Just worried.

[Piper Wren]

Something had been worrying Piper lately, ever since Elric had started working for the Ezels he seemed to have a new injury each time she saw him but trying to get him to talk to her about it was as easy as pulling teeth. So perhaps it was time to try a different approach, she was worried about her friend and not ready to just accept him coming back to the South Wing pretty much every night with new cuts, bruises and worse...so Piper waited until she knew Elric was gone and checked to see if his room was open, luckily for her the door was unlocked and she was able to walk inside.

'I guess all I can do now is wait...'

Piper perched herself on the edge of the empty bed, glancing around the room. Pretty much of all of the rooms in the South Wing were alike, very bare with only the main essentials needed. The only difference between Elric's and hers were the odds and ends that were sitting about. The young woman sighed and propped her chin on her hand, Elric probably wouldn't be happy that she had snuck in here to catch him off guard but Piper was unsure of what else she could really do. She fixed her grey eyes on the door and lost herself in thought for a while, not sure how long she would have to wait.

Maybe she ought to have thought about that before hand?

'I hope he doesn't come back hurt again....but what would I say about sitting in his room?'

That could wind up being an interesting excuse...

[Elric Vlarintos]

The last thing one expects to see when entering your room is a someone else sitting on your bed. The awkwardness of this experience is multiplied when you are used to have the room to yourself when you get back from errands. Elric had just whipped off his jacket and was about to pull off his shirt when he opened the door and saw Piper there.

At first it was very awkward and Elric had to check to make sure it was, in fact, his room. This was his room and so it was that Piper must have sneaked into the room when he wasn't here and had been waiting for him to get back. Elric had taken a little longer than usual because he had been getting a wound dressed at the hospital before he got back. He walked slowly into the room (no longer undressing himself as he did so) and attempted to walk in such a way that Piper might not notice him favoring his left leg over the right.

"Good evening, Piper. This is an unusual surprise."

Somehow that felt like the understatement of the year. Maybe it was because he already felt guilty, but her eyes looked like they were trying to bore holes through his skin. Didn't he get that enough from the Boogies as it was?

"Were you locked out of your room?" he asked. It seemed reasonable to think that maybe she couldn't stay in her own room for a short period of time. Sometimes people wanted or needed privacy, and that could be awkward.

[Piper Wren]

When Elric entered the room and at first didn't notice Piper as she was perched on the end of the bed...and started taking his coat off, then his shirt, Piper coughed awkwardly and averted her gaze to the floor until she was sure that Elric's shirt was going to stay firmly in place. She felt a little flustered which was kind of obvious considering her ivory white skin but none the less she looked up when her friend spoke...Piper did indeed notice that Elric seemed to be putting more weight on his left leg than his right. Not another injury?

"Good evening, Piper. This is an unusual surprise...Were you locked out of your room?"

Piper sighed and got up from her place on the bed, it felt better to be at a rough level with Elric...not exactly eye to eye since he was several inches taller than her. By the clock on the wall he was thirty minutes later getting back than usual and Elric was one of those people who had a inner schedule which ran like clockwork unless something got in the way. She walked over to him and looked at her friend dead in the eyes, worry evidence in her face.

"No, I'm not locked out, I was waiting for you...you're late back again and you're limping...Sorry but it didn't take a lot for me to catch on."

The fact that her friend was being harmed really worried her and Piper couldn't just let it be, there was a moment's hesitation before she touched Elric's arm.

"Please, what happened?"

[Elric Vlarintos]

This was an awkward situation. Elric was apparently far more predictable than he ever thought he could be, and that itself caught him off guard. There was that, and that Piper was staring him in the eyes. There wasn't any doubts any longer, she was trying to bore through his tough exterior with those eyes.

He broke eye contact and averted his gaze to the side, as he was apt to do when nervous. "I cut my leg while working. I had to get it dressed." That was the truth, or at least a certain coloring of it. Why was it that she worried about him so much? He was getting better at dealing with Anolean without getting injured. From the rumors about previous slaves that the Ezels kept Elric was doing a better job than most managed anyways.

Thinking of that, Piper probably knew about the rumors herself. It was pretty easy to figure out, especially since he told her about the change of masters. It had seemed odd after being held by one particular master for so many years. "I'm fine, really."

[Piper Wren]

I cut my leg while working. I had to get it dressed...I'm fine, really."

