20 | Accidental Video - action for housemates

[firstaid]

[She's in a room that's not her own, alone in her bed, tossing and turning, making unintelligible mumbles, slightly crying out as if she's afraid. The sheets on the bed are a mess as she breathes heavily, as she's experiencing a nightmare.]

No... I'm sorry... I understand...

[She's always spoken in her sleep, and it's no different here. After a few moments, her shaking subsides as she finally seems calm and wakes up. She's not surprised in the least as she starts seemingly counting on her fingers. 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8...]

This was my eighth one. Just two more to go.

[She takes a deep breath as she slides out of her bed, grabbing a wrap to put around her as she looks to the device and notices it on. No doubt someone had to have seen that as she just gives it a soft smile before turning it off before heading down to the kitchen.]

Comments

[negativegate]

[This whole thing has felt wrong to Rita from the start, ever since Estelle moved to a different room. Rita respected that her friend might need the space after everything that happened, though--not that it stopped her from worrying.

Especially now that she's seen this. Rita wastes absolutely no time in heading straight for Estelle's room.]

Estelle--I saw that video. What's going on?

[firstaid]

[She knew as soon as that video was posted that Rita would probably be the first one to confront her. She just shakes her head, looking at her with tired eyes, but wearing a smile. Sleep has not been coming easy to her for the past week or so now.]

I'm just having nightmares thanks to what happened in the desert city. I'm rather positive they will wear off soon.

[negativegate]

Nightmares?

[Rita only finds her worry increasing. Estelle looks so tired, but she's still being strong, as always...

She shakes her head, though, and comes to stand in front of her. There's just something wrong going on here.]

Are you saying it was the nightmares you were counting?

[firstaid]

Well, yes. [She can't lie now that Rita's mostly figured it out. She can't help but look at her friend now, one of her implanted memories being of her death. Another of betrayal, and another where she massacred everyone. They're memories now, and the only reasons she knows they're not real is because they were implanted in her via nightmares and was told they would be. So vivid... those images...]

Everything will be okay. I just need some milk to help...

[If Rita notices, she's shaking just a little. A natural response from waking up from a nightmare, right?]

[negativegate]

[Rita is too tuned to everything about Estelle right now not to notice. She doesn't even hesitate now to close the last bit of distance between them and take Estelle's hands in her own.]

You're not okay, Estelle--look, you're shaking!

[Are they really nightmares? Why was Estelle counting them? And how bad must they be to shake her up so much? Rita wants to get to the bottom of everything.]

[firstaid]

[She looks at her hand that Rita is holding, still trembling slightly as a flash of that memory implanted in her comes to mind. Rita... betraying her last minute to allow Judith to kill her. That it's true she was a poison and needed to be neutralized. Common sense leaves her at this moment in her sleep deprived state as she pulls her hand away from Rita, clutching it against her own chest.

It takes her a few moments to snap out of it, but she eventually does.]

I... I think I'm going to go into the kitchen and sit for a little while...

[She's not coherent and she knows it. So she goes into the kitchen as she says, turning on the light and looking around, slightly paranoid at this moment before she sits down at the table.]

[negativegate]

Huh...?

[Rita can only stare in shock when Estelle pulls her hand away--she can't even say anything to stop her from going. Estelle...doesn't want to be around her--or anyone, maybe--and it hurts.

It hurts, and Rita doesn't know what to do anymore. She just sits down on the edge of the bed, feeling utterly helpless to do anything for Estelle.]

[firstaid]

[She sits in the kitchen, her elbows on the table with her face buried in her hands. She takes a deep breath, very loud, very audible, not really sure what to do now. This was a choice she made, and she has to see it through. This paranoia is just something that is a consequence of the choice she made. She can only hope it will wear off soon, once the nightmares end.]

[negativegate]

[Rita doesn't know what to do...The last time she left Estelle alone when something had shaken her up, her friend ended up captured. Rita swore she'd never let anything like that happen again.

But she never thought Estelle would run away from her, either. So what should she do?

Eventually, doing nothing at all just makes her miserable and anxious, so she heads for the kitchen--stopping at the door this time, arms stiff at her sides.]

...Estelle?

[firstaid]

I-I'm okay, Rita. I'm sorry... for reacting like that. [She had heard Rita enter the kitchen, and knew it was far from best to simply ignore her friend. Taking another deep breath, she tries to calm herself down and does a little. Those memories are fresh in her mind, and she can't forget them no matter how hard she tries. It was a apart of the deal she made with the Deities. Was it the best choice she could have made? She doubted it, however, there was good reasoning behind why she did it...]

[negativegate]

[She can't even say that it's okay. Instead, she stays at the door, not wanting to make this any worse, and says-]

These can't be normal nightmares.

[firstaid]

Why do you say that, Rita?

[She brings her head out of her hands to look at her friend. Her voice didn't sound surprised, almost as if giving her away, but she still intends to question that line of thought.]

[negativegate]

It's obvious, Estelle!

[She automatically takes a step forward, then forces herself to stop and stand still.]

They're hitting you way too badly to be normal. Besides, I heard you counting them, remember?

[firstaid]

It's just some post traumatic stress. I'm sure they will wear off in due time.

[Lies, lies. She continues to lie. And she avoids the statement of counting her nightmares-- or she can (attempt to) address them in such a way that benefits her.]

This is just my eighth night I've had nightmares, that's all.

[negativegate]

[Rita doesn't know if she could have believed it, even if she hadn't heard the counting.]

And you just know there'll be two more? How?