We're All Mad Here (Rav and Alice)

Mordic~
I didn't reall mind the pain from the tattoo gun.... that is if you could call it pain. I didn't really feel anything. I thougth that it was because of the meds I had to take for my attacks and my skitz. Isighed and nodded. "Yep.. and I think she is crushing on your brother." I muttered rolling my eyes. "She is an idiot."

Danella~
I shrugged it off and sat on the counter. "Well that sucks. Maybe oyu could be more entertaining yeah...?" I asked laying down on the counter and I rubbed my face. "Oh! YOu must come with me to the coffee shop sometime soon. They have a new shipment of books from another city just north of here and Dan said I could keep my favorite book." I said my eyes glowing.

Stella: I laughed a bit. "You figure??? Oooh..... I'm not sure how he'd take that. But..... it'd be nice, if he could connect with someone.... even just.. make some friends." I said, smiling softly as I worked.

Damian: I squirmed a little, feeling a bit reluctant and anxious at the prospect, but gave a noncommittal shrug. I didnt want to be mean, but going out anywhere was usually stressful, even with my sister, and the prospect of going out to a shop full of people with Danella was a bit daunting.

Mordic~
I chuckled and nodded. "yep.. though ost of her.. bieng her... is a long way from what she use to be..." I said. I had known Dell for a long time. She was the sweetest thing on the face of the planet. I thought I was going to marry her when we were little but things changed when her mother died. She started to be quite and read books all the time. Then came the war and through out high school and college we watched our world die. Danella was never the same again and after we found that most people wer eoff their rocker.. she changed more.

Danella~
"Books are my frends. No one wants to be friends iwth me." I said lightly layong on the counter messing with my hair. "Mordic jsut puts up with me." I said shrugging.

Stella: I smiled a bit, although there was something sort of sad behind it. "I think most of us are...... a lot has happened in our lifetimes. That sort of thing changes people...." I said.

Damien: I frowned a bit, not really sure that that was true. I was sure there were people who'd like to be her friend. She was more of a friend to me than most people were, although that wasn't really saying much since even those who were my 'friends' never got much from me and were still hard to be around.

Mordic~
I gave a small nod looking at her. "Well... she changed for a long time.. and it ruined her." I said sighing resting my head on the cool table. "She use to be so full of life and spunk then.. her mother died and everything changed after that."

Danella~
I looked at him and gave a small smile. "It is ture Day..." I said nodding and going back to staring up at the roof. "People always look at me with my hair and my weird amber eyes and they say 'what a weird and strange girl'." I said faking an english accent.

Stella: I frowned a bit, nodding, but kept working wordlessly.

Damien: I frowned a bit, shaking my head, my rejection of that statement clear. Everyone was weird and strange now, somehow, and if you weren't, well.... they made sure you were. But weird wasn't bad...... I liked Danella's hair and eyes.

Danella~
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Really...?" I asked giving a small smile. "YOu are too sweet thanks Day." I said trying to keep up my happiness but it sort of faultered at the end.

Mordic~
I closed my eyes biting my bottom lip a bit. Maybe I shouldn't have anything to her. I took in a deep breath and waited til lshe was done.

Stella: Not really sure what to say, I just absorbed myself in my work, poring over every detail meticulously until the tattoo was finished. I sat back when I was done, smiling a bit. "There you go~ That should be about done..."

Damien: I shot her a very tiny, faint smile for a brief second as a sort of 'you're welcome', but it dropped a bit when I felt her mood falter. I knew she was feeling a lot more than she let on - no matter how much people tried to cover up their pain and guilt and shame and various hurts, I could always feel it. From everyone, everywhere around me, all the time, drilling into my head. That was a large part of why I was how I was, or at least I thought so. There wasn't an off switch - no way to block it out. It got to be a bit much, sometimes...

Mordic~
I looked up and gave her a smile. "Thank you." I said siting up. "THough I will have to stay till everything is all good before I can put on my shirt." I said with a chuckle. "So..." I said turning to face her not even looking at the tattoo cause I trusted her. "anything new on your end...? Damian seems to be doing better."

Danella~
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What...?" I asked sitting up a bit proping myself up on the counter turning my body towards him. It sucked he didn't talk... I was always curious as to what he sounded like.

Stella: I smiled a bit, nodding. "He's doing better, today...... He wore himself out yesterday so he slept well, or at least he slept a lot, and I think that's helped a bit....." I said. "Other than that, nothing much going on.... business as usual, you know~" I said, smiling. My days were more or less the same.

Damien: I blinked, unaware that she's still been paying any attention to me. I shrugged, shaking my head, waving it off in sort of a 'nothing' gesture. Just getting lost in my own head again.

Danella~
I raised an eyebrow and turns so my entire body was facing him. "Why don't you talk Day...?" I asked tilting my head. I was curious...

Mordic~
I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Well... maybe you should get a day off of work yeah? Come hang with me in the grave yard."

