| Details for Picking up the Pieces |
| Summary: | Carla gets help from friends to sift through the remnants of what was her house. |
| Date: | September 1st 1940 |
| Location: | Remains of Clara's Residence |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Well, the day has come and gone since Clara's home was destroyed. It's a pile of rubble. Funny has it is, the doorway stands, with the door open, the steps leading up look perfect as if nothing bad had happened. But the rest, well it's in a heap on the ground. The upstairs is.. well, it's not there, and around the block people stand there looking at the dismay of their homes.
The witch is.. well, she just stands there, in disbelief, looking at her once home. The sky is so blue and it's like nothing evil could come from it, but something did. Something deadly did. With watery eyes she moves to go up the steps a bit as if unsure on what to even do. Being here is to try to put the bits and pieces together, but what bits and pieces? It's not a puzzle, it's a hole now. Sniffling some and looking over her shoulder, eyes scan a second for Dominic, who was standing there a moment before stepped away to get Kingston, who was now over the ordeal, and had to sniff everything curiously.
Dominic stood there, holding the leash about Kingston's neck, watching as Carla moves forward to the rubble that was once her house. He could barely believe they had made it through the events of the previous night, but the cuts to both their bodies stood testiment to what they had endured. Slolwy, he moved, taking a step forward after her, unsure of what to do..what to say.
He had been out the evening on auror business and so had missed this nights bombing having spent the last helping others and getting them to the subway instead of sleeping though when he hears the damage is in the very close nearby and well where his sister lives he hurries up that direction looking tired but he's still running down the street he's only removes his work robes still in his suit however. "Clara!" he calls when he spots her and then her house in ruins pushing through the crowd. "Are you okay? You hurt? we should go to the hospital." he looks over only now seeing Dominic nodding he takes a moment to breath..
An owl had arrived at Lewis's doorstep. Carrying a letter. Not the most subtle way of communicating a message, but he can't say he wasn't a bit pleased by the novelty of receiving a letter from an Owl. However, upon opening the letter, he was less than pleased. Carla's home had been bombed! He got on his way immediately. A short while later, he arrived and walked over to Carla and gave her a hug. He declared "I'm so sorry!"
She had passed through her doorway. Why is that intack? It's strange! The door hangs open, as if nothing were wrong. But beyond it, everything is gone. She had spent years, -years- searching the world, seeing every nook and crannie. Collecting, buying, trading. Her home was the monument to that. And it's all.. gone. With water in her eyes she turns to face Dom, who has Kingston. But she sees Graham past him, Clara doesn't look to seriously hurt. Bruised and cut up and live. "I'm fine." Says the witch to the Auror, but that's when Lewis is suddenly.. there. And hugging her. With a slight chuckle, he gets a hug in return. "Thanks, sweetie. Means a lot."
Dominic stands like a statue for a moment, taking in the sight. And when he moves, he sees Graham. He offers a light nod in return, slowly moving closer and closer to the house. Then came another, a man, coming up to hug her. Dominic says nothing, and actually smiles as he hears Clara chuckle. He had seen her at her worst, crying and devestated and this was a nice change. Stopping behind them, he looks to Clara. "So, where shall we begin our search, darling?" he asks, Kingston moving up to the steps and around the rubble.
Graham looks her over once more as if he doesnt belive her words that she is okay. He looks over to the house and then the two "If there's salvageables i'll help you get them, but your welcome to come to my house in the mean time its closest by." He approaches even closer to the others taking his own moment to hug/squeeze his sister "Please just allow me to help huh tough girl." he speaks softly.
After the hug is done, Clara would look to Graham and give him a small smile in thanks for the offer. "I'm staying with Dom until I find a place." After all, why wouldn't she? "Plus, he doesn't live in town.." Bit eyes drift to the sky, as if in slight fear of what may come next. Looking to Dominic, there is a shrug. "I don't know hun, ah… maybe we can just move stuff and see if we find enough in here that counts." Not that she is hoping. As for Lewis, she'll assume, for now, he'll help out with all that.
