David's Breakdown

[09:15 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin didn't sleep much last night, in his box. At a couple points he sorta dozed off, but that was about it. Not even enough at a time for a nightmare. He supposes he should be grateful for that, at least. Maybe. He can't stay there for long once he decided it was time to be Awake and 'start the day'. Can't stay in this apartment, his lover's apartment. He shouldn't be here, where someone loves him, wants to be with him, wants to marry him. He can't. He shouldn't. Not today, not after yesterday.

He finds himself at Jeb and Tori's house. He doesn't feel terribly alright with being here, either, but with how often people are in and out, it feels far less intimate and personal, like Volgin's apartment does. He slightly regrets finally finishing packing up and checking out of that hotel room. Because now, for the first time in weeks, would be the perfect time to go back there and hide from everything. But it doesn't feel worth the money and effort to just grab another hotel room... so he doesn't.

And so, here he is. Stepping up to the front door of Jeb and Tori's house, wearing a parka- not the nicer coats he's been wearing, but it's at least nicer than the parka he used to wear around- fading bruises still visible on his neck and face, and looking terribly tired, and only thanks to that frowning deadpan he always has on his face that the guilt that should otherwise be written all over it isn't visible. He knocks. He doesn't feel like he has the right to just go in this time.
[09:19 AM] Tori Marie Nygma is in decent spirits. A fourth nightmare hasn't occurred -- mostly because she hasn't slept since having the last one, but hey. Details. She hears the knock at the door and walks over to answer it. "Iroquois!" she exclaims, smiling when she sees that it's him.

She really has no idea.
[09:21 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin is completely on the opposite end of the mood spectrum from Tori, here, wow. His hands are stuffed in his pockets to hide that his fingers are trembling despite the several cigarettes he smoked on his way here (walking this time, not driving), and he keeps his gaze slightly turned down. "Hey, Tori." He says, voice quiet and gruff. "Can I come in...?"

He has to ask permission. Even if she has no idea that he doesn't deserve to be here, to be around her right now, he'll still ask for her permission.
[09:24 AM] Tori Marie Nygma steps aside immediately. "Yeah, of course!"
[09:26 AM] Naked-Snake was once again on the porch, smoking a cigar and messing with his radio. He's been using it to browse local frequencies in hopes of finding some decent music, maybe this world's version of Healing Radio, but all he keeps finding is crap. At one point he stumbled upon this bullshit frequency that plays a single tune over and over again. Just this eerie, continuous 'laa la laaa- lala laaa' that sounds like it's being sung by a computer or something. It refuses to leave his head. It's just as ridiculous as this place and this situation, really.

With a sigh, he puts out the last remains of his cigar, flicks the radio off and heads inside. Oooh, is there a gathering at the front door? There sure is a gathering at the front door. ...Ah, it's David. He'll give the guy a curt nod in greeting.
[09:29 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin nods slightly to Tori, grateful to be given permission, even if she has no clue what that means to him right now. He heads inside, and that's when he spots John nodding to him. He pauses, hesitating where he stands, before nodding back, and walking further into the house. He takes a breath, and... and he has regrets, no, he shouldn't be here either, he doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve Tori's permission, he shouldn't...

"S-So, ah..." He says, to either of them, "... Anything happening this morning?"
[09:33 AM] Tori Marie Nygma frowns. Something feels off. ...is it just her? She isn't sure, and she knows he doesn't like being henpecked. She smiles again. "Nothing much, you know? I was about to pester Jeb to make breakfast~"
[09:39 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin nods, forcing himself to quirk a half smile. "Heh, breakfast from Jeb, huh? Come to think of it, don't think I've ever had his cooking. Mind if I weasel in on that?"

His mouth feels terribly dry suddenly, God, no, Snake, what are you doing. Stop this. Go away. You shouldn't be here. You don't belong. His mouth is too dry. "... By the way, mind if I get a glass of water?"
[09:42 AM] Naked-Snake says nothing, he just watches the display. He's not much of a people person, but even he can tell that something's... [b]off[/b], somehow. Which probably isn't any of his business. Even if he thought it was his business, David might disagree.
[09:44 AM] Tori Marie Nygma giggles. "Of course I don't mind~ I bet Jeb would be delighted for you to try some of his cooking. And yeah, of course you can go get some water!"

