[log] It's ice to meet you [open?]

[darkincrement]

Characters: Gabriel, Billy, and Ven/Vanitas.
Location: Maintenance Tunnels
Date: 348+
Summary: Ven!itas wants to help out Gabriel. Billy is being dragged along. Also guilt. Lots of guilt.
Warnings: n/a yet. Might have to add some later.

[ Post is a lie ]

Comments

Billy Meeting (YOU KNOW WHAT I AM DOING)

[darkincrement]

[ 56: All that's left of this house that can withstand the elements is a large master bedroom and its attached bathroom and walk-in closet. The bathtub is a small one, but it has hot water long enough to fill the bathtub once a day. The walk-in closet is windowless and dark--if there was a place for a light, it's long-since vanished--but near the back is a sealed up trapdoor. There's a dent in the wall next to the door, as if someone had slammed the door open very roughly. The floor has been nearly ruined, with only metal and scorched facade remaining. The trap door leads to the maintenance tunnels. "ALPHONSE ELRIC AND TADASHI HAMADA, DAY TEN, TRAVELLING EAST" is written on the wall inside. There's a large blue smear on the wall. "ALFIE SOLOMONS, 1922. Camden Town, London, England, UK, Europe, Earth. Day 187, March 17 or March 18." has been carved into the wall.

Vanitas is sitting on the bed, while pulling stuff out of his bag to reorganize it.

He looks up when he hears someone come in. ] Hello.

[ Billy might be able to see some crystals and also...glass glinting on the bed? Also the gelatin cups. ]

:o

[fanboyascended]

[ Billy opens the trap door cautiously, taking his time to look around the room and make sure there's no one unexpected waiting to jump on him before he pulls himself up and into the room. He's been walking a while and stops to rest there, feet dangling down into the maintenance tunnel as he waves to Van - no. Ventus. ]

Still feeling different?

[darkincrement]

Hmm? Well, yeah. I'm still not used to it.

[ Unless he's asking if he's still Ventus, in that case yes. Hear that upbeat tone? ]

I'm trying to clean out his bag. He had broken glass in the small pocket.

[ Billy might remember it when it used to be in the larger part. But it's been relocated. ]

[fanboyascended]

[ He hears it alright, and it's even weirder in person. ]

-Yeah, I guess it's pretty weird to be in someone else's body if you're not used to it.

[ Billy hesitates to explain the broken glass, and settles on: ]

Might not want to throw anything away, especially not if it makes a good weapon. I can take anything you don't want to carry right now, though.

[darkincrement]

[ But Billy, he already has a knife and blender blades. ]

If you say so.

[ He's going to put them in an empty jello cup at least? He did clean it. ]

Not sure if there's anything. There's a strange package on the bottom.

[fanboyascended]

Strange? Have you opened it?

[ Billy's not sure he wants to know what's packed away at the bottom of Vanitas' bag. It has equal chances of being way too private or completely horrifying. ]

-Not that I'm saying you should go through any of his stuff. But.

Maintenance Tunnels

[darkincrement]

A.
[ Time to get lost in the maintenance tunnels and hopefully find Gabriel along the way? It's dark, so he's keeping a hand on the walls as they go, trying to aim his screen on the floor to see if that helps. ]

I like night time, but only when I could see Stars.

[ Yup, trying to make conversation. ]

B.
[ Food option! Just going through the noms he has in there. ]

I have a lighter if anyone wants to use it.

[ He sounds upbeat, but he looks pretty tired. Unlike his counterpart, he's not one for gloves, so he's taking them off to dig through the bag. There's an old bandage wrapped around one of his hands. ]

Also candy.

C. Wild card/bring your own.

A

[termineur]

[ Gabriel reached the tunnels fairly early in the day, and so it doesn't take him long before he's near the same area as the other two. They also echo, so he holds his tablet light out in front of him and calls. ]

Hello? Ventus? It's Gabriel.

I'm sorry

[darkincrement]

[ He actually feels himself relax at that voice. It's strange, but he's been pretty worried about him. Jogging over to the source of the sound and light. ]

Hey! We're here.

[ He's not wearing his helmet and he has the hoodie part of Billy's cape on his head. ]

I hope we didn't take too long.

[termineur]

[ Oh god, the different inflection is so weird. He has to remind himself Vanitas is in there. He does smile when he sees the kid, using his polite and friendly persona for meeting strangers, rather than usual smirky villain face he generally reserves for making in-jokes with Vanitas. ]

No, not at all. You know, it usually takes up to a week to meet people here? So half a day's nothing. The trip treat you okay?

[darkincrement]

[ This one actually might give hugs though? He looks pretty surprised though at that.]

A week? Really? [ That seems like a long time. ] Guess I'm pretty good at navigating, huh? [ Or he remembers something on a subconscious level. ] I'm doing alright. I'm used to traveling alone.

[termineur]

Yeah, me too. But I don't like being on my own out here. Had a couple of bad glitches happen while I was all by my lonesome.

So! It's good to run into you two. Do you want to try and head in a direction, or just set up camp here? I'm good for anything.