Lewis releases her, and listens silently as she insists that she's ok. Lewis doesn't believe her, either. Lord knows if he lost everything to some Nazi bombers he'd be extremely unhappy. He opens his mouth to express his concern, but doesn't because, after all, rubbing in the fact that her home was blown up was a bad idea. He sighs and says "Shall I go looking to see if there's anything we can salvage from your home? There must be something in there worth saving."
The auror looks nodding to her words about where she will stay though frowning a moment. Graham looks up himself before back. "Of..of course you need to be safe." He says looking back to the house speaking lowly "Perhaps a night might be easier where we can get things out.. with uh.. help?" he wonders though of course that'd be a bit of time to just wait around and alla that.
Dominic gives a light smile as he watches Carla be surrounded by those who care. And at Lewis' suggestion, Dominic nods, "There must be something. Let's head in…" he says, pausing and realizing how stupid this comment must sound at this time, "..and see if we can find anything." he says, making his way past them and over the rubble. Slowly he began the search, sifting through the rubble to see if anything stood out. Then hearing Graham's suggestion, he thinks, though couldn't picture a time when the muggles would not be on the look out for people in the streets at night…so continued.
Clara, who was standing in a bit of rubble, just still, stands there. It's a good idea to look around, but good ideas don't always produce good results. A bomb took out her home, and it looks like Dominic Kingston and herself where the only ones who made it out. "I don't think we're safe at any time, and I'm sure people will be around at all hours. Plus, I don't know if it's worth the effort to.. ah, use our methods." Now it's not that she is trying to hide it from Lewis, he may be muggle but he knows, it's that people wonder here and there, crying and weeping and like herself, at a loss over their home and now empty lives.
Like the others then, she begins to go and shufflethings around, kicking larger pieces over with her feet. There is the odd book or paper, even a piece of clothing, a real pretty one too, that was scorched up.
Lewis says "Well, I'll see what I can find". He looks around the rubble that used to be Carla's home, sweet home. He spends a few minutes carefully looking over rocks, until he finds a rolled-up piece of paper. No, wait-it's a scroll. He carefully picks it up and attempts to read it, but he doesn't know the language. He walks over to Carla and offers it to her. He says "I found this. Is it important? Does it summon a monster or something? Cthuhlu, perhaps?" The joke might not have been in good taste (if she even gets it), but he was just trying to add some levity to this awful situation.
"No trust in my help, I couldnt oh… keep us from view or something." Graham says though he does wade into the house or ex-house and begin looking through rubble trying to see if anything can be found. He comes up empty handed at first, before spotting a bit of cotton fluff moving some rubble he finds a teddy-bear though its seen better days. He looks about for the missing parts perhaps so they can be re-stiched he finds the arm but no ear.. He turns back to look to Arla "I found this, it yours? I can fix the arm.. though couldnt find the ear."
Dominic also made his way about the rubble, moving peices here and there. He didn't seem to find anything, until..until Kingston started to dig at a spot, "Hmm, what did you find boy?" he asks, moving over to pick at the rubble. Soon he spotted the dusty wooden frame, picking it up and rubbing at the carbon covered glass, exposing an old picture of a young woman. Had he not been with Carla, he might not have known, but he did…this was her mother. "Darling.." he said, also moving to offer it to her, unsure of how she would take it.
Clara has heard of the term, but doesn't reference it well. Still there is a slight laugh and shake of her head as the scroll is taken from Lewis. "No, it isn't to summon anything. It's been cleared of everything, and safe." It's taken and put into a box, that was brought, to help carry whatever items are saved back. Then there is Graham, he has found something to. Her teddy. "Papa gave me that!" She says softly and with amazement. "He bought me that when he picked me up from the orphanage. It was the first present I've ever had." Isn't -that- sad too? What life she had! And even though it's missing a ear, it's safe!
Then Dominic comes over, with a picture. -That- picture. Of all things that survived? She takes it, but with more reserve than joy. Those big eyes stare at it with some sense of awe. "Figures, of allt he things.." Says the Prewett softly, and it's hard to tell if she is happy by this or not.
