ArchivedLogs:Aaah...Freak Out!

Aaah...Freak Out!
Dramatis Personae Alexandrine, Dan, Mei	2013-05-13 Le freak -- c'est chic.
Location <NYC> 201 {Dan} - Sunrise Apartments
It's mid-week, and Alex is in town unexpectedly. She's weighted down with a couple of heavy canvas bags, red hair loose and curling over her middle weight coat she'd worn against the chill over her purple dress with matching high heels. She's got her makeup on, earrings, the whole bit. She's juggling things to try and get her key in the lock on Dan's door. She nearly falls inside, grasping at those bags full of groceries to make a sumptuous dinner with a decadent dessert, along with a couple bottles of wine. She's setting the bags down to fetch her key out of the door, slamming it a bit with indignation, muttering at it. It's a quiet sort of weeknight around Casa de Rourke. Dan is off his day shift, and with no plans to work at Molly's, he's in the process of finishing a long, (semi) hot shower. In that he is almost dressed, and is busy mopping up water on the bathroom floor. When the door slams, there's a flash of alarm from the ex-soldier, and he's on his feet and out of the bathroom in a flash, hands busy buttoning his jeans as he glances at the bedroom door. "Kid! What happened? What was that?" Images of Mei being taken from the apartment by shadowy figures play across his mindscape until he spies the frustrated redhead at the door. "Baby, what are you doing here?" He sounds (and is) pleasantly confused at this sudden wrinkle in the night, and he moves to help with the bags. Which means pulling Alex up for a proper kiss hello. "I thought you were upstate." Mei was sitting in the bedroom using Dan's laptop again. She figured out how to change the language settings and is happily working away in chinese on it. She thankfully has been changing it back when done for Dan to still be able to use. But when she heard keys at the door and knew Dan was in the bathroom, she grabbed the baseball bat worriedly. So while Alex is confronted with a damp Dan rushing in for a kiss, she may also notice a small asian girl standing by the bedroom door with a baseball bat in hand looking more than a tad worried, at least until Dan seems to recognize the woman. Then Mei just looks a tad confused, left holding the bat and tilting her head as she watches the pair. Alexandrine blinks at those mental pictures, a slight sound against that kiss. "Wha? Who? Daniel Rourke, if you've got some other woman up in here, Ah swear to gawd you'll wish you never gave me a key.." Blue eyes are only starting to get stormy, cheeks warming with a flush of color. "Ah /came/ to make you dinner an' make up for bein' caught up with teachin'. What are /you/ doin' around here, that has you rushin' out here, buttonin' your damned jeans?!" A hand lifting, poking a finger at his chest. It is only then she notices the small asian female holding a baseball bat. She goes still, staring for a long moment even as her telepathy searches out. "Someone best get to explainin'... " Dan winces at the sudden (and let's face it, not altogether unexpected) response from Alexandrine, and he shakes his head. "It's not like that," he says in a rush. "I was in the shower -- well, I was just done in there. And the kid, well," he looks back at the bedroom, and his eyes widen. "Holy fuck, kid. Put that away. This is Alex. Remember? I told you about her the other day." He waves at the girl, and moves to claim the bags. "It's okay, baby," he says to Alex as he moves towards the kitchen. "This is Mei. She's...sort of my foster kid. For a while." Which is a /terrible/ way to explain someone being on the run from at least two mob families, but it's the best he can come up with on short notice. Which is a guilty thought, and he scrunches his nose. "She was at Eddie's pawn shop, and some guys came lookin' for her. Me an' another guy," There's a solid flash of a picture of Murphy, although more banged up than usual. "We got her out of there. She's stayin' with me until -- " He breaks off, looking at Mei, prompting her with a jerk of his chin. Mei stands there, a frown on her face as she watches the pair, but when Dan explains who she is there's a suddenly sheepish look on her face and she quickly puts the bat down, inside the bedroom and out of view without actually fully entering the bedroom. Her mind is a bit of a jumble as she nods to Dan. Mei's mind is full of chinese language thoughts, but there are enough images to get a quick run down of things for Alex. Images of Mei escaping from some strange crash and... a crate?