Damien: I frowned a bit, just letting a jumbled mix of emotions go. It always frustrated me when people asked me that.... I didnt know why I didnt talk, exactly. I COULD talk. Occasionally I squeezed out the odd word to Stella, if I was really desperate. But talking was so HARD, and every time I tried vainly to force words out through my uncooperative throat I wound up terrified and overwhelmed, my chest and stomach tightening with anxiety. The physical sensation of forming words was alien and uncomfortable, and the sound of my own voice was almost too much, too loud. It was so much easier to just let people feel what I did, as I felt what they did. It was better, that way. There were no lies, no deception, and I didnt have to try to find the right words.

Stella: I blinked, surprised. "Oh?? ...... I'd love that! But... uhm... it'd have to be a day when Damien was okay to be alone....." I said. I could afford a day off right now since I'd been busy as of late, but I wouldnt leave my brother if he needed me.

Danella~
I watched him for a long time and gave a small sigh. "You... are okay...?" I asked with an eyebrow raised. I knew that he could talk... just always waited for one time he would talk to me. My eyes searched his face and I took in a deep breath.

Mordic~
I gave a shrug. "How aobut if Danella stayed with him mm...?" I asked taking in a deep breath. "It would be good for them to spend sometime together yeah?"

Damien: I nodded a bit, glad she never tried to make me talk. While I was technically physically capable of speech, it was easier to just let people believe I wasnt. Then I wasnt pressured. But even though she knew she didnt try to force anything, which I appreciated.

Stella: "Maybe..... I'm not sure. Depending on the day, it may just stress him out more. But I'll talk to him about it, all right?" I said, smiling.

Danella~
I watched him and gave a small smile. "One day.. you will talk to me..." I whispered just low enough for him to hear. I gave him a bright smile and I lightly touched his shoulder before turning right back on my back and sighed.

Mordic~
I shrugged. "It was just an option. We could go out now." I said standing from the table. "After you do DAnella's tattoo since Damien is in one of his better states we can go out for a bit and Danella can stay here just in case something happens."

Damien: I forced myself not to frown or shy away from the contact, but I doubted I'd ever talk to her. Physically I was capable of it, but with the mental barriers, I may as well not be. I didnt want to talk. I didnt ever want to talk. And that was okay, right? Different, but..... people were all different.

Stella: My face fixed itself in a thoughtful expression for a minute as I pondered the idea. "I have some time..... my next appointment isn't until later this afternoon. I'll see if Damien's okay with it. If he is, I'd be happy to hang out for a couple of hours or so." I said smiling a bit.

Danella~
I gave a smile and I didn't want him to feel awkward or anything. "... Day... Are you sure your okay...?" I asked in a soft tone. "I mean.. I know I keep asking you.. but.. yeah.. Ijust.. worried." I fail. I thought closing my eyes.

Mordic~
I nodded and gestured. "Go see if Danella is going to get the tattoo and stuff." I said with a bright smile. I sat back on the table and rubbeed my face.

Stella: I nodded, heading back to the front of the shop. I noticed Damien's relieved look when I reappeared. I knew he liked Mordic and Danella more than a lot of people, but that didnt mean he could be around them for any lengthy stretch without getting worn out. "So~~ Mordic said you might be interested in finally getting some ink?" I said, directing the query at Danella.

Danella~
I looked in her direction and nodded. I moved off the counter and hugged myself. "I want it on my wrist... I want it in pretty lettering that says 'We're all mad here.'" I said with a bright smile. I had read it in a book and I was curious as to what it could mean. I liked it.. made me feel like I wasn't the only one pretending in this god forsaken place.

Stella: I nodded, thoughtful. "All right, I can work with that....." I said. "Give me a minute to draw something up and we'll see what we can do, all right?~" I said brightly, disappearing for a few minutes to draw up a design. It didnt take too long - lettering wasnt hard and it was a small tattoo, to fit on a wrist. I got my equipment cleaned up and reset, ready and sterile for the next job, and went back out to show Danella what I'd drawn up for her. "Is this all right?"

Danella~
I nodded and took in another deep breath. I always adored tattoos and could find the art in them but... I knew they hurt. I was a sucker for pain and I didn't know what exactly to do. I looked at her and smiled. "I like it.. lets do it." I said finally.

Stella: I grinned, nodding. "All right! Back here, then~ You know where to go~" I said, letting her back into the back room where I did my work.

Danella~
I moved laying down and I saw Mordic's new tattoo. I smiled a bit trying to relax. "Nice new ink." I said nodding to hhim and sat on the table my right wrist faceing her. I looked away and took in a deep breath. "Make it fast." I said tremblinga bit.

Stella: I smiled a bit, nodding. "I'll do my best~" I assured her, getting the stencil on her wrist and going to work. I'd gotten fairly good at being quick but precise, and it wasnt a terribly huge tattoo - I got done in relatively good time.

Danella~
I trembled feelin the sting but it became just annoying after a little but and finally she finished it. I took in a deep breath and looked at it. My eyes widened. "Its.. beautiful.. thank you Stella." I said softly.