◌ 021 ◌ Spare me the thought

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[After just over a week - has it really been that long? - of feeling like this, Fuu is fully exhausted. Yet she couldn't help but go out every day to sit and stare at the theatre, the pub, and the space between them.

Today she spontaneously decided to make a delivery - Mister Braxiatel will find a neatly wrapped package on his doorstep, containing a small variety of pastries from the tea house and a box of English breakfast tea.
Well, perhaps it was not too spontaneous. She'd been thinking about the past a lot, and he was a large part of the particular incident she was mulling over.]


[Biking away from West Luministi Greens on her way to sit across from the theatre and pub again, she suddenly starts peddling at a break-neck speed towards that place-- and stares at it for a long moment.

Trembling, she slumps to the ground and curls up into a ball, face buried in her knees and hands pressed to her ears.]


[[ooc: She'll stay like that for about 15 minutes before pulling herself together enough to get home. (Unless of course someone comes across her like this, or she nearly ran you over with her bike and you've come after her!)]]

Comments

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie, lucky him, comes across her when she's curled up on a ball, and gives her an alarmed look before bending down to make sure she's all right.]

Fuu? Fuu! What's wrong?

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[Quietly crying, she doesn't look up when she faintly hears Mister McCrimmon's worried voice. However she does answer in a thin, pained voice:]

It's ringing- it's not there but it is ringing- Make it stop-- [she draws a shuddering gasp] No! If it does, someone will die again-

[bonnypiperlad]

[He reaches out a hand to steady her. There's something in it, a small card. He's forgotten about it for the moment, however, being more concerned with Fuu's reaction to things.]

What's ringing, lass? Have ye hurt your head?

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[Taking a deep, shuttering breath, Fuu looks up at his touch. Her eyes are wide and haunted, and she keeps her hands pressed to her ears.]

The phone- the phone. It's not there, but it is ringing. Can't you hear it?

[bonnypiperlad]

The... [Very slowly, he lifts his chin, eyes darting from side to side a bit nervously.]

There's no phone.

[But he doesn't sound certain about that at all. With the hand not holding the card, he squinches his eyes shut and shakes his head for a moment.]

Ye said something about someone dying, Fuu.

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head slightly.]

Last time, the phone booth was smashed, and Sheriff Teger was killed-- r-right there--

[She looks directly at the spot just to the side of the pub as if she can see once again the covered body and the glass shards, then speaks softly to herself, tears falling down her face.]

A man is dead. The voice on the phone warned me- of trials to come. Is this what they meant? Could I have done something-?

[bonnypiperlad]

[It's almost as if he can hear a faint ringing, growing just a little bit louder. If he listens to it, maybe he'll be able to figure out where it's coming from...but no, Fuu needs him. With an effort, he focuses on her.]

Ye can't think like that, Fuu. I've seen things like that before. [Except, he hasn't, has he? So why did that just come out of his mouth?]

Whatever happened, it's not your fault. And likely there was nothing that could have been done to stop it. If ye let it get to ye, you'll not be able to help the rest of us.

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[As he speaks to her, it seems like the ringing starts to get fainter. A bit of the terror fades from her face and is replaced with sadness as she shakes her head slightly at him.]

M-maybe... maybe... I- I do want to help, but- who will trust me now?

[bonnypiperlad]

[He's about to say something about her friends trusting her, but something about her question stops him.]

Why would people not trust ye?

[desertdaggers]

[what in the world was that? Hawk heads that way, hand going to his knife. He relaxes a little when he catches up with her, though he doesn't come too close.] Fuu?

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[Because of the ringing in her mind and her hands pressed to her ears, she didn't hear him call her name. She just starts to cry silently.]

[desertdaggers]

[Not a good sign, so Hawk looks around for any signs of something approaching. There must have been something to cause this… but even if he strains, there's only the whisperings of something at the very edges of his hearing.

Better to try to focus on what he can do. He crouches down, and reaches out to touch her shoulder, calling more loudly this time.] Fuu!

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[She gives a shuddering start at his touch and call, looking up with wide, haunted eyes.]

H-Hawk. Why are you here? D-did you hear it too?

[desertdaggers]

[He strains his hearing for a moment, then shakes his head.] Not clearly… what was it you heard?

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

The ringing of the phone booth. It's not there, but I hear it. [She looks across to the space between the theatre and the pub, staring at it as if she can see the covered body and the shattered glass once again. The quiet tears start coming down her face faster.]

Make it stop-- No! Don't- someone else will die--

[desertdaggers]

What!? [He looks over that way, but the phone booth doesn't appear to be there.] How do we stop something that isn't there, though?

[the whispers are just on the edge of hearing now, but not of any help.]

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head sadly]

You can't... you can't... You could stop the ringing if you listened to the message, but now- you can't...

[collector]

[When Brax finds the delivery, he decides to seek out Fuu. It isn't too hard to find her.]

Hello, Fuu. I wanted to thank you for the gift. [An oblique approach. He has had bad luck with people lately.]

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[Fuu has nearly cried herself out, but her hands are still pressed to her ears. At his voice she shifts her head so she can glance at him, her eyes wide and haunted. Slightly bewildered by his calm thanks, she takes a deep breath before answering him in a shaky voice.]

Y-you're welcome. But I-

[She then suddenly brings her head up with a start, then relief floods her face, followed immediately by fear.] Oh- it's stopped. It's stopped-

[collector]

[He shifts to be on her level.] What was it?

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

D-didn't you hear it, Mister Braxiatel? Why- why else would you be here?

[She looks across the way to the space between the theatre and the pub, where the phone booth used to be.]

It was ringing, but it's not there. And it's stopped... Wh-what if someone dies again-!

[collector]

I didn't hear anything. [He puts his hands over hers, an awkward gesture.] If they die, then they die, but more than that we must try to work this out so that nobody has to. We need to stay calm and focus.

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[She shivers slightly as he covers her trembling hands, but not because his hands are cool to the touch. His words- the first half made her deeply fearful. And the second half, well, it was hard to even think of being calm and focused, let alone being so.
Drawing another deep but shuttering breath, she shakes her head slowly. She can't. She just can't.]

[collector]

[Even as he feels the fear taking over him, he does not let it overcome him.] You can, Fuu. I have faith. Calm yourself and listen only to the sound of my voice. [It was cheating, but he let that little hint of hypnotic suggestion into his voice.]

[wind-of-reason.livejournal.com]

[Closing her eyes she listens and takes another deep breath. She still feels very much on edge, but not as upset as she had been a moment ago.]

"Someone in town is lying and not who they appear to be." "Someone in your midst is not who they seem... Beware." [She shivers and opens her eyes, looking at him imploringly.]

The message from the phone and the message on the card. It- it's all I can think about. It's driving me- crazy. Maybe literally? You really didn't- hear anything?