Latest revision as of 21:50, 26 April 2018

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima has been keep a silent watch in the room. She sat on the floor, curled up in the corner last night, slept there. Got up at some point in the early morning to go hunt early waking workers. She needed an 'actual feeding', Emergency Feeding Crystals only worked so far. When that was done, she arrived back and sat down in a chair by a desk, albeit, turning the chair towards Alexis's bed and sighing a bit.

She's sure she's okay now. As far as her well being usually is. That Dusk Zone trip wasn't fun.

But she'll need to get back to the lab to find out if there's any damage she can't feel.

She's sure she's fine. She isn't leaking black ichor and isn't leaking a miasma. So that's mostly a good sign, she figures to herself.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The door opens quietly, a soft *click!* the only thing heralding Rashmi's entry. The redhead looks a bit tired and frazzled herself, but has nothing but smiles for the vampire as she approaches, Nicomachea tucked under one arm.

"Hey," she half-whispers, touching Lacrima shoulder for just a moment, an analogue of a comforting hand for twitchy contact-shy vampires. "How's he doing?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima eyes dart to the door tensely, but oh, it's just Rashmi-chan. She sighs and gives a little tired wave. "Hello, Rashmi-chan." she says tiredly. "I had to go out and feed this morning. He hasn't woken up yet. But he's doing okay." she says softly. Her eyes look to the gem on the desk she's left there.

"The device's name is Kriegfauste. It is Alexis' Belkan Armed Device. Or. Is meant to be. It isn't linked yet. But that was the intention his mother had, it says."

She shifts as her shoulder is touched. "Apparently, he figured out what was happening. Alexis. I mean. and tried to fight it at the last moment according to the device. Is what I understand."

"So I'm hoping it's not going to take much convincing to stop him from trying to 'go back home' or something stupid like that." she says quietly.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"<QUERY>," a synthesized, LOUD voice suddenly echoes in Space-German over from the desk, where a black gemstone pulses with red glow in time with the words that follow. "<SUBJECT 'Rashmi-chan' IS USER OF THE MIDCHILD DEVICE?>"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The sudden yelling causes Rashmi to hop in place and squeak, and it's a moment before she can find the desktop Kriegsfauste is on. Once she does however, she scrabbles to open Nicomachea, a 'screen' dutifully sketches itself into existence above the pages, containing a translation. Another 'screen' displays gamboling baby bunnies.

"Hi, Kriegsfauste," she says, somewhat shakily, "My name's Rashmi, yes... And this is Nicomachea. It's good to meet you?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima eyes Rashmi. "Sorry. It's a loud. If Alexis would have a device. Of course it would be the most loudest Belkan Armed Device I've ever heard." she says with a huff.

She eyes the pages.

"Why do you have bunnies and kittens in there anyways?" she asks curiously as her eyes move from those screens back to Alexis.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"<AFFIRMATIVE,>" the Device loudly tones out. "<IDENTIFICATIONS 'Rashmi' AND 'Midchildan Intelligent Device Nicomacheus' SAVED.>" There's no comment on it's level of volume, though.

Either way.

By the time Lacrima's fully turned back to Alexis, she feels something on her knee.

Alexis' hand.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Because I haven't been handling any of this as well as others might, I think," Rashmi says, voice quivering before she draws in a deep breath. "And bunnies and kittens are calming."

Luckily, distraction! In the form of an awakening Alexis, no less! With a happy gasp, Rashmi starts to move forward... then pulls up short, looking to Lacrima to have first post-coma contact with her nii-san.

It would be rude otherwise, and Lacrima may bite.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima blinks a moment when she turns back and there's a hand on her knee as she blinks again and then shoots her hand up the arm and then blinks again. Usually rapid blinks are a sign of confusion but all she does is ask:

"Alexis-niisan. Are you up?" she asks quietly. The tone is more muted than she usually even speaks.

Also she twitches a little.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
There's no immediate response. Definitely no verbal one to Lacrima's question. There's a brief twitch of fingers along her knee, at least.

