter and camaraderie, he wasn't worth these conditions. This torture. This endless cycle of inhumanity.
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Isla - 12-10-2022
Isla might not be the one at the start of this chain of fuckery, but she certainly feels - knows - that she's had her part to play in it, and she has just let it happen. They are at this point and she's got as much responsibility as everyone who goes above her. Remi's fingers stiffen and Isla reaches out to take his hand properly, giving it a gentle squeeze. [say]"I feel as though he might disagree,"[/say] she says with a sad smile. [say]"He asked to see you. If you want to go,"[/say]
Clearing her throat and giving his hand another squeeze before stepping back, she inhales a deep breath and, for better or worse, blows out the candle she's holding. [say]"Give me a week?"[/say] she asks, trying not to sound like she's begging or pleading, but that's exactly how it is. [say]"If I can't make anything change, I'll arrange your release myself."[/say] Illegally, of course, but most of what they're doing is beyond the law anyway.[/say]
RE: cut our teeth and make our bones right here - Remi - 12-10-2022
Remi's lips part in the way they do when you're thinking of saying something but are trying to find the words, the courage, the bravery, or stupidity - or some combination thereof. But Isla has pulled away before he can muster up whatever it is, and he's left feeling stiff and cold everywhere but where her hand had been in his. [say]"Wait[/say]" He whispers, abruptly turning and moving to the bed to fish out whatever it was he'd had there.
In a blur of movement that reminds everyone watching this interaction that Remi is not just a sad and underweight weirdo, the wendigo is back at Isla's side. Her candle blown out there is little recourse for her as he stretches his arms out suddenly, pulling her close. Instantly the room is bathed in red flashing lights and in just seconds he knows the door will be forced open. [say]"My pocket.[/say] He whispers against her ear, realizing that this is the closest they have ever been but having little time to do much more than that before several armed guards burst into the room and storm their way.
The beatings and night spent chained tight to his bed would be worth it, if Isla is able to deliver his Christmas card to Ronin.