Aftershock (Backdated to June 21st)

[attheclocktower]

Characters: [ou] Xion and anyone she runs into
Setting: Room 1-01, Floor 93, Elevator, Cafeteria (Floor 1)
Format: Either or.
Summary: Xion revives from death for the first time under "normal" circumstances and associated fallout.
Warnings: Post-death trauma

[Room 1-01]

[By the time she's able to move, there's tears streaming down the sides of her face, into her hair. She shoves herself upright, trembling slightly. For a while, it's all she can do is stare down at her hands, feeling her body finally - finally - answering to the instructions she's issued it. Thalassa, surprised by the sudden motions of her owner paws her way up the bed and slowly stuffs her face into Xion's until the girl looks at her. Tentatively, a still-shaking hand reaches out to pet the cat.

Xion is only able to pet Thalassa a few times before she breaks. Pushing herself back to the corner of her bed flush with the wall, she curls up, buries her head in her knees, and doesn't move for a long time.]


[Floor 93]

[When she's finally able to leave her room, it's with a notable absence. She'd been wearing it when she woke up, but her clothes were destroyed - most particularly her black coat. The explosions in particular had burned away great chunks of it. She had some spare shirts and other such clothing, but she'd probably need to start making more soon. And of course, there was no replacing the coat...

The memories of what had happened had already long since come back - they'd been back by the time she was fully awake. She'd had forty minutes with nothing to do but lie there and think and try not to panic.

Were they still there? Had everyone made it out okay? Were the things she'd left inside still there? She edges her way down the hallway, towards where the barricade had been, not... quite sure what to expect.]


[Elevators]

[Back up the stairs she goes, because walking all the way down to the lower floors just seems like a bad idea. And she's not sure if she can safely use corridors anymore, now that her coat's in tatters. She'd always had that ingrained in her - that using the corridors without her coat was bad.

Somehow or another though, she's managed to get her bag of her most precious things. She's sitting in a corner of the elevator, pulling out each of the objects inside and carefully examining them (though she's careful to leave some of her more incriminating correspondence hidden in the bag).]


[Cafeteria]

[If nothing else, Xion can be found in the cafeteria. She doesn't seem to be sticking around for long though, and after picking up a few nutritional bars and looking around before heading back towards the elevator.]

Comments

Room 1-01...or right outside of it, anyway

[derping]

[Sora hadn't really known what to do with herself once everything had started to quiet down. The last day or so had been kind of a blur, with a lot of wandering around and checking up on people and occasionally trying to get some sleep...and frequently going to Xion's room to see if she was back yet.

He wished he could've done something. Gotten up and helped out sooner, maybe or...but that's not gonna help now. Mostly, he just wants to make sure she's okay when she gets back.

Eventually he gets worried enough to set up camp outside her door, using Excalibur as a pillow when they both fall asleep...that is, until Excalibur wakes up, wiggling out from under him and letting his head fall to the ground with a thump.

Ow!]

Hey, what was that for?

[Because he isn't a pillow, Sora, thank you very much.

Sora rubs his head as he picks himself up, knowing that there will be a new bump there soon enough. Still, he may as well check on Xion again...how long was he out, anyway?

He knocks on the door, hoping that he'll get an answer this time.]

Sob this is going to be so short.

[attheclocktower]

[Xion stiffens at the knock on her door and looks up, her breath sucking in. If Sora's listening carefully he might be able to hear it. However, she doesn't say anything. She isn't sure she's ready to deal with people, even people who might possibly be looking for her roommates, or something like that.

The knocks continue however. At last, Xion gives in. She doesn't get up or anything, but the door's not locked.]

H-hello?

[derping]

[Sora immediately perks up when he hears the voice, and when Xion doesn't come to the door he opens it anyway, relief washing over him when he sees that she really is there.]

You're back!

[He rushes over to her, though Excalibur beats him there, hopping onto the bed and somehow managing to give Xion a concerned look. Sora's not too far behind him, though, and he looks outright worried.]

Are you okay?

[attheclocktower]

[And thus is the second time in under an hour that Xion has had a small cute creature pressing itself into her face and trying to get her attention. Indeed, Thalassa seems surprised at the sudden invader on her personal territory. She fluffs her fur out, arching her back in surprise. She doesn't hiss at or tackle Excalibur or anything, but she's definitely surprised and a little spooked.

Tentatively, Xion reaches out a hand to pat Excalibur on the head. She doesn't answer Sora's question, nor does she come uncurled. At last she wraps her hand around herself again, shaking her head, closing her eyes, and looking down and away.]

I'm fine.

[The obvious tremor in her voice, her body language, everything says otherwise.]

[derping]

[That's when Excalibur notices the other not-person on the bed, tilting his head in confusion. He doesn't approach Thalassa, but he lets out a happy-sounding squeaky noise a few seconds later, one that's...probably meant as a hello? But then Xion gives him a pat on the head and he remembers why he's there, leaning against her a little. Don't be sad, nice person!

Meanwhile, Sora waits for Xion to answer, but doesn't know what to say at first when she does. She's obviously not fine, but maybe that was a dumb question to ask anyway.]

You don't really look fine, but I guess it's okay if you don't want to talk about it.

[If she'd rather just forget about, Sora wouldn't blame her. He didn't want to leave, though, unless she really wanted him to.]