[log] if you can't beat 'em [closedish]

[rattlingthestars]

Characters: Jim, Kunsel, Zack, and Zell [Guest Starring All The Dead People]
Location somewhere in r2
Date: 172-175ish catchall
Summary: Lots and lots of talk about dead bodies, more than likely. Also, dead bodies.
Warnings: See Above.

Made ya click.

Comments

DAYS & LOCATIONS

[rattlingthestars]

Day 172
Starting Location: M7 - 36
36: Most of this house appears pretty normal: there's a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and working bathroom. Of note, though, is the personal library on the upper floor; while it has hundreds of books, it seems like every one of them has had all of the pages torn out and lost somewhere. They're all neatly placed in the bookshelves, at least. The covers seem to imply the library was mostly fiction. Some of the furniture seems to have been destroyed, and is placed in a pile in an out-of-the-way corner.

Ending Location: Q2 - 70
70: A standard two-story house with a basement. The first floor has a kitchen, living room, and dining room, while the second floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the bedrooms was once littered with pages torn from a book, with various unnerving scribbles drawn all over them, but they're gone now. The backyard to this house is pretty large, including a plastic child's slide and a buried sandbox. The ice underneath the slide has been shattered. There is a mound of snow in the yard where it seems something has been buried. A chair--taken from the kitchen--has been placed over the mound. "UNIDENTIFIED CHILD - FOUND BY JPHAWKINS S.B. DAY 27" has been written on it in black paint.

Day 173
Starting Location: 70 (Note: they spend most of the day here.)

Ending Location: R3 - 80
80: A standard single-story house with a kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. It's fine during the day, but at night the roof leaks as if the whole thing is full of holes. There's no mold, at least, though that's probably owing to the lack of any soft furniture or mattresses and the metal bedframes. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, TADASHI HAMADA, STEPH BROWN, MAMI TOMOE, DAY SIXTEEN, TRAVELLING WEST" has been carved into the wall by the door.

Day 174
Starting Location: R3 - 80

Ending Location: T4 - 83:
A standard single-story house with a kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. This house obviously had a lot of cats living in it at one point. The furniture is all clawed up, and there are many large cat towers scattered around the house (but particularly in the living room and bedroom). The dining room is missing a chair, and the door frame separating the kitchen and dining room has ugly dents and chips in it. The splintered remains of part of an end table litter the living room, and some fabric has been torn away from the sofa and its cushions. There is one litter box in each room in the house. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, FREYA CRESCENT, GREED, BIFF, RHYS, DAY FORTY EIGHT, TRAVELLING SOUTH-EAST" has been carved into one of the walls. Finger-sized slits have been cut into the couch cushions.

Day 175
Starting Location: T4-83

Middle of the day: T7-96
A small chapel--it's some sort of Christian denomination, but it's difficult to tell what kind with what little remains. Past the entrance are six pews on either side, all bolted down. The altar beyond is empty of its symbols, although the stained glass in the windows is of various saints. There is a small hallway beyond that leads to a room for a bride and a room for a groom, where weddings were once held, and a bathroom for men and women as well, each with two stalls and two sinks.

There is also a stairwell down that seems like it should be locked but isn't, and through the doors in the basement is a morgue. It's small but the walls are lined with doors that contain behind them shelves for bodies. There are small windows that you can open from the outside to view what's inside. Sometimes there are bodies in there, and sometimes they're people you know. There's no way to open these doors, even if they're empty. One of the doors bears some small dents and scuffs, as well as a small spiral drawn in red marker, which has been partially rubbed off.

The atmosphere only grows more suffocating here the longer you stay; if you try to stay too long (longer than one OOC day), you'll be forced to leave. Similarly, at 7PM, you will be forced to leave and not allowed to take shelter here.

