necroslacker | seattle ; tuesday

Current Mood: guilty

Entry tags:

seattle ; tuesday

Sam had walked all the way back to his house after waking up completely lost yesterday. He still had no memory of what had happened and that was scaring him. But, he'd made it back after multiple people had offered him help and some food. He didn't know how he must have looked to them if they were offering him food and shelter and water.

But, he turned down each offer and kept walking. By the time he ended up back at the estate, his feet were bloody and sore, his stomach was growling and he was dirty and tired. It hadn't been a good day. There was fear clawing at him, deep inside his belly but he was ignoring it.

He stared at the door in front of him, almost not wanting to open it. He knew his friends would be on the other side, possibly angry, possibly scared and he wasn't sure if he wanted or even had the ability to face that down right now.

He needed help. He really did and he knew it. Maybe he could sneak in, pack a bag and leave. That's what it was coming too. He was going to have to leave and either find his uncle or...find Douglas.

Sam shuddered and turned the knob so he could slip inside the house. He'd shower, pack a bag quickly and leave.

[NFB again but open for interactions, if needed]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"And here we are again," Frank said once they were in the hallway outside Sam's room. "I would say it's been fun but it hasn't."

"Goddamn Sam," Brid said, sighing and rubbing her eyes. "I hate this."

"Mm." Yeah, this was not Natalie's favourite situation in so many different ways. But the worry made her less awkward than she might otherwise have been. "I don't get where he's even intending to go."

"To find his uncle, would be my bet," Brid said, sighing. "Well, that would be my bet if I'm being optimistic. If not -- "

"I think he's just running away," Ramon said. "Just taking off and leaving us in the dust."

"Which I personally find a little insulting," Natalie drawled, because dryness came naturally. "I don't think we're very good at being left behind."

"He's scared," Frank said, trying to see Sam's side of things. "What would you do if you were this scared of what you had inside you?"

"I'd ask for help." She honestly thought that, despite what some of her past actions might have suggested. "But we're different people. We're all different."

"Yeah, but who can help him with this?" Frank asked, glancing at each of them. "Any of you secret necromancers?"

Ramon scowled.

"That doesn't matter, Frank," Brid said. "We still could have helped."

"Frank, I know you're trying to see Sam's side of things, and it's very sweet," Natalie said, brushing hair out of her eyes. "But you can't seriously suggest he'd be better off running from his non-necromancer friends than he'd be letting them help."

"That's not what I'm saying," Frank said, frowning. "Not at all. I want him to ask for help too but what I'm saying is that I can't blame him for thinking he has to leave. I don't want him to but I understand. He's scared and there's no one like him around to help him. His dad's disowned him. His uncle? Gone. What about Douglas Montgomery? Yeah, that guy's gone too. He's not better off but I don't blame him for thinking that he is."

"I do." She was honest, but kept it mild. Not trying to start an argument, still airing her frustration with a few words. "I think he should know better. I wish he did."

Frank was actually getting a little frustrated with them all now.

"And if he asked for help, what would you all do?" he asked, glancing at each of them. "Please tell me since you're set on blaming him for thinking he was doing what was needed. I seriously want to know."

"Answering that would actually require knowing what the hell is going on," Natalie pointed out. Maybe a liiitle bit more sharply. She reined that back in. "Has he actually told any of you what this is and how long it's been going on?"

Frank shook his head. Ramon did too.

"Just that he's not eating or sleeping much. And he's having nightmares," Brid said since she did know that. "Ramon said he spends time in the basement too. That's -- "

Brid swallowed at that memory. " -- yeah."

"The basement."

Sam had never been particularly forthcoming about the significance of the basement. But she'd gathered enough to know that...

"That's not good, is it?"

"It's where he was tortured," Brid said bluntly. "I don't know why he'd go back down there now."

Natalie blinked. On some level she'd known that, but it was still different to hear it confirmed. She bit her lip. "Well, his... torturer was a necromancer too. If that side of him is being really triggered by something now..."

She shrugged, didn't really know how to end that thought.

"Yeah, but what could trigger the...Douglas side of him?" Ramon asked. "I mean, things aren't ever easy for him but what could cause this?"

Natalie said nothing.

Best not when she could feel a sudden uncomfortable tightness in her throat.

Brid slanted a brief glance her way but she didn't go so far as to pinning blame. Not today.

"He's not Douglas no matter how much he might think he has the potential," Brid said, sounding weary. "There's nothing to trigger. He's just had it tougher than a lot of people."

Natalie was thankful for that. Because today she might have even accepted the blame.

"He's not Douglas," she agreed. "But how do we convince him of that?"

"I doubt we can," Brid said, crossing her arms and looking down at the floor. "He's stubborn."

She looked over at the door to the bedroom where Miss LaCroix had yet to emerge. She wanted to go in there and see what was happening.

"And he's right," Brid said, lowering his voice. "Him turning out like Douglas...is a possibility. I don't want it to happen but it could."

"Everyone has the capacity to get corrupted and turn into the worst possible version of themselves." Look who was talking. "But I think that's something that requires a push. And Sam... pretty desperately wants to be a good person."

Even if it meant running away from them all.

"So much so that he doesn't completely buy he is one. Which is probably part of the problem."

"But wasn't there already a push if this is happening?" Frank asked, motioning at the door to the closed bedroom.

"Well, the worst thing that I know of happening to him lately is me." Well, the breakup, specifically. "I sincerely hope that wasn't enough to crack him."

Her tone went a bit flat.

"Straw that broke the camel's back?" Ramon said, shrugging.

"He's been dealing with a lot," Frank said. "His dad not wanting to be around him, his uncle taking off, the whole powers thing and Natalie breaking up with him. It's a lot."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject