weary and restless(Cae/Zar/Shizu)

[Namok Clave]

Ever since Caeli had her baby, Namok had made it nearly daily to come visit the child, his half-brother aand his...half? sister in law - well, once she'd gotten out of the hospital. He seemed to like the fact that he had family...family that was actually related to him. Family that he didn't feel so out of place in, so like...he didn't belong and that he was there out of pity. He was content with his life. He had a Fighter he loved dearly, even if they didn't share a name. He had a half-brother who he seemed to get along with decently, as well a little niece who seemed to make him feel a lot better about his own life. He knew already that he and Shizuka would never have children of their own if they got that far into their relationship.

While he was content with his life, things were rough around that time. He'd been skipping work lately, which was fine...he had sick days and vacation days that he hadn't used since he started. Shizuka...well, she needed him right now and he was there. For her, maybe. He hadn't even visited his niece lately, which was a regular thing he had done. To be honest, he didn't know the last time he'd had a decent night's sleep that wasn't worrying about the other. She'd started living with him, under his own insistence...she needed help and he wasn't about to take her to a hospital for help. He wouldn't...couldn't do that to her. He had his own little supply of various medicines for her - sleeping pills, anti-anxiety meds, as well as some anti-depressants. He was a walking pharmacy. It would be fine. He had enough, it wasn't like he took them on a regular basis, but he did get them refilled before they expired, however. He knew about the dosages she needed to take as well as what was an appropriate amount to take...so it was fine. He'd be there for her. It was just too bad he honestly wasn't being there for himself or the things in his life.

It was really stressing him out though, an accumulation of stress, sleepless nights and general exhaustion was getting to him. He'd gotten sick about three days previously and did a decent enough job at hiding it from the other. When he crawled out of his bed this morning though, he felt even worse than he previously had. Wrapping a blanket around himself, he meandered into the bathroom, staring into the mirror at his disheveled and reddened cheeks. He felt horrible. He coughed deeply into the joint of his elbow suddenly, snorting slightly as the cough was sort of painful. "Damn it..." he mumbled unhappily, grabbing a thermometer from the medicine cabinet and placing it under his tongue as well as taking some cough medicine from the cabinet before heading towards Shizuka's room, lightly opening the door. "G'morning, Shizu," he stated, half-asleep still as he forced his voice to a normal tone, he could tell he was losing his voice, but there was no point in making Shizuka worry, right? - well, it was nearing afternoon, actually...but they both needed their sleep. "I'll start making breakfast..." he didn't expect her to really answer him at the moment as he swished out of the room, his warm blanket dragging across the floor slightly. He didn't really know what he wanted to make, the idea of food at the moment made him kind of nauseated, but he pushed the feeling back.

A knock at the door sent him out of his thoughts about what to make for breakfast as well as the beeping from the thermometer. He was looking down at the numbers as his opened the door. "Mhn...102.8..." he muttered to himself before glancing up from the item to whoever was visiting him.

[Zaracki Honabu]