Something still feels off, and she /wants/ to ask, but...
[10:02 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin nods, giving Tori another small smile, before turning away and heading off to the kitchen. Away from Tori, and away from John. He feels almost relieved once he's in the other room, though he can't deny loneliness creeps in almost immediately. He craves Tori's company, he does, and that of his other friends, and his boyfriend- his fiancé. But he can't, he shouldn't, it's not for him-

Snake silently, with a neutral expression on his face, digs in the cupboards until he finds a half glass, which he fills with water from the sink. He takes one sip. And then promptly dumps it back into the sink, setting the glass down on the counter a little harder than he intended. And then he's in the cupboards again, this time the ones that keep the liquor, finding a nice bottle of scotch whiskey, which he pulls over to the glass. He takes off the cap, goes to pour a glass... Nope, he's pulling it back. because instead, he's gonna take a sip directly from the bottle.

He's got scotch in his mouth and what the fuck is he doing? What the fuck is he doing, why is he doing this? He managed not to drink at all last night, what is he doing? He should spit it out- no, he's swallowed it, and he's lifting the bottle to his lips for a second sip. What the fuck is he doing? No! No, what the fuck is he doing?! Tori and John should probably hear a loud smashing sound, because David's just gone and chucked the open bottle onto the floor, shattering it.

He backs away, glass and liquor all over the kitchen floor, and he lifts a bare hand to his mouth to wip his lips, but it's not his lips that are wet, it's his cheeks, and why?? Why is his face wet- why are there tears?? Where are there tears suddenly running down his face, and why is his breath suddenly so uneven and why is he gasping and why is his voice doing something weird, cracking in his throat, growling and hissing between his teeth. David backs away from the mess, rubbing at his face, until he backs into the wall, and he is crying. Actually crying, sobbing, his shoulders shaking and face gross and wet, and he slides down against the wall until he's sitting on the floor, and what's going on?? What's happening to him???
[10:10 AM] Naked-Snake was just leaning back against the wall near the front door, trying not to focus on how awkward everything is and how all these people are still total strangers to him, and he should just [b]be home[/b] because this is a huge waste of time. He can't force himself to make too much conversation with Tori, either. He doesn't know what to say. Most of the common courtesy questions that come to mind for him are already dealt with.

And then there's a loud noise from the kitchen. Something just shattered into a million pieces, by the sound of it. David is in there. He doesn't hesitate for even a second. He draws his gun (tranquilizer, at least) and moves towards the kitchen with firm strides. If Tori happens to be in his path, he'll push her aside and block her with his free arm to halt her progress. He's the one with the weapon and he can take a few blows, so he's going first. ISN'T HE SUCH A GENTLEMAN.
[10:12 AM] Tori Marie Nygma most definitely hears that smashing noise. Despite it being in the distance, it somehow rings in her ears. She doesn't even say a word as she sprints to the kitchen and godfuckingdamnit she's being pushed to the side and halted. "What are you doing?!" she hisses. "I need to see if Iroquois-- if /Dad/ is okay--!"
[10:14 AM] Naked-Snake hushes her with half a 'ssshhh' and half a growl. His gaze is still on the kitchen ahead, knees bent as he's in a bit of an offensive crouching position. "You can go in once I've cleared the area," he hisses. Ever the soldier, this one.
[10:15 AM] Tori Marie Nygma glares at him. "I'm not a /child/..."
[10:16 AM] Naked-Snake still isn't sparing her a second glance. "No, you're a civilian." ....A pregnant one.
[10:17 AM] Tori Marie Nygma is only getting more pissed off. "I can use /magic/, you idiot! Let me go to my Dad!"
[10:19 AM] Naked-Snake COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT SOME STUPID CARD TRICKS OR RABBITS IN HATS. "You can go once I'm sure it's safe...!" he growls back at her.
[10:20 AM] Tori Marie Nygma would be offended if that's what he thought it was and would prove him wrong, but she doesn't. She can be more pissed instead. "I don't care about that! I care about Dad!"
[10:22 AM] Naked-Snake can't waste any more time arguing about this, gosh. A man's life is at stake here! "Just [b]stay back[/b] for a second," he insists one last time, before carefully advancing towards the door.
[10:23 AM] Tori Marie Nygma glares daggers at his back.
[10:36 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin is just. On the kitchen floor, crumpled in a heap and crying his fucking ass off, sobbing louder than he would ever like to admit, each one rattling his frame, and it actually hurts, crying this hard. He's cried a few times in his life, of course, but it was always restrained, and never like this, this is foreign, this [b]hurts[/b], this is [b]frightening[/b]. He's vaguely aware of voices nearby, but he can't hear them over himself, and a ringing in his ears, and he tangles his hands in his hair. What's happening to him??

