unbr8kable | IC Inbox

[More than enough.]

[As the seconds drag by, the shaking subsides a little at a time. He turns his head so that the damaged eye faces outward - presses his cheek on the uninjured side against her shoulder.]

[Her breath hitches, softly, and she pulls him in tighter, angling her head to press against his and fingers knotting in his shirt.

At one point she makes a little noise like she's going to say something, but doesn't in the end.]

[He doesn't, either. He just holds on.]

[At length, one of his hands smooths across her back, careful - like he's confirming to himself that she's here, and in one piece, and as close to okay as she can be, given the circumstances.]

[Her breath catches again, a voiced little hiccup, but she presses closer still, enough that he can surely feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her one hand stays over the middle of his back, counting his breaths]

[There's no heartbeat to mirror hers, but she can feel him breathing - not quite steady - and pick up on the little tremors still working through him.]

[The hand on her back smooths down and then up again - to soothe her, maybe, but also to prove to himself that they're both here, in an ordinary bathroom, and there's nothing stopping either of them from reaching out for one another, if they need it.]

[She can't quite slow enough to match even his unsteady breaths but she's trying. She can't keep quiet, either, even though her voice comes out small enough that you'd think shutting it would be simple.]

Hey...

[She tangles her fingers more tightly into his shirt for a good while before she continues]

You think--they could set up other doorways like that?

[His hand keeps up its rhythm, slow and steady, as much to comfort him as it is to comfort her.]

What, like -

[He hesitates. Isn't sure he wants to assume the wrong thing.]

...like what?

[Careful to hide the wobble]

Like, how we were in the theater and then we weren't. Like that, where we could be--taken without being able to do anything.

Edited 2019-11-11 08:20 (UTC)

[Isn't quite as good at hiding the wobble in his.]

...naw. Naw, we - we know what to look for now, right?

They had to set it up. Had to like - get it ready or something first. Otherwise why have us go there?

But we know what to look for, now. So we won't - we just walk into it.

Edited 2019-11-11 08:26 (UTC)

[Listens, and breathes, and her follow-up comes out far more vulnerable than she was hoping]

So--you don't think they could just do it...anywhere...?

If they could do it anywhere, why go to all the trouble to get us out there? They coulda just grabbed us off the street.

No point in setting up an ambush if you don't need an ambush.

[Hums, because he has a point, if an overly hopeful one]

Yeah... But couldn't they just set up more ambushes, is what I'm saying? Like...set some trick portal at the doorway to the hideout or something...

[He's quiet for a second or two, digesting that. Then:]

I guess.

But... why not just do that in the first place, if they knew to trap somewhere we'd be anyway? Why put the extra effort in to get us out to somewhere specific... y'know?

So... Y'think maybe they can only do it to some places...?

Or with some kinda set-up. It had to be magic, right? Maybe there had to be some kinda written whatever, or it had to be real dark, or something. Otherwise why bother calling us out?

[He thinks about it, for a long couple of seconds.]

...or maybe he didn't know where we usually go or something.

He knew we knew Elly, how would he not know where we hang out? Doesn't he watch the show?

I dunno. Maybe they cut out the boring parts or something.

Who wants to watch people walking places?

There's no way our crazy fans don't know some of our hiding places. I bet they got 3-D papercraft version of the hideout. This guy--

[And her voice wavers a bit, as if recalling the feel of being pinned under that empty gaze, held by the long, slender fingers]

--Maybe they weren't after us in the first place. Maybe we were just the first guys to write 'em back.

[Considers, and then shakes his head, slow.]

He said it was on purpose. Why would he bother lying? He wanted us to - to put on a show, right? Better for him if we knew what was up.

[A thought seems to strike him.]

...hey. Why did he know about the angel?

Obviously working for whatserface, right? We already knew she took Elly, and Goat Skull said he wanted to piss Elly off.

[Huddles in]

Probably wanted him to spill the beans on how to get into Heaven or something...

[Presses a little nearer, himself.]

Kinda weird it's all been at whatshisname's house, though, yeah? Even though P was supposed to've grabbed him.

...but yeah. That's what they wanted from him, right? So - they had to be trying to get him to give up the info, or do whatever it is they needed him to do to get them in.

It'd make sense, right? Hey, spill the beans or we'll fuck up your dumbshit buddies.

...Even though I thought they were trying to keep it secret, the whole angel thing. That's why--when they said they broadcast it...

...yeah. Yeah.

I kinda figured... they'd keep it on the down-low.

Yeah... That part--don't really make sense.

[If there's even sense to be made of something like this...]

Yeah...

[He's quiet for a long couple of seconds - curls into her a little closer.]

So either. Either what they got outta broadcasting was worth giving up the secret over, or else whoever it was wasn't part of the cover-up to start with.

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