That was part of the truth, but not all of it. Piper could tell by the way Elric broke eye contact with her before speaking, if he couldn't look her in the face then he wasn't telling the whole truth on the matter. She was no fool, the rumours had been drifting around and Piper now wanted to hear it directly from Elric without him lying to her. To make sure he looked her in the eyes again she even moved back infront of his eyeliner.

"Elric, I'm not an idiot, I've heard the rumours about Anolean Ezel and with you coming back hurt...look, I want to hear it from you and I want the truth. Please..."

She had been really worried about the treatement he had possibly been recieving from his master. In a strange way Piper was lucky that Tristan generally left her alone apart from coming to check on her regularly, the only thing was it made her more aware of the violence that went on behind closed doors with other boogies. The young woman fixed Elric with a searching look.

"Please, I just don't want to see you hurt."

Piper was one of those people who worried about those close to her...

[Elric Vlarintos]

This conversation wasn't going to get very far in the way Elric wanted it if Piper already knew all the answers to the questions she was asking. Of course, there was the question of where Elric would like this conversation to go. Anything was good but this, he thought. He'd even consider talking about drinking like a rational person if it meant she wouldn't ask the really jabbing questions about his work.

"Anolean..." he started, but then stopped. Anolean was bad and Naelona wanted to keep him intact, but he really wasn't certain which master he'd say was worse. Anolean might only have been as bad as he was because Naelona liked him as a slave--some kind of sibling rivalry or the like. Breaking into the psychology of any of the Boogies involved thinking in ways that people just shouldn't be capable of and it always made Elric's head hurt when he tried to understand their motives.

"Anolean can be rough with slaves. That cane of his isn't exactly for walking." It was actually for stabbing and slashing at particularly bad slaves, which is why he killed most of his in short order. "It's a tough job, but I can't do anything about it but work harder. No one can do anything about it." That was the personality Elric had resigned himself to for years. Here humans were slaves and they might as well learn the role and live it like they were supposed to. It didn't really sound like the type of thing he should say, but it's how he felt.

"You wanted to hear it from me, and that is the truth. He's abusive, but I'm still alive. Naelona is just as bad, but her methods don't leave marks. At least, not on me." He was eyeing Piper carefully when he said that, to see if she understood. People shouldn't be close to him on the off chance he messed up. Naelona had been sure to ask about friends and family and anyone who was close to him when she first acquired him as her slave. He had told her that no one would miss him if he vanished, but apparently he was wrong.

He had mixed feelings about that.

[Piper Wren]

Anolean...Anolean can be rough with slaves. That cane of his isn't exactly for walking. It's a tough job, but I can't do anything about it but work harder. No one can do anything about it. You wanted to hear it from me, and that is the truth. He's abusive, but I'm still alive. Naelona is just as bad, but her methods don't leave marks. At least, not on me."

Piper listened closely to Elric, even though she roughly knew what he was about to say...just hearing it from him hit a different tone with her. She nibbled anxiously on her bottom lip while Elric spoke, the rumours about Anolean's cane being a blade was true after all and he had been hurting Elric with it....and that Naelona getting inside his head. Piper wasn't sure what was worse, the physical or the pyschological damage that Elric must have been recieving from the Ezels. Why didn't he talk to her about it? With some hesitance, Piper rested her hand over Elric's.

"I thought as much...why didn't you tell me? I hate seeing you hurt all the time, even if I'm not alot of use against them. I still worry about what happens to you."

Everyone worries about what happens to the people close to the them and Piper Wren was no exception, she was one of the more protective infact. Although she wasn't physically strong enough to protect anyone she did her best none the less, although right now she felt a little like she was intruding...

"I'll go if you want me to..."

[Elric Vlarintos]

After Elric had finished he sort of just wished for it to be silent for a while. There really was nothing to say about his situation that had not already been said and there was nothing feasible anyone could do that had not been done. It really was not as easy as talking back to the power: that just made things worse for everyone.

The silence he so wished for did not come. "I thought as much...why didn't you tell me? I hate seeing you hurt all the time, even if I'm not a lot of use against them. I still worry about what happens to you." No one was any use against the Boogies; that was not Piper's fault. How was he really going to explain this to her?

"I'll go if you want me to..."