No.

No he knows what's causing this.

Everything's finally catching up to him. Guilt has his guts wrenched into knots, and he knows, he knows, he can't stop thinking about it now. Every hurt he's ever caused, every failure, every death by his hands, and he's afraid to take his hands from his hair, afraid he'll see the blood they're drenched in, but he swears he can feel it oozing in his hair and down his temples, oh, God. And he can smell a trace of his father's cigar smoke, the man he murdered, the man who betrayed him and then dared to call him his son and Snake killed him anyways, just like he'd killed Gray Fox. Just like he killed so many others, who were all people, real people, why didn't he see it now? Is he really so desensitized to death, to murder? God, he's a fucking monster.

And under it all, even under his own realization, is every hurt he's taken, every emotion he restrained, ever since he was young, the barely constrained fury, the bloodlust, the pain, the betrayals, how little he could trust, how little he ever got to know or experience, all that he's lost, that's here too, all finally bubbling up from that too-small safe he's locked it all into for so long, finally bursting free and it all hurts so much, all at once, all at once, it's agony.

[10:36 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin is he's such a fucking a failure, too, isn't he? Sure, people can list the great things he's done easily. But he's failed even more. Sure, he tore down Outer Heaven, but he failed to truly stop Big Boss, and he was weak, so easily traumatized, he couldn't even stand to stay with his unit, nightmares every single night. So weak. And sure, he tore down Zanzibar Land, but he had failed to stop Gray Fox's turn to Big Boss' side, failed to bring him back, and murdered him. He failed Dr. Marv, let himself be fooled by Madnar, who he was forced to kill, too, because he'd failed that man, too, failed to truly save him. And He failed as a son as much as Big Boss failed as a father, burning him to death and letting his screams of Snake's codename haunt his ears, it's not over yet, it's not over yet...! He failed Holly, abandoning her, he failed Campbell, running away because he was too weak to keep it together, failed himself, turning to drink because he was scared and alone and only alive out of habit.

He failed Master Miller, failed to even realize he'd been impersonated, that he was dead. He let himself be tugged along by puppet strings even when he knew he should stop, a failure through and through. He failed to be a brother as much as Liquid had. He failed Gray Fox so badly he hadn't even killed him right, cursing him to a fate worse than death and even when Gray Fox begged for Snake to give him a merciful death, he couldn't do it. He failed Meryl, abandoning her, too. He's failed Hal, leaving him alone so long.

He's failed Simon, so many times in such a small timeframe, and now Simon is irreversibly damaged and Snake can't even do anything about it because he's such a sick fucking freak that he's been having sex with the monster responsible and letting himself be blackmailed over it. He's a monster, he's a failure, why does he even try? He can't do anything right, not really. He can't make or keep friends, he can't save anyone. No one deserves this messy excuse of a failed human being- he couldn't even be conceived properly. He's just a failed weapon, a failed creature that sometimes pretends its human. A failure, a monster, disgusting, sick, he shouldn't be here, he shouldn't, he shouldn't-

He can't stop crying, he's shaking so hard, he hates this so much, hates so much, hates himself so much, why is he here?!
[10:41 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin's hand has crept under his jacket, to the grip of his SOCOM- he's been carrying it instead of his M9 ever since the first time he attacked the Phantom. Always just in case. And this is such a perfect time for it, isn't it? He knows what he can do, to fix this. Fix everything. Save everyone from the piece of shit who can't do anything right, who can't save anyone, who only makes things worse, who can only kill and maim and hurt.

