leftinbasketforfbi | 6th Recovery Δ Audio/Action for Violet City Φ Forward-dated to this evening

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6th Recovery Δ Audio/Action for Violet City Φ Forward-dated to this evening

[He's sticking to audio because he doesn't want anyone seeing him right now, but his Pokemon are mobbing him and he'd have difficulty keeping his hands free long enough to actually type anything.]

Uh, hi there. I, uh, I don't know exactly how many people I spoke to the last two days... [Mostly because the thing possessing him was stoned 90% of the time and he can't remember much of anything.] ...but in case I said any different, my name is Spencer. Spencer Reid, actually.

Speaking of, if I, uh, if I was acting out of character? I was sort of possessed by an animal called a Yamask. Turns out a Haunter thought it would be amusing to steal this Yamask's mask, and then put the mask on me. Said Yamask would actually like to apologize for, uh... rebuking anyone who took her for a man; she didn't realize she was actually in the body of a man. [She's totally not apologizing for anything else. Reid's the only one who gets apologies. Damn kids.]

And... I'd also kind of appreciate it if someone could possibly explain what I did, because I don't really remember all that much? And I'd like to give a blanket apology for offending or being rude to anyone. I'm not--usually, I'm really not like that. So I'm sorry for anything I did or said.

[Private to Albert]
I'm, um, not really sure how reliable my memory is this time, but if what I vaguely remember is real, then thank you. And I'm very, very sorry.

If my memory isn't accurate and you don't know what I'm talking about, please disregard me.

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I have time right now.

[Reid doesn't like being taken care of anyway. He makes a living off of listening to people and learning why they do what they do. He does better listening to people than talking about himself.]

But I'm not about to make you talk about something you're not ready for.

[Flora murmurs softly, wiggling against Mio's chest. Mio. She knows that this is a moment, but petting her will help. As well as make her feel good, but she's mostly concerned about helping. Mostly.]

[There's are a few moments of tense silence before she slowly sinks to sit on the bed again. She doesn't look at him.]

...If I don't tell you, it'll just eat at me more. [One hand rests on Flora, petting her as she tried to figure out what to say, hear heart pounding in her chest.]

In the woods near my village, there's a legend about another village that disappeared on the day of a ritual. They say that anyone who wanders into the woods becomes spirited away.

[Mio can still see it clearly, the stone markers that announced the border of the village, the dilapidated buildings and shrines-]

...Mayu and I went to see the forest one more time, because they were building a dam and the whole place would be under water soon. We used to play there all the time, so we thought it'd be okay... Even though we weren't supposed to be there.

[There's a sort of hollowness to her voice, as if she's recounting a story she heard from somewhere else, like it just didn't happen to her. She's yet to look up from the patterns on Flora's fur[

I always promised Mayu I'd never leave her, and that we'd be together forever. [A relationship and closeness that hovered just on the edge of being very inappropriate . Though Mayu had always been manipulative and possessive of Mio--facts Mio had repressed and pretend didn't exist.] But she got away from me and wandered in the forest. I followed her and before I knew it...everything was dark.

It was noon, but then when I passed the stone markers, it was suddenly like it was midnight. I thought I saw lights in the distance, like a bonfire, but when I got to them there was no one but my sister there, and an abandoned village.

...But we couldn't leave. The path we'd used to get into the village...it was gone. And I couldn't get close to the edge. It was like something was keeping us from getting out.

But we weren't alone. [The hollowness in her voice gets worse] During that ritual...a girl's spirit went mad and slaughtered everyone in the village. Men, women, children... Those spirits, and the spirits of everyone who'd wandered into the village and were killed; they were everywhere.

[A shvier goes down her spine and her grip on Flora tightens somewhat] ...Her laughter still echoed in the village. I can hear it even now.

[She pauses a moment] ...Do you believe me so far? [Spirits and rituals and ghost-plagued villages all sounded crazy, after all]

Edited 2012-10-30 22:08 (UTC)

[Reid is just listening quietly, and it's hard to tell what he's thinking. It's always hard to tell what he's thinking when he's listening to an unsub or victim, and right now, that's the face he's using.

Detachment. Just listen, and empathize with the speaker. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in their grief, though. Just know it. And then understand it.]

I believe you.

[Because seriously. He's in a magical world where there's never-ending music and animals can fit in balls that are maybe five square inches. He'll believe anything.]

[She nods in acceptance. Good because it's about to get crazier]

In a village, deep underground, there's a pit they say leads to hell. When the rumbling starts, it meant the gods were getting angry and had to be appeased, to do things like... bring a good harvest, a good year, things like that. If they didn't, the Repentance would happen, malice would spread from the pit and infect everyone.

