tarnishedbadge | Recovery [Open]

After two days spent at the family's house Levi announced that they either stop trying to prevent him from going home or he would injure himself further so he could get sent back to the hospital. They must have thought he was stupid or stubborn enough to do it because Thursday night they dropped him off back at his place. His sister had insisted on staying the night and Levi had been too tired to argue with her beyond making her promise to leave first thing in the morning.

Fortunately some booze and pain killers sent Levi off to sleep in a hurry and by Friday morning he had barely remembered that his sister had been there. Only a note promising to drop some groceries by and an omelette were any indication that she had been there. He had tossed the omelette, knowing all too well how poorly his sister could cook, and instead settled for some toast and dry cereal.

He had a dozen message on his answering machine, most of them work colleagues congratulating him on graduating from the "James Thornton Academy of Avoiding Work" by getting injured. That made him smile, not just for the dig at James but for the harassment. If the other cops hadn't cared about him they wouldn't have called. None would have showed genuine sympathy, giving each other shit was how they showed they cared.

Once he listened through the messages again and wrote a few notes to remember who said something he decided to go about trying to cure himself of feeling stir crazy. Normally he would have gone for a swim or tried some surfing but the cut on his hip wasn't supposed to get wet for several more weeks.

Instead he settled on a short walk down the beach with a cane the hospital had given him to use for the next week or so. With how easily the thing continued to sink in the sand though it was probably more of a pain in the ass to use it than not. Out of sheer stubbornness and the relief of two more pain killers he was able to go for a decent walk down the beach, at least enough to make him feel like he had gone out and done something.

By the time he made it back home though he was exhausted and just collapsed at his kitchen table. For the last few days he'd been thinking about the investigation, unable to focus on saving Corry, Emily and Wulfric but instead on the frustration he felt at being kept in the dark by different sides of the community. How much pain and anguish could he have saved the captives from if people would have just talked to him? His own girlfriend had been a siren and not only had he not known, she hadn't trusted him with the information he was looking for.

As far as detectives went, he wasn't much of one. He had become a police officer to protect the people of Siren Cove but he wasn't even sure if the people needed or wanted his protection. Grabbing a legal pad and a pen Levi wrote out his resignation letter from the force. Rereading it he crumpled it into a ball and drafted another. And another. And another. By the time he gave up over an hour later the table was littered with abandoned attempts.

Forcing himself away from the table he wandered aimlessly for a bit before deciding to kill his brain a bit with whatever was on TV. When it seemed like all that was on were police procedural he gave a growl of frustration and turned it off, instead settling for the stack of comics that had been delivered while he was in the hospital.

ooc: If you're a friend or colleague, come by and check on him. Anyone else can just find him wandering along the beach and say hi.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

asharpertongue

"Levi." She said, shaking him lightly. "How do you know about witches? I never mentioned them but you clearly know about them. And don't tell me you mean wiccans because we both know that's not what you meant."

From:

tarnishedbadge

"Lara, I've lived here almost my entire life. My family on both sides has been here for generations," he said, frowning at her. He didn't understand why she was so confused by this. He'd known about witches as far back as he could remember.

"I've always known about witches. I see and talk to them all the time. I'd know sirens existed too, I just didn't know anything about them."

From:

asharpertongue

"Sorry. Of course. It's just...you're human. Not many humans know about the supernatural unless they're connected to it by blood." She smiled sheepishly. "I guess I've just gotten used to not talking to vanilla humans about this kind of thing." Leaning forward, she kissed him again. "Our secrecy is necessary but it makes us a bit paranoid when we open up to people that mean something to us."

From:

tarnishedbadge

Her words stung, a stark reminder that he wasn't just a plain human. He should tell her, he knew that he should, but he'd never told anyone before and he was terrified of what it would mean. There were all kinds of complications that might come up, mostly because he didn't know anything about the rules of the supernatural community.

"Oh, oh, so I'm vanilla now, huh?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he tugged her toward the bedroom after their kiss. He would be able to think better if he was laying down. "I hope that's going to be good enough for your rainbow gelato self, or whatever your frozen dessert classification is."

From:

asharpertongue

If she'd said she wasn't a little relieved that he was joking and teasing her again would be a lie. She was hugely relieved. It'd only been a few days but she'd begun to realise that the idea of losing this was unbearable.