Several agonizingly long seconds pass in silence and stillnes.

And then, finally, the boy's eyelids start shifting. Twitching, working to open up while the long period of unuse leaves them instinctively attempting to close again when the barest hint of light hits his retinas. Ultimately, they only make their way halfway up, and there's barely any focus in the pupils that are revealed from underneath.

His head doesn't move, but his eyes do, in an effort to look at Lacrima directly (and probably at Rashmi, but the vampire is much closer, so), and there's several slow blinks made in an effort to clear up his own vision.

"...hhh."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima doesn't breathe really so there's that usual unnatural stillness from her. She gently frowns and let's Alexis do his waking up thing. She remembers something like this. She doesn't like thinking about it. Waking up as the first time as this thing in the hospital because you died and a curse turned you body into a dark energy construct.

"If you can hear me Alexis-niisan, relax." she says quietly. "You'll need a moment. Talk when you are able." she says quietly.

Her eyes look to Rashmi-chan and frowns. "You should. Speak to others. I'm not handling it well either. But I can only handle it in my own way." she says quietly.

"I can still listen." she says as her eyes look back to Alexis.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Lacrima gets a glance, and a slow nod, but right now there are more important things than her mental health to worry about; Alexis is awake, and blinking!

"You're in Chiba-kun's apartment block," she says gently. "We took you back here so you could recover safely."

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...Nnnhhh," is the only vocality Alexis really manages. Which definitely answers the wuestion of wether or not he is capable of talking at the moment. Even in spite of that, there's faint wobbling of his lower lip to suggest he's damned well trying anyway. Because he is stubborn like that.

"<SUBJECT ALEXIS RASKOPH WAS HELD IN MEDICALLY INDUCED COMAWITHIN DARK ENERGY INTRODUCTION CHAMBER FOR TWENTY TWO DAYS, TEN HOURS, TSENTY THREE MINUTES AND THIRTEEN SECONDS PRIOR TO EXTRACTION,>" Kriehsfauste helpfully informs from the desk. "<SOME WEAKNESS OF BODY IS TO BE EXPECTED.>"

And of course it still has to be LOUD. Enough so that even in the post coma fuzz, Alex's body visibly twitches in reaction.

"....hhh?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima searches her thoughts. Dark Energy Introduction chamber. This is actually a thing she knows about. Because this is typically how interns get their first taste of power in Eclipse. This is why you have jerks capable of throwing dark blasts around. She's just never SEEN one. She's not sure if this is commonly how they are used.

"Relax. What the device said. Kriegfauste, can you turn down your voice volume a little bit at all?" she asks. "Temporarily at least." she offers.

She's not sure if devices can get /offended/.

"Can you understand what I'm saying, Alexis-niisan?" she talks.

"Take it easy."

"I swear to god. if the first words out of your mouth is 'I'M FINE'...."

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"<ERROR: FUNCTION NOT FOUND,>" Kriegsfauste declares in response to Lacrima's request.

That is probably the closest a Device is going to express taking offense, really.

As for Alexis, there's no functional response to the question she gives him. But at her last words, there's the faintest, barely-perceptible upward twitch to one corner of his mouth. That probably answers that.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima takes a deep breath. "I'll assume that means you can understand me." she says quietly. She flops back down into the chair. "You disappeared shortly after my birthday." she says quietly. "But we found your motorcycle at your home. And your mother was being elusive." she says quietly.

"It's been about a month. But you're here now." she says. "Look. I don't know what you remember. But when you're able to move, don't leave until people talk to you about why it's a bad idea to go home." she says quietly.

"If you need somewhere to stay, my manor is always open. I'm sure Mamoru-kun can help arrange something too." she says quietly. "I mean. I can't speak for him. But I don't think he'd leave you out without a place to go." she says.

"But right now you need to rest, okay?" she asks softly. "I know it sucks, but you've been comatose for a bit." she says. She places her hand on Alexis's shoulder.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...nnh," Alex manages to, er, sound out in response to... pretty much everything. Despite his significant lack of maneuverability, he attempts to lean his head along over to where he can peer towards the direction of the LOUD Device.