He pulls the pistol from his coat, hands trembling slightly, but as his hand slides to the familiar grip of holding a gun, the trembling stops. He knows this. He knows this so intimately. More that money, more than sex, he knows this, he knows a gun, he knows a bullet, he knows pulling a trigger and the exact way blood and gore sprays from a man's head when he's shot in the face. He can fix this.

He turns his hand, flicking the safety off, cocking the gun, and slowly brings the barrel to his mouth, teeth clacking against the gunmetal. He can do this. It's so easy. He's done it dozens of times before, to men far less disgusting as he is, far less monstrous. It'll be easy. It'll fix everything. He can finally save people.
[10:48 AM] Naked-Snake isn't sure what to expect when he enters the kitchen. The first thing his eyes are drawn to is the smashed bottle on the floor. Alcohol? Strange, but irrelevant. His gaze starts to sweep the room instead and there, in the corner...- There's no mistaking that sight. No motivation for why anyone would stick a gun inside their mouth, except for one. That one dreadful decision some people make. He hates it. Even as a soldier, he hates seeing life wasted like that. There's always more that a person can do. There's always more to accomplish. Always somewhere to climb, no matter how low you fall.

He forgets all about blocking Tori. He forgets that she's even there. He takes a few steps closer, not lowering his own gun. He can't afford to. Fighting fire with fire might seem stupid, but it's all he knows. "Put your gun on the ground," he growls.
[10:52 AM] Tori Marie Nygma uses the fact that she seems to have been forgotten to get closer herself... and immediately regrets it. She's frozen in place, despite her mind screaming at her to do /something/. But she can't, she /can't/. All she can do is stare in horror, at the man she's come to see as a father with a gun in his mouth. She's not stupid, she understands what kind of motivation is behind that sort of thing as well.

Iroquois... but... /why/?!
[10:57 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin was breathing hard and uneven, through his mouth and snotted nose, still sobbing around the gun barrel in his mouth, when suddenly he's started by a voice, a sickeningly familiar voice, tinged with smoke, and hesitantly, he lets his eyes turn up to a man pointing a gun at him. Though hard to make out through tear-blurred eyes, he knows who it is. He takes the gun from between his teeth, but he doesn't point it away from his mouth.

"What," He says, voice horribly hoarse, "You gonna shoot me if I shoot myself?"
[11:01 AM] Naked-Snake can't deny that David has a good point there. Even if Jack pulls the trigger first, it'd still give the other man time to fire his own gun. That's when it's all over. He needs to find an opportunity to get rid of the weapon that's actually lethal. Stall for time- that's what he has to do.

"I said put it on the ground," he tries again. "You really wanna do this here, in someone else's house? Right in front of her?" Dirty tactic, he knows, but people can still be swayed by emotions. That's why they're people.
[11:05 AM] Tori Marie Nygma is still frozen in place, but she finds her voice long enough to say one word and one alone. "Iroquois..." she says, quiet, afraid, full of confusion.
[11:07 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin does... pause at that. Of course Tori's here. He... almost forgot. Almost forgot even that he was in her home. He blinks hard several time, sniffling loudly as he struggles to hold back further sobbing, choking slightly. There she is, and guilt knots his gut a few more twists. He really is a monster, look at him, hurting someone even more. What a piece of work. She'll be better off without him.

"Need to do it now." He says, after a long moment of hesitation. "I don't... want to lose my nerve." Because he knows he will, he will, because he's fucking weak. So fucking weak, a coward on an entirely different level from his father. His mouth opens again, teeth clicking against the barrel. But... But the sound of Tori's voice makes him pause again, the hurt and fear, and fuck, he's a monster.

"That's not my name." He growls, having let the barrel leave his mouth again but remaining pointed to his face, his grip trembling. "I n-need to do this, Tori, I'm so fucking sorry, I fucked up so much..!"
[11:09 AM] Tori Marie Nygma finds that she can move enough to weakly shake her head. She isn't even aware that she's crying too. "No..." she protests weakly. "No, no..."
[11:20 AM] Naked-Snake suffers from a great string of cursing inside his head. God-fucking-son of a bitch-damn it all- David's serious about this. He's dead fucking serious. This is going to be tricky. Jack wishes he could be like the Boss. He wishes he could be fast like her- [b]efficient[/b] like her. Strong enough to just run straight up to someone, snatch a gun from their hand and pull it apart like it's nothing. Trouble is, he's not the Boss. He's not even close to her level. All he can do is rely on what she taught him. If he fucks up, someone will die.

