[log] janeane garofalo's expedition to mt. everest [closed]

[bywolves]

Characters: Royce Melborn, Tifa Lockhart, Emily Kaldwin, Kesara Freamon & Zach Spencer
Location: Buildings 108 and 191
Date: Days 145, 146
Summary: Catch-all log for the expedition into the split tunnels and beyond!
Warnings: None yet.

Post your starters under the headers, yo.

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Day 145

[bywolves]

[This single-story house is barely standing, with the rooms indistinguishable from each other. It must have caught fire at some point, for every room is charred black and all of the furniture reduced to ashes. It isn't good for much except huddling in overnight.]

[bywolves]

[ The house they end up in is small and cramped, but it's alright. Royce is reasonably sure they've been in worse areas. He pulls all of his stuff together, as usual - claims a spot on the ground with his blanket and pillow and dry clothes, and keeps to himself. If Tifa or Emily try to talk to him, he ignores them - unless they're particularly insistent.

He's not as angry as he could be, but - he's dwelling. Thinking about Alfie, and Kesara's revelation from a few days before. It means he's slowly working himself into a foul mood after a day of being in a poor one.

At least he's not sleeping with a weapon, tonight. ]

[powersouls]

[Tifa, of course, is insistent. After a few botched attempts to start a conversation, she finally plops down beside him, sighing.]

Royce, what's wrong? You're glaring at everything.

[bywolves]

Nothing. Leave me alone. [ It's been a while since he's resorted to that one. ]

[powersouls]

[It apparently doesn't work anymore, because she rolls her eyes.]

If I leave you alone, you'll be in an even worse mood. Just talk to me.

[bywolves]

I don't want to talk. [ She's learning!!! This is alarming. She's pulling a Hadrian. ]

you're trash

[empireofrats]

[Tifa isn't the only one insistent.

Thankfully, she doesn't come to chatter away, and she doesn't do much chattering when she approaches. Her stride is weak and uncertain, and she ends up sitting half a foot or so away from him with her knees hugged up to her chest.

Royce isn't Corvo, but Royce is quiet like Corvo, and it's nice just to have a presence that she's familiar with. Tifa is nice, and she likes Tifa, but Tifa's sympathy isn't something she's use to getting, not even from someone like Callista.]

NO YOU'RE TRASH

[bywolves]

[ That's not what he's expecting, and it sort of jars him out of his foul mood - by this point, Tifa's already scolded him, so there wasn't a lot left to begin with. Emily curls up, and Royce glances at her, eyebrows raising. A beat, then: ]

Are you sick? [ why is the child uncertain and quiet ]

[empireofrats]

[It's never hard to tell when something is wrong with a girl like Emily. When she isn't asking a hundred questions or talking away about this, that, and the other, something is oddly amiss.

Even with her chin on her knees, she shakes her head. Then she's quiet again for a long while.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce watches her for a moment, and then shifts, pulling at his blanket and lifting it, if she wants to crawl under with him. He has a notion of what this might be about if she's not sick, but he's not sure yet. ]

What happened?

Day 146

[bywolves]

Evening 146, Building 191

[majorlazer]

[It's just after lockdown that Zach goes to Kesara. He doesn't want to waste too much time and he's sure Duster's cool with being left alone for a bit; now is really Zach's best chance to discuss things with Kes. He joins her where she sits, writing notes on her tablet, and brings in knees in as he looks at her. His stomach twists a little - he feels bad about this.]

So, hey, I wanted to talk to you about something.

[How bad is it that he's stalling from telling her he's leaving? He hopes she will understand - hopes will not be mad at him. Man, since when did his life revolve so much around what a 12 year old thought of him?]

I'm thinking, tomorrow, I'm...I'm going to take off, Kes. Back towards the school. I - [He swallows hard, looking away for a moment.] - I don't know if you know, but Steph got got by an anomaly a few days ago, and she just came back and...I want to make sure she's okay.

[Kesara, herself, will be okay. Right? She's got to be.]

[heavensreader]

[Kesara won't admit it - not for the world - but she'd retreated to her corner of notes after a day of fretting nervousness about all the people now in their group. It's very odd. Being nervous about Duster is one thing, but she likes Tifa, and Emily is... probably harmless, maybe. And yet here she is, chewing on her lower lip over her tablet, just now easing out of little prickles of anxiety.