Emphasis on 'try' though. He eventually concludes mentally that this is a futile effort in his current state, and redirects his eyes to Lacrima instead, and his lips make an effort to move instead.

"...ood?"

Kunzite has posed:
Ami'd said she'd like to see Alexis, to scan him if possible. Therefore Kazuo is playing native guide in the interconnected hallways of the floor's apartments. "Lacrima's been sitting with him, for the most part," he says quietly to Ami. "I expect she'll still be there." And reaches to give a likewise quiet tap at the door, more warning of entry than asking for permission, and open the door for her.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno nods to Kazuo. "Thanks," she says softly, and slips inside. "Lacrima," she says, looking at the girlpire more than the prone boy. "How is he?" She's wearing street clothes, but has her Mercury Computer in hand, ready to be used.

Then she actually looks at Alexis, and nods. "I see you're waking up. Good," she says gently, and moves to stand by the foot of the bed, looking pensive.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns a little at Alexis. "Don't try to move if you can't. You probably need time to recover. I'm going to see if there's something Mamoru might be able to do to help you along, or Ami-chan, or anyone around here." she says quietly.

"Just...." she's about to stand up when there's a tap at the door and she eyes it. "Hello...?"

"Oh... um. Hello." she says quietly. Letting herself rest back down. "Hello Kazuo and Ami." she says a little.

"He's up. He's having trouble talking. But he's awake. And I think he can understand what's being said." she says.

"Relax..." she urges to Alexis again. "Don't force." she says.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
Having trouble seeing too, judging from the constant squeezing of the eyes, despite efforts to keep them open. The light is SO bright. Why is it so damn bright?

"Ah--" Alex's voice still ends up rumbling out when he hears more people coming in, and there's even a visible effort in arching his back. Trying to lift upwards. He's probably mostly covered up by a blanket, given when he was rescued he only had pants to begin with. Unless someone went out of their way to re-dress him while he was still passed out.

Kunzite has posed:
Alex is moving. Kazuo, therefore, hangs back -- stays by the door. "Friends, Raskoph," he says quietly. "You're safe. This is Kazuo." He's not entirely certain whether Ami and Alexis have met outside of Sailor Mercury -- but she's got the computer in her hand. Maybe he can focus. Maybe not. Either way, Ami's call on making her identity clear.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Stay down," Ami repeats Lacrima. "It's okay. You're safe, Alexis-san. I'm Sailor Mercury, and my real name is Ami Mizuno. You met me before." Her voice is soothing, even though she exchanges a worried look with Lacrima. "I'm going to scan you, unless someone in the room objects."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima shakes her head. "Go ahead, please." she says quietly. She shifts a bit. "He woke up not too long ago. I haven't had a chance to text anyone yet he was awake." she says as she eyes Ami.

She eyes Kazuo softly as she looks back between Ami and Alexis.

"It's just Kazuo-kun and Ami-chan." she says softly.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"Nnnh--" Alex lets out again in apparent reaction to the mention of scanning and such, and there's a more pronounced attempt at moving. It's a very futile one, but there's enough there to go for him to wriggle about, at least. Eyes squinted just beyond being actually fully closed in an effort to be able to actually see properly without being fully blindied by the light his eyes aren't used to anymore.

Kunzite has posed:
... there. Even from the doorway, Kazuo can see Alex's face when he moves. "The light," he says, and glances to the windows. Sunlight is going to be as much of a problem as anything else. "Mercury, I'm going to change and deal with the light levels. I'll avoid taking anything else; it shouldn't interfere with your scans or your computer. Kriegsfauste, please don't acknowledge aloud -- but both Mercury and I are working without hostile intent, and what we are about to do should not be invasive or injurious to either you or the young man."