[atrb=border,0,true][classy=bang"]BANG BANG, SHE SHOT ME - ★[/classy][classy=interesting"]IT WENT BANG BANG BANG STRAIGHT THROUGH MY HEART[/classy][classy=shotme"][classy=throughmyheart"][/classy][classy=withoutpain"]His life was finally piecing itself together. He managed to hook a beautiful, sexy, and charming wife, have a baby with said wife, and have a house of their own. He had a pretty good job, (although he really wanted to strangle those brats sometimes when they don't pay attention) and he was finally beginning to get closer to his brother. Life was turning itself around pretty well. Zar had landed the best woman possible, and he didn't even know how he did it. He had been a shitfaced drunk for most of his teenage years and all of his young adult years, his only redeeming qualities back when the two had first met were his looks and his charming personality. She remained to be the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and she would for the rest of his life. He loved Caeli with his whole heart. Yeah he had almost had a heart attack when he first had learned that she was pregnant, but it only changed things for the better. Now him and Caeli had a wonderful little princess, who is just as pretty as her mother. Suzume was his little princess, and he made sure everyone knew it. Especially those grope-y little boys who fell madly in love with her at a second's glance down at the park. His little princess was growing up fast, and he hated to see it. Soon there would be every pervert boy coming to the house and he could just see those nasty thoughts about his daughter swimming around in their eyes. The pencil he held quickly snapped as his hand clenched. Zar uttered a sigh as he leaned back in his chair located in his office. He really did love his new house. Rubbing his face, he got up out of his chair and made his way to his daughters room. He had woken up early in the morning so he could get some tests graded and the new schedule for the week written. He eased the door to his daughters room open and peeked in. Suzu giggled at him and made grabby hands, wanting to be picked up. Zar chuckled and made his way to his daughter, hefting her up and cradling her in his arms. He gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek and bounced her lightly. Suzu giggled some more and grabbed at Zars face, planting a wet kiss on his cheek. Zar chuckled deeply, smiling with bliss. After he picked up his little princess, he now made his way to his own. With his foot, he creaked open the door and strode in. He sat at the edge of the bed and enjoyed the peaceful look on his wife's face as she slept. He then leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, murmuring her name. "Caeli~ It's time to get up~ Come see who came for a visit." Zar chuckled. After he got the girls dressed and ready, he headed off with his family to see his brother. He hadn't heard from him lately and he was getting worried. He knew his brother had been stressed lately, but didn't know what about. So he just thought of the next best thing. His brother had been coming over almost daily since Caeli had had their daughter, and now it was time to visit him and his girlfriend? Zar wasn't completely sure of the twos relationship, but he figured something was going on just because of the way they looked at each other. They had the spark of love in their eyes that was just oh so familiar. Having his arm wrapped around his beautiful maidens waist, he led her and their child to his brothers place and knocked swiftly upon his door. He waited, nuzzling the red fullness of Caeli's hair. He stood, listening to the sounds beyond the door. Watching the door swing open and hearing Namok's voice, his ears pricked to the sound of beeping. Laying eyes on the familiar male, he gave him a look and pushed his way inside. Slightly irritated, he gave Namok another look. "You're sick. Why didn't you call? I would've came over sooner." Gently forcing his brother into a seat, he went into full daddy mode. He made his way into the kitchen and found a clean rag. He then ran it under the sink and covered it in cold water. He made his way back to the blond and slapped the cold rag gently, but forcefully on his forehead. "Now rest. If I see you doing anything exerting while I'm here.." He trailed the threat, not wanting to get too forceful in front of his wife. "I'll go make some soup." He muttered as he was already headed for the kitchen. [/classy][/classy][classy=boring"]491- Cae, Namok, Shuzu - Well it certainly has been awhile.[/classy]

[STYLE=font-family: ms gothic; font-size: 12px; text-transform: uppercase;"]MADE BY jumpstart! of btn and ote[/classy]

[newclass=bang]font: 25px helvetica narrow; width: 350px; letter-spacing: -2px;[/newclass][newclass=interesting]width: 350px; font: 10px courier new; border-bottom: 5px solid; margin-top: -5px; letter-spacing: 1px;[/newclass][newclass=shotme]background: #9E9E96; padding: 5px 10px; width: 330px;[/newclass][newclass=throughmyheart]float: right; width: 100px; height: 100px; border: 7px solid #8E3225; margin-left: 10px;[/newclass][newclass=withoutpain]min-height: 200px; text-align: justify; font: 10px verdana; color: #000;[/newclass][newclass=boring]width: 350px; font: 10px courier new; border-bottom: 5px solid; border-top: 5px solid; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center;[/newclass]

[Shizuka Mori]

 

Its weird, really. Living without really being alive. Shizuka could feel her heart beating. She could feel her body moving. But everything was on auto-pilot, nothing getting through to her. Time fluctuated in her mind, and she had no idea how long it had been since. Since... Since her mom's death. The days and weeks mixed together, and the broken teen couldn't tell them apart. Some of the time she was normal, smiling and even talking a bit. Those were her good days. Mostly, however, she would sit on her bed, staring off into space. Those moments were filled with the horrors of death. Daichi would visit, the eternally small boy, beaten and bleeding, appearing occasionally in front of the Fighter, crying and begging for help. Accusing her of making momma share the same fate as him. It hurt. It really hurt.

She was scared to sleep, most of the time. Her dreams always turned into night-terrors, leaving the girl screeching and crying, reliving that horrid night over and over again. The body in her arms, frozen and stiff, covered in blood. It's head would turn to unnaturally in order to stare blankly in Shizuka's eyes. "Why didn't you save me?" It would ask. "Why didn't you stop Momma from dying?" Over and over, until Namok came in and woke her up.