That was the last thing she needed to say. Her words and actions spoke of someone who was very concerned about her friends. It was natural and human to worry about people you considered close to you. Elric understood that feeling and knew it very well, once. Apparently, he still understood it. It was a little awkward, but Elric gave Piper a hug and a pat on the shoulder.

"I don't tell people because I've lost them before. It's painful to have friends and then lose them."

[Piper Wren]

Piper was a little surprised to say the least at suddenly being in an embrace, as an automatic reaction she tensed...this was slightly different than recieving a hug from Kristopher or Augusta and it made Piper just a little nervous. There were mixed feelings behind it but after a moment she relaxed against him, not returning the hug...simply because she physically couldn't, her arms were pinned by her sides. Soon enough Elric drew back and patted her on the shoulder, Piper released a breath she had realised she had been holding. Where had that come from? A little unexpected to say the least but she didn't feel the need to rush off rather quickly so that was a good sign.

"I don't tell people because I've lost them before. It's painful to have friends and then lose them."

So that's what it was...Piper nibbled anxiously on her bottom lip at Elric's statement, thinking about her answer. Slightly self conciously she fiddled with the long sleeve of her shirt before saying anything. Even if you lost people who were important to you and who you loved more than anything...it was worse to have never known what that felt like. Piper thought back to her parents briefly, it hurt so much and still did to know she had lost them but she would rather have known that kind of tenderness and lost it.

"Well...I think it's worse to never feel that at all, losing people hurts but you still have the good memories about them. Shutting yourself off just means you don't feel anything, take my advice, please? Don't shut everyone out."

A small smile was shot in Elric's direction even if Piper didn't really feel like smiling at the moment.

"If I can do it, you'll be ok...after all, you're alot stronger than I am."

[Elric Vlarintos]

Piper did not look like she had been comfortable, so maybe Elric had made a mistake? He felt very awkward and fell silent for a while. Genuine human contact was something he had merely been forced into for the past few years. For those few times that he had been forced into social settings it had been nothing but awkward. Perhaps Piper was right, and he should start going out and making his own friends. However, that wouldn't alleviate his concerns about what Naelona could and would do. She seemed like a logical and ordered Boogie who wouldn't actually go after people so long as Elric was a well-behaved and obedient slave. Elric's only hope was that he had not misjudged her.

Anolean was always going to be a case in point of physical abuses to Elric's person, no matter what he did.

"Shutting yourself off just means you don't feel anything, take my advice, please? Don't shut everyone out. If I can do it, you'll be ok...after all, you're alot stronger than I am."

"I..." Elric started, but choked. "I think I can do that."

Something about the way she put that tugged at something deep inside of him. He really wasn't the type of person to stand back and observe quietly while things happened. It would be his overwhelming preference if he helped or protected other people instead. He used to be that way, but this world had a tendency to change people for the worse.

"Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of things. You spend so long thinking that you're dead that you even start to act that way." Elric paused for a moment and just shook his head. "I'm talking nonsense again."

[Piper Wren]

"I...I think I can do that. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of things. You spend so long thinking that you're dead that you even start to act that way. I'm talking nonsense again."

No one in Wonderland was safe, Elric seemed to forget that, as long as you had bonds with people they could possibly be used against you in the future. But having no one and being completely alone in this place was even worse, having people who you could count on was worth the risks that were behind it. Piper knew that Elric wasn't the best at talking to people, trying to introduce him to Kristopher had been a glaring example of that...but getting used to things would help Elric get better at social situations even though he acted normally around Piper. She was quick to notice that his voice was slightly choked and felt the need to be some kind of comfort to Elric.

"You're not talking nonsense...it sometimes is easy to lose sight of things and wonder where you're going but you'll get there eventually. Just promise me one thing, don't shut everyone out again, ok?"

Piper hesitated a little, this was almost a test of how far she had come emotionally...although she had been a little unsure when Elric had hugged her, it didn't make her feel like she used to...that had consisted of a mixture of fear, nausea and a vague sense of being violated. She hadn't minded, although her feelings were mixed...it felt safe. Piper reached for Elric's hand and gently squeezed it.

"You can always talk to me when you need to."

[Elric Vlarintos]

"You're not talking nonsense...it sometimes is easy to lose sight of things and wonder where you're going but you'll get there eventually. Just promise me one thing, don't shut everyone out again, ok?"