'Remember the basics of CQC.'

He holsters his gun for now and waits for a moment where David looks particularly distracted. Not yet, not yet...- [b]There[/b]! In an instant, he moves- not straight forward, but sideways, to get out of David's direct field of vision. Just one simple sideways dash. From there, he moves in for the follow-up. His left hand moves to David's shoulder to hold him down and the right hand, which is a little faster, grabs the nearest wrist to grab, twist and [b]pull[/b]. He needs to direct the nuzzle away from David's face, that's all that matters. If the trigger gets pulled after that, tough shit for the ceiling.
[11:27 AM] Iroquois-Pliskin is so sorry, Tori, so fucking sorry. He knows it hurts right now, but you're strong, you'll recover, you'll get better, and it's what's best for you in the long run, what's best for everyone, save them from his mess.

Meanwhile, David's actually not terribly difficult to catch offguard like this, his eyes blurry and bleary from tears, head cloudy and addled. He almost doesn't catch John's movement before it's too late, and hands are on him, his shoulder and his wrist- his gun! He's going for the gun!

"No!!" He yells, struggling to keep his grip on the gun as it's yanked away from him, to keep it pointed at himself, leaning his body with the direction of the barrel as it's forced to turn away from his face. Just let him do this, just let him end this, fix this, just let him!! He manages to slide his finger back onto the trigger, pushes himself, tries to aim it back on himself, and he squeezes-

A shot goes out, blindingly loud.
[11:28 AM]   Iroquois-Pliskin has just put a bullet hole in the ceiling of Tori's kitchen. He's unharmed, so is everyone else, and the shot seems to have only rattled him, leaving him wide-eyed and frozen solid. Like, despite how hard he was just trying to murder himself, it only just hit him like a ton of bricks that he really did just try to kill himself.

He just tried to kill himself.

He can barely breathe.
[11:31 AM]   Naked-Snake narrowly avoided getting shot himself, being in such close to proximity to David. And HELLO TINNITUS...! Jack's stunned by the shot and the resounding ringing in his ears, but only for a few seconds. That's when he uses a bit more force to literally rip the gun from the guy's hands.

BAD CLONE SON. BAD.
[11:33 AM]   Tori Marie Nygma doesn't register Jack moving over to Iroquois. She doesn't register the struggle for the gun. What she /does/ register, however, is the gunshot that just went off. She /uses/ guns, she knows how loud they can get, but the moment that shot goes off, she's covering her ears, shutting her eyes tightly and letting out a short scream. Did someone get hit? Is Iroquois dead? She doesn't know, and she's too afraid to open her eyes.
[11:34 AM]   Iroquois-Pliskin has had his gun confiscated by a younger version of his dad. He's still frozen, though, just sitting in a heap on the floor, hands now limp on his lap, red and puffy eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, face blotchy and wet with nears, and scotch starting to soak into his pants.

He just tried to kill himself, and his breathing is coming shallow... And then, finally, he moves again, makes a sound again, his shoulders shake as he once more starts to cry and sob, albeit quiet this time, his voice hoarse, throat aching from the strain.
[11:41 AM]   Naked-Snake makes sure to put the gun away where David can't get to it anymore. Holstered away in one of his many fannypacks. ...And then he really stops and registers it. The crying, that is. It's really uncomfortable; not just because this guy's a clone of himself, but because he feels awkward around crying in general. He shuffles his feet, his gaze mostly centered on the floor, but knows that isn't enough. He should say something. He should do something.

For now, he'll just... crouch down beside David. Ayup. Crouching seems like a good thing to do. Tori will probably have better ideas.
[11:43 AM]   Tori Marie Nygma currently does not have any better ideas. She needs to get a hold of herself first. She's never been able to handle situations like this very well.
[11:46 AM]   Iroquois-Pliskin doesn't really notice John crouching beside him, his hands lifting up to his face to rub at his eyes and his face, failing to do anything useful- he isn't properly wiping away tears, because more just keep coming, so he's just smearing the wetness around. Almost as if realizing the futility of his effort, he instead bows his heal, eblows on his knees, as he buries his hands in his hair, fingers tangled in the messy copper locks.