Namok... He was her rock through this time. Usually, Shizu would hate to ever put that pressure on him. But now? Without him, she would break. She knew it. It wasn't a guess, it was a fact. She could feel it. Even being as shattered as she was, it still hurt her ego just thinking about it. What made it even worse? The fact that he was breaking to. It was obvious, a certain look in his eyes. That alone made Shizuka so overcome with guilt that it nearly killed her. It didn't help that the Fighter was painfully aware that she had changed over however much time had passed. She used to be so... warm. Open. Bright. Anything besides what she is now. The teen acted like a scared child, one that was frightened. Terrified. She would shuffle around, actions closed and wary, never smile, tears constantly gathering at the corners of her eyes. It amazed the girl, how much she had cried and still the tears wouldn't stop. They just kept coming and coming. Even after the funeral, when people usually couldn't cry anymore, because they were all dried out.

Ah. The funeral. It was agony, really. It was a week or so after her mother's body was found by someone other than Shizu. Hardly anyone came. She had no relatives, no family. Only a handful of coworkers and friends came, expressed their condolences, and then left without another word. The daughter watched as the put the casket inside of the oven, burning her dearest momma until she was nothing other than ash. She stood there, staring blankly at it. Namok wasn't allowed in the room, for he had no blood-relations with her. Only family could watch. And so, the next day, Shizuka went to the nature-walk where her family would go on the weekends, before everything wrong started to happen. It was the place that they were happiest. There she flung the dust that once was her mother, letting her ashes join with Tomo's and Daichi's. A small, saddened smile played on Shizu's lips as she remembered.

"G'morning, Shizu. I'll start making breakfast..."

Blinking, still hugging her knees on her bed, the girl's thoughts were interrupted by Namok's voice. Her clouded, groggy mind was processing something that made a weak sense of concern rush through her. Maybe she was just hearing things... but the blond sounded... off? A ghost of a frown replaced the nearly non-existent smile as she slowly, slowly turned, feet stepping on the cold floor. Getting up, shuffling to the door, Shizu was sort of glad that it was a good day for her. Opening it, the girl quietly made her way into the living area.

"Mhn...102.8..."

... What? What was 102.8? Concern started to form on her face, watching from the sidelines as Zar and Cae, with their adorable little girl, walked in. Namok's brother quickly became irritated after hearing his younger sibling's words, huffing.

"You're sick. Why didn't you call? I would've came over sooner."

A scared kind of worry completely took over her features as she soundlessly made her way to Namok, one of her hands feebly gripping the bottom trim of the side of his shirt, the other one fidgeting with the hem of her own shirt's collar. "S... Sick?" Her voice came out a bit raspy, sound like a little kids. Ouch... That stung her already crumbling esteem even more, wincing at her own poorly-spoken words. Crap. She was so pathetic, Shizuka wanted to laugh at herself. So weak. Namok was suffering, but she was to afraid to come back to reality to face him. How worthless. She was utterly worthless. This wasn't like her at all, and the really sad thing is that Shizu realized how she was acting. But she really couldn't do anything to stop it. It was so annoying, that it was funny.

Huh... Damn it. How funny.

[Caeli Honabu]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-image: url(http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h424/Shade066/Random/abg044.png);][style=width: 380px; height: 120px; background-color: #FFFFFF; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px;][/style][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; border: 2px solid #D97EA5; margin: -110px 10px 10px 35px;][/style][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; border: 2px solid #D97EA5; margin: -114px 10px 10px 147px;][/style][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; border: 2px solid #D97EA5; margin: -114px 10px 10px 260px;][/style][style=width: 360px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; border-left: 4px solid #D97EA5; border-right: 4px solid #D97EA5; background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 4 6 4 6px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; text-align: justify; color: #000000;]Caeli followed her husband in as Namok answered the door, Suzume in her arms. As soon as Zar voiced his irritation, she sighed and pushed past the two brothers, heading into the living room, where she set Suzume down in the middle of the floor with some of her toys. She gave little Suzume a kiss and pat on the head and then turned to the pair of brothers, shaking her head. "He means it, you know," she piped in, adding to Zar's threat. She knew her husband well, after all. "And if you're not a good boy and get better, I'll take you to the doctor." She spoke in a rather cheerful manner, but she was not joking. In fact, she had half of a mind to do so already, but she had heard Namok hated doctors and Zar was already working on making some soup for him. She made her way to the ill-stricken Sacrifice and then glanced to the Fighter that had just appeared in the room, looking rather distressed and helpless. Well, maybe there was something she could do to help. This must be Namok's new Fighter, Shizuka. She had heard so much about her, but had yet to see hide or hair of her, and here she was, looking rather pathetic as well as depressed. Caeli just had to do something. "Shizuka-chan, right? Could you please go get Namok a blanket? He needs to stay warm so he can sweat off his fever. Oh and if you could find him some fever reducing medicine, that would be a big help," she said with a gentle smile as she looked at the other redhead. Red hair... those brothers must definitely both like it, since both of their beloved Fighters had it. Putting her hands on Namok's shoulders, she gently turned him toward the living room and started to push him towards it, being careful to steer him around the playing Suzume, who had stopped to look up at them as they went by. She gently pushed him toward the couch, where she turned him around again and pushed him down so he was sitting on it. She then straightened herself as if to admire her work and then turned to look toward the kitchen. "Okay! He's on the couch, Zar!" she called out to her husband before she turned to look down at Namok with a warm, gentle smile. "Just rest there and let us take care of you, okay? It's better than the doctor's, right?"[/style]