Elric's mind worked through each of Piper's words carefully, as though he were trying to commit them to memory. In actuality, it was the difficulty in applying such a foreign concept to his lifestyle. He had been independent for a long time, but it always felt like there was something missing. Basic connection with people was a crucial part of existence; and he had been getting by without it for years.

Or maybe it had been happening regardless of his own wishes, and he just had ignored it.

This had been an unpleasant process that culminated in what Elric felt was a very awkward conversation that he would have rather left unspoken. Talking about your problems seemed to give them more power than ignoring them, and Elric hated burdening others when they already had so much to carry.

"You can always talk to me when you need to."

Elric averted his eyes again and took a deep breath. This time, however, before he spoke he looked at Piper again. "There are those worse off than me, guaranteed. But maybe I'll take you up on your offer sometime."

He glanced around silently, as if making sure no one else was watching or listening before he said anything else. "So then, are you going to introduce me to any more of your friends or am I going to have to find my own?" Elric gave her a weak smile, but it looked less awkward and more natural than his smile usually did.

[Piper Wren]

"There are those worse off than me, guaranteed. But maybe I'll take you up on your offer sometime. So then, are you going to introduce me to any more of your friends or am I going to have to find my own?"

Unlike Elric...even if she was a little bit of a hypocrite in thinking this way, it was better to talk about your problems since instead of giving them power over you, it was the opposite. Piper was still getting the hang of doing that herself and wasn't quite there yet, she always had been better and listening to someone else's issues rather than talk about her own. Maybe taking more of her own advice every now and then might help...Shutting yourself off didn't help although both Piper and Elric had done it to certain extents. She smiled when Elric mentioned that he was going to take her up on her offer, a comforting thought to say the least. Seeing him smile without it looking forced and awkward was good to see, maybe that might happen a little more often now?

Piper could only hope on that front.

She couldn't help but chuckle a little at the mention of introducing him to her friends...last time had been more than a little interesting, Poor Kristopher, he kept looking at Elric like he expected to be eaten alive. Piper had spent most of that afternoon a little on edge and trying to keep conversation going...it hadn't been funny at the time but it was now.

"Of course, as long as you promise to lose 'You are short' as your opening line."

[Elric Vlarintos]

It was really and odd sort of feeling, having a friend and considering making others. Curiously he wondered if he would feel quite so inspired to go seek out friendship later as he did at this moment. Even if he didn't, it probably was the better choice to actually interact with people.

He felt like he was beating a dead horse in his mind, and moved it to more pleasurable considerations (like the library or music room). It seemed like he never scheduled in time for himself to enjoy those things, but that really was one of the problems with being enslaved. Plan time for self and friendship, he mentally told himself.

"Of course, as long as you promise to lose 'You are short' as your opening line," Piper said in regards to meeting her friends. Elric chuckled because looking back on that entire situation with Kris really did seem like one giant train wreck. "That was really a stupid conversation opener, wasn't it?" Kris didn't seem like that bad of a person, just irrationally fearful of Elric. It was about that time that something dreadful occurred to him.

"I'm not scary, am I?"

[Piper Wren]

"That was really a stupid conversation opener, wasn't it? I'm not scary, am I?"

Piper had to agree with Elric's first statement, that had probably killed the conversation before it had even started. What had been wrong with, Hello or Nice to meet you? But 'You are short' had popped out instead. Maybe telling him to just say 'Hi' might be a good start to not get such an...interesting reaction. But Elric's second statement took Piper by surprise...'Scary'. Piper didn't find Elric scary at all, Kristopher had found him a little intimidating but perhaps that was just Kris? She hadn't told him anything about Elric really before he saw him, most men around Wonderland weren't as tall for a start, maybe that's what it was...Piper shook her head at Elric and glanced down, she then realised that she was still holding his hand. A little embaressed but none the less she gestured to it.

"I don't think you're scary at all or I wouldn't be comfortable being around you. Perhaps work on just saying Hello to people without a bad one liner, ok?"

She smiled at Elric and hoped that perhaps a take two with Kristopher and her other friends might help, last time they just got off on the wrong foot and taking some time to introduce him back into the group would perhaps be more successful. Maybe just get him away from his room and out for a while, even if it was just to the Library...Piper had learned her lesson about why some books had chains or belts on them and didn't touch those ones anymore, being stuck on top of a bookshelf was just plain embaressing.

"And maybe don't hide in you room so much...I promise I don't pick up any of the more lively books anymore."