* - *Images of Mei picking up a rock and... turning it into gold??* - *Images of Dan and Murphy 'extracting' Mei from the pawn shop* - *Images of Mei being in some apartment with a layer of dirt on the floor and strange folk (Jim and Ash) living there, freaking Mei out a bit* - *Images of her basically pleading with Dan to not be forced to stay with the crazy people and him allowing her to stay* - *Images of her cleaning the apartment*. Mei's mind is a strange place, with thoughts flitting at a rather incredible speed compared to most folks, as if her mind was constantly running in fast forward compared to normal thought speeds. That last set of images probably explains why Dan's place looks better than it has since he moved in, the place practically sparkles with clean. Mei tilts her head then offers a small apology, "No mean hurt, honest." She offers to Alex, "Dan say, have bat. For bad men." She adds as she sounds a tad defensive and gives Dan a 'please support me on this' kind of look. She gives a little shrug, and steps formally into the room. Alexandrine is glowering, blue eyes finally jerking away from the girl to look at Dan. "You're fosterin' kids that are runnin' from the big bads, now? When were you plannin' on tellin' me, Rourke? Jesus christ on a cracker with cheese? She's a... and it never occurred to you to /tell me/? " She might not be jealous mad, but Alex is still mad. Blue eyes turn swiftly back to Mei. "Ah understand, at least sort of. A girl should have something to defend herself with, be it a baseball bat or something else. Ah'm not mad at you." Dan looks uncomfortable under the girl's sudden apologies, and he holds up a hand as if to stay them. But, Alex's wroth is a bit harder to deal with, and he rubs a hand along his neck. "She's only been here a few days," he says. "And I've got the bads handled," he says, images of the /very/ insane Razor and her crew, his friend Dutch among them. Watching the building. Guarding against the more dangerous families. And, at the back, a shady-seeming deal that hangs over it all. "She's safe as she's gonna get, right here." He turns back to Mei, and waves that hand, finally. "It's okay, kid. Alexandrine is my girlfriend. I didn't tell her about you." He wrinkles his nose as he looks back at Alex, cranking up the puppy look /just/ a notch. "Baby, what was I going to do? She needs help. What /could/ I do?" He sounds genuinely frustrated about this. "I see her, an' all I can see is Colleen in a few years." He rubs a hand through his hair in a sudden, frustrated move, and kicks a cabinet with his bare foot. "I /had/ to." Mei stands there, looking unsure as she watches this play out between Dan and Alex. She keeps quiet for now. Her own mind racing, mostly in Chinese still of course, but as Dan mentions Colleen a discussion between Dan and Mei comes to mind, this in English, about how both Mei's mother and Colleen's mother died, just left with fathers. About how Mei is worried about her father back in China. Mei stands there bitting at her lower lip then tilts her head, but still, seems to think silence is better than speaking at this point, letting the two adults sort things out. Alexandrine is still a boiling vessel of fury, for all she's regained that outward calm. "Ah /get/ that she needs protection, Dan. Ah'm not a moron. Ah /can/ help. She's one of mine, Dan. Ah know people that can help her. Keep her safe, help her finish school." She hesitates, before she's moving forward toward him, and plunging forward in her words as well. "Logan introduced me to them. There are kids like here that go there. They're safe there. Ah... Ah couldn't tell you about it, for Colleen. She ain't old enough." Maybe Dan sense the fury that's boiling within his lovely redheaded lass, because he visibly cringes as she steps forward, and there's another wash of guilt. Then, her words sink in, and he BLINKS at Alex. "Wait, what?" He waves a hand, as if erasing the last couple of seconds. "What did you say? There's mutant kids at your school?" Colleen can go to school. Colleen can be /safe/. /Mei/ can be safe. These are amazing concepts for him to consider, and there's a sudden wash of dizziness that actually rocks him, and