Amami 天海 of OTE

[Namok Clave]

The past few weeks had been really overly difficult, to say the least. Dealing with Shizuka's mother and the funeral. Trying to deal with his own issues that had arisen from the incident. He hadn't been sleeping well and that was evident on his face. Between waking up in the middle of the night to comfort Shizuka and waking up on his own...he hadn't been sleeping well at all. Rampant insomnia was going to be the death of him. As Zar and Caeli both forced him onto the couch, he really didn't have the energy to fight back, let alone protest the handling. It was like now that somebody else was there, everything was catching up to him. Lack of sleep, stress...

He didn't know how to handle the idea of somebody taking care of him though. He didn't usually let other people take care of him. His mother hadn't, the family who had adopted him had done their best to take care of him...but he always felt so out of place there and never stuck around too long for it. The hospital staff were paid to take care of him, but that never meant they had provided the best of care in the world. Nobody believed the crazies if they said the staff was anywhere near inadequate. "I didn't call because I didn't want to get either of you sick," Namok said, the words an obvious lie. He didn't want anybody to worry about him. The chance of one of them wanting him to go to a doctor too high for his liking. Besides, they had a young child. He didn't want to get her sick. He already had too much to worry about without trying to hide his instability.

Wearily laying back against the couch, the word doctor sent him almost into a panic. He didn't like doctors. They could send him back. They would send him back, especially in the mental state he was in. If he went back, who would watch over Shizuka? He couldn't expect Zar and Caeli to do that...they had a child to watch over and they didn't know how to take care of Shizuka in her current state. He did. He was tensed up at the word, trying to calm his breathing so he wouldn't show how much the mere mention of going to a doctor frightened him. He had a reason not to like them...he hadn't been to one since he'd been released from the asylum and wasn't about to change that. His psychologist didn't really count as a doctor, to him at least. "F-fine. Anything but a doctor," he stated wearily, watching as Zar moved towards the kitchen to make him soup. "I was going to make Shizuka breakfast too..." he stated quietly, almost like a little kid. He didn't want to ask somebody else to take care of Shizuka in her fragile state, but...it seemed that he had no choice at this point.

Speaking of Shizuka, it took a moment for him to register that she was grabbing at his shirt, his mind sluggish in its attempts to unjumble all of his thoughts. She looked almost frightened...this was why he didn't tell her he wasn't feeling well...he didn't want her to worry more than she already was about everything else. He patted her head lightly, casually running his fingers through the bedhead and pulling out some of the tangles with a gentle hand. "I'm fine, Shizu. No need to worry about me," he murmured quietly. He gave a small smile, shifting so that he was laying across the couch with his head against the arm rest. "I think being parents has caused these two to overreact about a simple cold." Simple...perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if he'd been taking care of himself and sleeping properly.

[Zaracki Honabu]

Zar started to get everything ready for his soup. He tied an apron around his waist, which he had gotten from his little daddy kit he carried around, and managed to find the things he needed for his culinary adventure. He filled a pot full of water while he listened to what was going on in the other room. So Shizuka was up. He was glad he was making enough to feed an army. He had heard she was down in the dumps, which most likely meant that she wasn't eating much. That would soon change if he had anything to do with it. Ever since he learned how to cook, he loved it.

He began chopping up various vegetables and putting them in the pot. He began making his own broth and stirring that in when the time called for it. He absent-mindedly stirred the pot full of on coming vegetable soup whilst listening into the conversation that proceeded in the living room. His eyebrows raised at Caeli's soft, but stern threat about the doctor and wondered how bad of a panic attack Namok was secretly having. He rocked back on both feet, not wanting to leave the pot unattended but also wanting to join in on their conversation. He huffed, making himself busy with making some tea. He snooped around the kitchen until he found everything he needed and set it all up.

