[ aqua might've avoided the theatre, too, but... she this time she's actively looking for people. and she wonders, if someone might be hiding somewhere this unlikely. she wonders if that someone may need company, all the more for that reason.
so when she looks in to see camille by herself, it's easy to tell something's not quite right.
when she sees her carving into her own arm with a splinter— ]
Camille—!
[ she grabs her wrist, grip strong, pulling her hand and implement away before she can deal more damage. her gaze falls to the lines of blood leaking down the woman's arm, and her eyes widen. ]
[She hadn't meant to break skin. Honest to god. Then the door swung open and she startled, slipped.
Easy as pie.
Camille's head is swimming in the first two seconds of the intervention. She can only boggle at the younger woman, stiffen in her grip. Then reality hits: the sweet sting, the running blood, the panic in Aqua's eyes. All smothered in a sodden swaddle of shame.]
I'm fine.
[Pull out. Get away, get far away. Camille fights to get loose, splinter soaking in sweat as she clamps it in her fist.]
[Fuck. She's shaking. The other girl goes for her fist and she rips it back on instinct. She doesn't even want the damn thing anymore but she doesn't care to concede, can't bear to lose even this pitiful spat.]
[ camille will have to lose this spat. aqua doesn't relent, and though there's something about her tone of voice that gives her pause, about the timbre of her voice and the way she shakes that's like a knife to the gut, she does what she must.
she wrestles the splinter away from her, tossing it away somewhere down towards the stage. ]
Camille... I'm sorry.
[ she can't do anything else for her. she doesn't even begin to understand what's churning in camille's mind. she just knows a fraction of her pain, and that she isn't alone.
not anymore.
she wraps her arms around her, loosely, letting her fight out of her embrace if she needs to. at least, she won't open any new wounds in the process. ]
[And lose she does. Her fingers give and the splinter goes, and then Aqua is on her.
Camille quakes, wide eyed and arms still raised to fight. They don't though. She just holds, shivering, stunned. The immediacy with which the other girl moved in made so little sense — and only to hug her. Not restrain or berate, not to hold down until she gave up. What, has she never took down a crazy person before?]
What do you mean? [Sorry. Sorry, to her or for her? God, is she fucking crying?] ...I...I didn't mean...
[Now look what she's done. You cause so much hurt.]
[ she's taken down plenty of crazy people before—she really doesn't think camille is one of them. a madman doesn't care what happens to others, but camille... all her hurt is turned inward, not out.
and aqua can see she's in pain, in ways deeper than a set of fresh scratches. ways more like the countless scars buried into her arm. (just how many does she have? how long has she had them?)
she's shivering so badly, aqua instinctively hugs her a little closer, like her warmth might chase away whatever chill's taken over her. ]
...Camille...
[ she doesn't know what to tell her. she doesn't know what she means. she doesn't think it's okay. she doesn't think that things will be better. she just reaches up to stroke her hair, instead. ]
Breathe, if you can. We're not going anywhere right now.
[The few times she's gotten interrupted it's been by tackles from orderlies or a desperate fight with Curry. That did turn to an embrace eventually. After thirty-some years someone finally thought she might need a hug.
Funny how it took a trip to another universe for someone other than Curry and Eileen to bother. Camille might be shaking more from the shock than the fight.
Aqua's hand comes to her hair. Her mother had stroked it gently, just before pumping her full of poison, the way she preferred all her daughters. Camille swallows. She lets her hands tip, light onto the back of Aqua's shoulders. Desperately unsure.]
I don't... I wasn't trying to cut. I don't want to anymore.
[She hasn't. She doesn't. The blood blooming now is familiar but in the way a seductive ex is. Deliciously bad news.
[ she nods against her, some of that uncertainty reflected in her posture. like if she holds her too tight, she'll break. and if she doesn't hold on tight enough, she'll fall.
she just wants for her to be okay. ]
You weren't. And you won't—it was an accident. I'm sorry I startled you.
[ gradually, she eases out of the hug so she can hold camille's hand between her own. she doesn't say anything just yet, just quietly brushes her thumbs against her palms. she doesn't ask what worrisome means. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
so when she looks in to see camille by herself, it's easy to tell something's not quite right.
when she sees her carving into her own arm with a splinter— ]
Camille—!
[ she grabs her wrist, grip strong, pulling her hand and implement away before she can deal more damage. her gaze falls to the lines of blood leaking down the woman's arm, and her eyes widen. ]
You're hurt.
[ she's hurt herself. ]
no subject
Easy as pie.
Camille's head is swimming in the first two seconds of the intervention. She can only boggle at the younger woman, stiffen in her grip. Then reality hits: the sweet sting, the running blood, the panic in Aqua's eyes. All smothered in a sodden swaddle of shame.]
I'm fine.
[Pull out. Get away, get far away. Camille fights to get loose, splinter soaking in sweat as she clamps it in her fist.]
no subject
not at camille, but at the hopelessness of their situation—what she suspects has driven her friend to this. ]
No, you're not. This isn't fine
None of this is fine.
[ she'll use her other hand to try and pry the piece of wood from camille's grasp. ]
no subject
[Fuck. She's shaking. The other girl goes for her fist and she rips it back on instinct. She doesn't even want the damn thing anymore but she doesn't care to concede, can't bear to lose even this pitiful spat.]
Get the fuck off me, I mean it! Aqua!
no subject
she wrestles the splinter away from her, tossing it away somewhere down towards the stage. ]
Camille... I'm sorry.
[ she can't do anything else for her. she doesn't even begin to understand what's churning in camille's mind. she just knows a fraction of her pain, and that she isn't alone.
not anymore.
she wraps her arms around her, loosely, letting her fight out of her embrace if she needs to. at least, she won't open any new wounds in the process. ]
no subject
Camille quakes, wide eyed and arms still raised to fight. They don't though. She just holds, shivering, stunned. The immediacy with which the other girl moved in made so little sense — and only to hug her. Not restrain or berate, not to hold down until she gave up. What, has she never took down a crazy person before?]
What do you mean? [Sorry. Sorry, to her or for her? God, is she fucking crying?] ...I...I didn't mean...
[Now look what she's done. You cause so much hurt.]
I didn't mean to.
no subject
and aqua can see she's in pain, in ways deeper than a set of fresh scratches. ways more like the countless scars buried into her arm. (just how many does she have? how long has she had them?)
she's shivering so badly, aqua instinctively hugs her a little closer, like her warmth might chase away whatever chill's taken over her. ]
...Camille...
[ she doesn't know what to tell her. she doesn't know what she means. she doesn't think it's okay. she doesn't think that things will be better. she just reaches up to stroke her hair, instead. ]
Breathe, if you can. We're not going anywhere right now.
Spoilers???
Funny how it took a trip to another universe for someone other than Curry and Eileen to bother. Camille might be shaking more from the shock than the fight.
Aqua's hand comes to her hair. Her mother had stroked it gently, just before pumping her full of poison, the way she preferred all her daughters. Camille swallows. She lets her hands tip, light onto the back of Aqua's shoulders. Desperately unsure.]
I don't... I wasn't trying to cut. I don't want to anymore.
[She hasn't. She doesn't. The blood blooming now is familiar but in the way a seductive ex is. Deliciously bad news.
She knows better. The distance has helped.]
no subject
she just wants for her to be okay. ]
You weren't. And you won't—it was an accident. I'm sorry I startled you.
[ gradually, she eases out of the hug so she can hold camille's hand between her own. she doesn't say anything just yet, just quietly brushes her thumbs against her palms. she doesn't ask what worrisome means. ]
...We should get you some bandages.