Log: Ongoing

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

When; Wednesday
Rating; Probably no more than PG
Characters; Rain (livingmyths), Romana (lady_wandering), and Arkady (have_a_job_too)
Summary; Arkady and Romana help put Rain's mind back together
Log;

Rain was nervous and more than a little scared about seeing Arkady again. Still, she knew if the other Rains didn't come back soon they'd start slipping away and she didn't think she could hold on much longer without the brave Rain and the smart Rain at least. She didn't feel right and it was getting harder and harder to make herself get up and do anything useful.

Comments

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

Romana was worried. And more than a little vexed. Not that there was much she could do, she'd learned that lesson once already, and she didn't want to go traipsing around in people psyches, but the damage that had been done to Rain was worse than she feared and so she'd kept a close eye on her. Which was when she saw the conversation between Rain and the other young woman, Arkady.

Her mood only darkened from there and she immediately headed out to meet Rain, intending on monitoring the entire situation. Rain's mind was delicately balanced at the best of times and now... she had no assurance that what the young woman was proposing wouldn't do even more damage.

Luckily she arrived before the other woman did, and she knocked gently on the door frame before calling out softly, "Rain?"

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain poked her head out nervously from the room in the Library. "Yes?"

And then smiled when she saw who it was. "'Mana!"

And then bit her lip, looking nervously around. "I'm glad you're here. 'Kady is going to try and fix all the Rains."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

"So I've heard."

She walked over to Rain and put her arm around the girl reassuringly.

"Are you quite certain she can?"

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain bit her lip. "I don't know, 'Mana. But I need them to come back."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

"I know you do, dearest. I just want to make sure you're certain."

She sighed and looked around the room. "You want to do this here?"

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

She looked around the room as well and lifted one shoulder uncomfortably. "It's safe. I'm scared to leave the Library. I'm not the Brave Rain."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

Romana nodded and found a place to sit. "This Arkady, you met her before all this, didn't you?"

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain nodded, looking more than a little scared. "Uh huh. She was nice to me. Kind of confusing but nice. That's why when she said..."

She ducked her head. "She said she'd show me animals, but then she just - I tried not to let her, but we just broke into little pieces."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"I'm so, so sorry about that Rain."

Arkady appeared in the open doorway, a forlorn look on her face.

"It's the one rule we all have back home. We don't play with people's free will. I mean, we don't do other things, but that's the big one."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain slid a little closer to Romana, but nodded. "I know, 'Kady. The bad things made you."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

Romana's arm wound around Rain again, giving her a slight squeeze.

"I take it you're here to set things right?"

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"I'd like to, I think I can."

Arkady shrugged, seeing the protective arm.

"I'm usually quite good with these things. But I wasn't myself when I hurt Rain."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

"I just want the other Rains back," Rain said quietly. "But the one with Mat - the smart one - I don't think she'll want to come back. She knows if she does he'll go away."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

"She has too, dearest, you need to be complete."

She looked up again, accusingly. "What exactly did you do to Rain? I've been inside her mind myself and I never anticipated this kind of reaction."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"I needed, well the thing inside me needed her to dig. So I pushed and I pushed to make her work. Pieces of her fell off."

It was the best explanation Arkady could give, but to her that's what it had felt like.

Moving forward, she kneeled on the ground. "Rain, can you let me in, please?"

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain bit her lip, but nodded. "Okay, 'Kady."

She tried to be as open as she could, but there were doors everywhere in her mind now. Some of them led to rooms or worlds within herself where other Rains hid or played or cried - or slept with Mat under the stars. Others led nowhere or to empty rooms where the Rains who had come back had stayed. She'd started trying to get rid of some of those doors, but it had been hard enough just to keep herself somewhat together with parts of herself so scattered.

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

Romana relaxed her own mind, intending fully to monitor the situation and intervene in necessary. No one better than she knew how dangerous this could be with a mind like Rain's.

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

Arkady eased herself into Rain's mind taking note of the internal geography. She settled herself in a likely location, and started projecting helpfulness and genuine regret about what had happened.