he sways. His hand scrabble to catch the counter as his knees buckles, and his breath begins to hitch. "Tell. Me. That. Again." As Dan seems to start to buckle Mei rushes forward, but she's small and Dan's big, plus Alex is a lot closer. Still, the mention of the school? It is clear that Mei can follow most English even if her own isn't that great and at the mention of leaving Dan to go to a school her mind clouds over with a sudden sense of fear and dread, for leaving this sort of stand in father figure she's come to trust as the only one really willing to look out for her since she got to New York. The icy dread of having to leave Dan, even if it means being safer clouds her thoughts as she rushes forward to try to help keep Dan from falling. Alexandrine swallows hard, torn as she reaches to prop up her man. "Yes, there are mutant kids at the school Ah teach at. Logan knows what Ah am, an' he still got me the job. It's.. very mutant friendly. But it's more a high school, that's why Ah didn't say anything, yet. Colleen.. she has some growin' up to do, first. They don't have kids her age at the school. Ah.. well, Ah was gonna ask you if you and your sister was considering home schooling her. She's bright, she could skip grades that way.. Ah know how much you worry, but they just don't have facilities for a young girl like Collie. Blue eyes dart over to Mei at that change over to dread. << Sugar... this girl.. you're the only one she trusts, yet. Ah can't just sweep her off. >> That's Dan-specific mind speak, there. Whatever Dan is going through, his mind is fairly white noise, and he stares at the wall behind the sink with a glazed sort of look. Fingers flex against the countertop, and his jaw clenches as his teeth grind together. It's hard to say what's happening, exactly. He doesn't seem aware of the support of the women in his life, that's for sure (typical man). When Alex's mindvoice sounds in his head, his head snaps up, and the look in his eyes is suddenly wary. Feral. He looks at Alex, then at Mei, and his eyes widen even further. IT'S THE KID THE KID THE KID IT'S IN MY MIND OH FUCK THE KID MY MEN OH FUCK. His breathing becomes ragged, and he pushes back towards the bedroom, holding out a hand as if to ward off the two females. OH SHIT OH FUCK THE KID WILL KILL ME KILL COLLEEN KILL ELLEN MY MEN OH GOD THE KID IS IN MY MIND. Mei is left utterly confused by Dan's sudden change, near collapse and blank stare. She stammers, "D... d... Dan? What wrong? Dan?" Her voice tinged with fear, as she looks to Alex trying to see if she has a clue what is going on, then looks to Dan and... ends up kind of trying to follow him towards teh bedroom, even as he holds his hand out to ward the women off. Mei doesn't try to rush in or anything but she is not going to let him lock himself in the bedroom or anything like that if she can help it, trying to stay close to him as she can. "Oh hell's afire." She looks over at Mei, her hand reaching out to touch her shoulder. "No, honey. You should go...hide. In the bathroom, Ah think. Dan... isn't himself right now. Ah'll take care of it. He was in the war, see, and sometimes, his mind makes him think he's back there, even though he's here, and safe with us." Alex explains in a rush, before she is closing in on Dan. "Dan. Dan, baby.. look at me. Look at me. You're here with me. It's my fault, baby. No one is here to kill you, or kill Colleen. " She's trying to take his hands in her own. "She isn't here, Dan. No one here wants to hurt you." Then feeling her heart in her throat, Alex pushes. Empathy first, comfort and warmth and the affection she has for him, trying to fuzz his mind with the warm feelings. << Baby, it's me. It's Alex. Ah'm a mutant, remember? Ah'd never hurt you. >> "NO!" Dan suddenly manages a word as Mei approaches, and there's a part of his brain that struggles through the fog of blood and terror to protect the girl. "No..." he staggers back a couple of steps, and sits heavily on the bed, his eyes still wide. THE KID KEEP IT TALKING DON'T LET IT IN YOUR HEAD YOUR HEAD IT'S IN YOUR HEAD OH GOD MY MEN WHAT THE FUCK HELP THE KID. His body jerks, as he twists to follow phantom images, bullets flying; people shouting and falling -- all of these are in glorious surround sound and 3D color, for Dan. A VOICE THAT VOICE IT'S NOT THE KID FOLLOW THE VOICE DOC SAMSON SAID TO FIND SOMETHING TO FOCUS ON