Who: Joshua and Lullaby
When: midday
Where: Oz/Sophie/Dean's house

Lullaby was trying to get used to the pain. Really, she totally was. The pain meds helped, but seriously...at the end of the morning, she still had an untended broken wrist. It still in fact, felt like someone had replaced her bones in there with broken glass. Only now with the meds, it felt like someone had then wrapped it up in velvet or something. Either way? It still didn't feel good, and she was trying very very hard to not at all move it. Her back with the lacerations there wasn't happy either...but then again, really nothing was. She'd spent a lot of her morning getting woken up intermittenly by painfully freezing touches to her shoulder, which she'd been told was Maddie keeping her awake because it was dangerous for her to sleep just yet.

She'd also been assured she could sleep later. She just didn't know when that 'later' was going to be. Joshua when he'd come downstairs hadn't really left her side, and people were sort of wandering in and out. Sometimes so fast she only caught the tail end of them leaving. Of course, there was a ton of stuff to be done--not that she actually even knew what was being done. She did know she kept hearing intermitten thunks. Like someone was hammering a whole lot. It was faint to her, but she could hear it. All in all, her mood, while drugged up and full of pain--was actually fairly okay. She'd done something. And she'd done something useful. Something good. It gave her a little bit of new home that maybe she wasn't a monster. Or even if she was? Maybe she could make up for that.

Joshua had been scared fairly shitless by Dean's abrupt waking him up. He'd just gotten the jist that Lullaby was hurt, and that had him up and running downstairs. They'd more or less filled him in, though he'd really only been half-listening to them. She'd ... done something. To another guy that was there, Billy. Taken on his injuries. Because she looked beat to hell and he knew she was in pain and he immediately decided that only rabid wild dogs -- or enough force from Sean, as the case may be -- could drag him away from her for a second. There was a lot of activity in the house that he was a bit too distraught to keep up with. He didn't feel an ounce of bad for staying glued by her side. After he'd been assured a few dozen times that she would be okay and they'd take care of her, he'd gotten the Fade book and sat his ass down right next to the couch. He'd immediately gone to the section he'd found on healing and was reading it to her. Or reading chunks and then looking up and repeating the jist of what it said so she could read his lips. He didn't think she was retaining much, but that was okay. It helped him stay a little calmer about all this, with explanation in front of him. And she seemed kind of ... better, emotionally. It may have been the meds or something, but she was almost peaceful seeming. Stiff and hurting, yeah, but better. He looked up from a little blurb about seeing the weak points of things to make sure her eyes were still open.

They were. She still had the touches now and then to really rouse her when she started to drift, though she'd needed them slightly less in the past hour or so. She was reading Joshua's lips, or trying to, even if she missed out on some of what he said now and then. She was getting the basics, though. "S'why I could tell the trunk hinges were gonna break." she connected in her head. She reached up with her good hand to rub at one of her eyes, really wishing she'd get the go ahead to sleep soon, but not sure at all when that might happen. But the information thing was good right now, so she was glad Joshua was there to help her with it.

She did kind of worry about everyone else wandering around, wondering if they needed help. She'd tried a couple of times to tell Joshua that he didn't need to hover, but had given that up a while ago considering he? Was soooo not leaving her. That much was really really clear.

He nodded, offering her a very faint smile. It was something else sort of dark about her, but he didn't care. He closed the book over one finger, reaching out to brush some hair away from the side of her face. There was more there, about how that ability stretched to people too, but he thought that this might not be a great time to let her in on that. She'd find out soon enough. Reading the section on healing -- though it gave him worried stomach knots like crazy -- had been positive for her, so he was going to kind of leave it there if he could. "Do you need anything?" he asked for the thousandth time. "More water?"

She gave a little smile and shook her head. "No...thanks though." she said. She wasn't really hungry, and she didn't want to consume too much. Because if she did? She was going to have to go to the bathroom. And ohhhh did she ever not want to have to have help with that. She knew Sophie would and everything but seriously. There were some things in a girl's life that she never wanted to have to have, and help going to the bathroom was one of them. So, she was going to try and avoid that. "You doing okay?" she asked him, focusing her eyes back on him again, and letting her attention rest there. "Holding up alright?"

