[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

[kingsroads]

Now that turn of phrase catches Strange's attention. Fixed everything they had done? Well that logically means that they did something in the first place. Strange pauses for a moment, frowning as he thinks, and connects all the dots. A few moments later, the penny drops.

Oh. If he's right, and he hopes he's not right, then that would explain why Childermass is so tired.

As such, he's deathly serious when he asks, "What do you mean 'fixed everything they had done'?" He doubts he'll get an actual answer. After all, Childermass has a bit too much stubbornness to admit that he might have been seriously hurt. But it's certainly worth an ask.

[atouts]

"Doesn't much matter now, does it?"

Strange would be correct. He's not giving out an actual answer, as he thinks he's said quite enough already on the topic. It's probably just as cruel to leave Strange to imagining everything he might mean, but on this, Childermass will be selfish. Better to get over it, get on with life, and not suffer anyone's pity (as he rarely ever offers the same to anyone else, he doesn't care to be on that end of it, either).

So, no. No answer, no clarification, only a lackluster shrug and that.

[kingsroads]

"On the contrary, I think it matters tremendously." It matters tremendously because Childermass got hurt and Strange wants to know just what those bastards did to him. Of course, he realizes there's no way that Childermass is going to tell him what happened. There's a pause while Strange mentally tries to come up with a way that'll make Childermass actually say what happened, as unlikely as that is.

"I am a Nightrunner, after all. We were tasked with keeping an eye on the activity of the Agents." Which he failed at, but Strange is pushing that to the side for now. "For the sake of me doing my job, I need you to tell me what happened so that when I return to the Matrix, I'll be better prepared."

Apparently attempting to pull rank is the answer he came up with.

[atouts]

Pulling rank on Childermass, of all people, only earns him a peculiar look followed by a very mirthless, "Ha. So you are, aren't you? But you aren't the Nightrider. I already said I would speak with her in the morning. Anything of importance she decides to pass on is up to her."

Preferably, she won't ask too much about the torture. Mentioning it as vaguely as possible is his his own plan right now.

[kingsroads]

That's it, that's the last plan that Strange has. He can't help but scowl at Chilermass as he slumps forward in his chair with a little frown. Because again, if Childermass doesn't want to tell him what happened, he's got a strong feeling Childermass won't tell him what happened.

"And I thought I was the one who was supposed to be difficult."

[atouts]

"Then you do not know me as well as you must think you do," he replies, for once getting to be the smug-sounding one.

[kingsroads]

"Then perhaps you should let me get to know you better," Strange can't help but reply, with a smug little smirk of his own. Because Childermass is right: he doesn't know him as well as he thought.

[atouts]

And he'll only shrug to that. Perhaps he should, but not now, not right this moment, would be what he could say, but he won't.

Instead, he'll simply repeat, "Will that be all, Mr. Strange?"

Neutral as ever, again wondering if Strange will finally decide to leave him in peace for the night.

[kingsroads]

"I suppose that is, Mr. Childermass," said with an idle little shrug. "I'm certain I'll have more questions for you later, I'll pay you another visit once I think of them."

Maybe that time he'll actually knock (he won't knock in the slightest).