Ending Location: V10 - 113
113: A two-story A-frame house. The first floor has a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms. The second floor has a master bedroom, master bathroom, and balcony. There's no furniture in this house, but the central heating works for one hour a night--although the exact hour is random. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, EDWARD ELRIC, GREED, DAY SIXTY-TWO, TRAVELLING WEST" is written on the wall, alongside "DEAR FORMER RESIDENT, WE ARE FRIENDS, PLEASE DO NOT FEEL YOU NEED TO HIDE FROM US. CONTACT LELRIC." "House 86 of the map" is written on the wall in marker.

Day 175 - At the chapel

[heroproceeding]

[ He's been quick at least. It would have been one thing if it had just been him and Kunsel like last time. Hell, it would have been impossible in what little time they had to spare compared to before and with how much... how much the chapel had unfortunately filled up in the past nearly one hundred days. But with Zell and Jim with them, it doesn't seem so crazy.

There's... just one thing he hadn't accounted for- that he should have accounted for. But it doesn't really hit him until he finds himself stepping on something that crunches below his feet and aims the light of his tablet downwards rather than towards the next body. He stares down at the ground, down at the ceramic remains of a plate and curses quietly to himself when he looks up and sees Jim coming that way.

And that- that might be Zack fiddling a little too fast with his tablet, trying to toggle back to the camera and take care of things before he gets there. He knows they'll all be going through the photos later, but..

Nope. No dice. That's him dropping his tablet on the ground with butterfingers. This is what he gets for rushing. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ It hadn't really hit Jim, the effect it might have on Zack to be back here. It's Jim's first time in the Chapel and while he knew that Zack woke up here it had been hard to imagine. It hit him as they were walking down the dark stairs to the morgue, though, and he's been keeping an eye on Zack ever since.

It's why, even though he's supposed to be photographing someone, he sees the plate and temporarily abandons his task to see what's wrong.

He scoops up Zack's tablet before he can, and passes it back over. ]

Something -

[ Obviously something's the matter. ]

-What is it?

[heroproceeding]

[ This is where a 'Don't worry about it's on the cusp of things because old habits die hard. But he knows something like that won't fly with Jim anymore. So, in the end, he takes his tablet with a soft 'Thanks' at first instead.

And then just... rubs a bit uncomfortably at the back of his neck. ] I woke up around here... so, you know. It's not exactly a place I'm fond of.

[ Never mind one of the bodies he stands in front of casually. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim glances down at the plate, and then back at Zack. It's not exactly pointed - he's not going to force Zack to talk about that, of all things - but it is curious. The plate could've been left by any number of people, but he suspects it hadn't been just anybody given Zack's apparent reaction. ]

You need to take a break?

[ They don't exactly have time for one, but Zack being okay enough to travel is more important than getting photographs of all these corpses. ]

[heroproceeding]

No... [ He shakes his head once, firmly. ] No, we need to move. We only have so much time here. We can't go wasting it.

Besides, we told Steph and Zach... [ But saying 'We'd find Kesara' feels harsh, too. So, instead he just lets the subject drop and tries to casually turn around and take the necessary photograph. Cissnei first and then... ]

[rattlingthestars]

Yeah, I know.

[ Jim's not going to stop him, but he has a feeling that this isn't all that there is to the story. Zack had sounded too shaken up for that, and while Jim of all people knows how badly death shake someone - well, he also knows Zack.

That's why he's casually stepping up to his other side to take a picture of the next person down the line and glancing into the drawer Zack's photographing.

His hand pauses on the shutter as he stares. It comes to him in pieces, the combat boots, the by-now-familiar black uniform, the shock of pale skin and blond hair and -

Oh. ]

That's... [ Jim trails off, glancing up at Zack for some kind of reaction. He can't guess what Zack's feeling, after all this time; In Jim's chest there's the same old ache of grief and guilt, dulled a little by time but still there like a yellowed bruise. ]

That's him, isn't it? The first...