...Eventually, the rituals failed. The malice spread. Ghosts turned twisted and violent, humans either went mad or they killed themselves--those that didn't get killed by the ghost, anyway.

Since then anyone who wanders in is forced to do the ritual over and over in the hopes it'll finally work. [Mio swallows hard and her voice become a whisper]

The ritual is...a sacrifice.

[Reid has a sinking feeling that he knows where this is going.]

What happened?

[Not 'what did you do' or anything like that. Not assigning blame for anything. Just requesting facts.

Now's not the time to interject his thoughts. Now's just the time to listen.]

[There's a long moment of silence as Mio remembers to keep breathing, where her throat is burning and her hand covers the mark as best she can. She's gone this far; she can't keep uiet at this point.]

They believed that twins had special powers, that they were one soul that was split into two at birth. And that by bringing the two halves together would have even more power. So... so the ritual was...

[She's shaking, and squeezes her eyes shut a moment, voice cracking with emotion] One twin...has to strangle and kill the other. The greater the suffering, the more powerful it is. Mayu and I just happened to be twins, so the ritual worked.

...When I got to the ritual room, I wanted to--to escape with her. But she told me we couldn't. That we couldn't be together forever, but that this way...we could become one again.

And she... she put my hands on her neck... And told me to kill her, and I-- [Mio lets go of Flora and hunches over more, pressing her hands to her face. The hollowness is gone, replaced with a raw self-hatred, guilt] I didn't want to! The priests were chanting and it was so loud-- But she told me to, and before I knew it--

[Mayu had been dead and the priests were tossing her lifeless body into the pit]

[Speaking doesn't seem right. What can he say? 'I'm sorry'? Sorrow does nothing. 'It'll be alright'? He doesn't know that. 'You did what you had to do'? That's not for him to say. That's for her to decide on her own.

Reid's hands twitch at his knees, hesitant, but then he tentatively--very tentatively--wraps an arm around her shoulders, inviting her to hug him or shrug him off, whichever she'd like. It's probably the first time he's actually initiated some form of contact between them, even after traveling for months together.

Reid's there, Mio. If nothing else, he's there, and he'll support you.]

[Mio flinches, surprised by the contact, but she doesn't push him away.

After a brief moment she sets Flora aside and turns, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug and sobs. It's the first time she's cried about the incident since it's happened, and it's like the flood gates had opened and sh was sobbing in earnest against him.

There's mumbled babbling between her crying, that she was sorry, that she didn't mean it to happen. But mostly she just clings to him until she exhausts herself and can't cry anymore, sniffling lightly]

[Normally, Reid would flail because oh god there's a crying girl and he doesn't know what to do.

But this time, he feels that while he doesn't know what exactly to do, he has some idea.

He tightens his hold on her, wraps his other arm across her back, and then turns his head downward to rest his face in her hair. The touch is strange to him, but not outright unpleasant as it would have been a couple months ago. He holds her close, not really knowing what to do beyond keep his grip tight and let her cry.

When the sobs taper off, he lightly rests a hand on the back of her head and gently runs his thumb against her hair repetitively, imitating something he saw JJ do when her son was crying. He's clearly out of his element and the motions are borrowed from what he's seen other people do, but he's earnest in his desire to provide some form of comfort, and he doesn't pull away, no matter how unsure he is.

He doesn't talk. If someone breaks the silence or the hug, it'll be her. He wants her to take as much time as she needs to gather herself.]

Edited 2012-10-31 00:31 (UTC)

[She recognizes the movements as awkward, but she appreciates them nonetheless. He's trying and that's what matters.

She doesn't let go of him, but she pulls away enough to wipe at her face and swallow around the lump in her throat. Much like he's waiting for her to say something, she's waiting for something from him. Mio's not entirely sure what she's waiting for--something that would condemn her more, for him to push her away or tell her that she needs to leave.

After all, wasn't his job to catch people like her?]

...What are you going to do now? I'm a murd-- [A murderer. She can't quite bring herself to say it though and bites her lip.]

[He keeps his arms around her, but when she pulls away slightly, he does as well, just to be able to see her face.

When she asks her question, though, he averts his eyes. It's not because of any guilt or distaste, but just out of habit--he didn't look people in the eyes much when he was a child, and he sometimes reverts to that when he's thinking about something.]

If we were in my world and this happened within the United States, I would have to take you in for questioning and try to find the group responsible. If I thought you were a danger to yourself or others, I would have to find a way to put you in a hospital or in custody respectively.

