[OPEN] how long is forever?

[atouts]

WHO: Childermass & anyone.
WHAT: Childermass returns from his unfortunate vacation in the Matrix.
WHERE: The carnival, Trailer #19, the cookhouse.
WHEN: End of D32, on into D33.
WARNINGS: Mentions of torture, will update if anything else comes up.

[ D32, by the tree phones; closed to the first person to find him ]

Why he'd been released after giving so little information, Childermass can't be sure.

He wondered if they had picked up anyone else, someone more likely to talk about the carnival than he was. Perhaps that had made it less useful to keep at him, when someone else was more chatty, although if that were the case, they sure didn't mind trying to keep on "convincing" him. After all that effort, just to have him wake up back in the zoo, intact again, for the most part (the memory of broken fingers still has him rubbing his knuckles, often and uncomfortably). Part of him — the sensible, forever cautious part — wanted to stay and find out, to know, but the rest of him was exhausted. Caution be damned, he needed to get out, so that was exactly what he did.

Funny how only a few days ago he was telling Mr. Strange how bizarre it was to already consider the carnival home, but stumbling to the nearest phone and finding himself back among the trees, with that mad circus up ahead, is a relief. Back at last, after nearly five days of missing, he'll let out a sigh and lean heavily against the same tree the phone is hooked up to.

Now here's a man who looks worse for wear, but at least he's still standing, right?

[Late D32-D33; open to all]

Afterwards, whatever it is that comes afterwards, Childermass will be wisely leaving his supervisor a note about taking a day off to rest — if that's no problem, of course — and then holing up in his trailer to, for the most part, sleep. It won't be very restful, though, so more often than not he'll be found up with tea, trying and failing to write for any real length of time, or spending an awful lot of time staring at ceiling from where he should, but isn't, sleeping.

Basically, trying to avoid everyone, but he'll probably answer the door if someone shows up, assuming they're polite about it at all. Considering the door isn't actually locked, the odds on that might be against him.

Or, failing all attempts to get some actual rest, on the day after his return, one might find him having, by some miracle, made his way to the cookhouse. If only for some coffee and to — again — get absolutely nowhere with writing in one of his various memo books.

Comments

[atouts]

Later, he's seriously going to pretend he didn't give a small jump at her shout. He was fine with taking a moment and enjoying a bit of peace and quiet before carrying on, but apparently he's missed the fact that he isn't here alone. Chiaki earns a startled look, even if it's only a short-lived one. Seeing who it is, he'll go back to leaning his weight against the tree again.

At least that way, he can almost pretend like standing is an easy and simple task to do.

"Miss Nanami," he replies as calmly as he can, which isn't hard. He almost always sounds calm. Here, it's a little strained, but still calm enough. "So I am. How long have I been gone?"

[waitingforplayer2]

"A couple of days... maybe?" The honest truth was that she missed him a couple of days ago, but he might have been taken before that. "I've been looking for you... I think the Nightriders, too. We were really worried!"

He looks somewhat the worse for wear. "Um... we should get Zecora to look at you."

[atouts]

Rationally, that would be the best thing to do. For reasons he can't quite explain, however, the very thought of going to see Zecora seems awful. While he will consider it, for all of a second or two, Childermass ends up shaking his head.

"No," he can say that adamantly. "That won't be necessary. I'm tired, but not hurt, as hard to believe as that might be."

As though to try and prove it, he'll push away from the tree again and stand up straight. He's still going to keep himself steady with one hand on the trunk, just in case, but his legs do hold. At least he isn't going to fall over, which is probably a relief for both of them.

[waitingforplayer2]

Chiaki puts out a hand to help steady him if he falls her way - although at 4'3" she isn't sure how much she could do.

"You need rest. Here... hold onto me. We'll get you back to your trailer."

She can't promise she won't send Zecora his way later anyway.

[atouts]

He's not sure how much she could do, either, which is why he'll wave the hand away at first. If she's going to help him along, well, she probably can't, but sending her away might just end with her getting Zecora anyway.

"Here, I'll lean on your shoulder, if I must," which he hopes he won't have to, much, considering she's tiny. Even before she'd shrunk, the height difference had still been over a foot. It's only more ridiculous now. "And perhaps we'll find some other help along the way."

Just, you know, not Zecora.

[waitingforplayer2]

"All right." It's something, at least. She offers her shoulder as they make their way slowly towards the Carnival.

"What happened to you?"

[atouts]

He'll try not to lean too heavily on her shoulder as they go, trying to find some balance where he can carry on fine without making it seem like he's only humoring her. He's not, but he'd prefer not to hurt her, either. That'd be a poor reward for wanting to help someone.

