network; video

[kyley_b]

((Post event. CW: discussions of violence, body horror, injury and loss of limb in comments.))


[The feed shows a skinny redhead who is somehow even paler than usual - his skin is parchment white, with deep dark pouches under his eyes. His curls are matted.

Yeah, he looks like shit.]

Uhm. Hi. Hi, uh. It's Kyle. Uhm.

I. Uh. Is. Is everybody okay? I hope you're all okay. Uhm. I'm...

[His face crumples.] I'm not. I'm not okay, I'm SO not okay.

Comments

[kyley_b]

Oh, thank god. Thank god.

Please don't yell at me right now, Tommy. Cayde is coming to help me, please just... give me a little while. Please. I don't know how to tell you what happened yet.

[doubled_speed]

[Cayde is coming to help him? Which means things are REALLY bad right now. Fucking Hell Kyle, he can't accept this.]

Where. Are. You? Because you really need to let me be there, Kyle.

[kyley_b]

I will! But right now I can't, I just can't, I just needed to know that you're okay. I love you dude.

[That's when he cuts the feed.

It's not too much later when he turns it back on, though - just enough time for Cayde to have shown up and helped him out.]

Tommy?

[doubled_speed]

[Someone doesn't take being cut off like that very well. At all. He's actually completely shit at it. Not even with a sign off like that. Abandonment issues, thy name is Thomas Shepherd. He does answer the call, but still with no video, because nope. Dude doesn't need to see how upset he is. Even if his voice is a bit cold when he answers.]

What?

audio;

[kyley_b]

I'm in my house.

I know you're upset. And I get why, but I can't coddle you right now, dude. So now you know where I am, and you can come by or not.

Re: audio;

[doubled_speed]

[Wow fucker he doesn't want coddled. He wants to know what the FUCK is going on given his boyfriend basically told EVERYONE that he's not okay, and then REFUSED TO INTERACT. And he's very upset at that.]

What do you want? Me there or not? Because you were pretty clear on 'stay away'.

[kyley_b]

[He's trying really hard not to cry, and mostly failing.]

Dude. Of course I want you here. D-dont. Jesus. Don't act butthurt, I just couldn't see you until... you're gonna be upset.

[doubled_speed]

I'm fucking upset period.

[And in the middle of what he's saying the words are echoing because he's also there in the door.]

What's happened.

[kyley_b]

[Kyle's in his chair wrapped in his blanket, but he looks a little less terrible than he did in his initial network video.]

Uhm. So. I guess some sort of... all encompassing force took over my body and turned it into something bad. I'm still not entirely clear on it. A lot of. Really bad stuff. Stuff I'm really. It's hard to talk about without having a panic attack.

Uhm. But I think you're going to be very upset with me when you see what happened to my. Uhm. My hand.

[doubled_speed]

So like the spell Billy did. But it wasn't his fault, right?

[Because if his boyfriend got fucked up because of what his brother had done, then... Tommy would be torn. He moves slowly closer, hands in his pockets. He doesn't fucking know what is allowed anymore, thanks.]

Can't see why I'd hate you for you getting hurt.

[kyley_b]

Yeah. Yeah, like that. But BAD. Really bad. I tried to hurt people.

[Kyle looks miserable. He had told Tommy to wait because he needed time, wanted not to freak out and scare him more, but now Tommy just looks upset. He seems like he might even be annoyed. It makes Kyle want to crawl under his blanket and cry. But, no. No, he has to be tough. So he clears his throat.]

I lost a hand.

[doubled_speed]

[Tried to hurt people? Tommy frowned. But the other thing... Tommy was at Kyle's side instantly, frowning.]

What do you mean, lost your hand? That doesn't make sense?

[kyley_b]

It got cut off.

Try not to freak, okay? [Slowly, he draws out his left arm. Sure enough, there's a freshly bandaged stump at the end. He takes a deep, shaky breath.]

Yeah. Uhm. ...I'm not gonna cry. I'm not. But I'm not really okay with this development.

[doubled_speed]

Got-

[How is he supposed to not freak?! He's there and it looks like he wants to touch but he doesn't dare. And he's crying. Fuck you if you call him on it.]

I'm not fucking okay with it either. Hold on.

[He's got to find help.]

Is it still bleeding? I can try and find one of the medics.

[kyley_b]

No, no. I. Uh. I cauterized it. I remember doing it, I found this like... man, this place was trashed, I can't even begin to describe it. But there were fires so I just found some metal and... yeah. Probably not the BEST choice, but I was pretty fucked up.

Cayde brought some stuff. It's... probably gonna be okay? It looks infected maybe. But it's not too far gone.

[His voice cracks and he stops talking. He's NOT going to cry.]

[doubled_speed]

[At last he moves and embraces Kyle, holding him tightly. Please just let him just hold Kyle.]

We should still get a doctor or someone to look at it. And... And when it's healed, we'll... Maybe Billy can magic up something for it. Or Tony can make you something. You're, you don't have to be like this.

[kyley_b]

Yeah. Yeah, we should. We will.

[He hugs back, a little awkwardly because of the missing hand. He's still trying not to cry.]

[doubled_speed]

[Well then one of them isn't crying. But Tommy? He is. He hadn't been here. He protected no one and nothing. He was the worst hero.]

I should have been here to help you.

[kyley_b]

You couldn't have done anything. I'd only have tried to hurt you, too. As bad as this is, I'm glad you didn't see me like that.

[doubled_speed]

[He doesn't know. He doesn't care. He just wants to embrace his lover. All he wants is for Kyle to be okay.]

You... want me to ask them? Right now. I could ask them.

[kyley_b]

Can we just sit? I can move to the bed. You can come with me.

[He takes another slow breath.]

I'm very concerned. I could use just sitting with you.

[doubled_speed]

[Yes they can move. Tommy releases Kyle and shoves his hands in his pockets to keep himself from touching.]

We're both concerned right now, but yeah, yours is definitely higher. Just... Whatever you want.

[kyley_b]

[Kyle gets up and wobbles to his little bedroom, still in his blanket. He sits on the bed and moves so Tommy can join him.]

Are you mad at me?

[doubled_speed]

Mad at you?

[He gets it he supposes. He's been so angry. But right now Tommy gets why. Fact was he wasn't handling this well. And truth was he would have panicked worse if he saw it. Even now he doesn't know what to do.]

No. I hate myself for not being here. Like I told Shiro, I'm a hero. I'm supposed to be here to help people.

[kyley_b]

Yeah.

[Kyle actually smiles.] You're still my hero, dude. You couldn't have gotten to us and that's not your fault.

Please don't hate yourself.