She offers Zach a large smile, though, always that for him. And she listens attentively, even though she can tell just from the way he starts to talk that he's about to say something she won't like.]

... oh. Steph is Spoiler, isn't she?

[It's meant to come out neutral. It doesn't quite. She indeed does not like this. Of course Zach is free to go where he pleases, but...]

Are you leaving me with Duster?

[majorlazer]

Yeah, she is.

[Zach licks his lips, turning fully towards Kesara. There's something in her tone that tells Zach she's not happy about this, and, yeah, he's not really surprised about it, but. It still sucks. He doesn't want to leave Kesara with Duster, of all people, but Alfie is also coming to check on things, and Zach will keep in touch, won't be able not to.

But there's something in Kesara's voice, too, an edge that Zach can't quite place. Is he fucking everything up?]

Duster and Tifa. I trust Tifa. [He does, which is funny because she, probably, does not trust him at all. Oh, well.] And Alfie's coming to say hello, isn't he? And I'm - I'll be coming back. And keeping in touch, so if anything goes wrong, you let me know, okay? I'll come right back.

[Taking a breath, Zach looks down at his feet and his stupid, mud-caked snow boots.]

I just - I really like her, Kesara.

[He knows he's blushing as he says the words, embarrassment creeping up.]

[heavensreader]

[Duster. If it were Kunsel or his men, or Mr. Solomons, or even just Tifa, Kesara would not have minded as much - minded because she doesn't want to part with Zach for anything, but her worries would have been with him only. With Duster, though...

He did promise. She draws in a breath, one of those that are rather too big to really fit in her ribcage.]

If you trust Miss Tifa then I trust her too. But they'll have Emily to watch, and, if you're far away and something happens to you then I cant get to you as quickly. And that's a problem too. But if you -

[She watches him drop his gaze and blush and her brows furrow in confusion.]

If you...

[One second, two seconds...]

Oh!

[The penny drop heard round the world.]

You're going courting!

[majorlazer]

Hey - they can look after you both, okay? And Mr Solomons is coming soon, too, so you can stay with him for a little while if you want. You like him a lot.

[He reaches out, takes one of her hands in his, and looks at her straight, completely serious.]

I promise you I'll be super careful, okay? We'll talk, every day. Twice a day, if you want. I'll be around, always available. [Well. Probably. If things go the way he wants them to, he's not traumatizing Kesara, either.

It's the way realization slowly writes itself on her features that makes Zach chuckle, blushing harder, embarrassed. He never thought he'd have to have this conversation - he used to be the kind of dickhead that would boast to anyone and everyone that he was going to get laid - even if it was less than a certainty. But now, here, it's...well, it's different. Neither Steph nor Kesara deserve that kind of shit, and he knows, he's better than that. Slightly.]

If that's how you want to call it, I guess? We - Steph and I - we've been talking a lot, since I landed here. She's. She's important to me. I want to make sure she's all right.

[You don't need to hear what else he wants to do, Kesara. You don't.]

Night 146, Building 191

[majorlazer]

[Zach knew that Duster wasn't asleep. He wasn't sure the guy slept at all, but it was fine by Zach right now, since he was wide awake himself, excited and scared and worried and nauseous.

Sitting up, Zach makes sure that Kesara's asleep, and once her little kid snores start again, he nods, smiling to himself. He pulls himself away from her, joining Duster and taking a seat next to him on the floor, pulling his hat lower his face. He remembers being so mad at Duster, but he doesn't really remember why anymore. And, well. They seem to have Kesara in common. Duster can't be all bad if she likes him, and he likes her.

Taking a deep breath, Zach once again wishes he could have some booze with him right now. He remembers the cigar he's got, but doesn't take it out of his backpack. He's never really smoked.]

Can you promise me you'll take care of her?

[As a preamble, it's a bit abrupt. But Zach just wants to be sure she'll be in safe hands once he leaves. He can't abide anything less.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce has a base sense of paranoia that makes it almost impossible for him to sleep in a house with people he doesn't know well. Zach and Kesara, he's decided, are not likely to hurt him or steal his things, and he figures that even if they were, he's got enough weapons that he can defend himself just fine. He meets Kesara for the first time in person, re-familiarizes himself with Zach and the way Zach carries himself, and then stakes out his own claim on an area in the apartment.

