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 Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:07 pm
 The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... Joshua's expression sobered up as he nodded and glanced towards the cabin. Yes, he knew who 'her' was. He also knew he should probably be getting back. He didn't want anything to happen while he wasn't there. So he quickly stored all his gear, making sure everything was clean and cared for properly.
When he was finished, he glanced at Nezik who was watching him. "I'm.....heading back to the cabin. Just in case." He murmured. He didn't say in case of what. In case she woke up? In case she slipped farther under? "Call me if you want anything, I'll come back down." With a small wave to the merman, he headed back up and into the cabin.
Inside, the first thing he did was hurry to Tianara's side and check on her. He sat on the edge of the bed, running a quick check, relieved to find she was still breathing calmly. Breathing a sigh of relief, he stroked her dark hair soft. "You're safe now. Now one will hurt you here." He murmured to her, not sure if she could hear him. It was nice to pretend that she could though.  The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:15 pm
Nezik nodded sadly, watching Joshua leave. Of course. They had to keep an eye on her, because she could no longer do it for herself. It was the only right way to go about it. But he wondered if maybe a little breathing room would bring her around.
Or, in fact, if anything would.
Waiting for any news, from either Jinx or Joshua, he settled on the beachfront. Patiently, he listened for his sister or either of his friends.
Eventually, someone would make contact. In the meantime, he had plenty of thinking to do himself.
~
It took a few minutes after Joshua spoke, but then Tianara's right hand twitched again. Infinitesmally. Like she heard him, was trying to acknowledge him, but couldn't...quite...reach it.
The movement was so slight that it wasn't certain Joshua would even see it. If he did, however, he would know that her chances for waking up had just shot straight up.
Even the slightest conscious movement was something.
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:32 pm
The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... Joshua had been watching her quietly, simply listening to her calm breathing. In the still cabin though, the tiny movement of her hand caught his attention. He shot up to his feet, calling out frantically. "Nezik! Nezik, Nezik, Nezik! She moved! Not much, but her hand twitched!" His voice was laced with traced of hystertical glee. "She moved! Do you realize just how much better that makes her chances of waking up? They just shot way up! She could really wake up from this!" Worried about her as he was, it was easy to see how he might be excited over even just the smallest movement.
"Come on Tianara. You can wake up. I know you can. You're a strong girl." He spoke to her, hoping she could hear. He remembered reading something that sometimes something familiar to the person, something comforting, could help them wake up. "Please Tianara. Everybody's waiting for you. We're all rooting for you." The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:41 pm
Nezik's response to Joshua's sudden burst of excitement was understandably a mixture of confusion and shock. "What? Wait, what?" Once he realized what had been said, however, his tone brightened considerably. "Really? She did? That's good, right? That's good?" From what Joshua had been saying, he thought it was. But the words had been so tumbled and hysterical that he wasn't quite sure.
Tianara's breathing remained quiet and even. She didn't move again, and to all appearances, it could almost have seemed like Joshua might just have imagined it. But there was her hand, in a different position from what it had been before. Proof positive that she had moved, and she was still in there somewhere.
When Joshua finished speaking, there was the slightest hitch in her breath, like someone would take before speaking, but then it continued in its quiet, steady rhythm.
Wherever she was, she wasn't ready to come all the way back yet.
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:03 pm
The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... Joshua sat back down on the bed, forcing himself to calm down enough to talk sensibly. "Yes, it's good." His voice was calmer, but it still held an excited undertone. "Those who show signs of conscious movement are those most likely to wake up." He explained to the merman, not taking his eyes off Tianara. "She's not quite ready, but she will be." He seemed positively, wanting to think the best. "At some point she'll wake up. I'm sure of it. I just.....don't know when." He admitted quietly. "But she will." He continued to stroked Tianara's hair as he spoke with Nezik. The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:15 pm
"Okay, good," said Nezik, sounding relieved. "You seemed so excited I wasn't even sure if it was good or bad," he admitted, sounding a little rueful. Maybe because he thought it was silly that he couldn't understand even that most basic thing about humans - whether they were happy or sad when they were excited.
There was a moment where there was silence on the other end of the communication. Then Nezik spoke up again, easily. "Sorry's here. I can hear her coming. Maybe try giving Tianara some more water or something?" the merman suggested. "I don't really know. It might help, just to have someone with her. She hates having people help her. Maybe she'll wake up faster if she knows it means she can be independent again." It wasn't entirely possible to tell if he was joking or not.
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:26 pm
The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... "It's okay. Even humans can get confused when someone's that excited." Joshua reassured the merman, smiling slightly. "Alright. I'll try that. Tell Katalina what I told you. I'm going to focus on Tianara for a few minutes."
He rose from the bed to get another glass of water. When he returned to the bed, he pulled Tianara back up into a sitting position, craddling her. He lifted the glass to her lips, letting a little water trickle out. He wanted to see if she would take the water more than a few drops at a time. Otherwise he would be feeding her water all day just to try and keep her hydrated. This way would work fast - If it would work. It all hinged on that one little word, 'if'. The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:47 pm
There was a sense like the young merman was nodding - just sort of an acknowledgement - before the link shut down. His sister was on her way, and he had to remember precisely what Joshua had been talking about so that he could pass it on.