And he just can't stop crying, can't stop these sobs that shake his frame and hurt him, scare him, can't stop the tears that drip from his face and onto the floor.

He just tried to kill himself.
[11:52 AM]   Tori Marie Nygma continues to not be any help. Her legs decide they can't carry her weight and collapse under her, so she ends up joining them on the floor anyway. Her body doesn't register the pain of the impact with the floor, and it's still a few more moments before she really hears Iroquois' sobbing. ...Iroquois is sobbing. She opens her eyes to see it. Iroquois is alive, Iroquois is /alive/--!
[11:52 AM]   Naked-Snake throws a quick glance towards Tori, only to realize that she's losing her composure herself. Sigh. This is why he told her to STAY BACK. He supposes it's just him and David for now, then. A frown dawns on his face and he produces a tisking sound that's somewhere between thoughtful and exasperated. Then, finally, he places his hand on David's shoulder again. It's not a CQC move this time, just a soft pat.

Errr. There, there...?
[11:58 AM]   Iroquois-Pliskin jolts a bit at the touch, both because he probably was expecting another CQC move, and also because he's just... barely aware of things right now. Everything is guilt and shame and hurt and embarrassment and look at him, fucking things up for everyone again!... He's never going to live this down.

He shudders, and struggles to pull himself together- it doesn't work, he chokes back a few sobs, but that just makes the resulting one when the damn breaks even harsher. Now that's going, he just can't stop, even when he tries, he can't get any sort of breathing rhythm together, he can't try to clear his mind, he can't do anything but fucking cry, and he hates it. It's awful. It's terrifying.
[12:02 PM]   Naked-Snake just keeps patting for now, occasionally giving the shoulder a gentle squeeze. He wouldn't know what else to do; he can't exactly pacify David with a granola bar, like he did with that foreign kid the other day. Maybe they should bring in Lil Boss? Puppies always help, but would David even be able to see her through the tears and hysteria? Hmmm. Probably not. His only option is to sit by the guy's side and wait for this to pass.
[12:03 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma watches him for a few seconds, watches him cry and tremble and look absolutely miserable. She still... doesn't understand. Why did this happen? Why didn't she notice?

...she can move again, and she decides it doesn't matter. She's terrified and confused, but Iroquois is still alive. Iroquois is still alive, and he needs her. Her dad needs her, and she takes advantage of the fact that she isn't frozen in place by her own emotions anymore to scramble over and hug him. May ever deity that possibly exists have mercy on Jack if he tries stopping her /this/ time.
[12:06 PM]   Naked-Snake has no reason to stop her now, gosh!!! Why would he do that? Please hug this guy so he won't have to do it himself!
[12:09 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin has like, thirty years of pent up emotional turmoil, guilt, shame, and hatred built up and boiling over here, buddy, so you'd better be buckling in for the long haul, because he's probably not stopping until he's finally spent. Well, that's not entirely true, he'll probably fade out of crying eventually, and seem calm for a while, maybe even recover, only for it to kick in randomly again all of a sudden. Possibly a dozen times in a row, over the course of days. Marathon crying is a hell of a trip.

