Violence, even well intentioned

[bibliofilo]

Who: Kavi Verma (verbalization) & Magdalene de Leon (bibliofilo).
What: After several encounters with the Blood Key and the return of a certain echo, Maggie is feeling a little uncertain.
Where: Beginning at the LSR Clinic
When: After the earthquake, Dec 11

[Maggie wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in the clinic. It had only seemed like a couple minutes but judging from how late it looked, it must have been much longer than that. With all that had happened out in the streets with Alexa and here in this very building.

Her own hands were stiff and bloodied but they had been tended to and wrapped up. She was shaken and in a haze and wanting to be home. With clumsy fingers she pulled out her phone, attempting to first text but it was much too painful and difficult to manage that. Instead she just punched in the numbers for Kavi's phone and waited, hunched in her seat.]

Comments

[verbalization]

[ working late into the afternoon/evening isn't that uncommon for Kavi. what with everything going on, his office seems like the better place to be. there is hardly any family that he needs to keep tabs on, save for Karson, but the man already had known where that particular kid had been.

that and it might seem a little forward to call his neighbor, though he had wondered if everything had been fine her way.

though it seems like he needn't worry about the awkwardness of it, as the phone rings and Kavi glances at the screen. but... he does worry for her. ]

Maggie?

[bibliofilo]

[When she heard his voice a knot formed in her throat. There was silence for a bit before she managed to work through it]

Hey Kavi.

[verbalization]

[ well... now he's definitely worried. ]

Is there something wrong? Are you all right?

[bibliofilo]

Um.

[She struggles for a moment before sighing, and very quietly saying:]

No. Are. Are you terribly busy at the moment?

[verbalization]

I'm not in the middle of anything important. Give me a few minutes and I can come meet you.

[bibliofilo]

I'm at the LSR clinic. Could you pick me up, please?

[verbalization]

[ the clinic? of course there is a pause while he starts shutting things down and gathering up what he needs to leave. ]

Do you want me to pick you up anything before I get there?

[bibliofilo]

Maybe some water.

Yea, some water.

[verbalization]

All right. Water it is. I'll call when I get there, all right?

Unless, of course, you would rather stay on the line and talk.

[bibliofilo]

No. It's okay. I don't want to be distracting you while you're driving. I'll be ok.

[verbalization]

See you then, Maggie.

[ you know he's going to grab a bottle of water from a vending machine. and he's going to be rushing to get to the clinic. maaaaybe a little reckless? ]

[bibliofilo]

Thank you.

[She closes her phone and holds onto it as tightly as her hands will allow. After a moment she realizes she can't stand being in here so she leaves the building to stand out in the cold, hoping it'll wake her up]

[verbalization]

[ it takes him far longer than what he'd like to get to the clinic. traffic is a pain. taking detours...

but there's no need to call or text. Maggie is still outside when he eventually arrives. and the first thing Kavi does?

he pulls off his coat to cover her shoulders and then gives her the bottle. ]

You'll get sick if you stay out here, Maggie.

[bibliofilo]

[She is still kinda in a trance when he gets there but she is grateful for the warmth of the coat. She pulls it tighter around herself]

Yea. Sorry. I'm not really thinking straight. [She tries to give him a smile but it comes out awkward and obviously forced] Could you take me home?

[verbalization]

That's what you called for, right?

[ Kavi motions towards his car. c'mon, Mags. let him take you there. ]

Don't force yourself, Mags. If you need an ear, I'll give it. You know that.

[ just don't pretend everything is sunshine and rainbows when it isn't. ]

[bibliofilo]

[She nods and accepts his help. Even though they had only known each other a couple of months, she knew he would. She knew he'd come. When she's in the car she's glad for the chance to just lean back against the seat and close her eyes for a moment. The bottle of water is uncapped and she downs nearly half of it in one go as she waits for him to take his own seat.

When Maggie hears the sound of the door opening and closing she finally opens her eyes.]

Had a run in with the Blood Keys. Two, actually. Lucky day, I guess.

[verbalization]

Blood Keys?

[ that explains... that doesn't explain much really. and now they are going to have a splendid ride home. filled with more detours. and oh how hard it is to keep his eyes on the road. ]

How?

[bibliofilo]

I was with an old college roomie. I guess we looked like we were well off because we got approached by some. We got off okay but. [She looked down at her hands] Went to the clinic afterwards. Not too long after being there the place got attacked by the same gang.

[It was helping to talk about it a bit. At the very least she felt a little more clear headed, if still shocked.]

[verbalization]

Did you get involved in that as well?

[bibliofilo]

[She nodded.]

They didn't really give the people there an opportunity not to be involved.

[Both incidents had been frightening and had shaken her to the core, but that wasn't even the thing that was bothering Maggie the most. She just wasn't sure how to explain what the biggest problem was, so she instead went on to say:]

They weren't human.

[verbalization]

Someone mentioned that they weren't...

You are lucky you weren't seriously injured.

[bibliofilo]

[She's quiet at that and then downs the rest of her water, finishing it already before quietly saying]

....a part of me is kind of glad they aren't.

[verbalization]

Maggie?

[ um. he doesn't like the sound of that. ]

[bibliofilo]

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad my friend and I are safe. I'm glad that the clinic is safe. [No so glad about that one woman dying...]

It's just. When I was with my friend and we first got attacked I was scared. So scared and then. I don't know what came over me but instead of just giving them my money I got so angry and I fought back. They're machines, Kavi, and somehow I managed to break one apart.

[She falters and her face screws up a bit. She takes a deep breath in to steady herself before continuing]

It was a machine [Or so she kept telling herself] but if it was a human I could have killed a person.

[verbalization]

[ now just hold on a moment. Kavi pulls over for a second. carefully he puts a hand on Maggie's shoulder. perhaps it's in a tone that is a little harder than he intends, but... ]

But it wasn't. And you didn't. There is little point in dwelling on the "what ifs" if they didn't happen.

[ sure it's a little disconcerting to hear that she can break machines with her bare hands, but... ]

I don't think you're actually capable of hurting someone, even in the short time I have known you.