[heroproceeding]

[ Jim's fast- Faster than Zack realized. He'd thought he was going to go move on to another section but instead he piggybacks onto the one Zack's working on and before Zack can move to divert his attention elsewhere, it's there and Zack... Zack can only watch out of the corner of his eye, even as he attempts to look busy trying to fix something on his tablet.

Doesn't matter anyway. Not when Jim speaks. Slowly, he lowers his own tablet, head craning the kid's way, eyes drifting from Jim to the drawer and he swallows hard. ]

Yeah... Yeah, that's Cloud.

[ Saying his name again after so long feels... weird. It feels like it shouldn't have been this long since he's said it. But it has been, hasn't it. Far... Far too long. And for a moment, he doesn't know what's worse. That realization right there or that they can see him right there looking as if he's sleeping peacefully.

He's not though. People can give him all the theories they want on what's going on in this town, but he knows death. He's seen his own end twice over now. He's seen the deaths of others there, too. It's not some trick- not to him anyway.

But he's not the only one standing there. And he's not the only one that had been affected that night. He reaches out to put a gentle hand on Jim's shoulder. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ Cloud. Jim's lips form the name, but he doesn't say it out loud. Isn't sure that he should.

There's a sense memory when Zack touches his shoulder of that night that they'd held one another and cried. ]

It's weird to think he was here the whole time.

[ They aren't that far from where they'd lost him; passing through that way always reminds Jim of that search and the awful way it had felt when he knew Cloud had to be dead and everyone else kept searching. If only they'd ventured a little farther south...

The thought's a bitter one, and Jim has to swallow around it. He'd promised not to blame himself, back then, but it never really stuck. ]

Night 175/Early Ass 176 | For Jim

[swatsflies]

[ It's been a long time since his hand has felt emptied the whole day. One can't really safely hold hands while snowboarding, and they were rushing to get through the Chapel and out again. They came close being locked out, but they made it thankfully.

Fighting the cold and everything else that settles both inside and out. They finally found Cissnei. He reported to Steph where Kesara was. He relieved the night Riley spoke to him as he shared the story word for word with House on the network.

He leaves his notebook resting precariously on his stuff as he grabs a blanket and his tablet. It's quiet again, as the group settled down for the night. Zell knew sleep wasn't really coming, and no matter what he did, his mind went back to the Chapel and the biting cold from the ride. Back to the beeping to warn of lockdown.

Shaking it off again as he glances at his tablet. It's about time for Jim to have watch. He's been respectful of the space Zell put between them as soon as they made it in the house and it's time to end it. Zell hasn't really been one to stay away from others. He misses his Stars and feeling his warmth.

Heading to where he figured Jim would be keeping watch, and remembering fondly another time similar when he was worn out. The good news is that Zell isn't sporting a bruise this time.

He heads towards the front door until he spots the boyfriend. He's not quiet as he approaches, making sure Jim knows he's there by keeping his tablet on and aiming it's gentle glow on the floor. ]

This spot taken? [ Nodding towards the floor beside Jim. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim's pretty tired, a little sore in places he hasn't felt in a while. As grim as their mission had been, he'd enjoyed the first half. Though racing over flat ground is a far cry from flying, it's the closest they've found in Norfinbury, and Jim savors it.

On the trip out, anyway. The chapel - a first for Jim; he's never been this way before - was sobering in a lot of ways, and though they weren't side by side he wasn't blind to the effect it had on Zell. He seemed to want space, though, and Jim had given him as much as he was able. He's settled into his watch alone, aimlessly poking at the game on his tablet after reading as much as he could stand of the network.

The sound of Zell's footsteps draws Jim's attention immediately. He tenses for a moment but the friendly glow of the tablet relaxes him again. Zell gets a flash of a grin before it fades down into something like trying to play it cool. ]

Reserved.

[ Any misunderstanding is probably put to rest by the way Jim shifts and pats the space beside him. ]

VIPs only.