It did not escape Joshua's notice that once again, she was the hurt one, asking if he was okay. Granted, she wasn't dying this time and he'd already asked her about a billion times, but still. He nodded and rather neatly squashed that memory that tried to come up again. It was easier when he felt like she was in need. And right now, she needed him not to be an emotionally scarred spaz. "Totally fine. My ass kind of hurts, but it's a minor complaint, considering," he said with a small half-smile at her.

She returned the expression. "Poor thing." she said. She might have reached out to pat his head at that, if she wasn't sure the motion would hurt in some fashion, and she had learned before that if she stayed very very still, sometimes things were more dealable. "What time is it?" she asked, not having a lot of concept on that. "You should practice your tk some." And she realized her thoughts were a tad random there, and mentally poked her brain.

He didn't have a watch, so Joshua glanced around for a clock. He squinted at one on a shelf across the room and looked at her again. "Almost one," he answered. He didn't mind the randomness of the suggestion, because it was probably true. She'd been the one encouraging him to practice before she died, and he'd kind of fallen off of that in the face of crippling grief. So, now that that was over ... "What do you want me to pick up?" he asked, glancing around again.

"The book?" Lullaby suggested. She didn't really know what else was in the room, and anyways, she didn't know how much control he'd picked up or let slide, and so she didn't know if there was the possibility that he'd break something. But she didn't want to say that either, so she just started with that. She even had an idea what he could do to work on a little control with it.

Well that was easy enough. Maybe. Hopefully. He set the book down on the edge of the couch, careful not to run it into her, and looked at it. There was a lot of shit going on to focus through; noise and worry for her and all of them with what-all was going on. But he tried to quiet his mind down and just ... push in that way in his head that made things move. It was a little wobbly going up at first, but Joshua lifted the book to about eye-level. Then moved it out away from her so it was hovering over the floor.

Lullaby watched. It was good to have something to focus on for the moment. "Okay, now turn it around three times, in a clockwise direction. Don't turn it over at all, keep it upright and spin it that way." she instructed, keeping her eyes on the book.

"Three times, clockwise direction," he murmured to himself, keeping his own eyes firmly on the book. It took him a second to think through his concentration which direction clockwise was, then tried to make the book go that way. It got through one and a half before it stopped and started to twist wrong. He glared and corrected it, and made it the rest of the way.

She smiled encouragingly at him. "Good!" she said. "Now turn it clockwise but on it's end." she said. "And, let me know if you need a break." she added, because she wasn't sure when he might need one, and she didn't want to push him too hard or anything. But the better he got at this, the better it could be later if he needed it. Or anyone needed him to be able to do it and do it well.

Joshua wet his lips, leaning forward a bit. This wasn't easy, but he was doing okay. The book went the way it was supposed to go this time, but fell about halfway to the floor before he caught it again and brought it back up to where it was supposed to be. He realized his palms were sweaty, so he wiped them on his jeans.

She waited, giving him a second. "Nice catch." she complimented, to keep encouraging him. "Can you open the book?" she asked. She wasn't sure he had that fine a control on things, but she wanted to see if he could, or if he could try to at the very least. She still didn't know how good he was at any of this, but hey, he wasn't doing badly! So that was good.

"Maybe," he said, drawing the word out as one eye narrowed. He appreciated the encouragement, but if he looked at her, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold it. He could only move things without looking at them when his emotions went crazy or the curse kicked in. Which it was trying to do at the moment, he could almost feel the pull on the book. It was taking some effort to keep the control. He tried to focus on the front cover and pull it open while holding the thing up at the same time. It almost worked. But at the last second it flew at his face like a magnet, the corner of it catching him in the cheek before it dropped into his lap. "Ow," he muttered dully, reaching up to rub at the spot.

