[log] The Hills Have Eyes [closed-ish]

[jumpthegun]

Characters: Watson, Charles, Davesprite, Bucky, Zell, Sora, Kunsel, Homura, and Quark
Location Building 235 (Aquarium) and Building 130 (Pharmacy)
Date: Day 162 - 164
Summary: Eyes appear all around, static and paranoia return, friends arrive with fire, hopefully no one is getting attacked. Later, Bucky, Quark, and John discover evidence of Fiona's murder.
Warnings: References to character death.

[The aquarium has the feel of a small-town tourist attraction, the sort built to give people just stopping to fuel up on petrol a reason to stay for an hour or two. There are various aquariums inside that, according to plaques beside them, once showcased various Alaskan fish; they're empty now. The whole atmosphere is kind of eerie, with the water casting rippling patterns on the walls, ceilings, and floors, but there's hot water in the sinks for anyone who wants it.

What's probably unwanted by everyone is the eyes. They're on the walls, drawn in the frost on the windows, they're on the ceilings, and the static crawls its way over walls and people. The sense of being watched, of being followed, is strong.]

Comments

[mrcreamsicles]

[That's—She's not okay. Even if not for her words, every part of her demeanor says it. Memories of Rose swim back up to mind, the worst moments they had in the alternate timeline when they didn't know if the plan would work, if they could do enough, and when the missing for their friends swelled up. He doesn't know what's happened, but the what matters a little less just now.]

[He floats back a little, and then he's pulling things from his tail. The flower crown gets yanked off the end; the dog leash at his waist untied, and the utility belt it held together drops. The curtain he's wrapped around himself slips looser now and he finishes the movement by pulling it off entirely. And for all Homura's complaints of how kindness is a fool's choice, it doesn't stop him from moving in—if she'll let him—to drape the mass around her shoulders. Though the material is heavy and of an uncomfortable texture, it's warm, and he's sure she can at least use that.]

[He tries chirping to her. Like it or not he's the one here, and he doesn't intend to pull the asshole act in these circumstances.]

[perfero]

[That's got to be the weirdest gesture she's gotten so far, but for Homura it's kind of all relative. Being a magical zombie fighting off the monsters said zombies eventually turn into, repeating a single timeline nearly a hundred times just to save one friend, being trapped in a radioactive town in Alaska that wants them all dead.

It's all very relative.

Homura draws in a deep breath, mostly to keep herself from bursting into tears (which she's still inclined to want to do, even after everything she's been through) and just shakes her head.]

If I tell you you won't believe me. No one ever does.

[mrcreamsicles]

[He drifts down in front of her to settle on the curl of his tail, ignoring the chill of the floor against it. This way he can face her as they speak, whether or not she feels up to looking him in the eye.]

[But he won't believe her, she says? Davesprite spreads his arms. Look at him, Homura. He's a living pile of nonsense, and most people would never believe something like him would exist if not for the proof in front of their eyes. He chirps again. Try him.]

[perfero]

[Alright, he's got a good point there. He doesn't need to be able to speak for her to get his meaning. Still, she's hesitant. Telling the other girls has never gone well. Ever. So she has to start small. Test the waters.

She sits back, glancing down at the buckler still attached to her wrist.]

I think I've been moving through the timeline.

[mrcreamsicles]

[He watches her. It has to be rough for the time she takes, and it goes a little to explaining her act before if she's this affected, this doubting about it all. Still, he doesn't expect what she says.]

[Timeline? Time? He squawks on reflexive surprise, almost grabs her hands—stops—turns and reaches off behind to grab his tablet instead. But before he starts drawing again, he pauses to look at her directly and to nod once firmly.]

[He draws, first, a clock: a circle with twelve little marks along the rim where numbers would be, and the arms for minute and hour. From beside it, a line extending out straight. Then he adds a parallel line, shorter, branched off from the main one; at the end, an arrow points back to the point he started. Above that second line he adds little loops, multiple ones, some overlapping each other there's so many, and another smaller clock above them just in case it wasn't clear enough.]

[Finally, he points to it, then back at himself. He believes you, Homura; he's been there himself.]

[perfero]

[She might actually be getting used to the squawking, but that he's going for his tablet has her curious. And wondering. And very, very paranoid.

She decides it's probably safest to wait and see what he's doing before making any rash decisions, though one hand is going to her coat pocket to where her letter opener is, in case she needs to defend herself. Thankfully that isn't necessary - she squints at the drawing. It isn't overly clear at first but once those loops start it clicks.]

... You can time travel?

[mrcreamsicles]

[For a second he holds silent, then he holds up his hand, tipping it side-to-side in a 'sort of' gesture. He points to the general alternate timeline he's mapped out and nods, then he points to the linear line after his return point and shakes his head. He used to. Trying to explain how he handed off that duty to alpha Dave is more complicated than he can explain right now, but he hopes the gist is clear enough.]

[perfero]

[She gets the gist, and it sounds like the entire story is too complex to be done through pictionary and charades.]