[darkincrement]

We can keep going a little longer if you want.

[ You guys take the wheel. ]

How's your hands? Feeling any better?

[termineur]

[ He nods. It won't take them long to actually get to a house in the residential district- then they'll be a little warmer for the rest of the night. He gestures that way and smiles as they start walking. ]

Heh. The problem is I don't feel them at all, but- yeah, it's gotten easier to handle. I just have to watch while I do anything with them. Still glad to have you guys here. I wouldn't exactly know if I ended up cutting myself on something. Can you help me keep an eye out for problems?

[darkincrement]

[ Beams a smile back as he follows along. There's even a bounce in his step over the fact that there are more friends with them. ]

You can count on me.

[ Going to keep a look out for anything that could prod him ]

Is it just you hands? Or you don't feel anything at all?

B - open to everyone, if Billy wants in!

[termineur]

[ Gabriel doesn't even say anything for a long moment, just pulls out an apple and holds it out. He pulls out another one for Billy, as soon as the first is taken. ]

I've got eggs and bacon to cook, but I don't think we should do it down here. The metal's gonna make everything heat weird.

Morning 352

[darkincrement]

A.. [ If anyone was expecting to sleep in, then they might be in for a surprise. There's a loud sound of a tablet hitting a wall, and then bouncing off to clatter on the floor.

Then there's another sound as his helmet soon joins the same path. Someone is pretty much throwing a tantrum. ]


B. [ Later on, he's more calm again. His helmet is on and he's checking through his stuff to make sure everything is there. Pausing as he sees something in his bag. ]

You could have taken it back.

[ It could apply to either of them, between the book being there and a piece of the cloak. ]

B

[termineur]

[ Gabriel's just glad the kid didn't run off right away. He imagines that helmet's going to stay on for a bit. In response to the statement, he reaches under his coat and pulls out the charm he's had hanging around his neck. ]

I wanted to wait until you were you again. It's not worth exchanging until the right person's here for it.

[darkincrement]

[ He can't really name the feeling he gets seeing that on Gabriel. He's glad, almost happy that he keeps it close.

There's also a mix of guilt there and the anger is still simmering there on the surface. That Vanitas acted like that as a loss. That he even died in the first place. That Gabriel even died...

He isn't sure how to cope with it all and nothing to take it out on. Just the two people who count as friends.

Vanitas springs up to his feet and moves closer to Gabriel. ]

What did you think? Of Ventus?

[ He's taking care to keep all emotions out of his voice. ]

[termineur]

[ Uh huh. Gabriel can still sense the emotional weight of this question, Vanitas, but good try. He remains fairly neutral while answering. ]

He was all right. A little bland, but all right.

[ He glances sideways to catch Vanitas' eye (which is kind of impossible with the helmet, but whatever). ]

Honestly? It was pretty easy to tell he wasn't entirely 'whole'. Not so much with you. Glad you're back.

[darkincrement]

[ There's something almost reassuring about the words Gabriel uses. He's bland and he's glad Vanitas is back. Someone who might even prefer him over his other half. His shoulders lower for a moment. ]

Can you feel?

[ It's not what he intended on asking, but he realizes it's important at the moment. If Gabriel can feel anything or if he's still stuck with his own death price. ]

[termineur]

[ Gabriel frowns briefly. ]

Not yet. Guess I've got another day or two with it. I've honestly kinda gotten used to it by now.

[ So it's not so bad, at least. ]

[darkincrement]

[ He's both relieved and disappointed. Moving closer. ]

Then I won't hurt you now.

[ He wants to for a lot of reasons, and he knows most of it is petty. He's mad. Mad at what House might have been implying on the network. Mad that Gabriel died. Mad that he's a mess over all of it hitting him at once.

Still a little resentful over the whole leaving.

So, he'll do something different for now knowing he can't feel it. Knowing it's a little cruel, but also not wanting to hold back right now. It might be one of the only times he can bring himself to do this...

He's going to hug him tight. Putting his arms around him and gripping the back of his coat as he bumps his helmet against him. ]

[termineur]

[ Gabriel raises an eyebrow over Vanitas talking about hurting him, but he hardly looks worried about it. Just a little surprised. He's about to ask if he gets a punch too since Vanitas clearly went off and died, but- well.

The unexpected happens and Gabriel is left to gasp and try to figure out the right amount of pressure to hug back without being able to feel it. It's about here that he realizes what Vanitas is doing and that pulls a chuckle out of him. ]

You're a real brat sometimes, you know that?

[ He leans his chin on the helmet a bit. His voice is fond. ]

I missed you, buddy.

Morning 353

[termineur]

[ When he wakes up and Vanitas is just gone, he actually sort of blames the hospital at first. There's been too much time spent here, too many terrible days. The whole place already has a bad aura, and Gabriel just feels like its karma. Killing Mohinder here has always come back to haunt him.

But his second thought is that maybe Vanitas decided it was all a bad idea again and bolted.

He seeks out Billy and as soon as he's in view, Gabriel waves him down. If Billy was sleeping, he is now going to be awake. ]

Vanitas is gone. Did he say anything to you last night?