Lullaby winced. "You okay?" she asked, feeling a little bad. She kind of almost reached out to touch him but then bit back an owie sound. Yeaaah moving wasn't her friend right now unless it was very small movements. "You were doing really well." she added. "Are you feeling okay with it all too? I don't know if it tires you out..." She knew Dean's ability actually physically harmed him, though she hadn't seen that sort of thing with Joshua at all. And when they'd been reading up on it, there hadn't been any indication that it would like...really hurt him or anything.

He stopped to think about that, take stock of himself. His head felt a little light, but that was all. Joshua looked over at her and smiled a little. "Thanks. Feeling okay. If I do it too much, I know it'll kinda make me dizzy for a while, but I'm fine right now." Besides the pain in his face, but he was used to stuff like that. It would go away. All part of the process, and he was getting more and more determined as things kept happening to get better. He'd probably end up needing it.

Lullaby smiled, then reached over to touch the side of his neck. She actively looked for the black spikes this time. There weren't many of them. Light, small ones, but she could find them easily enough. It seemed like it lasted longer than it did, it was only seconds. But she took them, healing up all the little dings on his person, the bruising spot on his cheek which she felt blossom on her own. It was...less jarring this time.

Joshua was looking right at her, and he saw the reddish-darkening spot appear on her pale cheek. Exactly in the spot it had been on his. He reached up to poke at his own, and it felt just fine. Then took stock of the other injuries he was carrying around. He touched the spot on his shin that the pan had hit and found it not even tender anymore, a toe-flex in his shoe said his sprains were gone, and reaching up to his ear, there wasn't even a scab anymore. He tilted his head to look at her's, and ... yup, it looked like she'd cut her ear a week ago. Joshua looked at her again and frowned faintly. "I really wish you wouldn't do that," he said, looking worried. He hadn't been really hurt or anything, but goddamn, it wasn't like she needed any more. "Not to me, and especially not right now."

Lullaby didn't look like she especially cared. "It's about all I can do right now." she said. Which was true. Otherwise? She could just...sit around and take up pain meds and space. Not especially useful in the grand scheme of things. "And it wasn't like anything's that bad anyways." she added. It all blended in to her. It was all just a couple more places that kinda hurt. That was alright with her. She was okay with it. "But you feel better now." she added, with a little smile at him.

He still looked frowny as he shifted to put his face closer to her's, eyes crawling over her features. "I don't want to add to any of your hurt. Ever," he said quietly. Not that she could hear him anyway. Though he should've tacked an 'again' on the end of that, he thought belatedly. He'd already accomplished hurting her severely. There was that memory again. He propped his chin up on his arm, watching her.

"And I want to be able to do something that isn't suck and be useless. Joshua...do you know how much better the idea that I can heal people makes me? I might...I could help. I did help. And...and it's not like..." she didn't know how to word it to him. Like she had hope for the first time, that maybe she could be something better than a fucked up monster. Watching some of the lighter lines of blackness come off of him. And, because she was feeling like she needed to do better, she tried drawing that in. It hadn't worked with Dean, really. He kinda seemed like...a bottomless pit of the stuff. But maybe it would work with Joshua. So, she started to pull it in, not abruptly because she thought if it did work, and he did start feeling better, that it would be too obvious. Maybe the energy would help her stop feeling uneasy too. That? Would be awesome.

"You don't suck, and you're not useless," he said firmly, because he really couldn't let that go. He still looked pained about it, but he could see that, yeah. "I know it makes you feel better, Lu, and I'm not ... saying you shouldn't at all or anything, but ... I don't want to add to that, you know? You're ... you're hurt, and that ... in my chest, I can't ... think that better." Which probably didn't make any sense at all. The badness aura he was putting off got a tiny bit thicker. "I can keep my own pain, I'm used to all the bruises and stuff, I don't want to put that on you, it feels wrong." There, maybe that was better. "I just ... not over hurting you worse when you were dying. Call it a twitch, just ..." He gave up completely and heaved a sigh.

"Tonight? Things might get bad. I can't help with that, you can. And the less possible owies you have, the better." Lullaby explained calmly. She sighed a little. "You...you did what you could, alright? I know that you think you hurt me but you tried, and that was...I don't even think about that when I do think about it." Which granted wasn't often. She didn't like remembering. That fog that drifted over the events was good for her. She kept trying to draw things in, and had a little bit of an idea. "Here...give me a kiss." she invited, since she couldn't quite reach over to pull him in herself. Then she'd really draw hard on things. If it worked, he should feel better.

