[PRP] Solve the Problem

[shibrogane]

Aure sat at one of the small, circular tables in Chagall Cafe, genteely sipping at a chocolate mocha. As usual, she wore gloves and a heavy coat, but today she had also decided to wear pants. A small concession for her friend, which she supposed he still was. She wondered if he'd notice the black theme of her clothes- she who had adamantly refused black her entire life. It looked appropriate. After all, Grandfather was dead.

She pushed cookies around the plate before her- not because she was nervous. She was just bored. And a little worried. Not that that would affect anything she did, she assured herself. Aure was free of those stupid bonds that affected the trash of the populace, she knew it. And the pitted metal orbs that replaced her pretty green eyes were the only reflection of it. She moved the coffee she had bought for Ean from one side of the other end of the table to the other, then back again. Would he ever get here?

Perhaps she wasn't exactly free of all emotions.  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean pushed open the door to the cafe, and made his way over to where Aurelius sat. He looked like a nervous wreck. His hair had obviously not been washed in quite a while, as it was stringy, and looked a bit oily. His eyes were slightly sunken in his skull, and seemed to lack that bit of luster they'd had not even two months ago. Both arms were bandaged, all the way up to the elbow, and there were similar bandages around both hands. He was also shaking... no... trembling. As he walked, and as he sat down. Like a beaten puppy.
He quickly grabbed the cup of coffee, looking straight across at Aure. His head was killing him, but he didn't care. He had to stay up. Had to do this. Had to find out what was wrong with him. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak to Aure, but only wound up sobbing uncontrollably, causing several of the patrons to turn in their seats, and eye the teenager causing the disruption. He couldn't speak until he calmed himself down - and that took a while. When he finally DID speak, his voice was shaking, as if speaking any louder would send him into crying again.

"Aure... what's wrong with me? What's wrong with me?"  

[shibrogane]

"You're depressed," she said clinically. "I suppose, from your appearance, you have not been eating or taking care of yourself at all." Aure had anticipated this. She pushed the plate of cookies across to him and stared at him. "Eat," she said, softly. But there was no mistaking a will of iron in those words. In the past month, she'd gotten used to getting her way- through force or manipulation. She'd get it here, too.  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean looked at the plate of cookies, as though it was going to bite him. He really wasn't hungry. The very thought of food right now nauseated him. He was hot, too - despite there being a very cold day outside. He looked flushed. Shaking his head, he pushed the plate back to Aure.

"I can't eat... Just the thought of it makes me wanna throw up. It's been like that for days now... "

His eyes dropped to the table, and he shivered, wrapping his arms around him, suddenly cold. Fever. Chills. He was sick, too. But too unaware of his own condition to notice. Or possibly care.  

[shibrogane]

"A common symptom of depression and hunger," she snapped. Aure pushed the plate back, a calculated movement clearly not meant to be threatening. Just enough force in the movement of her arm to make it clear that she wasn't having it on with him. "If I must empty my purse so you may vomit in it, then that is what I shall do. You will eat. The sugar will make you more aware, since your blood sugar will also be low from a lack of food." She looked at him in a dispassionate fashion that disgusted herself, but really. This was simply ridiculous. Did he want to die?

"You are depressed, lonely, and confused," she summarized. "I cannot help you with much but the loneliness and confusion. Depression is a disease that must be dealt with through medical avenues, or at least theraputic avenues. I'm not qualified to do either." Although, how much schooling could it take to be a therapist? It was just more manipulation, which she had proven quite good at. "I am not the same as I was," she said in a deadly whisper. "I am what I must be. While it is up to you to decide what you must be, I am willing to help you. That is all that matters." Or all that should.  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean reached out tentatively toward the cookies, and took one, nibbling at it. He made a face at the taste, but continued to eat it. Once the food was in his mouth, his body seemed to realize that it needed it. The cookie was gone within seconds, and he was reaching for another one without even realizing what he was doing. Then, his thirst kicked in, and he ordered a glass of water from a passing waitress, finishing THAT within a couple of minutes as well. Sick. Tired. Hungry... Stressed.

"Since you left it's like... It's like a hurricane inside my head. Stuff being thrown around and... Am I going nuts? I hear Nishin again - but I can't see him. I feel things... nasty things. Slimy things, crawling all over me..."

He held up his arm, showing the non-bandaged part of his hand was burned - at least second-degree.

"I burned some of my skin off trying to wash off the slimy feeling with boiling water. It didn't work. It's still there. And the blade... the pain, it felt so good..."