Neither of those conditions apply here. You're not... I'm not about to leave you alone because of this, okay? [He realizes he's not looking at her, then makes himself make eye contact, his face serious.] You need help. You went through something no one should ever have to, and that will have serious effects, some of which you've seen and some you haven't. Right now, I'm ready to try to help you recover as long as you're willing to let me.

[She listens quietly, a mix of bewilderment and confusion on her face. He wasn't going to leave her? Or turn her over to the police here? Granted it hadn't happened in this world so there was probably nothing the police here could do, but... He was telling the truth, right?

A while back they'd talked about trust. She'd told him that he had to trust her if she was supposed to trust him; she figured the reverse was true now] You...won't leave?

[She holds his gaze for a couple seconds for confirmation, before looking away, wiping at her face as she felt the threat of tears again] ...I saved...a lot of people. I lifted that curse and set the souls free, but I... I can't feel happy about that, not even a little.

I don't know what to do. Being here, the pokemon and the badges... It's just something to do. Something to focus on. But once I'm done with that... What am I supposed to do? I broke my promise; I put with the attacks, and I fought so hard, but... But I couldn't even save the one person who mattered! I can't do anything! What if I'm beyond help!?

No. I'm not leaving.

[He shakes his head, tightening his grip a little for lack of knowing what else to do.] Mio... I've met people who were beyond help, and you aren't. Try taking a deep breath--you can't work through anything if you're overwhelmed by it.

[He looks away briefly, working his jaw.] ...The first time I killed someone, my mentor told me to remember that a lot of people were alive because of me. Even if you can't be happy about saving those people, try to remember it, and keep it in mind when you're pulled into those memories again. If nothing else, people are free because of you. [Baby steps. He's not about to tell Mio that she did the right thing by killing her sister--he doesn't know enough to say, to be honest, and he feels it's up to her to decide whether she did or not. He's not going to tell her to forgive herself or stop hating herself--those things might come in time, but they won't come now.

This is going to be a long road.]

[Mio inhales sharply, slowly working herself down from hyperventilating. The admission that he'd killed someone is met with surprise--despite knowing what he does, the idea of Reid killing anyone is shocking in and of itself. He doesn't seem--

Well, no, Mio can't say he doesn't seem capable of it. She didn't think herself capable of it either and look how well that went. As she calms herself down she nods. Something good did come out of it, even if it was hard to admit since it felt like saying her sister's death was a good thing. There had to have been something else she could've done--something, anything, even if she couldn't think of it now.

When Mio's calmed down she speaks again] ...Thank you, Spencer... I'm sorry. [At least now that it was out in the open she'd be more likely to answer questions he had, gain a better understanding of just what it was that happened.

If only she'd still had her books with her. He surely would've liked to have a look at all of those.] I don't know how to repay you for this.

Am I really going to be okay? [It doesn't help that in her actual (canon) future her uncle has her hospitalized after not knowing how to deal with her, where her guilt quite literally kills her. But thankfully neither of them know that, so there's still a hope spot. A future to look forward to where Mio can stand on her own two feet and feel a little more like a person again.]

[Yeah, Reid seems the least likely to ever kill anyone, and yet he possibly has the highest body count of his current team. He's become a mean shot, and generally doesn't need more than a moment to aim and get a head shot if he's motivated enough.

Not that he exactly likes that, though.

Reid will ask questions later, but for now, he feels like she's already let a lot out. He smiles a little, tired but satisfied.] Don't apologize. And don't bother with things like repayment--I'm happy to help you. I mean, we're friends, aren't we?

It's going to take a long time and you'll never be able to forget, but yeah, I think you'll be okay, Mio. [Well, in her canon, she had no Reid, Johto, or floral print psychic piglet. Those three things will work together to make her healthy again. Speaking of, Flora is trying to wiggle between them now--c'mon guys she wants to be part of the hug too 8c ]

[Mio doesn't answer right away, too preoccupied with making a little room for Flora and gathering the little piglet in her arms and pressing her face against the fur as she hugged her.

After a moment she turns her head so her cheek is pressed against Flora, but her mouth is free to speak] I've never had a friend before, so I don't really know what it means to be a 'friend'.

But...I think we're friends. So I'll do my best. [To be a good friend. To get better.]

[Reid finally releases her, starting to be uncomfortable with the contact, and folds his arms in his lap. Hopefully, you enjoyed the hug, Mio, because Reid will not initiate contact like that often. (He’s okay if you initiate it, though.)]

That’s all I can ask. [He fidgets with his hands. Elle nudges his arm for pettings, but he gently brushes her off, needing a little space.] So do you, uh… well, I guess, do you feel any better than you did when you first got here? You’re seem a little better, at least. [He’s trying to gauge where she is. Now that she’s away from the town, some kind of healing is possible. Now that she’s actually talked to someone about it, it should actually start healing, even if only a little bit.]