OH GOD MY MEN THE KID IS IN MY MIND HELP ME THE VOICE FOLLOW THE VOICE. His body's twitching slows, a bit, and he's calm enough that his hand is easily claimed. But he continues to stare at Alexandrine without recognition, his breathing still rapid and shallow with fear. Mei looks between Dan and Alex then back to Dan who is not acting at all like she's used to. She's not seen him like this before, that much is clear from the fear coming from her from seeing him bascially bug out. She nods to Alex and... with that retreats to the bathroom. Not only does she retreat to the bathroom but she locks the door, they starts to work on propping anything she can to keep it closed, just in case. Being a bathroom that might be limited but if she can do anything she does, be it using a plunger handle or something to keep it closed, whatever she can manage, just in case the lock is not enough. She then grabs a bottle of some kind of cleaning solution from under the sink, holding it defensively, ready to spray anyone who comes in, in the face if need be. Alex watches her go, a sigh of relief before she's moving closer, trying to get to where she can get a better hold of Dan. A hand reaching for his cheek, trying to keep close, keep the feelings of safety and warmth pumping into him. "Dan. Baby, look at me. It's Alexandrine, sugar. You're here, with me... in New York. You are not over in the sandbox, baby. You're safe." She tries to slide an arm around him. She's trying to shatter those flashback images in his head, so real to him, and yet she can see they aren't. Trying instead to superimpose memories...their first date, the horrible movies they'd watched curled up on her couch, even the night Logan came with her to Molly's...anything to try to bring him back. When that hand reaches for his cheek, Dan's hand shoots up to clamp around it painfully tight. "Don't fuckin' /touch/ me," he growls, and pushes the redhead back with a fair amount of strength even as he scrabbles back on the bed. His eyes slide around the room, seeing only sand and dead bodies, and his eyes widen. THE KID IS STILL IN HERE WHY WON'T IT LEAVE ME ALONE OH FUCK MY MEN. He blinks twice, and drops his head into his hands, pulling into a ball as it suddenly drains away, the visions gone as quickly as they came. His breathing hitches, and in a moment, deep sobs rack his body, ground out from somewhere deep, waves of grief and revulsion roiling across his mind. oh god my men my fucking men what did i do where's the kid. still in there i can feel it oh god ellie i fucked it up alex where's alex she was here oh god she saw she saw. Alexandrine is caught off balance, but manages to not fall in some sort of heap, catching herself with her other hand to the wall. And ignoring his growl, she follows in his wake, getting closer, closer. She refuses to let go, fighting against his mental inner demons to try and drag him back to the hear and now. A hand rubs over his shoulder, the mark where he had gripped her wrist still red on her skin. "Dan.. baby.. it's all right. That's all over. You're here, with me. You're safe." Dan shudders under that gentle hand, but he doesn't pull away. alex that's alex she's here oh god she saw she saw i'm crazy she knows she saw. "Fuck," is weak, and soaked with grief. "Fuck. I fucked it up." He can't look at Alexandrine, keeping his head pressed against his denim-clad knees. "Shit. Shit." His hands tighten a bit around his ankles, and he begins to bang his head against his knees slowly. "I didn't...you weren't..." she saw. she /saw/. "Shh.. shh, baby. It's all right." Her hand lifts to stroke over his hair, a kiss dropped on top, "You didn't fuck anything up. Everything is fine, baby." Her head tilts as she slips her hand in to try and make him stop banging his head against his knees. "Ah wasn't what?" The kiss on his head brings another shudder through Dan's frame, and slowly his muscles begin to unknot under Alexandrine's hands. "I fucked it up. I've been so caught up...my meds are off." He lifts his head, then, to turn his weary, red-tinged face towards Alex. "I just...you weren't supposed to see me freak out like this," he says in a weary voice. "My head...it gets all twisted up, and I can't see anything..." he shudders, and his eyes squint close as phantoms begin to pull into focus again. He breathes deeply, and slowly. "I'm sorry, baby." Alex looks concerned, lines