He didn't know how to explain that he was glad she didn't blame him for it -- he knew she didn't -- but the very thought of causing her any harm or injury or anything made him feel like puking. That thinking about it too hard made her screams echo in his head and no, he wasn't over it. It had only been a week ago, and she'd died in his arms. He didn't think he'd be over that for a while, even though she was back. Trauma didn't follow silly things like logic. But he didn't say any of that. Instead he scooted a bit and leaned in to kiss her -- because he really couldn't ever say no to that -- being very careful not to put any weight on her anywhere.

She gave him a very soft brush of a kiss, and drew hard on the blackness around him while she did so. She was determined to make him feel better, damnit. Needed to somewhere in there. Hopefully this would do it. "It'll be okay." she said softly to him, after she broke the kiss off, even if she stayed in close to him.

And just like magic, that unsettled and unhappy feeling was gone. It drained rapidly away and he was left with a warm sort of feeling in his chest. Joshua cracked his eyes open to look at her, not moving back either. I love you. So much, he thought at her, but didn't say. He just looked and smiled faintly at her. "You're absolutely beautiful, you know that?" he murmured instead.

That made her smile. She couldn't help it, she hadn't heard that kind of thing very much in her life, and so she appreciated it now. Espeically when she was pretty sure she looked like hell. But then again, she didn't quite think he meant it like that. "Thank you." she said in return, feeling kinda warm fuzzies. Warm fuzzies were good. It was something she even felt like she might be able to hold onto and take into her dreams when she was allowed to sleep. Which she knew was going to be soon. Hell, right then she was feeling more comfortable, warmer, less stressed like she might be able to rest. She wondered if that was purely from Joshua, or from the energy she'd drawn in. Probably a combination of both.

Her smile made his wider. He just couldn't help it, he loved seeing that on her face. It was far too rare right now, and he missed it. Joshua leaned in again to lightly nuzzle his cheek against her's, following up with small little kisses. He knew what she done it, taken the bad energy from him, that part of the book had been skimmed about two hours ago. But it didn't seem to matter, because he genuinely felt better and she looked better and that was what was important, right? "You want water now? I'm your slave boy, I told you," he said with a small smirk.

She laughed softly. "No...I still don't want anything." she said. "I just wanna...get some sleep, I think. Is it after noon? Or one? I think Sophie said I could try to sleep after that." Since then theoretically she'd be out of 'danger' or something. She wasn't sure how it worked, or what danger there even was. Especially considering what she was. But still.

After briefly feeling like king of the universe for making her laugh, Joshua glanced at the clock again. "Yeah, it's after one," he confirmed. He kissed her forehead gently and sat all the way back again. "Get some sleep. Or try." If that wasn't what Sophie had said, he was sure that the ... ghost would poke her again. "I'll be closeby, okay?" he assured her.

She nodded. "Kay." she said, and she smiled at him again. It was a very sleepy smile. But genuine. "See you in a little while." she added, then let her eyes fall shut. It didn't take her long to stop fighting the meds she'd taken and let them pull her under. She was, after all, exhausted.

Maddie, who'd been watching the two interact for hours, for once didn't stop her. She let the girl fall asleep, then settled her gaze on the irish lad. While she didn't spend the energy to manifest--she did spend enough to speak through to the land of the living, and she appeared faintly. Just enough that he would be able to see her. "Oi. Lad. Quit sittin on yer arse and go make yerself useful." she said, and she even made shooing motions at him.

Even though he'd technically known that Maddie was there, her voice all of the sudden still startled him a bit. He looked up and saw her dim figure shooing him off, and actually laughed a bit. Softly, due to the now-sleeping Lullaby, but still. "Okay, okay, Jesus," he said, though he didn't sound put out about it at all. He did for real feel better. "It was for a good cause." He looked at his girlfriend for another moment, then turned to head out and find somebody who needed help with something.