[ He's also sliding one arm out of his jacket and holding it up, offering the space inside for Zell. ]

[swatsflies]

[ It's good he clarified. Managing a smile as he sinks down on the floor beside Jim. Molding himself against Jim's side, while snaking a hand around his back. Breathing out a sigh of contentment as he takes the moment to feel how solid, warm, and alive he is. ]

I'll keep it warm until a VIP arrives then.

[ He quips back. ]

How are you doing, Stars? [ Jim might not have woken up there, but he has come to life in a body bag before. Might not be easy for him being back in a place like that. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim shrugs expressively. It hadn't been fun being back in a morgue with that impressive atmosphere hanging over, to say nothing of seeing Cloud again, but he's more or less back on even footing now. It's Zell that he's worried about, though the return teasing is a good sign. ]

Fine. You've been... [ He flounders for a description and eventually lands on: ] quiet.

[swatsflies]

[ Letting out a puff of breath against Jim's neck. Quiet wasn't something he thought he would ever hear in relation to himself. He's supposed to be lively and passionate.

He thought about the Chapel again. Thought about all those doors and how there were faces he's never met before. There were also faces he considered friends. Deciding to lean most of his upper body weight on his boyfriend as he breathes in a shuddering breath. ]

Yeah, there was something on my mind.

[ Something with red hair and a suit. He remembers how she never answered the last message he sent. How both her name and Sephiroth's were on the screen in the same announcement. He could have also been one of he names up there, too. ]

I started to think that maybe there was a chance.

[rattlingthestars]

[ Any ticklish complaints Jim might've had about Zell sighing against his neck are put to rest by his boyfriend's apparent mood. Instead he waits patiently for Zell to get whatever it is off his chest even as he's leaning heavily on Jim's. ]

A chance-?

[ Jim bites his lip as the answer comes to him without Zell elaborating. He saw her. and he knew they'd been close for the time she was there.

He doesn't fully understand what Zell means, though, not yet. He thinks a chance means a chance of resurrection, remembers the way Zell had clung to his hopes of Ed and Al. ]

There still could be.

[ Jim's not sure if it's cruel or kind to tell Zell that, when he's certain the chance is small. ]

Ed and Al...

[swatsflies]

A chance. [ He repeats it, but his voice is barely above a whisper. ] No one found her body, you know? So I thought... If anyone could figure a way out of here, it would have been her.

[ With all the secrecy ShinRa seems to love keeping, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to think she went into hiding, or went to where she could no longer access the network.

Well he wasn't wrong about her being some where without network access. ]

I know she could still come back. I know that if we beat this thing, maybe we can find a way to bring 'em all back. [ But he was really starting to believe. He was so stupid. ]

[rattlingthestars]

-Oh.

[ Jim's heart jumps painfully in his chest. No one found her body.

He can't quite look at his boyfriend's face as he puts those final few pieces together. Her name'd been on the obituary, Jim remembers it up there beside Sephiroth's, but somehow Zell had thought...

Wordlessly, without warning, Jim pulls him crushingly close. He can't say anything to dull that pain; he imagines it's like losing her fresh. ]

173 - dead kid 4 live kids

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim's almost certain of what house they're in when they stumble in that night, but he keeps quiet about it. It's long after dark by then anyway, and easy to ignore the little grave that he knows is there.

It sticks with him, though, the memory of it. He hadn't searched it properly back then. He'd still been in shock from arriving in Norfinbury, hadn't seen a soul in over a week. It'd just been him and the corpse, and then just him.

He's quiet that night and, in the morning, slips away as quietly as he can when lockdown ends. He doesn't go very far, just out around back to the mound and the broken chair. It's still there, the writing remarkably clear, when he finds it. He stands transfixed until he hears the sound of someone approaching him in the snow. He turns only enough to see who's coming - making sure it's not a monster - and offers a small smile to Zell in the darkness. ]

<3 this okay?

[swatsflies]

[ It feels a little empty with Jim getting up early and slipping away. Zell isn't sure if his boyfriend even ate before he went out the door. There has been a strange mood hanging like a shroud since they arrived here. Zell pockets a couple of the fruit cups they got from the school as he follows after Jim outside.