David is startled when suddenly someone is on him, arms around him, and he gasps, only to choke and cough a few times and it's- it's Tori. It's Tori, and he's so sorry, Tori, he keeps failing you, doesn't he? His arms wrap tight around her, hugging her close, and burying his face against her shoulder. It doesn't matter that it's not by blood, and that she's way too old to properly be his, but dammit, he loves her like a daughter, his daughter, and he loves and hates that she's here with him right now. "I'm so sorry," He sobs, muffled against her shoulder, his voice hoarse and breaking, "I'm so fucking sorry, Tori."
[12:12 PM] Tori Marie Nygma almost pulls back when she hears him choke and cough like that, but then he's holding her close and she convinces herself it's okay. She shakes her head weakly at his apologies, holding onto him tighter, trying to keep herself from crying more. He's the one who needs to cry right now, not her. She doesn't say anything just yet, either. She just keeps clinging to him and shaking her head.
[12:17 PM] Naked-Snake will leave the hugging to these two, thank god! Cloning or no cloning, he's not a part of this family and he won't pretend to be. He wouldn't know what to do with that sort of thing anyway. He pushes himself to his feet and wanders over to where the shattered bottle lies, so he can start cleaning up. He might as well make himself useful somehow.
[12:28 PM] Iroquois-Pliskin's crying quiets down a bit, although mostly because he's sobbed himself nearly voiceless, so most of it is just shaky, wet gasps and sniffling and rattled breathing and lots and lots of tears  getting Tori's shirt all damp. Sorry, Tori. He's also not letting go any time soon, clinging to her as much as she's clinging to him, needing her right now. He still whispers the occasional broken apology against her shoulder, even if it's inaudible. He hates that he hurt her like this, even if he thought it was what was best... and still sort of thinks so, and he hates that too. He hates himself so much, he hates everything about his existence. Except a few shining things...
[12:35 PM] Tori Marie Nygma doesn't care if her shirt's getting damp. It doesn't matter. What matters is that her dad is right here, her dad is /alive/, and neither of them are letting go. That's what's important. "It's going to be okay, Dad..." she says, hushed, trying to reassure him. "It's going to be okay, even if it's not right now. I'm here for you. I'm right here, and I love you so much..."
[12:36 PM] Naked-Snake is keeping that gun, by the way. He's keeping it as long as he possibly can. David will have to BEG to get it back. (It's a really nice gun okay.) ....But yeah, he'll be here, cleaning up all the glass shards and puddle of alcohol.
[12:56 PM] Simon-Blackquill has been on another walk to the Jebri house today, since he knows he can handle the journey! It's good exercise and it's helping his leg so he can stand longer, walk further, and even sprint and jog if he needs to, so long as he has a good grip on his cane. He has an excellent amount of energy today, as even his health is improving, and oh did he use proper shampoo and conditioner in his hair this morning? Yes he did, now those unruly black strands are decently tamed and shining in the sunlight! Not perfect, but it's a noticeable improvement~
[12:56 PM] Taka Blackquill is with Simon, on his shoulder and carefully watching their surroundings while Simon looks as calm as can be. Taka too has some extra energy, which causes him to take off from Simon's shoulder and soar toward the house, then fly back because he can't open the door by himself but flying there ahead of Simon sure was fun. Aww.
[12:56 PM] Simon-Blackquill just lets himself in as soon as he reaches the house, because wow he has the energy to! And then he heads right for wherever the 'action' is. He pops his head into the kitchen to see David's dad... and David himself, crying and hugging Tori. He doesn't notice the broken bottle on the floor, or if he does, pays no attention to it.
[12:57 PM] Taka Blackquill notices the bottle though and he stares right at it as if it were a potential threat.
[12:59 PM]   Naked-Snake is still right beside the bottle though, gathering up the pieces. He can spot Simon enter, so even if the guy didn't notice it himself, Jack will make sure to draw his attention to it. "Careful. There's still glass everywhere."
[01:00 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin is too busy having a mental fucking breakdown and sobbing all over and clinging to his adoptive daughter to notice Simon and his bird come in. :D Hi Simon
[01:01 PM]   Simon-Blackquill looks down at the broken glass he's cleaning up. Then he looks at Tori and David. ...Are they crying over spilt alcohol.
[01:01 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[01:01 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin is crying over everything that has ever gone wrong in his life ever because he's spent 30 years holding it in and only ever letting it out via violence.
[01:02 PM]   Naked-Snake just kind of shooshes Simon away from the danger zone with a quick gesture of the hand, then goes back to searching for glass shards.
[01:02 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma is still trying to calmly reassure her adopted father that eventually things will be fine, that she's here for him, that she loves him dearly.