Granted, his henshin takes effectively forever compared to most of them, right now. But it's still a handful of seconds, not minutes, before he can lend the room a blanket of shadows.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Okay," Mercury says to Kazuo. When the room darkens, she begins her scan--still untransformed, so the light of it won't bother poor Alexis. "Lacrima, how are -you- holding up?" she asks gently, while the computer does its work.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru can be utterly quiet when she wishes to be, and clearly this is a moment when she wishes to be. The device certainly didn't make it hard for her to realize that Alexis was likely awake. She stays silently in the doorway, out of the way.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
The lessening light helps, to the point that Alex dares to lift his eyes a bit more-- but he's still wriggling a bit there in an effort to get away from the scanning. For all anyone knows, he might be thinking that's something completely different at this point.

At least as far as the scanning go-- there's no signs of anything off to the point that the Mercury Computer would beep so loudly that everyone else would notice.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima looks to Naru then looks back to Ami. "I don't think anything is lingering." a pause.

"What he was in when we found him was called a Dark Energy Induction Chamber." she says softly. "I've never seen one, but basically the intent is to infuse dark energy into someone in a way that doesn't immediately turn them into youma and more into a Dark Energy user." she asides.

She eyes the other two as the light lessens and she nods.

"Alexis-niisan, we're just making sure there's nothing wrong with you okay?" she says as lowly as she can.

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite glances sidelong to Naru; inclines his head to her briefly. But speaks to the others. "Tsukiko removed immediately lingering dark energy immediately after our escape," he says. "That may or may not have introduced additional instability. Depending on what they did."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"He is... hm." Mercury reads her computer's output. "There's no signs that his mind is being affected. There's some trace signs of dark energy but they're slowly fading," she reports, with a relieved little smile.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru holds her silence, nodding to those that notice her presence, but watching Alexis more often than not. Her attention slides over to Ami at her commentary, a little nod as she acknowledges those words, but no comment for the moment. Others are covering what she might say just fine.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"SUBJECT ALEXIS RASKOPH HAD LONG TERM TREATMENTS WITHIN THE CHAMBER FOR THE LAST ELEVEN YEARS," Kriegsfauste pipes up over from the desk, helpfully getting translated by Nichomachea. "UP UNTIL INCIDENT WITH SUBJECT NORIE INTERRUPTED THE SCHEDULED VISITS, AND HIS LINKER CORE WAS REPLACED. HYPOTHESIS IS THAT LACK OF CONTINUED TREATMENTS AND REFRESHED CORE INCURRED RESISTANCE IN HIS BODY TO THE PARTICULAR TREATMENT TYPE."

Alex just kind of lets out an irritated "Nnnhhh" at that. It might just be because Kiregsfauste is REALLY LOUD.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima rubs her forehead. "He's talking about the time I turned Alexis-niisan into a vampire because he /died/." she says softly. "And when you shunted out his dark energy infected linker core. I think what Kriegfauste is saying is that we undid eleven years of work." she says quietly.

"Well her work." she says quietly. Refering to Hulda.

She sighs miserably a bit. Yeah she's still blaming herself.

"That's a long time for doses of dark energy though." she says quietly. "Someone was being careful." she says softly. "Not to cause too much changes or issues."

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite says dryly, "Well done again, then."

There might be a tiny, tiny intensification of the darkness over by Kriegsfauste, though. Annnnd the shoutiness effect might be somewhat dampened. It is not entirely impossible that this may have been why he didn't just put a blanket over the window, or something.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno looks to Naru and nods at her, with an apologetic look. She was buried in the computer. She listens to Lacrima. Then listens to the Device, and then Kunzite. And she frowns mightily. "Something isn't adding up, but I'm not sure what. Why Alexis? And why now? What was he being turned into?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"My guess, is a lieutenant in his mother's clone army of robotic minions of doom." Naru comments quietly. "It's only a guess." She gives a half shrug and settles quiet again.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"DATA IS INSUFFICIENT," Kriegsfauste informs after Naru, his voice MYSTERIOUSLY lower in volume now. "BUT THIS HYPOTHESIS SEEMS LIKELY."

