Muted [Kevin + Riven]

[Kevin Cocytus]

(( In which the events of Hallow's Eve continue.  If Denskith ever wakes up during this thread, there will be separate posts for him. ))

If this were Windor, they would already have medical care, a bed, and a diagnosis on whether or not Denskith's problems were because of him or from another source.  Too often it had been because of him, trying the self commands yet again or commanding something with a strong resistance when he should have just let it go.  It was hard to tell for Kevin, which one it was.  He wished he knew.  Wishes were not horses, though, otherwise they'd already be in the infirmary.  Denskith's long legs made it hard to carry him.  At least he had help.

Kevin liked Riven.  His thoughts, or however much he could gain from his mind, were calm and crisp.  Few people maintained composure both on the inside and out.  It was the complete opposite from Denskith's thought process, always rushed and in a carrying tone, so it soothed the boy immensely.  The reminder of such a gap in his ears, though, made him sad.  Denksith . . .  What happened?

Slowly, they were making their way up the stairs, Kevin gingerly holding Denskith's head up while his body weighed down on his shoulder.  They were almost there; the infirmary's door was just within sight.

[Riven Anselm]

Following easily, they were almost to their destination. Minding his step and his grip on the man, holding his long leg carefully, Riven's thoughts, calm and logical, were also moving to what had happened. Trapping two charges, one his partner, in the maze and having tried to persuade them to do further before being interrupted and collapsing on himself, Kevin was clearly worried about whatever it was. It was strange and clearly out of Denskith's character.

When Riven had offered his assistance to Kevin, he had also hoped to learn what had transpired, along with wanting to help him. Kevin was worried about a close friend and could use help getting him to a sick bed after a night out, not as himself. As he focused more on the instance at present, Riven wouldn't get any answers or closure by speculating. Helping his room mate was the best thing to do.

Kevin being his room mate was not a bad thing, Riven thought, for now; Kevin seemed mostly friendly and excitable, though Riven had noted everything, including his abilities and how they seemed to work so far. Hearing thoughts as well and reminding him briefly of a former room mate, Riven remained wary regardless.

[Kevin Cocytus]

It was nice that Riven was handling the legs; they would have been too much for Kevin. His short stature didn't help anything.

The boy opened the infirmary door with determination and after several attempts to nudge the door's knob and push at the same time. It was harder than it sounded. The victory was celebrated only after Kevin managed to guide the body-- gaaah, he didn't want to call Denskith that. He guided his unconscious friend over to the nearest bunk and, with Riven's help, plopped him down. Kevin turned around a bit just to make sure that the room was empty. He wouldn't have minded Sheloe, per-say, but it would make things more complicated, and there was probably nothing she could do. And, he didn't want her to worry.

"The coast is clear!" he cheered, then explaining to Riven with a chuckle, "I've always wanted to say that. Could you help me get him comfortable? Being on top of the blankets is fine, but his head should be propped up." He proceeded to rummage the various shelves for anything of particular use.

[Riven Anselm]

Riven waited as Kevin opened the door, following with the unconscious man, and gently set his legs down on the bed.  He had never been inside the infirmary.  

He looked to Kevin at his exclamation, wondering slightly at no one being inside, nodding as he explained himself.  He had never said that?

As he turned away, Riven watched him for a second before he began to position Denskith, seeing he was still breathing.  However, he moved the pillow away from his head, instead starting to place his right hand under his left cheek, rolling the man onto his left side.  Minding the scarring, he only laid his fingers under his cheek, Riven fairly sure his longer legs would account for the loss and ensure he didn't roll over.  Slowly bringing his right leg over his body as well, Riven bent it and his left arm at 90 degrees, looking back to his chest before around the room.  

He had never been inside the infirmary, save once just to look around.  It reminded him of that hospital.  He wondered briefly where the nurse or attendant was, but he wasn't surprised it was empty.   It had been when he'd looked inside before.  The door had opened for him.  Riven removed the head covering of his costume, his hair falling back into place as he unfastened his scarf, letting his face show as he wrapped the head piece around his waist.

"Something like this has never happened before?" He asked Kevin, although he'd said it earlier.  He assumed the man had just exhausted himself, having been pushed beyond the limits of his power confining Riven and Kevin once Riven had attempted and succeeded in breaking his cell.  What had made him use his powers like that...well, that was partially why Riven was there.  Riven thought he might have been possessed.

[Kevin Cocytus]

Nothing, nothing-- of use, anyways.  Didn't they have a vampire here?  Why weren't there any emergency blood supplies or something around?  Kevin turned from the shelves with nothing and contented himself to watch Riven's work.  He was actually pretty good with handling Denskith: mindful of the scars, mindful of the legs . . .  He couldn't have done it better himself.  He couldn't have done it this well, actually.

He fidgeted with his own scarf and debated taking it off.  The thick-rimmed glasses had been lost a flight ago; the owl puppet had been safely secured in a pocket before they even began the descent up.  The costume was ruined, and Riven knew, but-- but, he couldn't.  He just couldn't; did he need to give a reason for it?  Kevin only adjusted the scarf on his face to be more securely fastened, nothing else.  The hairs underneath tickled-- they needed a trim, but he could do that later.  Denskith came first.

