Home again, home again

[markofkaine]

[In the end, it wasn't that hard at all. One of those lanterns, like the ones Acedia had - its light could open up a portal home. Everyone made their plans, relieved to be free of the Midwestern hellhole that had kept them in its clutches for all these long days.

How strange. For once, Kaine was glad to have been proved foolish - optimism was never his strong suit, same with nursing such convenient daydreams - but now he felt unprepared for what lay ahead. A chapter was closing. What does he do with himself now?]

Comments

[eudaimoniac]

[as they prepare to finally step through the portal, adrien hesitates. he can see the flickering mirage of an astrine street on the other side, but . . .]

You're sure? You're sure you want to go?

[markofkaine]

[Adrien's voice snaps him out of his thoughts.]

...Future's wide open, isn't it?

And...I wanna see it with you.

[eudaimoniac]

You'll be in a strange place. You won't know anyone else . . .

[he is not able to disguise how obvious it is that he REALLY hopes kaine still says yes. he's just afraid that he has to do his due diligence here]

[markofkaine]

'Cept for this last year, I never lived in one place or knew anyone there my whole life. That doesn't exactly scare me.

[Would holding Kaine's hand help make him feel less anxious?]

[eudaimoniac]

[he CLINGS to the hand in fact]

All right, my dear. We'll have quite a task convincing my friends we're telling the truth about where you came from.

[markofkaine]

[squeezes hand back]

I could walk up a few walls. Swear at them. So on.

[eudaimoniac]

That's bound to help.

[he steps toward the portal, into the indistinct mirage of a daytime street at the side of a placid canal . . .]

[markofkaine]

[Through the portal they go... his senses go staticky with the prickle of magic ozone before they start to adjust to an entirely new world.

Kaine is wordless as he stares, looking all around them. He's been smelling Midwestern dirt and pine for so long - the air feels different here. The smells, the sounds... fucking civilization again, at last.]

Whoa.

[eudaimoniac]

[the canal is unusually clean and clear; the arrangement of the streets and buildings is cramped and labyrinthine

this seems to be an area with a lot of teeny tiny cafes and restaurants. des is going to stagger over to a nearby chair set out for one of the cafes and just

have a sit. have a little cry]

[markofkaine]

[Are we allowed to sit here-- oh. Um.

Kaine stands awkwardly over him for a second, not sure what to do (in public!) - before rubbing Adrien's shoulders in what he hopes is a reassuring way?]

Hey... hey, it's okay. It's-- the right place, right?

[eudaimoniac]

[there are definitely one or two people around who saw them pop into existence and have ignored it: "no, this is not my business, this is for the witchfinders or the pharmakeia to deal with, and i don't care which"]

I'm just s-so. Relieved.

[markofkaine]

[Good. Stay in your lane, passerbys. Kaine is already shooting glares at anyone who stares at Adrien crying for longer than two seconds.]

Okay. Um-- do you wanna go home?

[eudaimoniac]

I have to find Malise. She's . . . she might be in her office between patients . . . we could—

I don't have my house key. We'll have to find her anyway to get in. She has a spare.

[markofkaine]

And breaking into your house is... off the table?

[ ' - ' just an educated guess ]

[eudaimoniac]

I would like it to be.

But if she's been worried about me, I need to find her. Please? It's . . . we're already in Deme Palenne. It's not far to walk.

[markofkaine]

Of course.

[...Absently wonders how long it's been in this world. Has he been missing for weeks? Months? Or will it be like no time's passed at all?

Which option would be worse.....?

He swipes a thumb across Adrien's cheek, to wipe his tears.]

Just lead the way.

[eudaimoniac]

[he catches kaine's hand to squeeze it]

I'm afraid she's going to be quite suspicious of you at first. She'll worry you have some sort of ill intent. But it has nothing to do with you, really.

[gonna haul himself up and start walking toward the Chirurgeonate. the restaurants and cafes give way to bookstores, tiny museums, apartments]

[markofkaine]

[There is an invisible +5 for Malise for that, in his head]

Good. She should be.

[...He's going to be very distracted glancing at all the culture, walking past these places. Not just because of the trappings of an entirely new world, but it's a different kind of scene than he usually finds himself in. Rough neighbourhoods and, at best, bustling downtown life is what he's used to, not tiny musuems. He's both rubbernecking and feeling distinctly underdressed (spiritually).]

[eudaimoniac]

[deme palenne is quaint! it's maybe even cute. definitely a very decent part of the city

they near the chirurgeonate within twenty minutes—it really wasn't far. once on the grounds, it becomes very clear that this is one biiiiiiiig medical complex. patients taking their air, doctors and assistants going about their business. a lot of the buildings are very old, and there's a huge amount of glass and brick

he beelines to a tiny office building somewhere inside and knocks. when someone calls "come in," he pulls kaine inside HURRIEDLY]

[markofkaine]

[He's never done cute before!!! He's done some hospital but they were like. Prison hospitals. Different vibe entirely.

It reminds him of the state university campus that Peter went to... A not that he's ever been, but the memory of it. It hovers around the edge of his mind like a ghost.

So he's very distracted when Adrien pulls him in.]

Wuh--

[eudaimoniac]

[the small woman at the desk inside looks absolutely dreadful. she looks like she hasn't slept in a week, like she's spent at least ten hours a day crying.

as soon as she looks up and registers des, she scrambles to launch herself at him for a hug with a muffled shriek—"Where have you been?"

it takes a couple minutes of reassurance—no, he's not injured, no, there is nothing to worry about, yes, he can explain all this—before malise recovers herself enough to shift her attention and look at kaine. and there's a naked distrust in her eyes! she is Wondering(tm) about him. "Adrien, who is this?"]

[markofkaine]

[All of a sudden he really misses his stealth suit. The one that makes him invisible and inaudible.

It occurs to Kaine that maybe he should've rehearsed some kind of first impression for like, introducing himself to his boyfriend's best friend in an the world. A friend who has clearly been through the ringer with worry and needs some compassionate reassuring.

He did not do this. Not even remotely.

So, standing there like an awkward, massive, dangerous slab of beef in Adrien's shadow... he shrugs?]

Hi.

[eudaimoniac]

[meanwhile, des HAS rehearsed this moment. a lot, even, but it does him literally no good at all. he guides malise to the settee by the door, joins her, puts an arm around her, gentling

no thoughts head empty]

Err. This is Kaine. He's my boyfriend, and I met him . . . somewhere else. In a different world.

[kaine can see the instant conclusion on malise's face: jesus christ!!!! not again!!!!!! she doesn't know WHAT exactly is happening again, but it's one of several options

"Is that so?" she asks kaine. "Tell me more. Tell me much more. If you please."]

[markofkaine]

[He shifts his weight between his feet and crosses his arms.

Bluntly:]

Well it started when we were kidnapped by some psychos into some middle of nowheresville forest horror compound in the Midwest. Sometimes they made us kill each other, then they'd bring us back t'life. Still not really clear on why. We got lumped in the same house with a buncha other weirdos, mostly from different worlds too.

Pretty sure if I tell you I'm from the United States, it's not gonna mean anything.

[eudaimoniac]

[the incoherence of that seems to relax her, despite how unnerving the words are. good, at least this is not a Florian situation. her defensive bristling smooths over by a degree, replaced by shades of 'nice doctor voice'

but she doesn't jump 100% into assuming there's nothing here but delusion. been down that road before, learned a lesson

"If you were kidnapped, are you two safe now? Does something need to be done?"]