Alex, meanwhile, stops the instinctive, retreative wriggling to to just flop down into the bed fully, a rough sigh let out in apparent defeat.

"...ood?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns and rubs her face. "Hulda Raskoph is a powerful magic user. I know she works for Eclipse. The same people I do." she says flatly. "What she does for them, or what they do for her I don't know but I know that much." she says quietly. "Much of that lab looked a lot like Takashi-sama's labs, where I also keep my lab room where I study things." she says softly.

"Anyways. Based on what the device just said Hulda's been 'grooming' Alexis, probably- if I had to guess- infusing dark energy into him to increase power or make him as powerful, and useful to Eclipse and/or to eventually take their place and continue on whatever stupid evil family business they do." she says.

"Like I said. I ruined that grooming when I turned him into a vampire. Then you flushed it away when you removed his shitty corrupted linker core."

"It put them back at square one after eleven years." she says. "They probably had to do stupid stuff to get him back to where he was, which is why he was blanking out and throwing up blood." she says softly with a sigh.

"Also if you want to screw with someone's head... brainwashing and so on, dark energy infusion is the easiest way to do it. Confusion and misdirection." she says.

She eyes Naru. "That's probably a good guess." she says. "Those aren't like the same guards that many other Eclipse divisions use. Those tend to be purely dark energy constructs. Those we encountered were something else. They had 'form'." she says softly.

Kunzite has posed:
"Giving something a form and animating it with dark energy is more efficient, in many cases, than shaping something from dark energy alone. Animating it with electricity and merely enhancing it with dark energy may be more efficient again." Kunzite glances over toward Alexis, then, frowning slightly. "Speaking of energy. I'm not sure how or whether they were feeding him -- but I'm also not sure whether he can handle more than broth. Or as much as broth. Do you think you can?" Oh, good, he remembers that the second-person pronoun exists. Ahem.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Probably, Naru." She nods to the auburn-haired artist. "He's asking, I think, if he's still good?" Ami adds, looking to the defeated Alexis. "Or maybe he wants food." She frowns. "It's so hard to tell." She watches Lacrima then, face goes a little flat. "I see," is all she says, quietly, to that. Looking to Kazuo, she says, "I don't know. But we should probably see if he can even say anything affirmative. Alexis-san, you're still good, if you fear you aren't any longer." She reaches over and tries to pat his hand, lightly, assuming it's above the blankets.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...ood," Alex attemps to repeat, but vocal chords don't quite work the same way when one's body is still trying to get back into use after a good month's worth of coma *and* dark energy injections.

There's clearly frustration there, at not quite managing to do what he wants to do. Speaking being the primary one here. His eyes squint shut there for a few seconds, and a quiet grunt rumbles through him. Upon Kazuo's question, he forces his lips to open a bit more, and stubbornly strains his throat in an effort to utter out the single word of "...Broth."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'll go get some." Naru offers, already loitering at the door, and easy enough to step away and over to a rather familiar kitchen. She pauses and then notes. "Not being able to articulate what you want is frustrating as all hell, I remember it well. It passes, if that helps at all." Her quiet words are for Alexis, obviously, before turning to go retrieve him something to eat.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"When he's feeling better," Rashmi says, piping up from the chair she'd taken to wallflowering in, "put in a to-go order at the Korma. Mami's practically got a whole recovery menu, she'll have something that'll help get him out of bed."

Nicomachea lies open in her lap, one large 'window' providing translation for Kriegsfauste, the other -- and the one she seems to have been concentrating on all this time -- video of a basket full of tumbly bumbly puppies.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima rubs her face. "He's just been able to make sounds." she says. "He can move his arms and hands a little." she says. "I think." she offers. Mainly, he placed his hand on her knee earlier. Which is why she's saying this.

"Mmmph. Food." she says as she sighs a bit. Then Alexis says a word of 'Broth', which is good! He speaks! But then she stands up, but then Naru is off to get it so she sits back down again as she sighs.