Tianara stared blankly past him as she was lifted and moved into position. Once Joshua put the glass up to her lips, her eyes seemed to sharpen ever so slightly for just a split second. Then it was back to the doll-like, glassy gaze. She reacted the same way she had for the few-drops-at-a-time attempt - a few seconds of nothing followed by swallowing the water.
There was no word from the merfolk for the moment - they were hanging back. Maybe they were waiting to hear from Joshua first this time.
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:08 pm
The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... Joshua worked until the girl had drunk the entire glass of water. He set the glass down and just held Tianara for a moment, craddling her. He hated to see her like this, so still and almost lifeless. "You have to come back." He murmured. "We all miss you." He was quiet for a moment, the reached out to the merfolk. "Katalina? What all did Nezik tell you?" The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:14 pm
Mike made a sadface when she flicked him, but he kept eating. They both ate and drank fast, but Mac did it with style, as he didn't seem to make a mess.
Mac finished quickly, and stretched a little, giving a small burp, and quickly said, "excuse me".
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:25 pm
Katalina's voice replied slowly, as though testing to make sure she was really talking to who she thought she was - clearly, her own experiences had left her a little more cautious. "He said...Narcis already told me about Tianara. Nezik said that she...that she moved? That you think she might be starting to wake up?" Then she moved on to other topics without breaking her rhythm. "I know Narcis won't be joining us again for a while, and I know that if I have to see a healer again for a good long time, I'm going to hurt someone. Is there anything else important I should know?"
The glassy stare the girl gave him was rather disturbing after a while - it made her seem dead. The dark blue eyes looked more like marbles than anything, with all the expression gone.
Although there was no acknowledgement when Joshua spoke to her, there was a sense of anticipation for a little while. Then, slowly, the hand that had been lying lifelessly against his side twitched again, a bit more firmly this time. The fingers curled in slightly, almost as though beckoning.
Or asking for help.
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:25 pm
The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... Aria chuckled, glancing at Mike. "See Mike? Some people have manners." She told him, but her smile said she was just teasing. Finished with her food, she stood up and began gathering the dishes, taking them to the sink. The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:03 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:13 pm
The tiger that shouldn't be....is.... ((Oops? XD Sorry. I didn't see it because we posted at the same times.))
Joshua gave the impression of nodding. "There's a pretty chance she'll wake up at some point." He didn't say that Tianara might not be the same when she woke up, but why go borrowing trouble? "Other than that, I don't think there's really much left to know. Jinx and Nezik are fine, you already know about Narcis and now Tianara. I think that about covers anything. Unless there was something specific you-" He broke off suddenly, jumping as he felt the girl's hand twitch. His attention was instantly shifted to Tianara, practically ignoring Katalina though he still was halfway listening to her.
"Tianara?" He said softly, watching her vacant stare. It unnerved him, but he figured it would be the best spot to watch. Her eyes wouldn't seem that dead if she was even half-way awake, would they? He searched the dark eyes, hoping, praying, though he knew it was likely too early. "Tianara, please. You're safe. There's no need to hide anymore. No one will hurt you, I promise." The tiger that should be....isn't....
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:31 pm
((OOC: I figured so, so I thought I'd just point it out. razz ))
Katalina listened silently to what he was saying. Then she frowned a little bit. "I suppose he told you ab--" She felt his attention suddenly shift, however, and went quiet again. No need to talk if he wasn't listening. Particularly since she thought she knew what he was paying attention to.
Cautiously, she sent out mental feelers towards Tianara, wondering, hoping, pushing. It took a lot more work than normal - the guards the girl had put up against intrusion were uncommonly strong. Maybe that was just the last resort of her terrified mind. But with a lot of gentle coaxing, she convinced the barriers to let her through.
And what she found inside was nothing. There was a jumble of memories and terror and lost thoughts, missing hours that the girl would never be able to account for even if she did wake up, and somewhere under all that, Tianara herself was hiding.
She sent a quiet thought to Joshua. "She's finding her way back, I think." Because even as she...well...watched was probably the best term for it...things were beginning to sort themselves out. But slowly, very slowly.
"But it'll take some more time. She has to clean up in there first," she continued, pulling away from Tianara's thoughts to focus on Joshua. "And then she has to take down those barriers. Maybe if you tried to connect with her, it might help...if she had a sort of guide."
To be honest, she didn't think just any guide would do it. She thought it would have to be Joshua, someone Tianara had connected with on a very personal level. Maybe Kiro could also do it. But most likely that was it. And if she had gotten through, she had no doubt Joshua could, given the time.
Tianara's eyes were, on the surface at least, similar to before. About the same time Katalina slipped through her barriers, however, a spark appeared in them once again. It was weak, barely there, but it warmed her eyes. In its way, it was another promise.
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