He finished up the soup and poured bowls for the four of them, also breaking out the crackers for them to use if they wanted. He poured them all tea and made Suzume up some of her baby food and juice. He peeked into the living room and called out for them. "All done~ Come on in here and grab a seat. I made vegetable soup and some tea. It will ease your sore throat and clear up some of the congestion." He made his way into the living room to help Namok to the table, all the while leading Shizuka as well by her shoulders. Come on you. You feel skinny. Let brother Zar put some meat on your bones." He gave a light chuckle, as he lightly pushed the two in the kitchen.

He turned to Caeli with a mischievous grin. "Really. These two hermits. Need to depend on us more. Poor Suzume missed Uncle Nammy." He picked up his little princess and handed her to Caeli, and thus picked up Caeli and carried her to the kitchen. "Can't have you feeling left out now. I spoil both my princesses." He carried them both into the kitchen and plopped them into a seat. Then he stole Suzume out of Caeli's arms, with a wink, and took his own chair. He sat his princess on his knee and bounced her lightly, getting a little giggle. "Go on. Don't be shy. I took cooking lessons so it doesn't taste like crap." He nodded, eyeing his brother and Shizuka.

[Shizuka Mori]

Oh, how strange it was for one's mind to have crumbled. To have one's mind being slowly, every so slowly, being rebuilt. Time seemed to both rush by and take its sweet time. Staring in front of her blankly, her eyes devoid of all emotion or light, Shizuka watched as Father Time crept along and raced away from her all in the same moment. How easy it was to lose track of the minutes, of her memory. Why was she in the living room again? How long had she been standing there, gazing at absolutely nothing? It wasn't until Caeli spoke to her tenderly, as if the older woman was talking to a small toddler, that she broke out of her self-induced trance. Her eyebrows knitted together as she processed her words slowly-so painfully slowly (how pathetic)-only to nod slightly a few seconds later.

Walking robotically towards the hallway closet, the Fighter moved as if she was on strings, being controlled by a puppeteer. A rather bad one at that. Nabbing a blanket from the stacks of other fabric and things, she moved onto the bathroom. Getting the pills that Caeli requested from the medicine cabinet, she went back to the front room, awkwardly handling the objects. What should she do with them? Ugh. This was too much to think about. Her gaze crept towards Namok, shuffling towards her sick Sacrifice and handing him the blanket and bottle before sitting back beside him.

Wincing ever so slightly each time his fingers nicked on a knot in her hair, her ears pressed back against her head. Namok's plea for her to stop worrying about him fell on deaf ears, the concern for her Sacrifice only increasing as she blearily noted the strain in his voice. How hard was he fighting... to try and act as if he was alright. The red-head knew that it was solely for her sake, to not put even more mental strain on the already unstable girl, but now that the cat was out of the bag she couldn't help herself from worrying. How long had he been sick? Was it all her fault? Probably. She was being so pathetically needy lately. How much longer was she going to be in this state? So weak. So fragile. Shizuka knew that she had to quit it, but no matter how hard she tried to steel herself, it didn't help. It never did. Looking at her ill partner, the one who made what little was left of her heart pound loudly in her chest each time he got, she wanted so desperately to shake his shoulders violently. Demand that he go to the doctors. That she would be fine by herself for a day or two. 'I don't want to lose you too,' her mind cried out, but her mouth was unable to form the words.

It was definitely a shock when Zaracki took her by the shoulders, a visible flinch and a weak attempt to get away could be seen. After a moment however, Shizu accepted her fate and made her way towards the table, sitting right beside Namok. She didn't want to leave his side, not even for a second. She was scared. Scared that she would break without him. That he would get worse if she looked away for even an instant. However, that freezing terror turned into a more human-like fear as she gazed at the bubbling liquid in front of her. ... Did Zar say it was soup? ... It... it gurgled at her... ...

Paling significantly, much preferring Namok's cooking to his brother's, Shizuka nudged the bowl away from her as she went for the crackers instead. Classes or not, it didn't matter if you had talent or not. Her Sacrifice was rather gifted. She couldn't say the same for Zar. Heck, maybe it did taste fine. But she really didn't want to risk it. Nabbing a large pile of the crackers, she began to nibble on them, a wary eye on the bowl in front of her. Nope. Not gonna happen.