[Action - Quad] When you just need to fall apart

[crockshot]

[She knows that she should be in the Infirmary right now. Watching over them, waiting, and probably pacing a path onto the floor.

She should, but she can't

Instead she's hunched up in a sunny corner of the quad trying desperately to forget how it feels to bee dead. It's funny, but the only reason she's even letting herself break down like this is because none of her team, her family, is here to see her. If they were she would have been calm perhaps impassive even, because it's clear that she needs to stay strong for their sakes if not her own.

But for right now with the remnant of her team both lying so still, she can allow herself the luxury of completely falling apart. At least this time there's no one's life depending on her actions but her own.

If anyone is to stumble across her corner they'll find Artemis hunching up in a small ball, rocking back and forth slightly with a look on her face that flickers between despair, worry, and a handful of other emotions none of them particularly positive. Also, through all of this she doesn't say a word.]

Comments

[musagetes.livejournal.com]

Excuse me, cadet, but did something happen?

[Apollo was just passing by, but, well. This wasn't something you saw everyday, and she looked terrified]

Do you need help?

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[Inwardly she's flailing. Get out of her sunlight! Which is amusing considering who stopped by to check on her. Outwardly she calms down, climbing to here feet smoothly though her lips are tight and her eyes can't quite lose their haunted look.]

No, I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle. [She presses her lips together and then comes up with what she thinks is an adequate excuse.] Just... bad dreams. Yeah, that's all. Nothing to worry about.

[She's tough, no shrink needed. Really!]

[musagetes.livejournal.com]

[Apollo, being Apollo, doesn't buy it]

Forgive me, but I don't believe you.

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[What? Why not? She's like totally the best liar ever! How dare he question her truthfulness.]

[She narrows her eyes a him, lips thinning slightly.]

Look, whoever you are, my freakout is my problem. I'll deal with it.

[musagetes.livejournal.com]

[God of Truth. He is also unfazed]

Instructor Cynthius. You're curled up in a ball in a corner of the quad, rocking back and forth. I'm sorry, but if you didn't want people to ask questions or offer help, the quad isn't the best place for a freakout.

[bunnypassingby]

[Oh, hello, it's the girl from the party who suggested she wear leggings. Mikuru...still doesn't wear them, but she's concerned about the girl anyway. Crouching next to her, she pats Artemis awkwardly on the shoulder, because what do you really say?]

[crockshot]

[Here she's been hoping that she's out of the way enough that no one would notice. Well, that didn't work.]

[So Artemis tries to do what she does best, okay no that's a lie she's terrible at lying or acting. She really does try though. Which is why she now takes the time to climb to her knees and dust herself off like she hasn't just been freaking out.]

Right. From the party aren't you? You look different out of your costume.

[Wally's not the only one who can do denial.]

[bunnypassingby]

[That denial confuses Mikuru, and though she doesn't mention it just yet, her confusion is perfectly clear on her face.] Yeah, that's me.

[crockshot]

[Denial is also good at ignoring obvious non-verbal cues too. Denial is good at like... pretty much everything but admitting the truth and facing problems.]

Haven't seen you since. Things been going ok?

[bunnypassingby]

Yup! [She hesitates before asking this, but decides to ask it anyway.] How about for you?

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[She'd just been passing through, but the sight of Artemis stops Cissie completely in her tracks. Kneeling down beside her, Cissie brushes back her hair and cautiously whispers:]

Artemis? What's wrong....?

[crockshot]

[Great of all the people to stumble upon her it just had to be her alternate universe replacement. Joy.]

[Still Artemis is a horrible liar and while she doesn't really want to talk about it she has to talk about it with someone. At least Cissie knows a little bit about her life so it's not like she's revealing secrets to a complete stranger. Not to mention it takes a cape to understand a cape or something like that.]

I went home.

[Her voice is soft as she stares at the floor, shifting so that Cissie is by no means blocking her sunlight. Sunlight equals warmth and warmth equals life and all that.]

It's still kind of fuzzy. I think we were training? I died. I don't think it was for long, but I can't get it out of my mind. Then I wake up here and my Team's either missing or in a coma in the infirmary.

Hard not to wonder if maybe they died back home and might never wake up here.

[She shivers wrapping her arms around her legs more firmly.]

You must think I'm pretty pathetic huh, freaking out like a little baby.

[There's no way she's going to look at Cissie now, so sure of how the other will answer.]

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[She's silent for a moment, trying to process all this information. It's a little... unexpected, but she's heard stories of people going home and coming back. It wasn't too hard to wrap her head around.

Taking a seat, she crosses her legs and leans back, using her arms as support.] Pathetic...? Not exactly the first word I'd use.

There's always that fear of wondering if your team made it, dead or alive, after a rough fight... and like, I may not be part of it anymore? But it's human to worry, even if Kon---err, Superboy and the others're super-strong.

[What else... OH.] Though I'll admit, something like that isn't my first coping mechanism... you sure you don't want to shoot some arrows instead? I can make them Wally-shaped!

