[log] IT'S A MONSTER PARTY [closed]

[devoutish]

Characters: Alfie Solomons, Ecks, Fiona, Francel de Haillenarte, Haurchefant Greystone, John Watson, Tifa Lockhart, Royce Melborn
Location around U4/V4, and then in various houses
Date: evening of 138 through morning of 139
Summary: various merry traveling bands are set upon and scattered by a RUDE AS FUCK anomaly
Warnings: n/a; will edit if anything comes up

Catch-all for EVERYTHING - running from the anomaly, settling in various houses, etc. Top-level and tag as you see fit.

Comments

[plundering]

[She scoots closer, wrapping the blanket around herself and pressing her shoulder into his before gesturing at her bag, sitting in the middle of the room.]

It's over there.

[devoutish]

Well - that's halfway across the room. Absolutely no sense in getting up to get it when we're both tired out. Better to just keep you here.

[plundering]

Great minds think alike. I could screw up my ribs more or... something.

[devoutish]

How are they? Feeling any better?

[plundering]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[The best they've been since she broke them.]

Are you fussing at me too, now?

[devoutish]

I'm wondering if you would be so keen to share body heat if you hadn't taken those little pills.

[This is starting to look a little like mild drunkenness to him - and while he's never experienced that when he's taken the same small dose he gave her, he's also a lot bigger than she is. Maybe he should grab her that blanket after all.]

[plundering]

[She raises her eyebrows.]

That's a normal thing here, Alfie.

[Don't be weird!!!]

[devoutish]

But with you?

[plundering]

Maybe you're special.

[He's right, though. She wouldn't be this willing to snuggle up with him otherwise.]

[devoutish]

[He's pretty torn here. On the one hand, she had been getting even flirtier than normal the last time they'd talked over the network, before they'd met up in person again. But on the other hand, the timing is really suspicious - too suspicious to just ignore. So he just gives her a quick wink.]

No maybes about it, when it comes to my opinion of you.

[Flirting is still a go, though.]

Yeah - you've caught me. Seems I'm a bit of a prude tonight after all. Must be the weather. But not to worry, I'm sure I'll be entirely over it by morning.

[plundering]

Smooth.

[Sweet, actually. Weird. She leans into him, stifling a yawn.]

Maybe you always are.

[devoutish]

[He lets her, but he doesn't make any moves back.]

Always? Nah. No. Only sometimes.

[But he is always good with people. The times when he does turn the charm off, it's always a deliberate choice.]

[plundering]

Uh-huh. We'll see.

[She's not sure how they'll see. She's not really thinking about it right now. Her ribs don't hurt and she's warm and genuinely sleepy for the first time in weeks, so her head is drooping onto his shoulder and her eyes are closing.]

Maybe you just talk big.

[devoutish]

Yeah? You think I fake it, do you?

[plundering]

Dunno.

[She doesn't, really, she's just dozing off and trying to tease him at the same time. It's not really working.]

Do you?

[devoutish]

[He pulls a couple pillows out of his bag - a throw pillow, and a travel pillow - and hands one to her.]

Some things. Yeah. But I don't fake being good at talking to people. I don't fake anything when I'm talking to you.

[Teasing is different from faking.]

[plundering]

[Huh. Fiona takes the pillow from him, but just sets it in her lap as she blinks up at him.]

Good to know. I'll keep it in mind.

[devoutish]

Mm.

[He closes his eyes. He doesn't think he'll sleep well, but he is tired - too tired to get up and do his prayers right now. But he's sure he'll wake up at some point in the middle of the night, so he'll take care of them then. For now, he'll sleep.]

[plundering]

[She's exhausted, so she just settles her head on his shoulder again and closes her eyes, not even bothering with the pillow. It takes no time at all for her to fall asleep—too many weeks of mania induced insomnia, and she doesn't even dream.]

[devoutish]

[As it turns out, Alfie had guessed correctly - he doesn't sleep well. He dozes a lot, and when he does fall into deep enough sleep, his dreams are hazy and unpleasant. It's around two in the morning when he wakes up fully, and though he's still tired, he decides to get up to stand in the corner and pray. Very gently, he lifts Fiona off of him, tossing his end of the blanket around her and settling his pillow next to her.

For him, prayer here is more ritual than any serious attempt to appeal to God. It's comforting, familiar, and a connection to home. Even if they're impossibly far away in another universe, he knows his loved ones gather together to say these same words, and it makes him feel closer to them more than anything else here could.

Tonight, he's very quiet about it, even more so than usual. The words are barely audible under his breath. He's sure they won't wake Fiona up.]

[plundering]

[He does wake her up when he moves her, and she lets out a quiet sound of protest. She has the lucidity to tuck her pillow under her head and curl up under the blanket he drapes over her, but then she's out again. The floor won't do her shoulder any favors, but the pill is still holding off the rest of the pain, and Alfie's prayers don't disturb her.]

[devoutish]

[There's honestly not a lot he can do with a pillow when sleeping sitting up, but he doesn't want to lie down - the hard floor would make him sore. So when he goes back, he remembers Fiona's dislocated shoulder, and nudges the second pillow under her torso. Then he pulls out his second blanket to wrap around himself, and settles down next to her again. He sleeps through the rest of the night - fitfully, but not waking up again.]

[plundering]

[Fiona doesn't wake up again until morning, and when she does, she's sore all over again. This time, her back hurts too from sleeping on the hard floor all night. It takes her a second to register that she's got an extra pillow under her. He put his blanket over her, too. The nice one.]

Sap.

[She mumbles it almost affectionately as she pushes herself up, wincing a little at the way her shoulder protests. Alfie isn't even sleeping on the floor, and she doesn't wake him up, not yet. He could probably use as much extra sleep as he can get.]

[devoutish]

[You can't call the fearsome Alfie Solomons a sap, Fiona. Gosh.

Some part of him is vaguely aware of someone being up and moving around the room, but that same part is also aware that it isn't a threat. Still, it doesn't take long for him to crack his eyes open. He's still drowsy as he watches her.]

Lying on the hard floor couldn't've helped that shoulder or those ribs. Should've woken you up; convinced you to sit up again.

[plundering]

[Fiona stretches very carefully, shaking her head.]

I'm fine. Or are you just upset I didn't help keep you warm?