You did, though. Right? You've time traveled before.

[mrcreamsicles]

[He nods again, firm and obvious. Though he doesn't know what happened to her, how or why she started or what's made her so doubtful about belief, he reaches gently for her hand. It's the best statement of solidarity he can think of in the moment. He did plenty of it for a long time, and he has his own set of baggage he's carrying now because of it. He gets it, Homura, as much as he can without knowing the whole story.]

[perfero]

[Funny enough, despite everything she's been through she's never met another time traveler before. She never expected to either, so this is coming as an enormous shock. For once there might be a single person who understands and believes her without things turning out horribly.

It's all overwhelming, frankly. She stares down at his hand silently for several long moments, before she simply bursts into tears and latches onto him.

That ice queen thing? A total front for what a crybaby she really is.]

I don't have a better icon for this

[mrcreamsicles]

[Davesprite chirps, and for the first instant he goes stiff as stone against her. It's sudden and open and soft and weak of her in a way that's overwhelming next to her old facade, and that kind of emotional physicality isn't something he's good at. More than anything, though, it's clear that she's been through a lot.]

[He doesn't push her away. The stiffness fades out after a moment or so, and after a longer one, he with awkward gentleness puts his arms around her and pats her back. He's trying, honestly. She seems like she needs it.]

You need to get one, clearly.

[perfero]

[Sorry Davesprite, she needs to get this out of her system. Whenever she's tried in front of Madoka it's never gone well and that... is actually the only person she's let her guard down in front of.

She's relieved and terrified of what this means, and she really has no idea how to deal with any of it anymore.

... Eventually she'll calm down, pulling back so that she can rub at her eyes.]

S... sorry.

[mrcreamsicles]

[When Homura draws away, he lets her, watching as he does from behind his shades. His coat is wet where he tears fell against it. He doesn't pay it much mind right now.]

[Instead, he shakes his head gently and reaches into his pocket. Remember that whole deal, Homura? Now he takes the twine back out and holds it out to her in an open palm. Take it. This whole revelation may have been a product of vastly unusual circumstances, but there's no fooling him with the mask anymore.]

[perfero]

[Oh, right. Their deal. She had completely forgotten about it.

It feels strange to accept the twine, but she does need it. She closes her hand around it with a sigh.]

Thank you.

[mrcreamsicles]

[He gives her a thumbs up. It's lighter in tone than a nod, and he feels like maybe it might help them move a little more towards normal footing. Or, well, whatever you call it when one party doesn't have feet.]

[He tugs lightly at the curtain, too. Can he have that back? That he does mean to keep so as not to freeze his tail off during travel.]

[perfero]

[Oh, right. Homura stiffens up, quickly pulling the curtain off herself to hand it back.]

I don't need it anyway.

[She's got her coat. And her... coat. Yes.]

[mrcreamsicles]

[He gives her a sidelong look for that, but the sunglasses hide it. Sure, Homura. He'll let her have that little point of pride for now.]

[He'd offer her something less out of his collection if he had it, but he doesn't really have much. The belt and flower crown are for securing the curtain, and he's not about to give her the bra he's been using as part of his ensemble headgear. There's the bandana, and the sweatband he traded Watson for, but they aren't a lot on their own. If only he'd found a pair of pants. She looks like she could use pants.]

[For now he caws again and motions around in a kind of useless, broad gesture. Anything he can do for her? He's not sure what the next step is after a fellow time traveler from another world has an emotional breakdown on his shoulder.]

[perfero]

It's fine. Really.

[She hesitates, then... since this would be kind of a serious issue with the weather and all, sighs heavily.]

I've been traveling with a dog. He's very warm.

[And cuddly.]

[mrcreamsicles]

[Homura, are you sure you're saying you like to snuggle cute animals? Because it sounds to him like you're saying you like to snuggle cute animals.]

[Davesprite blocks his mouth with his curled hand, but it doesn't do a thing to stop the snickering at that mental image.]

[perfero]

[... Yep, she's standing up now. Bonding time over.]

I should get back to him. He's alone out there.

[mrcreamsicles]

[He could tease her further—he's got a stuffed dog he found that he's been using as a pillow; he could mime cuddling with that—but he dug at her enough already. He knows she's soft and squishy under that mask.]

[So instead he waves to her, then peeps and points to the static/eye gobbledegook shitting up a nearby fish tank. Bye, and be careful.]

[perfero]

[She can guess what that means, and at least gives him a mild nod.

Then pauses, and adds.]

... Try not to die again.

[mrcreamsicles]

[The line of his mouth twitches. What happened when he died was more complicated than he can explain, and he doesn't really want to explain it even he had words to use right now.]

[Instead he waves again, a little more emphatically. Get going, Homura.]

[perfero]

[Yes, yes. She wanted to get that in before she left because having another time traveler is not only reassuring, but seems like it might be helpful down the line.

But she'll head out, hoping she'll be able to make it back to Dug. Or... time travel back to him, whatever.]