She laughed and followed him to the bedroom. "Mint choc chip. Matches the scales." She joked, waiting for him to get settled before joining him and gently settling in next to him, a little distance between them in case she jostled him. "And vanilla is absolutely the wrong word for you. You've got layers." She eyed him speculatively. "Something with a little bite to it. Chilli chocolate?"

From:

tarnishedbadge

"Now you're just flattering me because you haven't been laid in over a week," he said, pulling her close to his good side. As calm as he might have seemed, his heart was pounding. He needed to tell her, he was going to have to tell her eventually and the longer he waited the hard it would be. That and part of him wanted to tell her.

"How about I tell you a secret about me though, to even out the siren thing?" he asked, surprised at how casual his voice sounded, like he wasn't about to risk everything in a few moments.

From:

asharpertongue

"Well there's that too, but I don't think you're any good to me at the moment so I can wait." He tucked her in close and she revelled in it, pressing close, mindful of her own still healing side but so, so happy just to be close again.

She cocked her head at him when he mentioned a secret. "Intriguing. Are you gonna tell me you're a vampire? Because I'm pretty sure I'm the one that likes to bite in this relationship." She nips at his shoulder to make her point.

From:

tarnishedbadge

"Ouch, one little scratch to the hip and suddenly I'm worthless to you in terms of carnal pleasure," he said. He almost continued talking about the sex, maybe try and get her to fool around a bit to distract her from his promise. He could tell her another time, right? Maybe in the morning, so they could have one night in case this made a mess of everything?

The bite changed his mind though, reminding him of how she liked to mark him. Of how possessive she was, considering him hers. How much he loved that.

"Just close your eyes," he said. "And think of something random. A person, a number significant to you. The sex position you're wondering if you can do without hurting me, doesn't matter."

From:

asharpertongue

She smiled, confused but feeling immensely indulgent. Of him and anything he wanted to show her.

Concentrating she tried a few things out before settling on her Aunt. At sixty she was still an impressively beautiful woman. A powerhouse in siren society. Lara imagined her as she'd been at her as she'd been at Lara's ceremony to become matriarch. Tall and strong, proud and beautiful as she passed the matriarch powers and form to Lara, long silver hair flowing out behind her as she helped Lara under the weight of her first change.

It was a good memory.

"Okay. Got it. Now what?"

From:

tarnishedbadge

Levi had learned that with familiarity it was easier to read the mind of someone without pain. Unfortunately he and Lara hadn't spent nearly enough time together for that to happen and there was a dull thud of pain from reaching out to her mind.

The memory must have been an important one, it was so clear and full of detail. Every image, thought, and word about the ceremony was clear and easy to pick up. It was a great thought to be a part of.

"She looked so proud of you, your aunt did," he told her, almost scared to look at her for fear of what her reaction would be. This must have been what she was feeling when she first came to him earlier.

"She's also totally hot. Now think of something else," he said, reaching out to take her hand in a desperate attempt to keep her from fleeing.

From:

asharpertongue

Lara blinked at him, eyes wide in shock.

"How the fu-..." She said, bemused. If it was a trick it was a damn good one.

She focused again. This time going way back and bringing to mind the first time Lou and Lara had gotten drunk together, Lara helping an insanely intoxicating Lou into the bedroom of the fiat house they were partying at and putting her to bed. She'd stayed up the entire night to make sure Lou was going to be alright..

From:

tarnishedbadge

"That is a completely boring 'drunk Lou', you couldn't give me something I could blackmail her with?" Levi asked, squeezing her hand a bit tighter. He hoped she didn't run, hope she didn't freak out or get angry at him. Hoped that she didn't have to leave because he was a security risk to the sirens or couldn't be with a witch. He just hoped she didn't leave him.

"You're a good friend to stay the entire night with her though."

From:

asharpertongue

Lara laughed. "That's incredible! You actually read my mind." She gazed at him. "How? Have you been able to do this the whole time? How old were you when it started? You didn't have to keep this a secret. This is amazing."

From:

tarnishedbadge

"You are not nearly freaked out as you should be," he said, giving her a confused look. This must have been exactly what it was like for her just a short while ago. He almost would have wished she did freak out a bit.

