dreams that make you go hmmm

[h2no]

WHO: archie and lu, maybe others if u wanna tag in
WHERE: helix
WHEN: hmm.
WHAT: So You've Had A Shared Dystopian Nightmare
WARNINGS: probably discussion of violence and death



[firstly, a very important message to the network:]

what the fuck

[secondly, archie goes to helix. he doesn't really want to be at home after what he remembers and feeling so... off, so he goes to helix. probably the only other place he feels safe in.

then he orders about twenty pizzas. at least three are for himself.

finally, another message:] if you know what's up come to helix
see last message for details

Comments

gremlin spotting

[h2no]

[it takes him, he's ashamed to admit, a couple days to pull himself out of his confusion induced stupor and remember that people outside of helix exist. a couple houses he checks are still empty, but one...

maybe he was leaving this one last for a reason. he... kind of remembers what rex did. he's...

worried? kind of?

mostly terrified. archie hovers around the door, then knocks.]

Yo, anyone home?

[darkov]

[it's not long before the deadbolt clicks and the door opens -- yanked open, really -- and Martin's wide eyes are searching and fixing on him. gaunt, distressed, and more anxious than he usually is, that's the state of him now.

it's been days. many days.]

Ar-archie...you're...you're here... [he speaks as if going above a whisper risks some kind of retaliation, and his eyes wince, already welling up, as though he's braced for something bad as he realizes it's his friend, actually in the flesh come to see him.]

[h2no]

Yeah--! [oh, god. are rex and andy not back yet? archie crouches and holds his arms out, if martin wants a hug.

god knows the poor kid looks like he needs one.] I'm here. I'm sorry. They'll be back, okay? We're coming back slowly, but they'll come back.

[darkov]

[he wavers in place, hesitant, as if doing so was going to make something bad happen. but it's only for a moment, and then he leans forward and lets himself get embraced, his own arms a bit limp on Archie's shoulders.

they'll be back, he says. is that true? or is this like the desert city? wasn't that supposed to be over?

quietly mumbled:] I thought that...it was just a bad dream. I thought all of this stuff was supposed to be over.

[...]

But I woke up and...nobody was here. Nobody's been back. Their names aren't there, either.

[h2no]

[this is a throwback. what must've happened to the poor kid? archie doesn't know. he doesn't think he wants to know.]

Yeah, me too. [he gives martin a squeeze before he pulls back.] Have you eaten?

[darkov]

[he blinks slowly, then takes a moment to rub at his watery eyes and gulp against the lump stuck in his throat. he wouldn't have minded that hug for longer, but he won't protest aloud.

with a crack in his voice along the way:] I dunno. I'm not hungry.

[h2no]

[he watches for a moment, then takes martin's hand gently.]

You wanna get Fish Rex and Fish Andy and come with me? I'm stayin' at Helix. That big place nearer the centre of the city. It's safe, and there's any food you want there. I can get a room for you. Y'can stay safe until they're back, yeah?

its mimosa time

[hatejakku]

[ Finn had trouble remembering what had happened other than knowing something happened. Hadn't Poe been there? Did Finn... die or something?



Anyway, he didn't bother texting Archie back. Instead, he just slunk over to Helix. When he did find Archie, he walked over with slumped shoulders, a confused/tired/worried expression on his face, and a way too big sweater on that was practically dripping off of him. Sue him for choosing comfort over... literally everything else right now. ]

Hey... Saw your message... What're those for? [ The pizzas, he means. ]

MIMOSAAAAAAAS

[h2no]

[archie's halfway through his second pizza when finn gets there-- why is he so hungry? not sure. this is good though. he pulls himself up from the table he's at when he sees finn, sliding an arm around his shoulders for a brief, awkward hug, then directs him to one of the nicer chairs. non-plastic. good shit.]

Hungry.

[...eloquent.]

[hatejakku]

[ Oh, there is a chair... He'll go over there later. Finn kinda falls into the hug for a little longer, more leaning on Archie than an actual hug. But, yeah, okay, he has some energy in him.

Finn pulls away, falls into a chair, and opens the nearest pizza box. ]

Haven't seen a lot of people since coming back. [ The absence of Poe, particularly, was worrying him. It was just difficult to dredge up energy for anything right now. Archie coming back was the best thing that's happened to him in like three weeks.

Not that he was great at showing it, currently munching on a pineapple pizza and staring through the box. ]

[h2no]

[it's fine. he needs it to. it's nice to know finn is back and himself.]

Yeah, me neither. Dunno if gettin' back is only done the one way, either...

[he slumps back into his own chair and sighs.]

...Did you see Poe? Uh. There. In the city.

[hatejakku]

[ The one way... Finn's not totally sure what Archie means by that. Or, rather, he wishes he didn't have a pretty accurate guess.

