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

[Video]

[deal_me_in]

Things could be better. More importantly, Kyle- where are you? What happened?

[Video]

[kyley_b]

I'm in my house. I think I found my way back somehow, before, maybe. I don't know.

I. Uhm. I got messed up. Were you here? Did you see any of it?

[Video]

[deal_me_in]

That's across the lake. I can come over pretty quick- need me to bring anything?

[He winces, figuring what 'here' and 'it' might have been.]

...yeah. Yeah, I was here.

[Video]

[kyley_b]

I. Yeah. Maybe. Uhm.

Did you turn into something? I did. I tried to do something awful to Kaz.

[Video]

[deal_me_in]

....

[The silence is telling in itself.]

Don't wanna talk about it right now, kid.

I'll be right over though.

Re: [Video]

[kyley_b]

Okay.

Just let yourself in.

[Video/Action]

[deal_me_in]

[With a nod the feed cuts.

He's not sure what all Kyle might need but the kid hadn't looked very good, so Cayde makes do with whatever supplies he finds in Ikora's part of the clocktower. He's just across the flood plains, making haste as only a Guardian can. While he's not sure which place exactly is Kyle's, his Ghost can at least narrow that down for him when she picks him up on her radar.]

Kid?

[Cayde slips inside, be it open window or door, whichever presents the easier access. He's got a blanket bundling whatever he's grabbed, tossed over a shoulder.]

[Action]

[kyley_b]

[The front door is unlocked. Kyle himself is sitting on a chair in his little living room - he'd been working on making it look as homey as possible - wrapped in a blanket and staring at nothing. He jumps when Cayde comes in.]

Hi.

You're okay?

[audio]

[doubled_speed]

Where are you?

[He doesn't have time to fiddle the video on. No, the sound and the look of Kyle has him panicking. He's back and he wants to check on his people. And this? This is freaking him out.]

Re: [audio]

[kyley_b]

Tommy! Tommy are you okay? Tell me you weren't here.

[doubled_speed]

I wasn't here. I was still in Sh'Ka doing plant shit. I'm fucking fine. YOU are not fine. WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?

[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.

[Action]

[deal_me_in]

Hey. That's my question.

[He doesn't look too different from how he usually appears, except for maybe a slightly more blackened hood and cloak here and there. Physical injuries usually aren't the problem. He steps over, head tilting.]

Sooo...that was something, huh? Don't think you were the only one on the 'trying to do something awful to someone' boat.

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]

Nope. It's mine, too.

[Kyle shudders.] I nearly hurt him really badly, I think. I was... there was something wrong with me. I was sick and filthy and... there were things in me. I wanted to do it to him, too, and to scare him. It was horrible.

[He stays wrapped in his blanket, looking down.]

He stopped me. I'm glad he stopped me. But I'm also not.

[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.

[deal_me_in]

[Cayde slowly stoops down to set his bundle on the floor as he listens. It takes him a moment, the silence slipping back in, a heavy presence before he forces himself to disturb it with his own response.]

Whatever happened... it affected how we were thinking. I don't think some of the ones I hurt out there were real but it doesn't make me feel any better knowing what I did. ...but there were also others I knew, friends even- and all I wanted to do was hunt them down...

[He glances over at Kyle again.]

...what'd he do?

[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.

CW: medical body horror

[kyley_b]

[Kyle looks relieved.] You understand. It was so awful, feeling so compelled. I don't understand what happened exactly, but I remember all of it.

[Kyle's lips thin and he pulls his left arm out of his blanket, shaking badly. He doesn't look at it as he holds it out.

His arm terminates at the wrist. It's been bandaged heavily, so it's impossible to see how bad the tissue damage is, but it's clear the hand is gone.]

[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.