His quiet conversations with Emily, Tifa and Alfie are long finished by the time Zach makes his way over. Royce doesn't move from where he's propped himself up in the corner, bag pressed between him and the wall, hood up. He probably looks a little ridiculous, with his dumb knee socks, plaid pajama pants, and mittens, blanket curled around him, his hood up. But he'd rather be warm and dry over looking intimidating, so. Here it is.

Royce doesn't look up, but he does answer, after a moment of silence. ]

I won't promise anything, no, but she'll be looked after. [ He doesn't like promises. It means if something happens out of his control, he'll be held accountable. ]

[majorlazer]

[Zach sighs. He's pretty sure that's the best he'll get from Duster. He's one of these people that's so scared of words, like they mean everything. They don't - Zach would know, he was halfway raised by a politician. Words are bullshit. They're for other people.

But then again, so can be promises. Maybe it's best that Duster doesn't promise anything.]

Okay, good. Because - I'm leaving, and I don't want to worry about her too much.

[They sit side by side, a few inches between them, not looking at each other. It's good, it's better like this. It's what Zach wants, get some reassurance from Duster that he won't leave Kesara to fence for herself.

Zach pulls the sides of his coat closer to him, bringing his knees up to get some more body warmth.]

I'm gonna miss her, though.

[bywolves]

She has a way of getting under people's skin, yes. [ Royce agrees, tone mostly flat. ] I'm not a babysitter, you realize.

D146, H189 bc flurry scolded me

[empireofrats]

A single bedroom apartment. It's seen better days, but the door locks up at night. The window is sealed shut, with snow packed in on he other side allowing no light in. It's pitch black at night, but there is a couch to sleep on, even if the bed only has its frame. The bathroom has a toilet and shower--the shower doesn't work, but the toilet does.

Evening 146, Building 191; for smol mean thief I mean Royce

[heavensreader]

[The buildings in the tunnels always feel small and cramped, even when they aren't, and Kesara's feelings on that matter differ depending on the kind of day she's had. Sometimes she's pleased to be closed up in a tight space, it feels like safety; other times, like today, it feels oppressive. Her arm aches and a part of her is a little unhappy with turning back instead of moving on, although she's happy to finally meet Duster. She should be happy to finally meet Duster. She wishes there was not, in the back of her mind, the constant presence of worry about how she was going to win his trust. Especially starting from lower than zero.

But one way or another, she's sure it would be starting on the wrong foot to expect him to come to her. And he does invite stares. Dressed all in black like that, and smaller than she expected, and scowling. She wonders how at the end of the day his face doesn't hurt.

So for a little while she stares, half in childish fascination, half in open assessment. Then she comes up and squats next to him. In a quiet voice she says:] You look scarier than I imagined, Duster.

[That is a substantial lie. But it's a nice one, she thinks.]

[bywolves]

[ He knows she's staring at him, but it doesn't much bother him. She can stare as long as she'd like - he gets this all the time. Curled up in the corner with his things, Royce is silent and prickly and not exactly open to conversation, body-language wise. But really, waiting for him to be open would be like waiting for all the snow to melt.

When Kesara finally approaches, he turns his head to look at her, slowly. There's a pause, as he eyes her, gets a better, fuller idea of what she looks like in person, and then he responds, with the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face. ]

You're taller than I'd imagined. [ Is his quiet reply, voice low and even as always. ]

[heavensreader]

[That is also a lie. Kesara wrinkles her nose. He probably isn't mocking her very badly - that is, not in a hostile way. He's definitely mocking her a little.

But he is smiling - well, smirking, and that she considers a good sign. She's determined not to bring up anything from their last conversation, nor any hint of what she'd spoken to Mr. Solomons about, the question of whether Duster is still angry at her. He wouldn't want that. Instead she decides to be exactly what she was when they first talked. When she liked him, and suspected that he liked her.

She reaches for the corner of his cloak, not touching it quite, but making the initial gesture.] I am almost twelve, you know. Are you wearing all black to be scary, or it is just what you happened to wear?

[bywolves]

[ He's definitely mocking her a little. But hey, he means well. This is goodnatured teasing, for Royce.

He watches her reach for his cloak - doesn't move or do much. Maybe tenses slightly, like he always does when people make any sort of move to touch him or anything close to him. It's instinctive, he can't help it. Initial gesture finished, Royce glances back up at her, expression still easy. He's not scowling, at least. ]

Both. [ Royce is clearly amused. ] It makes it easier to sneak. Never seen a thief in bright colors, have you?