Mm, don’t apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong.
[ there’s a gentleness to flat’s voice now, as he shakes his head despite being aware that neil can’t see him.
when he speaks up again, however, it’s with his usual pep. ]
I’ll be there as quick as lightning!! Even if you change your mind, it’s too late! Ready or not, here I come!
[ flat hangs up. but as promised, he is on his way to neil and charlie’s. due to the constraints brought by the laws of physics, ‘quick as lightning’ is not possible, but ‘as quickly as flat’s feet can take him’ is the type of measurable results that everyone is looking for.
after about twenty minutes, neil will hear a knock on the door. ]
[Neil is in the living room, waiting for that knock. Charlie is passed out upstairs. Neil wouldn't leave his side otherwise. He pulls the door open, smiling softly at his friend, and stepping aside to let him in.]
[ as soon as neil opens the door, flat gets close to him and... places both hands on his cheeks. squishes them and everything.
his hands might smell a little bit like smoke, but don't worry about it.
blue eyes observe his friend, before pulling away with the usual cheerful pep and stepping inside. ]
Glad to see you, too! It feels like it's been forever, hasn't it? Pre-zombie and post-zombie. Well, I guess they weren't really zombies since none of them died before turning, but it looked enough like it.
[ he pauses, and then adds: ]
Are you really okay, Neil? Physically, I mean. Mentally, I know you're probably not doing well.
[Neil's eyebrows shoot up as his face is squished, any melancholy overtaken by pure surprise. When Flat lets go, he so much as laughs, albeit weak. They make their way into the house and Neil...hesitates.
[He is alright physically. He wasn't, but he is now.
[He's not necessarily eager to tell Flat about his deal with Chisaki. He hasn't even told Charlie yet.]
[ flat tilts his head to the side, eyeing neil closely. he takes his shoes off and sits on the sofa, legs crossed. ]
Well, I guess it depends on what you would call lucky. You didn't turn into a zombie, sure. Although I wonder how the experience must have been... destroying stuff doesn't sound too bad, but... mm, I should ask a friend. [ he makes a mental note to do that later. ] And I'm guessing you didn't die. [ a beat. ] You didn't die, right? So in both cases, you got lucky. But after so many good things happening, this kinda feels more like bad luck, doesn't it?
That's why you've holed yourself inside here? Because you're safer in your house than outside and because you and Charlie can take care of each other?
[ and without giving neil the chance to even confirm or deny this, flat continues, clapping his hands. ]
Well, if the problem is that it's stuck in your head, we gotta find a way to replace it with something else! They say that when you go through a traumatic event, you should play Tetris, but it's already too late for that and you don't even know what Tetris is in the first place. So how about we go out?
[ yeah, he JUST got in, but he's already pulling out a notebook and a pencil to scribble a note to charlie that neil is fine, they just went to hang out and that he's missing out ✰ ]
[ flat sticks his tongue out, winking. moving back to the front door, he holds out his hand for neil to take. ]
Come on, didn’t you make all that noise about taking a bite out of life and all that? [ but his smile softens, to something more gentle. concerned, even. ]
I’m not very good at comforting people. So if this isn’t what you wanna do, you should tell me. You’ve been through a lot, so I don’t want to do something you don’t want.
[I'm not very good at comforting people, yet he swallows his own impulsivities to ensure Neil is comfortable. When Neil takes Flat's hand, he can't help but squeeze it a bit.]
No. You're right. I'll be alright. [He...
[Takes a breath. Nods his head. Smiles, tight.] Really.
[ with eyes bright, Flat opens the door, squeezing Neil's hand back. he has a firm hold as he leads the other boy out into the streets. and while the mage is mindlessly whistling away, Neil might ask himself just where they're going to, actually?
well, maybe Neil's memory will be jogged once they start leaving the town. remember the so called haunted tower that they went during their first sleepover? well that just so happens to be coming into view. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
who says he isnt :)
[ there’s a gentleness to flat’s voice now, as he shakes his head despite being aware that neil can’t see him.
when he speaks up again, however, it’s with his usual pep. ]
I’ll be there as quick as lightning!! Even if you change your mind, it’s too late! Ready or not, here I come!
[ flat hangs up. but as promised, he is on his way to neil and charlie’s. due to the constraints brought by the laws of physics, ‘quick as lightning’ is not possible, but ‘as quickly as flat’s feet can take him’ is the type of measurable results that everyone is looking for.
after about twenty minutes, neil will hear a knock on the door. ]
no subject
Heya, Flat. It's good to see you.
no subject
his hands might smell a little bit like smoke, but don't worry about it.
blue eyes observe his friend, before pulling away with the usual cheerful pep and stepping inside. ]
Glad to see you, too! It feels like it's been forever, hasn't it? Pre-zombie and post-zombie. Well, I guess they weren't really zombies since none of them died before turning, but it looked enough like it.
[ he pauses, and then adds: ]
Are you really okay, Neil? Physically, I mean. Mentally, I know you're probably not doing well.
no subject
[He is alright physically. He wasn't, but he is now.
[He's not necessarily eager to tell Flat about his deal with Chisaki. He hasn't even told Charlie yet.]
I'm alright. I was lucky.
no subject
[ flat tilts his head to the side, eyeing neil closely. he takes his shoes off and sits on the sofa, legs crossed. ]
Well, I guess it depends on what you would call lucky. You didn't turn into a zombie, sure. Although I wonder how the experience must have been... destroying stuff doesn't sound too bad, but... mm, I should ask a friend. [ he makes a mental note to do that later. ] And I'm guessing you didn't die. [ a beat. ] You didn't die, right? So in both cases, you got lucky. But after so many good things happening, this kinda feels more like bad luck, doesn't it?
I should ask a friend (eren)
Yeah. It does.
Even now that it's over, I still can't relax. It's in my head...
no subject
[ and without giving neil the chance to even confirm or deny this, flat continues, clapping his hands. ]
Well, if the problem is that it's stuck in your head, we gotta find a way to replace it with something else! They say that when you go through a traumatic event, you should play Tetris, but it's already too late for that and you don't even know what Tetris is in the first place. So how about we go out?
[ yeah, he JUST got in, but he's already pulling out a notebook and a pencil to scribble a note to charlie that neil is fine, they just went to hang out and that he's missing out ✰ ]
no subject
[Neil can't exactly argue. He's afraid, but he's surely not that afraid. All that mess... It's over now, isn't it?
[They start moving toward the entryway. Neil can only offer a helpless:]
Where do you want to go...?
no subject
[ flat sticks his tongue out, winking. moving back to the front door, he holds out his hand for neil to take. ]
Come on, didn’t you make all that noise about taking a bite out of life and all that? [ but his smile softens, to something more gentle. concerned, even. ]
I’m not very good at comforting people. So if this isn’t what you wanna do, you should tell me. You’ve been through a lot, so I don’t want to do something you don’t want.
no subject
No. You're right. I'll be alright. [He...
[Takes a breath. Nods his head. Smiles, tight.] Really.
no subject
[ with eyes bright, Flat opens the door, squeezing Neil's hand back. he has a firm hold as he leads the other boy out into the streets. and while the mage is mindlessly whistling away, Neil might ask himself just where they're going to, actually?
well, maybe Neil's memory will be jogged once they start leaving the town. remember the so called haunted tower that they went during their first sleepover? well that just so happens to be coming into view. ]