Lewis says "Oh? Is there…any significance to that scroll?" with curiosity in his voice. Upon seeing a beaten teddy bear he says "Oh wow, it's great that that survived". Then realizes that two gifts from her parents are the #1 thing that survived. He wonders if that's a coincidence, but doesn't bring it up out loud. He asks "Would you like me to try to look for anything else, madame?".
Graham smiles and hands over the bear to her. "Glad found something at least its a start there is likely more stuff which can be recovered though." He hopes at least so she doesn't have to start all over from scratch well with things which can even be replaced at all. He looks back when the picture is brought out and winces internally. He doesnt have to be an investigator to figure the response.
Dominic smiles as she takes her other possessions, but as she turns to the picture the smile fades. "I know, darling. But, there must be more than just this." he says, looking back to the pile of rubble. Granted, he knew there must be many destroyed items, but there had to be at least a few things that made it through…right?
Clara has sort of.. fallen into silence, as she looks over the picture. She turns and goes to drop it, gently, into the box, along with the bear. That's when she spots the bottle of whiskey, the unbroken one. Reaching down she pulls it up and cracks it open. No better time for a stiff drink. A good chug is taken and it's handed out to anyone else who may want some, maybe it's her way to mask some of the emotions going on under the surface. "Sure, we can look a bit more but I don't think we'll get to deep. Most of the stuff must be ruined, this stuff took my years to get too." There is a plain old frown on her face, and she kicks a chunk of house, it topples down a bit.
Lewis says "Alright, I'll see if there's anything else we can salvage". He looks about and tries to find anything. It takes him a little while, but he notices a little glint in the corner of his eyes. He runs in and digs up a box. He opens it up and finds one or two of Carla's better drawings. Underneath it, is another box…a suitcase. It has some of her nicer clothes in it. He offers both to Carla and says "Here, I found these. They managed to survive in almost perfect condition."
Knowing that Carla was most likely right, Dominic decided to give in on the search. So, he took the bottle of firewhiskey that she had found and lifted it to his lips, drinking two large swigs from it rather easily before offering it back to her. As he drank he watched as Lewis went to dig around a bit more, a bit of suprise showing on his face as he pulls out the suitcase and small box of her art.
She had taken the drink back, and had another good chug. A sad look is passed to Dominic, but Lewis perks up with finding more things. Close and art, that's something. She walks atop a few pieces of rubble and goes to look them over. "Guess I have more than two sets of clothing now, that's good. Thanks." Another drink is taken and the bottle is handed over to Lewis, if he wants some, while she goes to take the items.
Lewis considers, for a moment, and then says "You know? What the heck?" He takes a good chug of it, but he's visibly shocked when he drinks it. He's never had firewhiskey before, and he wasn't expecting the sensation he got from it. He chuckles a bit and says "Wow that's…quite a drink" and hands it back to Clara. He does like it, even if he wasn't used to the taste.
Dominic gave a light smile over to Lewis as he took his first swig of Firewhiskey, knowing all too well of its fierce burn. Then he would move, walking with Kingston over to the pair. "Would you like me to carry the suitcase or the other possessions, darling?" he asks, glancing from one to the other.
She takes another drink. It's that kind of day. "Thanks, sweetie, for the help." Lewis gets a hug, seems Clara is wrapping up, and the woman just doesn't want to be here in the ruins of her life anymore. "And be safe, the city isn't safe anymore." She finishes with a pat on his arm and looks to Dominic. "I'll take the suitcase, hun. If you can take the box? I justt want to go and lay down for a bit when we get home.." Depressed much? Then again, who wouldn't be! She rubs at one of the scars on her forehead, tiredly.
Lewis says "Thanks. I'll watch the skies". He frowns and says "I hope the stuff we salvaged was the things you really wanted to keep…" He sighs "I'm just…really sorry this happened. If you ever need anything, or want me to visit you, just…send me an Owl or something. I'm here for you."
Dominic would smile softly at the offer of comfort for Carla. "Thank you again." he says with a light nod to the man. Then he moves, slipping the box of the goods they had found into his arms. Then, hitching up the leash of Kingston and waiting for Carla to reach his side, he was off, back down the street and off back home.