She eyes to Rashmi, who's video panel has changed from bunnies to puppies. She sighs and stands back up. Again and walks over to Rashmi and bites her lip as she gently sighs.

"I'm sorry." she says quietly. "There wasn't any better way to get us out of there." she says. "And if I didn't have that barrier protecting us all, it would had been worse." she says quietly.

"Kukai-san is okay. There shouldn't be lingering effects from the dark energy." she says softly.

Kunzite has posed:
"Thank you, Naru," Kunzite says. And glances sidelong at Lacrima. "Perhaps some of the surviving baked goods, too." One possible interpretation of that sigh.

He inclines his head to Rashmi in echo of Lacrima's reassurance. "Kukai's been on his feet, too. Not for long, but -- he's recovering." He glances to Ami afterward. Speaking of recovering -- she's the only one of them with a hint as to Alex's body temperature at the moment.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno looks down at the Mercury Computer. "It's normal," she tells Kazuo, after watching Naru go. She glances to Rashmi. "I think that's a really good idea." She remains silent as Lacrima speaks.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"Nhah..."

Alex squeezes his eyes shut again, and-- His body shakes. His arms shift just so to press his elbows into the mattress underneath him, pushing strength from his muscles to try and push his upper body upwards. It only ends up going high enough to start sliding his blanket just slightly downwards, but without really letting him get any better of a vantage point.

"I--" He gasps out, all while his still-weakened body shakes from the attempt. "...Sorry."

Naru Osaka has posed:
In an apartment that fairly routinely has someone recovering from something as a visitor, (and/or someone who might be hungover enough to masquerade as an invalid), the finding and heating of broth is not actually all that much of a challenge.

A mug with warm broth returns with Naru, as well as a plate with a variety of baked goods (including doughnuts), for those who might have a somewhat more robust digestive tract at the moment. Visiting takes energy too!

"I expect you are going to get muscle back quickly, but not quite /this/ quickly." Naru comments as Alexis fails to sit up completely on his own, holding the mug until he's settled.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"It's okay," Rashmi says to Lacrima, smiling up at the vampire. "It was the only way we were getting out, and I'll take a while of nightmares and intrusive daydreams over being an experiment right next to Alex-kun." Reaching out, she pats Lacrima's shoulder. "THere's no probably about it; you saved our lives, Lacchan. Thank you. And I'm glad Souma-kun is doing better, I was worried."

"Alex-kun, please don't exert yourself too much, okay? You've been floating in a tube for weeks, even without the Dark Energy you're going to need time to unweaken," she says with a faint sigh. "Just lie still, and if we need a straw for your soup we'll get a straw."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima nods at Rashmi-chan. "You'll be fine." she says softly. "Just weird nightmares for a small few days I think." she says. "The trip is usually quicker but between where we were and then amount of people with me there was a few seconds of lag." she says.

Then Alexis says 'Sorry' and she jolts out of her explanatory flat face stupor to slide back over to the chair and frowns. "No. Absolutely Not. You don't get to say sorry for this." she says. "Sorry is someone else's responsibility." she says curtly.

And that someone else is Hulda Raskoph of course. She isn't going to get too far into badmouthing Alexis's mother when Alexis can't actually defend things.

Somethings are just too lame to do.

She nods as Rashmi says a straw can be gotten. "When you can move, I'll make sure you get something better to eat." she says softly. She eyes the donuts on that plate though, and grabs one. Donut Worry Lacrima, and all.

Kunzite has posed:
"Here." Kunzite steps over to the bedside. There are enough pillows to shift that he can provide some kind of support for Alexis -- then, carefully, lift him to a sitting position. The alien flowers the summer before last, and their effect on Mamoru, gave him plenty of practice with that. Also with monitoring to be sure Alexis can stay sitting up. Which is not guaranteed.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami looks to Alexis. "No," she says in a gentle voice. "You shouldn't be. It's not like you did this willingly." Naru gets a nod, and so do Rashmi and Lacrima. Then, her phone chimes in the other room--she'd left it there out of respect for Alexis--and slips out past Naru to answer.