between her eyebrows as she snuggles up to his side. "So your meds are off. We can fix that. " When his face lifts, she leans in to give him a kiss. "Dan, Ah knew ya had this goin' on, remember? Better Ah see it, when Ah can maybe help you come out of it, than it happen with that girl, or someone else. " She rests her forehead to his. "Sorry for what? Bein' a person forced to see things no one should have to?" Mei, hearing nothing from outside the bathroom calls out, "No bad out there?" She asks, raising her voice a bit, then listening to see if she can hear a response, still ready and steady with her bottle of cleanser, ready to spray any intruder who doesn't announce themselves in the face with... She glances at the bottle. Yep, spray them in the face with 401 tile cleaner! That should at least sting a lot, right? Dan's smile when the kiss breaks is small and relieved. she doesn't hate me oh thank you god. "I don't know what triggered it," he says, rubbing his cheek against his knee. "It just...snapped. You were saying something to me and -- oh shit. The /kid/." This sudden reminder gets another wash of guilt, and he sits up. "Where is she?" He /might/ be struggling to get up, at this point. "Kid! Kid, you still here?" oh shit the chinamen got her when i wasn't looking broke my promise where is she. Alexandrine moves to put her hands on his shoulders. "Relax. Ah sent her to the bathroom, so you didn't freak out in front of her." She whispers, stealing another kiss. "Ah triggered it, baby. It was my fault." She turns her head, calling out. "Bad is gone, you can come out now." Mei carefully unlocks the door, and peeks out. She sets the bottle of cleaner on the counter and slips out of the bathroom then peeks in the bedroom door. "Dan okay now? All better?" She ventures as she looks between Alex and Dan, nervously. You don't have to be a mind reader to see the fear radiating from her, worry for Dan and the entire situation. She looks a bit rattled by the freak out by Dan to be honest. She's more peeking around the open door, not fully in view, just her head as she gulps, "He okay?" "You..." Dan can't seem to wrap his head around that idea, and it tumbles in the sudden openness of his mind scape. Then it clicks, and his brow furrows. "You said you wouldn't do that." It's hurt-sounding, and he frowns at the redhead. "Baby...you...I thought you weren't...." He shakes his head, and presses his lips together in a line. she went in my head like the kid the kid she went in my head. When Mei pokes her head around the corner, there's a wash of relief that sweeps that aside, briefly, and he nods. "Yeah, kid. I'm okay. C'mere." He holds out his hand, gesturing for the teenager to join them on the bed. "I'm sorry if I scared you." Alexandrine lowers her gaze, lashes nearly hiding blue eyes from sight. "Ah know. Ah.. just in the moment, Ah couldn't say it out loud and..." She shrugs, before she's looking up into his face with a frown. "You that Ah wasn't what?" Mei hesitates then enters the bedroom and moves to Dan's side and looks curiously at Alex. She looks between the two. "Can go um.... out? If you need talk?" She ventures as she looks a tad concerned. "Um, just in hall? Not roof." She says firmly after Dan's last warning on the topic. She seems to pick up on the tension between the pair and looks unsure as to what is going on really. Still, she looks relieved that Dan seems to be more himself rather quickly. She takes Dan's hand and gives it a little squeeze. Dan sags, then, and moves so that he can wrap his arm around Alex, pulling her into his side. not important she won't hurt you don't pick fights meds are off you're not thinking right. "It don't matter," he rumbles, and when Mei grabs his hand, he offers the girl a small smile. "No, kid, you can stay. There's nothing to talk about." There's a stab of something in his brain, and he scrunches his nose. "Well, except for about what just happened. But let's talk about that later, okay?" He leans to plant a kiss on the side of Alexandrine's head. "Right now, I just want to start this whole evening over." "It /does/ matter. " Alex starts to press, before she bites the tip of her tongue. "Why don't you just relax and try for a nap, huh?" She offers Mei a smile. "Want to help me make dinner while he rests, then?" She'll move and try and entice Mei out into the other room, so Dan can rest.