[crockshot]

[Hey, if she can't talk to her alternate universe equivalent who can she talk to, right? Maybe they'd got off on the wrong foot, but so far Artemis has figured that if there's anyone here who understands what she's going through it could be Cissie. Not to mention she doesn't care what Cissie thinks enough to mind telling her all the nitty gritty little facts or at least most of them anyway.]

It's not? Then you'd be the first. Even I know this is pathetic.

[Artemis actually nods a little bit. Apparently talking about it's actually calming on some level. (Not that she'd ever admit as much to anyone especially Black Canary should she ever show.]

Guess I always took it for granted. We've been in tight spots, but the idea that Conner, Superboy, or any of the others could possibly die? Never crossed my mind.

[Sure she'd worried a little when Red's family came to visit, but it wasn't anything like this exercise had been. With the Red's they'd had a fighting chance, with the exercise they hadn't even had that. Which was a pretty lousy wa to go once she stops to think about it.]

Yeah.. it's not really mine either, not usually. [She cracks a smile at her offer, but shakes her head.] Can I take a raincheck? Maybe once he wakes up, but right now I just... couldn't.

Target practice though...now you're talking my language. [She climbs to her feet, stretching out a bit.]

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[She's seen more pathetic in her lifetime... really, she knows she's done worse. Not that Cissie would ever admit it.

But... wait a sec. Wally's in the hospital? This is complete news to her. Cissie blinks, staring at Artemis for what feels like the longest time - even if it's only for a few seconds.] Seriously? He's in a coma?

Then I guess I'll have to go bake him some cookies for when he wakes up. [Even if she doesn't like him, she knows speedsters like food. It totally runs in their family.] So yeah, a raincheck's not out of the question.

[She follows Artemis's suit, going ahead and getting up.] There's a good range in the Training Center, if you ever want to come out and practice with me. I know they call our weapon old-fashioned... but those Blaster Edges? Are too powerful for their own good.

[7-days-clapping.livejournal.com]

[Unfortunately, Mr. Neku wasn't watching where he was going. And since he likes to stick to the corner of rooms anyway, he very nearly trips over Artemis in her little despair-ball.]

Whoa!--...Whoa.

[He stops and looks down at her, blinking.]

...Hey. You alright?

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I was until you tripped over me.

[A lie, but what does he need to know. She sits up quickly and then climbs to her feet, brushing herself off purposefully.]

ach, coding fail, sorry :c

[7-days-clapping.livejournal.com]

[Yeah right. But if she's going to be snippy about it, well, why should he care? (C'mon, Neku was being totally sensitive right there, jeez)] Oh really? Fine. I guess you just dropped a coin or something.

Not a problem. It happens.

[crockshot]

[But she's good at being snippy. It's a talent! Not to mention confiding in total strangers is just not her thing. Though maybe strangers are preferable to her friends sometimes.]

No. I was just sitting there, minding my own business.

[She's really good at bad first impressions, it's another talent of hers. Well talent probably isn't the right word, but whatever.]

[7-days-clapping.livejournal.com]

Yeah? Well, if you don't mind, go mind your own business somewhere where people aren't going to trip on you. [He kicks her leg lightly.]

LATEEEE

[notasidedick]

[There's a light hand on Artemis' shoulder.]

You're not looking too well. Is something wrong? Anything I can help out in anyway? [He doesn't know what the problem is. He might be older, but he didn't go through exactly what her Robin went through. He doesn't know why she's upset.] If there's anything I can do, I'm all ears.

Late is not a concept I acknowledge

[crockshot]

[At he physical contact she tenses and starts to flinch away before she looks up and realizes just who it is. Then the tension leaves her shoulders fairly quickly. They haven't talked all that much, but she's fairly confident she can talk to him. Maybe it's not the same as talking to the Robin from her world, but he's still kind of the same person so there's something reassuring about him. Not to mention he's got that "I'm an older hero" thing going for him now too.]

I went home. For a little while. We had a training exercise, it.... didn't end very well.

[Sitting up, she wraps her arms around her knees absently.]

We didn't take it very well, a lot happened. Then I woke up here and everyone's either missing or in a coma. It kind of feels like that nightmare mission all over again instead this time I go last instead of first.

[notasidedick]

[He gives her a soft smile.]

I think I can understand when a training exercise goes terrible. It happens, and it generally isn't very pleasing. [He has plenty of stories of things going wrong.]

Unfortunately, people come and go in this place, but it's likely those that are in a coma will wake up. Waiting can be hard can't it? But you should believe your teammates will come back. And you shouldn't think like that. I think the worst thing you can do is think that something you've already gone through will happen again.

[crockshot]

[Yes, but has he ever died in a psychic training exercise and then gone into a coma? It's like a new level of training exercise gone bad right there.]

Let me guess. Only look forward and don't dwell on the past? [She smiles crookedly, because let's face it that's pretty cliche advice. Even if it is true.]

I just hate feeling so helpless like this, like there's nothing I can do to fix it. I'm... not very good at doing nothing.

[notasidedick]

[He's gotten pretty close to dying. Does that count?]

That's one thing to say. But you should chin up. Maybe not forget what happened, but you're not much help if you're too busy wallowing right?

Waiting is doing something. It's also the hardest thing to do though.