The snow crunch beneath him as his gaze travels to the slide. He didn't really catch it the night, but now he sees it clear enough. Then he spots something in front of Jim. Giving a small smile in return to his boyfriend as he shrugs out of his coat. Placing it across Jim's back and letting his hands linger there to see how much he could get away with. ]

Morning, Stars. [ Pushing it further by draping his arms over Jim's shoulders and resting them against his chest. Pressing a kiss against the side of Jim's head, before trying to see what has his attention. ]

What's that?

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim doesn't respond to the affection quite the way he normally would, though he pulls the coat tight around his shoulders for a moment and leans back into Zell. He shouldn't keep it for long - or should give Zell his own - but it's alright for now. He turns his nose into the collar and takes a deep breath. ]

It's a grave.

[ He reaches forward to brush a little snow off the chair, revealing the message he'd left months and months ago. ]

It was before you got here. Before Kunsel, too, I think.

(Add more and fixed some things <3 sorry )

[swatsflies]

[ Zell lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he feels Jim leaning his weight against him. Relief floods him for a moment because he's not being pushed away. He does listen carefully to the words, Jim's body language, and the way he sounds. He gasps when he hears the word "grave." His eyes are drawn to the words painted on the chair, his lips moving wordlessly as he reads.

Child. "UNIDENTIFIED CHILD - FOUND BY JPHAWKINS S.B. DAY 27"

Shit. Drawing his arms tighter around the form against him as he rubs his face against his shoulder. He feels a chill that goes beyond the crappy weather. ]

Oh Jim. [ He says it softly with concern. Sure, it's not the only body he's found during his stay in Norfinbury, but there is only one name written on that chair. ]

Were- Were you alone?

<3

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim latches both hands onto the arms wrapped around him, keeping Zell there and giving more contact, when Zell puts the pieces together. ]

Yeah. I didn't... the first two, three weeks I got here? Didn't run into anyone. Found the store not too long after running across this.

[ He shrugs. ]

There was a big mass of ice frozen under the slide. I thought maybe there was something good hiding in there.

<3

[swatsflies]

[ In an attempt to help stave off the cold, Zell rubs his fingers against Jim. Jim was alone the first two or three weeks here. ]

Longer than me. [ He said it quietly.

Something good, huh? Too bad it was this instead. ] Frickin' hell...

[ His attention lifts away from the chair to settle on the slide again. How did the body even get there? How did it freeze completely? How hard was it for Jim to bury the child? ] Thanks. For burying them.

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim covers them with his own, squeezing for a moment to try and get the blood flowing. Jim's looking at the slide, too, his face creased in thought. For once it's probably not cute, but then Zell can't see it from his angle anyway.

After a moment longer, spent holding those hands to keep them safe, he lets go and pulls away enough to slip out of Zell's coat. Rather than hand it back, though, he slips it under one arm as he sheds his own coat and throws it over Zell's own shoulders. He spends a little too long fussing over it, both because he doesn't like it when Zell's colder than he has to be and because he doesn't really want to face what's going through his mind at the moment. ]

Don't thank me just yet, Sunshine.

[ He finally lets Zell go and slips back into Zell's jacket. ]

I just realized something.

[swatsflies]

[ The large coat warmed by body heat reminds his body how cold it really is. Shivering for a moment as he places his hands on Jim's hips, keeping him tethered to him as he fusses with the coat.

Don't thank me just yet.

It doesn't take long for him to figure out what Jim has in mind. Stepping in close as soon as Jim has the wool coat on as he bumps their foreheads together. ]

This time you won't be alone. [ Placing his hand on the back of Jim's head to push Jim's head lower as he lifts his own head up. Pressing a kiss against the crown of his head before letting go. Lacing his fingers together to crack his knuckles as he looks at the mound of snow. ]

Ready?