"Ever since I was a kid. I started hearing voices so my parents, very quietly, took me to see a shrink. It's where the headaches come from. The more I 'hear' the worse it hurts. And I do have to keep this a secret. I'm an unregistered witch working on the police force. Lara, I've never told anyone before. Not my family, not my partner... no one. No one else can know."

From:

asharpertongue

Lara sobered immediately and ran through one of the mental exercises that her aunt had taught her to clear her mind when she was a girl just learning to change. This hurt him?

"It hurts you?" She said, reaching for him, trying to soothe whatever pain reading her mind had just caused him. "Of course I'll never say anything. I swear. But it hurts you? Not all the time though... You can shut it off?" God she hoped so.

From:

tarnishedbadge

"No, I can't shut it off," he admitted, leaning into her touch, taking the comfort she offered even if he didn't need all that much right now.

"I can usually ignore it, most people don't think very hard about anything. It's only when there's a lot of people around or they think intently about something that I hear more and it hurts more. I can also force myself to pick up more but the pain gets worse when I do. There might be some way to change that but... it's not like I have anyone I can ask about it."

From:

asharpertongue

Frowning, Lara nodded. "I might know some people. I've heard of psychic witches before but never that it pained them. I won't mention your name but I might be able to get some books or something for you. You shouldn't have to suffer for something so amazing." She ran her hand over his hair comfortingly. "Is it better after you've known someone a while?" She asked hopefully.

From:

tarnishedbadge

"No, no, don't ask," he said. As much as it would be nice not to have the headaches it wasn't something he was willing to risk. He appreciated her wanting to help though, it meant a lot.

"It's not worth it. And it does get better. After prolonged physical contact with someone my brain gets... used to them, I guess. Doesn't seem them as an intrusion."

From:

asharpertongue

"So right now you're okay? I'm not thinking too loud? I know some exercises my aunt taught me when I was learning to control my change. I can start practicing those again." She wanted to help but she understood the need for privacy about this. He'd managed this long and she had to trust he knew how to handle it. It was hard through. Her mate was suffering, however manageably, and that grated. The rational part of her brain stamped it down. He was a damn grownup and she could take him word for it.

Eyeing him curiously she had an idea. "You said you can choose to go deeper. What about the other way round? Can I..." She searched for the right word, "project a thought to you? Does that hurt? "

From:

tarnishedbadge

"You're fine," he said, kissing her softly. He could still hear some of her thoughts, the worry was most prominent, but it wasn't anything he wasn't willing to put up with for the sake of being next to her. It was kind of nice to hear thoughts like that, most of the time what he picked up wasn't nearly so happy.

"The more clearly someone thinks about something the more I pick it up without meaning to. Usually when someone is really angry it comes through. Thoughts are weird though, they aren't like what people think. It's not a running commentary of what's going on. A lot of the times it's images or feelings that come through."

From:

asharpertongue

Nodding Lara smiled at him gently. "So if I were to think of this..." She thought of the morning after their first night together. He'd come in wet and smelling of the ocean and leant down to kiss her as she was coming round in his bed. It'd been a casual thing but she'd grabbed him and pulled him down, her siren side lovely the taste of the salt water on his lips. Lara focused on that thought and feeling and tried to broadcast it.

From:

tarnishedbadge

The thought came through, crystal clear. It was still painful but he wasn't going to tell her to stop, not yet. He remembered that morning and seeing it through her eyes, knowing what she was, was an interesting experience. Strong, too, since he'd never had anyone actually try to think at him.

"I remember that," he said with a smile. "That really got you going, did it?"

From:

asharpertongue

She grinned, pleased that he didn't look pained or uncomfortable.

"Ancient sea monster, remember?" She said teasingly, pulling back the image and replacing it with the feeling of swimming in her siren form in the open waves. It was amazing to be able to share this with him now and she felt a little giddy with it if she was honest.

From:

tarnishedbadge

"That- that one is weird," he said, brow furrowing in concentration as the thought switched. This one was far different from anything else he'd picked up from her and it took him a moment to realize what was going on. It was fascinating though, to be able to hear something like that from her.

"I think because it's a memory of something you experienced when you weren't human. There's... stuff going on I don't have a reference for."

From:

asharpertongue

Oh. She should have thought of that. "Hmm. I can see how that might be strange." She grinned sharp and mischevious. "How about this?" It didn't take any effort to change the thought to one of them together, her writhing under his weight, biting at his shoulder as she came.