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

[notahobby]

What?

[Maxxie's off in his own little world, so it takes him a moment to process Yosuke's complaint. He doesn't let it phase him, though.]

Oh, sorry dude. I'll cut it out if that's what you want.

[He goes back to doodling in his notebook.]

[punchesyu]

Yeah, thanks.

[His eyes wander over, of course. What was he drawing...?]

Since when do you draw?

[notahobby]

What?

[He looks down at his notebook, realizing that the whole page has been covered in drawings. Usually there are lyrics written down somewhere, notes about something that he knows he wants to remember later. He inspects it for a moment and then looks back up at Yosuke, shrugging.]

I've always been drawing. Just more than usual, I guess.

[punchesyu]

Well, lemme see. You any good?

[He leans over to look at the notebook, without asking at all. He's going to try to at least get a glimpse of any of the drawings that Maxxie has, just in case he tries to snatch it away.]

[notahobby]

[Maxxie shrugs and doesn't make any attempt to stop Yosuke from seeing. He's passable - there are some observational drawings scattered throughout that show he has a good eye but he certainly never had any formal training in it.]

It's just something I do.

[punchesyu]

C'mon dude, you musta got into it somehow. It's definitely not half bad.

[Yosuke can't draw his way out of a paper bag.]

There's gotta be something you like about it or you wouldn't do it.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie doesn't have an answer for that, and his face says as much.]

It's a hobby. Just something to keep me busy, you know? 'Specially with all this going on.

[punchesyu]

Yeah, tell me about it. Everyone's going totally stir-crazy in here. Something's bugging everyone it seems like....

[His voice trails off, because he's bothered too, despite trying to be cheery about it.]

[notahobby]

[He sighs.]

How've you been holding up? Haven't had to cancel too many dates, have you?

[He takes on a wry smile.]

[punchesyu]

[He waves a hand in dismissal, since dates are the furthest from his mind right about now.]

Oh, you know... [He says a little nervously while trying to keep a cheery demeanor.] Just trying not to let it get to me too much...! I think the stress gave me nightmares or something...

[He says it, he's serious, but he's trying to sound like it's a joke and blow it off as a joke.]

[notahobby]

[Maxxie looks at Yosuke thoughtfully for a moment, then nudges him gently with his shoulder.]

We're all going a little bit crazy in here. If you want to talk about it...

[punchesyu]

[He sighs, looking down at the spot where Maxxie's nudged him.]

I don't know dude...I keep having these weird visions. I know it sounds sorta nuts...

[He doesn't want to say "But I'm not the only one" quite yet.]

[notahobby]

[Maxxie frowns, but it's a worried frown of someone who can relate.]

What... kind of visions?

[punchesyu]

[For some reason, he feels weird telling Maxxie now. He shifts uncomfortably, but takes a deep breath. Calm down, Yosuke.]

Just...stuff that I don't remember ever happening. Stuff that's way out there that shouldn't be real.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie's hesitant, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one else can hear them.]

Like things you did but you know you didn't really do? Or people that you feel like you know but you never met them before?

[punchesyu]

[Maxxie is repeating words that he's heard before from other people, with a small deviation. His eyes widen, knowingly, before he speaks again.]

You too, right? [He says in confirmation to Maxxie's own question.]

[notahobby]

[He hesitates again, wondering just how much he should tell Yosuke.]

It's just little things, like... this fight I had with my dad, except I never actually fought with my dad like that, and he seemed... different. I don't know how to explain it.

[punchesyu]

Nothing to do with dead people or anything?

[That was the most important question right now, a theory he and Jamie had formed.]

[notahobby]

[Maxxie frowns.]

...no.

[punchesyu]

[On one hand, he looks relieved, on the other, he looks perplexed by that information.]

I was talking about it with someone else, and it seems like a lot of people are suffering from the same thing...and so there might be more to the fight you had with your dad.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie looks nervous and defensive. Something tells him they shouldn't be talking about it, that he should be dismissing all of this as unreasonable.]

I told you, that fight never happened. And my dad's alive, he's...

[...with his mother, in Bristol. Still. Right, no reason to get upset. It's totally normal that Maxxie hasn't spoken to them in months. He's just been so busy.]

He's fine.

[punchesyu]

[There's something in the way that Maxxie says it that has Yosuke going along with it- like that sounded right, that there's probably nothing that happened at all, like it was all in his head...

...but he shakes his head a few times. It's been a lot of people, not just him and Maxxie.]

When was the last time you talked to him?

[notahobby]

[Maxxie shrugs his shoulders, frowning deeply and anyone who knows him knows that this is the hackles going up. He wants to stop talking about this now, please.]

I dunno! I've been really busy, alright? Can we stop?

[punchesyu]

Okay, okay! Forget it then.

[He says apologetically, dropping it. His hands come up in front of him, and Yosuke decides for a topic switch.]

Let's get the chefs to make us some shakes or something. So we can chill till this stupid ass lockdown is over, that cool?

[notahobby]

[Maxxie relaxes a little, though he still gives Yosuke a suspicious glance before he nods.]

Sure. Sounds good.