Answers came first.

"It wasn't . . .  It hasn't happened in a long while, no," Kevin reassured.  "Or, at least, I think so.  He never said anything about it when he was in college-- he wrote."  And, Denskith told them everything, down to the last detail.  What was the world outside of Windor like--?  How he was doing was nice, too.  "I-- I don't know how comfortable Denskith would be of me telling you this, to be honest.  I'm not saying you have the right to, but . . ."

He looked toward his friend and wished he would wake up.  That way, he wouldn't have to say anything, just be happily reunited.  But, things were never that happy.  Kevin turned back to Riven.  He was nice.  His roommate would understand, right?  Right.

"Denskith can control things with his voice.  You might have figured that one out already," he admitted as an afterthought.  Riven wasn't stupid, he could tell.  "He can get really frustrated with it, though.  He doesn't like controlling people when, really, he just wants to control himself.  He wants some reign over his powers, and-- and, paradoxically, he tries using them on himself.  It makes him this-- this super-powerful awesome THING," he tried to describe using vague and wide arm movements up and down, "but it's such an overload.  He has to work twice as hard to control himself, and when he does, he has to control everything, down to the atoms.  Maybe not the atoms.  The cells, at least.  And, breathing.  And, his heart."

He paused, rubbing his palm against the crest of his hair.  Was that everything?  It seemed so simple when he said it out loud, but . . .  Maybe he had just become too lost in his own thoughts to realize how singular the problem was?  Maybe?

"A-and, he passes out," he finished lamely, eyes back on Denskith.  "Any questions?"

[Riven Anselm]

Riven looked to Kevin as he began to answer.  So, something similar had occured before.  It also sounded like they were just as close if not closer than it had seemed.  As Kevin hesistated after wondering how Denskith would feel, Riven nodded seriously at him, understanding whatever he was about to say was to remain confidential.  As Kevin looked at his friend, something fleeted through Riven's thoughts, but it was only that, something fleeting that barely registered.   Riven stood by, waiting for Kevin to continue.

He nodded, Kevin having told him that while they were in the maze also.  Listening and then watching as Kevin tried to show as well as tell what Denskith could potentially do,  Riven was surprised a bit.  He understood the concept though.  Kevin had explained it well enough.  

At his pause, Riven glanced down at the bed.  That was what happened in the house? he thought, looking at the man who was stronger than he appeared.   ...It sounded reasonable to assume it.  It just being explained now, Kevin must have been too worried about what was going on during it and helping Denskith, to think about it.  

While Riven thought now though, something seemed to not fit still.  He stated his question after trying to go over it again, asking Kevin somewhat inquisitively.  "How clearly can he think when he's trying to control himself?"  It sounded like it would be slightly hampered to Riven.  What he was trying to figure out now was why Denskith had used that power to trap and scare Kevin and himself like he had.  It had been in a haunted house, yes...but, Denskith having been speaking with them and able to hear them, it seemed like it should have been clear to him that Kevin and Riven were past fun and getting worried.

From his brief exchange and how Kevin had been speaking, Denskith didn't seem like the kind of person who would do something like that.  "Why would he try to trap us?"  He seemed like he'd be more worried about Kevin than interested in still scaring them at that point...so had something else been prompting him, Riven wondered?  Riven did not sound like he needed to know as he asked, which he didn't necessarily feel he did, but he did want to know.  Kevin clearly wanted to.  Although maybe he did, and just hadn't gotten to it.  Then, Riven thought, he might not say.  He was selective about what, and who, he told others about Denskith without his consent.  Riven didn't think Kevin would lie if it happened he did know, he just might not tell him.  Riven would respect that, he decided then.

[Kevin Cocytus]

Whatever it was that Riven thought, it was too brief for Kevin to pick up on.  He wasn't paying enough attention to the thoughts to really care; he was too preoccupied with his own (it was rare that he could actually be so with them) and didn't want to pause in order to hear more closely.  That would be rude.

When the asked-for questions came, Kevin took them best that he could-- but, it really did hurt.  These were accusations towards Denskith, and therefore accusations against him.  They were true accusations, yes, and he needed to answer the questions so that both of them could better understand what had happened and how they could fix it, but . . .  It was still hard.  He made sure that his scarf was still securely on before speaking again.

"Not at all.  All of his thoughts have to be on controlling himself, and . . .  He goes by impulse.  Instinct?"  Neither of them sounded like perfect words for the idea, but they would have to do.  It was something like that, anyways.  As for his second question . . .

"I honestly don't know," Kevin sighed, turning his sights back on Denskith.  Still unconscious.  "Maybe . . .  Maybe he was just scared?  Or, maybe he was taking the festivities too far--?"  Riven's uncertainty was only making him uncertain.  He raked a hand through his hair yet again and, needing to busy his hands, searched around the room for a blanket.  Covers, covers-- oh, right, it was underneath Denskith.  Kevin could only groan.

"I don't know how long he's going to be unconscious. . . .  Should we wake him up?"  He asked Riven this only because he had no idea himself.  Awake people, he could predict and take care of; the unconscious, not so much.  There were no hints.

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