Before he can figure out a kind way to bring it up, Poe's name is mentioned... Finn grimaces and puts his slice of pizza back. ]

Yeah... You did, too?

[h2no]

[yeah... let's not go into too much detail on that front. he doesn't want to know what happened to finn-- the idea of him being hurt at all... makes his heart feel like it's turning inside out? weird!]

Yeah. I hope he doesn't remember it. It's not him, but knowin' the guy he might disagree on that front.

[he winces.]

You okay?

[fauxmarth]

[he doesn't have to wait long for a reply.

...well. he kind of does, because she doesn't answer immediately by phone, but she's come to Helix in a hurry and hastens to seek him out, herself disheveled and harried in her own right, apple-cheeked from flying so fast in the freezing cold.

it doesn't matter.

she's breathless and worried that, maybe, she hallucinated this? that he's still gone along with the rest of them and she's just going mad.

half trotting, half floating, she yells down the hall:] Archie-?!

[h2no]

In here, Lu! [he calls out, not getting up. he has eaten

way too many pizzas. ugh.

mightyena does the honours and bolts out of the room, tail wagging and whining. lucina can probably tell he's upset, because he doesn't jump up on her. he rolls onto his back in a submissive position when he gets to her, whining still.

sorry he tried to eat you :(]

[fauxmarth]

Oh! You, there...! [she's braced for the jump, but...instead just stands there with her arms out and watches the poor thing go belly up. she blinks, then clicks her tongue, bending down to scoop him up with ease, smushing her face against his fur.]

Don't be like that. It's alright. I'm always happy to see you. [she coos other such assurances while walking into the room of pizza stink, peeking out from wiggling dog to spy Archie, her heart immediately lifted just as much as it's squeezed.]

Thank gods...you've come back... Did anyone else-? [Guzma? Darin?]

[h2no]

[mightyena groans and burys his face against her shoulder. perfect. this is perfect. crobat's in the room with archie, sitting in a corner and looking quite ashamed with himself. sharpedo and muk are not present for obvious reasons.]

No, I haven't seen anyone else. Sorry. [he exhales lightly and pushes a box towards her. if she opens it, she'll see he's arranged the peppers and pepperoni on it to say "sorry i tried to kill you"

must've got it with extra extra peppers. damn, archie.]

[fauxmarth]

[unfortunately, the bitter gift is not opened right away, not when she's got an armful of dog and other things besides pizza on her mind.

while still scratching Mightyena in her hold:] And you... [pause.] You remember? That place? That city?

[h2no]

Yeah.

[he looks away, tone even. he's not really... sure what to tell her or what to make of it. he looks ashamed the same way crobat does.]

I got back earlier, after Poe gutted me like a damn fish. What the hell was it? Some OTO last hurrah?

[cannotrest]

[Ashley happens to be not looking at her phone, but around the Helix door when the pizzas arrive, having missed Archie in the hallways.]

This must be a mistake, or a prank, we didn't order any--

Wait, did you say Archie ordered these?

[h2no]

Yo, Ash! [he says, rounding from behind her and holding out a bunch of notes for the delivery and his hand out for the boxes.] Aye, I did order them. I'm gonna stay here for a while. I'm still allowed to do that, right?

[he... probably will even if she says no, but he can't imagine she would.]

There's some nightmare alternate reality thing goin' on. Dunno if you've been there. We should probably chat about it.

[cannotrest]

[Too relieved that he's back for words, all she can do is nod her "yes of course" as the pizza delivery person swaps the money for the pizzas.

[However, she grows more sober when Archie brings up the other reality, and shakes her head.]

I wasn't there - I thought people were suddenly all Porting out at once.

[She'd felt so helpless - her co-commander and so much of the team was gone, and this was not a problem she could shoot.]

Yeah, we can talk.

[h2no]

[he clicks his tongue, sympathy in his expression.]

I thought every imPort went... [man, if he had been someone left behind he would've probably puked from anxiety then drank himself into a coma. poor ashley. he gives her shoulder a squeeze.

there's a few things he wants to ask, but firstly and most importantly:] Cayde didn't leave you, did he?

[cannotrest]

[She shakes her head, a small smile on her face.]

No. That man's stuck with me.

[At least, assuming neither of them Ports out. She's grateful he didn't go, her rock in this storm.]

Who else was there? If you thought everyone went, sounds like that could be where everyone disappeared to.

[h2no]

Good.

[they don't need to talk about the port out stuff-- isn't it enough of a weight around any imPort minds who're in a relationship?]

I know Lucina was. Finn. Darin. Guzma. Rex... Poe. I-- don't remember anyone else. I mostly kept to myself. [he makes a face.] Whatever existin' in that world did to me, it made me a total ass.