"Rains? Rains, I'd like to see you, I think it's time to go home."

[ooc: It will be just Arkady/Rain for a bit - Romana will be watching.]

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

The smaller pieces of Rain came out from where they were - some more hesitant than others till only 2 were left apart. 'Brave' Rain was huddled in a corner, grieving for the children she hadn't been able to save no matter how brave she was. 'Smart' Rain... well, she was with Mat under the stars and unwilling to return to a world where he wasn't.

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

Arkady herded all the smaller pieces together and... smooshed them, hopefully pulling them into a cohesive whole. As for the other two...

Arkady created a small playground and began swinging on the swings. Playing always made her feel better, maybe it would help the other Rain?

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

With most of the Rain's together again, they had an idea. Suddenly the playground was bigger and full of all the children the Brave Rain had tried to save. Then they gave her a nudge until she got up and wiped her eyes and went to see.

She stared at the children. "But... but they all died. I couldn't save them."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"They're here now."

Arkady jumped off the swing and started playing with a couple of the kids. They were a lot like the kids back in Whitechapel. Scrounged clothes, thin, raggedy, but still full of life and playfulness.

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

The Brave Rain looked at them wide-eyed and the other Rains had the children run over and hug her and dance around her. She slowly smiled and wrapped her arms around as many of them as she could. They chattered at her, telling how she'd helped them and how happy she'd made them, until you could almost see her regaining her confidence.

She played with them for quite a while, then finally went over to find Arkady. "I think I'm ready to go be with the other Rains now, but I'm not sure how to find my way back."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

Arkady pondered that, looking around. "Maybe you just need to call them? They're still around."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

It didn't take long to find the amalgamation that was all the Rains but two. Brave Rain went to her and she/they opened her/their arm(s) to take her in. She moved to join them, then hesitated. "Where's...?"

And as she melded with them a wall shimmered and the last Rain could be seen lying on a blanket under the stars, wrapped in Mat's arms, and murmuring softly with him. She looked radiantly happy in a way she hadn't since the real Mat had left the City.

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

Arkady called out softly, "Rain? Rain, you have to come back."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain lifted her head and turned slightly toward the voice. "'Kady?"

She sat up, putting a finger to Mat's lips to keep him there, hesitated, then stood and walked a few steps toward her. "Can't, 'Kady. Mat's here and I want to stay with him. And he's not there."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"But your other friends are."

Arkady took a few steps towards Rain. "You can't stay in here, the other Rain's need you."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain took a step backwards, towards Mat. "I don't want to leave him."

She looked inexpressibly sad. "I'm only not broken when I'm with him. I was only ever not broken when I was with him."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

Romana spoke from the side, her tone soft and comforting. "That's not true, Rain, I've never seen you as broken."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"See?" Arkady walked forward, reaching out her hand, "It's okay, you'll be fine."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain took another step back, hiding her hands behind her back and shaking her head. "You and Tony always say I'm not broken, but I always know I am. Mat... we were the same somehow. I'm not leaving without him."

[lady-wandering.livejournal.com]

"You can't stay, dearest."

Romana's tone was soft, but firm as she motioned to the reunited Rains off to the side. "You can't leave the rest of them alone."

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain looked as if she was about to cry. "I can't. I don't want to. Not without Mat. if he doesn't come, then I'm staying."

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

"Then bring him with you."

To Arkady, it looked like the other woman was going to object, but she put up a hand to stall her.

"If he comes with you, for a little while, you'll be together, right?"

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain looked uncertain, biting her lip. "Bring him with me? He could... Yes, I guess if he came then we'd be together. Can I do that?"

[have-a-job-too.livejournal.com]

Arkady tried to look reassuring as she answered, "Of course you can, it's your mind, you can do whatever you like with it."

If there was one thing the FreakAngels package had taught her, it was that.

[livingmyths.livejournal.com]

Rain looked back at Mat and smiled. "If he comes with me I'll go back."