[Typed]

[evowhisperer]

 *The feed starts with a picture of a beautiful red sports car, as seen from somewhere off to the side. It's not doing so hot right now: some mangled twist of metal has speared the passenger's seat through a brand new hole in the back windshield. There's light boot-shaped dents on the hood, ceiling, and trunk, and mud and bits of unidentifiable crud litter the tire wells.*

 

Does someone want to explain to me what happened to my car?!

 

Call me. NOW.

Comments

[Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[It would be counterproductive and probably just prolong the pain and awkwardness to pretend that this isn't miserable... but L wonders if he maybe wouldn't have at least appreciated the effort on Cesar's part. Just trying would mean something, wouldn't it?

Not logically. Therefore it's not as valid, and you're weak if you let it control you. Everyone knows you're weak, but you're at least strong enough to pretend you aren't for the next minute, right?]

Yeah. There's a lot to do. It's best if I get started quickly, so...

[Stay]

Go.

[Action]

[evowhisperer]

It's not even just permission to go, it's encouragement. L isn't sitting against the door; Cesar could smile, give him a little wave, and then walk out and wander around the city for the day, if he wanted.

He doesn't quite yet. He closes the step or two's distance between them and offers L a hand, to help him to his feet, too. If L accepts, his grip will be tighter than it usually is, and will loosen nearly immediately.

[Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L's far from the door, and if he has to move, he would prefer it to be even further. That being said, he doesn't want to; he'd rather just remain in place, curled into his small fortress of bony angles. Now that the decision's been made and approved, he'd rather Cesar left him to lick his wounds and reflect on what his life has turned into, and how he's going to manage unraveling all of the knots and snags the doppelgangers have created.

He watches warily as Cesar approaches him, eyes lowering to the extended hand. It's more work for someone who's already at the point of exhaustion, and though he accepts the hand and notices a firmer grip, standing is still a lot of effort and he presses his back against the wall for support once he's on his feet. The effect is much like picking up a board lying on the ground and leaning it against another object, technically "righting" its position, but not changing the fact that it had no agency in the change. Like a board, he makes no move after being propped up, slipping his hands into his pockets and staring at the bottom edges of the room's duvet.

[Action]

[evowhisperer]

L's new position is slightly less approachable than the one before it, and Cesar opens and closes his hand once L is no longer holding onto it, looking at L's shoulder. He could grasp it. He could...

... do nothing of the sort at all. His gaze drops to the floor, and his hand moves back to his side. He nods a little, tugs his mouth into a weak, unhappy smile, and then turns to the door. L latched every lock it had in a frenzy, and it felt as though there were enough to keep out an entire army, but now it's just a door. Two locks, and the sliding door-catch. Cesar undoes them and opens the door.

[Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L hears every single locks sliding and clicking aside, and feels them as though they're catching his own muscle and skin on the way. Cesar can't see him now, but he's hugging himself tightly, as if to try to keep from falling apart right there. His teeth are clenched, his jaw aches, his throat feels raw and scratchy. He doesn't stop Cesar, and at this point, maybe he doesn't want to.

When he's sure he's alone again, he tries to take his mind off the strangeness of what happened. The television goes on, volume up high, then off when it fails to drown out his scattered thoughts. Distracted, he pulls out his phone... and sees a text notification.

If it's possible for a heart to sink and rise at the same time, his does so. He feels mildly sick, but he can't ignore the text for long. He'd go crazy if he tried.]