[01:03 PM]   Simon-Blackquill slowly... limps out of the kitchen, looking rejected and suddenly much less energetic. :(
[01:03 PM]   Taka Blackquill screeches. He's helping!
[01:03 PM]   Naked-Snake will be with you in a second pal. He feels really awkward in the kitchen and would love to leave too, but he has to clean the mess up first.
[01:06 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin sorry Simon, just a little busy having a total breakdown
[01:07 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin does appreciate Tori's words, at least, even if he doesn't quite believe them right now. He shakes his head slightly against her shoulder, but doesn't say anything else about it.
[01:09 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma hates that he's shaking his head, even if it's slightly. "...stay with us. Stay with /me/. It's worth it, I promise... I /promise/...!"
[01:09 PM]   Naked-Snake makes sure all the glass is disposed of (in your average trash can, herpaderp, what is separating garbage) and the alcohol is soaking into some paper towels and dish rags before taking his leave from the kitchen. He doesn't need to be here for the rest of this- he doesn't need to hear this. He'll go see where that Simon fellow wandered off to instead.
[01:11 PM]   Simon-Blackquill is sitting on the couch in the living room, tossing seeds to Taka. He doesn't look like he's in a /great/ mood but he's still somewhat approachable.
[01:11 PM]   Taka Blackquill is on the coffee table, catching those seeds as they're tossed.
[01:13 PM]   Naked-Snake's stomach automatically growls when he spots the hawk. It's like a primeval instinct- hunger by association. When's the last time he ate, again? Hm. Well, that can wait. He sits down in the chair across from Simon. "So, uh. Hey."
[01:14 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin just. Struggles to try and get his breathing to even out, though it's not really working. He squeezes Tori a bit more, making a quiet noise against her shoulder... But he at least seems to be slowing down on the sobbing a bit. For now, at least.
[01:15 PM]   Simon-Blackquill didn't hear that stomach growling but he'd offer some seeds if he had. Sunflower seeds, yum. He's currently sucking on one of the shells, having to spit it out onto the floor when he's spoken to. "What happened?" He ain't one for small talk.
[01:16 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma sighs softly -- she's long since stopped crying, but she's still frightened. She still wants nothing more than for Iroquois to be all right. "...you can hold onto me as long as you want, all right? I've got you. I'm here for you...!"
[01:18 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin finally manages to take a deep breath, for the first time since all of this started, even holding it for a few seconds. And then he lets it out slow, breath warm against Tori's damp shoulder, and he nods slightly. He'll just... hold on a bit longer, sniffling a bit.
[01:20 PM]   Naked-Snake isn't sure if he should be telling Simon this. It feels like gossip. Then again, he's David's friend, right? So maybe that means he deserves to know? ...Ugh, he's so bad at this. "Things got a little too tense, there. ...Iroquois's been through a little too much lately, probably." (He has no idea if he should call him David or Iroquois in front of Simon. Tori used the latter, so he guesses he should stick to that too.)
[01:20 PM]   Simon-Blackquill : ...Iroquois?
[01:21 PM]   Naked-Snake PICKED THE WRONG ONE. "Errr. David. Whatever you wanna call him." He jerks a thumb towards the kitchen.
[01:22 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma smiles weakly, her hold on him still tight but more relaxed. "There we go..."
[01:23 PM]   Simon-Blackquill : ...And Tori?
[01:25 PM]   Naked-Snake needs a moment to really sort out his wording. "She uh... Got upset because he's upset, basically."
[01:26 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin still holds onto Tori, not yet wanting to let go, still needing the contact a while longer. But at least the crying is finally fading... For now. It'll be back again, but for now. For now, he's going to just... keep trying to breathe evenly, sniffing and trying to clear his nose.
[01:29 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma keeps holding on in return, relaxing a little more. "...I love you so much, Dad."
[01:30 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin takes in a long breath, before replying in a harsh, hoarse voice, "Love you too, Tori. I'm sorry."
[01:32 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma squeezes him. "Please don't do that again... you /don't/ need to. There's so many things to live for..."
[01:45 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin shudders, and though he doesn't nod, he sighs against her shoulder. "I wish... I could think that w-way all the time." He says, voice only a whisper. "I just... It f-felt like everything w-would've been better."
[01:46 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma sighs softly herself, squeezing him again. "...are you willing to tell me why?"
[01:49 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin : ... Everything?
[01:49 PM]   Iroquois-Pliskin doesn't... know how to explain it succinctly. It's... too extensive. It's everything that he's bottled up for... pretty much his entire life. And that was a lot.
[01:51 PM]   Tori Marie Nygma doesn't press for a further explanation. She just keeps holding him.