He went silent, eating and drinking. Occasionally, he stopped to rub at his chest, and cough. But mostly, he was quenching his thirst, and filling his belly with much-needed sugar.  

[shibrogane]

"Would you happen to have the blade? Give it to me." She held out one palm. "Then we shall go and you shall take a shower. Perhaps after that we will talk, or you shall sleep. The only other option I shall offer you is, I call one of my friends and we drag you back to my current location, then we will make you." Yes. Aure had changed much since she had left Ean. And not all of it was for the better.  

[Juridian Soul]

The teen shook his head, and bit his lip. No, he didn't have the blade.

"I tossed it... Somewhere on the street.. I dunno where it landed. It was scaring me, so I got rid of it..."

He rose to his feet, shakily, and closed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath and his balance.

"If we're going to go, lets go... I can barely stay awake as it is..."  

[shibrogane]

She nodded and withdrew her palm. Valinor was closer than Grandfather's house, and she didn't really want to be there during the funeral preparations anyway. Aure put one hand on Ean's shoulder and filled the other with her mocha. "Come along, then. It's only a block to my residence." It wasn't really her house. But she lived there. So she let go of Ean (after she thought he was steady) and started on her way back home.  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean staggered after her, pretty much half asleep as it was right now. He grabbed for the door, missed, and grabbed her coat instead. Quickly, he shook that off, and straightened himself out, sprinting to catch up with her. Which caused the pain in his chest to intensify. He ignored it.

"Where are we going again?" he asked, panting a bit. "Hopefully not too far..."  

[shibrogane]

"It's right there," she said. It'd be surprising when he'd practically fallen on her coat, but not that surprising. Aure slipped a hand under his elbow and crossed the street to the stoop in front of the large brownstone, then trotted up the stairs and unlocked the door. "Come in." Not an invitation, though she phrased it like that. More of a... demand. "Are you feeling well?"  

[Juridian Soul]

He shook his head, but accepted the invitation, staggering inside, and leaning against one of her walls to catch his breath, and try to shake off the worst of a creeping-in fever. It'd been dormant since last weekend, but that didn't mean it was gone. And now it was starting to ooze back in. Ean's face looked a bit flushed after the walk. He coughed, and looked over at Aure.

"No - I'm not... " he murmured, hand pressed against his aching chest.

There had to be something he could do. Somewhere to lay down... yeah... that sounded really good about now - somewhere to rest.  

[shibrogane]

She looked at Ean for a moment, then said, "Xavier." On cue, a military-looking man who stood a couple inches taller than Aure peered out of an adjacent room. "Take him upstairs to my room. He is not feeling well." He quirked an eyebrow and she frowned at him impressively.

"Breaking our vows already?" There was definitely a teasing note in his voice, which was a fairly crisp baritone. Nevertheless, he- Xaiver- joined the two Illusionary near the door.

"We haven't made them yet," she snapped. "Do as I said."

The brunette looked offended, but he turned to Ean then. "My lady commands. Need a hand?" Something in the set of Aure's face said it would be a bad idea to say no.  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean nodded, and took Xavier's offered help, allowing the man to get him up the stairs, and into what he assumed to be Aure's room. Right now, he was too tired, and even notice the finite details here and there. More worried about why he was feeling so dizzy. When he was set on the bed, it wasn't long before he was out cold. He didn't even have time to say 'thank you' before his eyes closed, and he was gone.  

[shibrogane]

Aure settled in her desk chair. Other than the desk, the rest of this room was coldly impersonal. Oh, there were a few personal items- the jacket hung on a hook by the wall, a greenish-blue dog plush on one of the multitudinious pillows on the bed- but mostly it was just stark, sterile white broken up by sleek black furniture. But the desk held piles of paper, an expensive-looking laptop that Aure had built herself, several photographs, and a red rose in a vase.

"Thank you, Xavier," she said. There was a note of real warmth in her voice, although there was none in her face. And of course, the metal eyes showed nothing. He bent down and kissed her, then straightened again with a guilty look at Ean. "He does not know. Do not tell him." He nodded, left the room quietly. Aure noticed he had taken the time to make sure her friend made it under the covers before passing out. So she got up and caught him in time to thank him again before going back into her room and closing the door.

With a little twinge of guilt, she took off her gloves and examined the engagement ring on her finger. It was for the best. Really. She settled herself back into the chair and waited for Ean to wake up.