Locked in a Room

[dishevelment]

Who: Everyone stuck in Pride HQ
What: This load of crap.
When: Nov. 1-5
Where Pride HQ
Warnings: Pg-13 minimum because Carnies. Tag if it gets over that.


Everyone got the same call-- and now we're all stuck in HQ with no hint of release in sight.

The reason? No one knows.

How are you coping?

Comments

[gunslingerqueen]

[That look makes her feel a little guilty, she really hadn't meant to make him feel bad! She just finally had enough pride to be embarrassed about that night.

But he actually finds a brush! Why was that even there. When had she - Whatever, man.]

You really want to do this? [Nariko's short but her hair still reaches down to her ankles, and it's a tad thick, too. He'd end up here all night. .... But it is incredibly comforting so she still turns to put her back to him, pushing every strand off of her shoulders.]

[traumatizing]

[He'll probably give up at some point in favour of falling asleep on top of all her stuff, but for now Terry's happy to do this. He knows how comforting this kind of thing can be, and Nariko really seems like she could use it. He combs his fingers through her hair to get a feel for how tangled it is, and then he starts by lifting the ends to start working through it carefully.]

[(You don't spend years backcombing your hair without learning a thing or two about how to brush out knots.)]

[Feeling the weight of her hair in his hand though... Terry laughs softly. This was a bad choice.]

I might regret this already.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Terry might have the luck of a god if she doesn't conk out when/if he makes it closer to her scalp. Then they can both sleep on her stuff with all the maturity of exhausted toddlers.

But seriously: He obviously knows what he's doing, and she appreciates it immensely.] Probably! But even if you just do a third of it I can handle the rest.

[This feels like such a normal thing, which only highlights the utter insanity of the past few days. Her eyes close, and that helps her work out a real question.] We'll be fine, right?

[There's a part of her that feels like nothing bad is happening, this is just a weird spell, Santiago getting in a huff, maybe. But then there's a niggling sense - it hasn't lessened as much as she'd like - that it's more. And she doesn't want it to be, everything needs to go back to the same normality that came with Terry's kindness.]

[traumatizing]

It's just a rough couple of weeks.

[It all feels... Wrong in a way he can't pinpoint. These daydreams don't make any sense, and Lesedi asking about them, keeping everyone holed up like this... Something weird is going on, but Terry doesn't want to think about all that. He just wants to move on, get back to normal.]

[He sighs.] We'll get past it.

[gunslingerqueen]

[It was almost like going back to the night of the gala, but there's a critical failure in her reasoning, she doesn't - or can't - make the connection between the two feelings, even if she can vaguely remember the former. She could talk about mentioning it all to Koumei or something but ... Yeah, she wants it all back to normal, too.

Besides, she does enough as it is, this isn't the kind of thing she wants to add to.]

Yeah. As long as we're together. [All of them. Terry, Garnet, Richard, Koumei - it's so easy to cling onto the safety of that idea. Of never being without them.]

What we should really be focusing on is celebrating your birthday! You wanted to do something for it, right?

[She's thinking of the tattoo and, yeah, this whole lockdown thing might go on past the day but that's no reason to not celebrate.]

[traumatizing]

[He laughs softly and ahakes his head.] I'm getting a new tattoo, yeah.

[Assuming he doesn't have to cancel thanks to this whole mess. Terry sighs and pauses in brushing Nariko's hair. He hadn't really planned more than that, but it'd be nice to do something.]

I'm not exactly a 'celebration' kind of guy though, you know that.

[gunslingerqueen]

Believe me, I know. [Nariko was the complete 'celebration' type and not being able to throw big parties with tons of gifts ... It was just depressing! But it wasn't the sort of thing worth forcing.]

Can you live with a cupcake, and a witness for the new ink?

[traumatizing]

That would be great.

[She can't see his face, but the smile is in his voice.] I was thinking about co-opting a bar downtown. Do an open call on Twitter to see who wants to hang out.

[Something chill and low key. Perfect for Terry.]]

[gunslingerqueen]

That's a good idea, I have to know what directions to give the strippers!

[A pause, and then she tilts her head back to look at him.] Kidding! [This time, anyway.]

But you do realize I'm going to sing for you, even if it's just between us.

[traumatizing]

[He groans and tilts his head forward, pressing his forehead against Nariko's shoulder in faux-despair.]

Nooo. That's too much. I'll die, you'll kill me.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Mock-pouting, she reaches back a little awkwardly to poke his cheek.]

We mark the passing of time with song, Terry! You can't wiggle out of this literally timeless tradition!

[traumatizing]

Traditions are stupid.

[He says into her hair, sounding very much like a petulant teenager.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She can't help laughing now - he sounds like he's five years old!]

Sorry! [Nariko is not even a little bit sorry.] You want the cool cupcake with your name and a sparkler? You gotta sit through the birthday song!

[traumatizing]

There are sparklers now?

[This is so unfair!!!]

[gunslingerqueen]

And glitter! Multi colored glitter that never goes away!

[So much excitement.]

[traumatizing]

I'm out again.

[He sits up with an exaggerated sigh and gets back to work on Nariko's hair. #2goth4glitter.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[Annnd all that excitement tumbles down into a long bout of giggling that's far more in line with her usual demeanor. But then it rockets up into hysterical, uncontrollable laughter for no goddamn reason, and she awkwardly falls to one side of the bed, just laughing like a complete dumbass.

Be patient with her, Terry. Or laugh along, that might be fun, too.]

[traumatizing]

[What.]

[Still with her hair in his hand, Terry looks down at Nariko on the bed and raises his eyebrows. Laughing a little, but more in confusion than anything.]

You alright down there?

[gunslingerqueen]

[It was funny!

... Okay no it wasn't. It was stupid and illogical but it was one of those things where the timing and normality of it would either make one laugh or cry, and she ends up with the former.]

Sorry! I'm fine, really. [She sits back up.] I just - I think I just needed to laugh.

[No matter how incomprehensible or dumb the reason for it.]

[traumatizing]

[He smiles and brushes a hand through her hair, pausing to scratch her scalp lightly and affectionately.]

I think we all do.

[gunslingerqueen]

[While it might be difficult to classify the noise she makes it's a happy one. If she were a cat it might be a purr, but human lungs just don't work like that, so the nearest equivalent has to do.]

So I should start telling horrible jokes, then? [Because Terry hasn't laughed enough, and she's at least got enough energy to try and rectify that.

Especially if he rewards her with more hair-toying.]

[traumatizing]

God no. Not unless you're trying to make me scream.

[She can have all the hair-toying she wants regardless of whether or not Terry laughs, as demonstrated by the way he spends some time toying idly with the hair at the base of her scalp. Evidently he's done brushing it for her.]

[gunslingerqueen]

Why shouldn't kids watch symphonies on TV?

[Too bad, Terry! She's gonna go ahead and tell the bad jokes while also receiving the best form of platonic attention in the world. She doesn't even care about brushing. She actually only thinks of getting him to smile, and enjoying this moment.]

[traumatizing]

Oh no.

[Terry groans, dreading the punchline already. Why is this his life.]

[gunslingerqueen]

There's too much sax and violins!

[She is funny, dammit!!!]