[There's no answer for a long moment as Mio contemplates the question. Was she?]

I think so. My throat still hurts, and it feels... [How can she even begin to describe it?] It feels like I've a lost like... like an arm, or something. Sometimes I forget that I've lost it, and then I go to reach for something or do something, or I remember something. Then it hurts all over again, as much as the first time.

[She's not sure her clumsy metaphor makes any sense and there's a sigh.] ...Sorry, I don't know. I feel like I can smile, but not very wide, and that I can laugh, but not very loud or very long. That's better then when I first arrived. Sometimes I even few really happy.

But I don't know if that's being better, or jsut being distracted.

Distraction is good. It's a step in the right direction. You're doing something instead of dwelling constantly on it.

[He stares down at his lap, covering up a few coughs.] You... You're going to have bad days. And it'll be hard to really function then. When you have them... I'd like it if you talked to me. Or even just told me and left it at that. Keeping it to yourself isn't healthy.

[He starts tugging at the bandages around his wrist.] There's no... there isn't a recipe for moving past grief and guilt, but human connection... it makes it a little easier, and I'd like to be able to help you somehow.

[Mio sits up, gathering Flora up in her arms as she senses the conversation will be coming to a close soon. She really needs to get him resting, don't think she didn't notice the coughing.

Her eyes go to his wrist, watching him tug at them] Stop that. You're going to irritate them. [A disapproving frown, but then she nods to show she's been listening and understands.]

You're already helping me. [There's a small, reassuring smile here, as if Reid is the one that needs to be comforted, not her] Thank you.

[Mio begins to slide off the bed taking in a deep breath] You need to rest. If you don't rest you're not going to get better and then you won't be of any help to anyone. [It's said a bit harshly, but Mio huffs and won't apologize for it. She's worried, dammit!]

[He obediently stops tugging at his bandages. He'll go right back to it as soon as he's distracted, though.

He smiles despite the edge in her voice, mostly because he's been in the FBI long enough to know when someone's angry because they're angry and when they're angry because they're worried.] Alright, alright. I'll rest. I'm not really sure if I could keep going much longer without it, anyway.

[He'll figure out what to do about Amanda after he's slept. Elle curls up on the foot of his bed, resting her head on her paws, while Yang sits beside the bed and the ghosts place themselves on the bedside table. They're watchful, guarding their trainer while he can't guard himself.]

[A small giggle and Mio smiles. There's a brief moment of hesitation--consideration--before she leans in and kisses his cheek quickly. It's an entirely chaste gesture, affectionate like one would for a sibling, as that's the only kind of affection Mio really knows how to express.

But then she's hurrying to the door, turning only to leave a parting command to Elle, Yang and, yes, the ghosts as well. Flora is tucked securely under her arm] Make sure he goes to sleep! And doesn't move or anything until I get here tomorrow morning, okay? If he does, you're all going to be in big trouble!

[But there's a little smile she can't hide, and then she's out the door, feeling a little better now that the weight of keeping her sister's death a secret had been partly lifted. She was going to get help. She had a friend--her first actual friend that wasn't her sister or her mother, and he hadn't forced her away in the awake of her horrific tale.

Mio had found something she could optimistically say was hope]

[His eyebrows go up, a little bit of color coming to his face, and he instinctively rests his fingertips where her lips touched.

Then after a moment, his mouth twitches into a smile.

His Pokemon nod in unison to make it clear that, yes, they will take their duty very seriously.

And then she's gone, and Missy floats to the door, turning off the light to let Reid sleep.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

6th Recovery Δ Audio/Action for Violet City Φ Forward-dated to this evening

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html no this is a srs discussion

supar srs :|

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ow my heart

it feels like someone's poking mine with a pointy stick ;.;

can't handle these two leave me here to die sob

I'm gonna crawl away and wibble for a while

i'm watching the criminal minds bloopers at the same time it's surreal

oh god I love the bloopers which season?

It was a compilation for 2 through 6. Every time Hotch's actor cracks up i can't handle it ksjg

Oh god, he has some of the best off-script lines

We need a Hotch in Route with a ridiculously adorable pokemon.

omg Hotch with a Azurill. And then Johto conspires to make him have a purely cute roster

One word: Smoochum

Oh my god. Yes. Yes.

QUICK, FUND IT. WE GOTTA FIND ONE.

We need a Hotch. And a mun who will torture him with cute. Also, comment, y u post before I'm ready?

Yes. The hunt begins.... And because this thread is just too much to handle 8(

I'll post on ATP when it comes up. Because it's too beautiful an idea.