"Bad luck," Childermass says grimly. "I ran into some of the machines, the ones that control that place. Their agents."

[waitingforplayer2]

She's slight, but relatively sturdy, not wincing much at the pressure he puts on her shoulder.

"I don't think you were the only one..." She looks up at him. "Did they hurt you?"

[atouts]

"I would not be surprised if that were the case," Childermass agrees, especially if there was cause to send the Nightriders out. Her question causes him to fall silent a moment, though, and consider what he's actually willing to share. Of course they did. Better to not go into detail.

"I'll be fine," is the answer he settles on, which may be just as worrying as any other. Who knows. "Who else is missing?"

[waitingforplayer2]

Of course it makes her worry. But to the other question she focuses first.

"Carly-san... and Tamaki, I think. You didn't see either of them, did you?"

[atouts]

The loud hummingbird girl and that one lad, the one who had called him old. Knowing that... He sighs.

"No, I did not, but if they got those two as well, then maybe that's why I was let go. They may have gotten what they wanted to know after all."

Because Childermass gave very little, vaguely and more often than not lies. He can't imagine the others dealing well with what the agents were capable of, though. Not that he could blame them.

[waitingforplayer2]

That honestly worries Chiaki even more. She rubs her eyes.

"Well, I'll go back in after work." She doesn't expect to sleep much at night, knowing her friends are missing, so she might as well try to be useful.

They're slowly approaching the trailer park, and as they do, she notes the mess hall is already open. She resolves to get Childermass some food before she goes to work for the day.

[atouts]

Back in...

He frowns, dragging his attention away from what's ahead to look down at Chiaki.

"You shouldn't," Childermass is quick to say. He can't expressly forbid it, mind, but the thought of anyone going back into that place isn't a pleasant one. "Leave it to the Nightrider and her people. This is their job and they don't need a fourth person going missing."

[waitingforplayer2]

She hesitates, and drops her head.

"There's not very many Nightriders, and it's a big city. Even if I can't help very much... I can't just stay here, either. Not while my... my friends are in there."

[atouts]

"No, there aren't that many, but if they are having trouble finding your friends, what makes you think you'll do any better?"

Which is probably a harsh question to ask her, no matter how he tries to gentle it (which is, admittedly, not by much, because this is still Childermass). Not that he should really try at all. The fact is it's not only a big city, but now a big city with an enemy who knows they're there, watching, waiting.

"It isn't a game, Chiaki. What happens in there is as real as anything that happens out here."

[waitingforplayer2]

The words hit her like a punch to the gut.

"Do you think I don't know that?" She stops walking and turns to him. She's only known him for a month, but she still worried about him enough to go looking in the Matrix, for him and for Carly and Tamaki as well. She shouldn't be getting attached like this, she knows that. It's dumb. But she has anyway.

"That's why I can't just stay here. Our friends are depending on us, Nightriders or not. Can we stay here in safety while all sorts of things might be happening to them?"

She doesn't know what happened to John. If he never wants to return, she really can't blame him. But she can't just leave the others behind.

[atouts]

Which is something he would find absurd altogether. People don't worry about Childermass, not unless the worrying happens to be along the lines 'oh no, here he is to deliver terrible news'. It's so uncommon that he could almost call it unsettling. Worrying about the other two, however, he can understand.

But he isn't going to back down from disagreeing with her here. He steps back, steady enough to stand on his own, and raises his eyebrows at her, questioning.

"And what will you do if you find them? Do you think you won't be noticed? I could not evade them even with magic. They could see right through it. Worse, they could be anyone, at any given moment."

[waitingforplayer2]

She hesitates. It's true, she's by no means powerful enough herself. When she went in alone with Komaeda that one time, disaster struck.

"I'd come back here. Tell the Ringmaster."

[atouts]

"Assuming you got away."

Though considering she has a better grasp at manipulating the Matrix, maybe she could. Childermass just wouldn't want to bet on it.

"Besides that, if they did not bother to kill me, so I cannot imagine why they would kill either of the other two. And believe me, I gave them more than enough reason to."

[waitingforplayer2]

She hesitates. Right - John's encountered such horrors that she doesn't even know... of course he doesn't want her to go back.

She can't not. But she doesn't want to upset him, either. So she sighs.

"... Okay. Let's just... get you back to your trailer, okay? I'm sorry, John..."

[atouts]

"Right... That sounds like the best plan for now."

If that's the end of that conversation, well, he's just as glad to let it go. Whether she does stay out or not, it's not as though he can control that. He can only advise against and so he has. That all said, he'll turn back in the direction of the carnival and continue on.