Le désespoir

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Open to all!
Setting: Floor 13
Format: Either~
Summary: Francisca reflects on the blackout and sings a hymn... as goodbye to her world.
Warnings: Angst, potential language



The voices were still whispering in her ears, her memory of the blackout far too keen. Her body still felt weighed down and tired from that far-too-close encounter with the not-England.

But England's voice had been too real.

She'd been trying to believe that England was alive - that this whole Tower business was just an elaborate scheme conjured up by some idiots smoking too much of Pays-Bas' drugs. But... perhaps she was now too tired to even attempt feeling hope.

She'd been strong as Rome and Germania would have expected of her, but even the strongest of defenses would slowly fall under constant fire.

She'd normally avoided this kind of place - too melancholy, too 'holy' for her tastes - but it was an apt setting for what she was about to do.

She moved to the altar, hearing the sudden hush of unheard voices, and took a shuddering breath, staring up at one of the beautifully decorated windows before she haltingly began to sing Pie Jesu, voice pealing out heartbrokenly in the language she'd almost forgotten since her childhood. Her eyes close as hot tears threaten to spill as she continues to sing.

England would have called her a drama-whore for it.

Comments

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

"Is seeming this way, yes," he replied, giving her a small smile.

Ivan tipped his head to the side, seeming to like the compliment, the flush still on his cheeks. "Spasibo," he replied, gave a sheepish shrug, because really it wasn't something that he heard very often. And he certainly liked hearing such things. 'Adorable', 'handsome'--it was something 'monster' just didn't cover. He purred softly and pet her hair carefully.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

"De rien," she chuckled, leaning her shoulder against his when he began to pet her, enjoying the gentle attention.

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan smiled, enjoying the contact--especially since she was a lot like Francis, and he did enjoy his company. Despite the slight differences between the male and female versions, he enjoyed hers as well, glad she was cheering up.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

"I think I like you already, Ivan," she purred, eyes closing as she kept her head resting on his shoulder.

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan purred, seeming to like that fact, nodding slowly. "I am happy to be hearing," he replied--after all, Russia liked to be liked more than anything else. "I am liking you too. You are very nice."

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Francisca opened her eyes slightly and slanted a look at him, lips twisting in a sly smile. "Do you really? That's very good." She turned her head and brushed her lips against his cheek, still smiling as she murmured, "I like making new 'friends'~"

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan nodded, a bright smile on his lips, enjoying the kiss, even as small as it was, purring softly. "Mmm. I like making friends too," he replied, a bright smile. "Someday I am hoping everyone will be my friend and live in my house." He leaned in a little closer, humming a little, liking the thought of having the world his.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

"Ah, well, living with friends can be a bit... stifling," she responded with a hesitant chuckle. "But sleepovers are fun~" Of course, her mind was not on the innocent stuff of pillow fights and getting high on candy.

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

"I am not thinking that it is being too stifling.... It makes it less lonely, da?" he replied, giving a tiny shrug. "With so many people in same house, it could never be lonely." He looked at her and smiled. "I like sleepovers. I like spending night with people, and having them spend night with me."

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She wasn't too sure if he was flirting with her or not... and decided if he were anything like her Russia, he wouldn't know flirting if it danced naked in his face with a sign reading: "Free for the taking!" scrawled across its' rear. She smiled a little mischeviously and chuckled. "We should have a sleepover with everyone in the tower! We could do it in the cafeteria or one of the safer floors~"

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan only smiled at the thought, as he wasn't flirting, because he was really bad at it. Then again, he didn't understand the nuances of people. And when other people flirted with him, he figured they were just being friendly. At least until they started kissing him. But then, it wasn't often that he was flirted with in the first place. Perhaps once or twice a century if he was lucky. "That would be being fun. And then everyone can be being mine, da? Like family?" he replied, watching her. "Because they will be seeing that I am very nice."

He paused a moment, looking thoughtful. "I am sure they could be all fitting in here too... And things are being very quiet here... hard to be hearing anything not being in front, da? It could be making it easier to sleep if someone was being noisy."

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder again, murmuring, "Somehow, now that there is the possibility of home being gone... being one family seems... nice."

She glanced around the room thoughtfully and replied, "... If we can move seats, perhaps... Though I think it would be a bit scarier at nighttime."

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan smiled slightly, liking the closeness, relaxing in it. "It does... You can always be mine. I am not minding," he smiled, certainly able to offer, despite no one ever accepting his offer.

"Ah, da, da, moving seats would be being good," he replied, and blinked slightly. "Scarier? You are thinking so?"

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Francisca smiled, just a little sadly and wrapped an arm around his, fingers curling gently into his coat sleeve. "That would be lovely..."

She looked around agian, nodded slowly and pressed a bit closer at his side. "... We had 'ghosts' here... I don't know, something about this cathedral-like room makes me think that when it is dark, I wouldn't want to be here..."

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan was smiling a little brighter at this, moving to scoop her right up and place her in his lap, so he could give her a hug. "I am liking this very much," he purred a little, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Ghosts? They are being here?" he replied and frowned a little, shaking his head He hadn't seen any ghosts, though then again he wasn't quite sure they existed. "I suppose that is making sense...."

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She didn't squeak at being lifted, nope, not at all. That was a passing mouse. Clearly. She flushed a little at the kiss and smiled, nuzzling his cheek and relaxing into the hug.

"Yes," she answered with a frown. "Well, I'm not sure if they were ghosts or not... but they weren't human... and they were dangerous."

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Of course it was a mouse. He smiled softly at the nuzzle, seeming to delight in the contact, given so willingly too. But then he could always count on the French nation when it came to willing contact.

"That does not sound good.... perhaps... they are what brought us here...? A human could not have been doing it; it would have to be something stronger than nation, da?" he replied, a small frown curving his lips downward.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure but... They vanished when the power came back and now..." She hesitated and instinctively huddled closer to him. "I'm... frightened... That they might come back if the power goes out again."

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan frowned and moved to hold her a little closer, giving her a small smile. "I will be doing my best to keep you safe, da? Do not be being scared--I will not be letting them hurt you." After all, she was his now, and he tended to keep his things safe.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Francisca found herself smiling and she nodded meekly, so unlike herself, and rested her forehead against his neck, breathing in his scent. "Merci, that eases my worry a bit..." Her hand moved to grasp at the front of his coat, as if to stop him from vanishing.

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

Ivan smiled, and didn't seem to mind the other against his scarf, finding it was easy to trust her, moving to rub at her back. "Is not a problem. I am taking good care of things that are being mine. And you are being mine, da?"

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She scoffed, poking at his side. "What, no wine or candle-lit dinners and already I am yours'?" she teased. "We'll... see."

"... I refuse to change my name to Francisca Braginsky though."

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

"I do not think I can be getting those things here.... but perhaps something else?" he replied, with a light smile, and shook his head at the mention of a name change. "It would not be being Francisca Braginsky. It would be being Francisca Braginskaya. But you are not having to be changing your name. I am thinking I am liking it how it is.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

"Good, it would be very confusing to change it after so long."

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

He smiled, and nodded, moving to press a kiss against her cheek, before burying his head in the crook of her neck, holding her close still, having needed a contact for far too long, and not wanting to end it. "Da, da. You do not have to be changing it. I like your name the way it is being now."