bigapplesauce | [closed] After painting the ceiling red

Current Location: Hell's kitchen
Current Music: August 5th, noon

Entry tags:

[closed] After painting the ceiling red

[Warning: Lots of focus on suicide, with a side of drug and alcohol use, plenty of traumatic subjects.]

Seth should start keeping a tally of number of times Daniel gets to watch him die in a dream. Only two so far, but that's in less than three weeks of knowing him, so who knows what it will be over time? He's long since given up on keeping track of when he dies in a dream in general, since that's not a terribly unusual occurrence, but it's rarer for it to happen in shared ones.

He had given up on sleep more or less immediately after waking up. The fear he had felt, the hopelessness, it was all a bit too real, too familiar, and easily stuck with him. So he had gone out to cope with it in the only way he felt capable of - getting blissfully high.

A few hours later, once morning had properly arrived, and the buzz was wearing off, he returned home. Not ready to deal with being sober however, he had replaced the morphine with alcohol, namely whiskey. The rest of the morning had passed in only somewhat comforting intoxication and anxiety, and then Daniel had texted him, and Seth didn't feel able to answer. It took two hours before he could actually face the idea of seeing him after that ordeal. Not just because of the things he had seen Daniel do, but the things Daniel had seen him do. There's no small amount of shame and self-loathing involved.

But at last he had answered, and now he's waiting for Daniel to get there, anxiously picking at his sleeves and staring at the wall. He's not as drunk as he would like, but he's definitely not sober. It's not going to be a fun conversation.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Seth makes an expression of distaste - he hasn't even met the guy, but he is really not a fan of Gabe's brother, and still wouldn't be even if he wasn't literally Satan.

"I'll ask Gabe about it," he says, bringing the coffee mugs over to the table, then going to fetch his phone before he returns to sit down. "He might have a way to make you a bit safer, and I can tell him to keep his family members away from my friends." The humour is a little lost in the seriousness of the situation.

"Thanks," he says, both in response to the coffee refill and the Gabe-texting thereof. "I mean, I'm not really sure what there is anyone can do about it. It's not like he's hurting me, or even talking to me. He just - left a friendly little present that disappeared come morning."

Still, any amount of attention being paid to him by the Devil is going to put Daniel on the defensive. He resolves that the first thing he'll do upon finding a new place is ward the entire area thoroughly, provided it isn't already.

"Yeah, really friendly," Seth replies sarcastically. He shakes his head a little, shooting Gabe a text, before picking up his coffee and taking a careful sip. "Just... feel like taking precautions wouldn't be a bad idea. Not to confront him abou' it or nowt, that might just make him more interested." Which is what they're trying to avoid.

"No, I'm all for precautions," Daniel amends hastily. He sips at his coffee absently but it does nothing for the slight crop-up of nerves. "Particularly where Lucifer's involved. If he can get stuff in the place even if it's warded, I'm kinda wondering how much it'll take before he can start showing up in there."

Another reason for Daniel to relocate, though he's not sure how much good changing physical location will be, especially since Satan didn't need to be told his address before magicking a weird-smelling bag in.

"Hopefully we'll have worked out the question to that answer long before he decides he wants to try," Seth answers, reaching up and stroking Monty gently. She seems to have nestled comfortably and leeching off his body heat, slightly hidden by Seth's hoodie. It doesn't take long Gabe to reply, and Seth lifts the phone to show Daniel the text, raising his eyebrows questioningly at him.

Daniel peers at it, nibbling on his lip again.

"I mean it, it disappeared pretty quick. It was definitely there when I woke up, I opened it and poked around, but it's like it was a temporary manifest." He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to remember the contents. "Umm, there was dirt and lavender, I remember, some other plants. Also bones. But - small, like I think they were from a rabbit or a cat, maybe."

He leans back again and takes another fortifying sip.

"I dunno if there's anything we can do. Place is already warded."

Seth texts the details of the bag to Gabe, and that it had disappeared. Then he sends another text with where Daniel is staying, in case Gabe wants to go check out whether it's warded properly or something.

"Well, maybe Gabe will know," he answers. "What were you even doing in the dream? I hope it was less horrifying than what we were up to..." Then again, he doesn't exactly wish Daniel and Lucifer were having a party together either. That would be a different kind of disturbing.

"Uh, well." Well.

"Seeing as we didn't recognize each other," Daniel begins delicately, "and seeing as I thought he was just some hitchhiker I, um, I may have - driven him through Pennsylvania. Then got him a hotel room. And possibly coffee. Oh god." He sets down the mug to put his face his hands and sink back, groaning, cursing the Dreaming for the millionth time. "I paid for Satan's room. I bought him coffee. What the hell."

Seth closes his eyes and leans his chin on his chest (slightly blocked by the snake curled up there), a gesture of some sort of mix between amusement and dismay. Of course he did. "I know you're a forgiving and compassionate guy, but you might be stretching it a bit," Seth points out, sipping his coffee. He's gone past alarm into pure dejection. "What the hell is accurate, though." At this point humour is an important coping method.

"I didn't know," Daniel protests, but the smile cracks the worry into slight amusement. "You should've seen him. He looked terrible, really."

The memory refresher is markedly more sobering and his grin soon slides back into thoughtful concern.

"I think the car crashed." He speaks slowly as he remembers "Yeah, no, it did. We crashed and my head cracked the window and he healed me. He called me," and one corner of his mouth turns downward in faint distaste, "he called me a 'righteous man,' and in the stories the righteous man is always rewarded." Daniel makes a low, self-disgusted noise in the back of his throat and hurriedly looks at the wall opposite, taking a much longer drink from his mug than necessary.

"I guess that was it," he remarks dully. "That bag, that was my reward." A mockery of one, anyway.

Seth also makes a face at literal Satan called Daniel righteous like that. Because it's true, but it's not the person you want to hear it from, like it seems almost perverse in a way. Just generally unsettling.

His phone buzzes again, and Steh looks down at the text from Gabe. "He says, 'Sounds more like a love note. Protection.' " Seth makes another face of disgust before continuing. " 'But if it disappeared, it must've been an illusion.' Well, if that's the case, at least he can't send literal objects into your apartment." Not that creating illusions is a whole lot better, messing with his perception like that. Who knows what he could make him see if he was really intent on it.

Another text appears while Seth is still looking at his phone, and he frowns a little, not knowing the answer to that one. "He asks why Lucy doesn't live there anymore." Seth hadn't really thought of asking, since he's not even really met her.

"Oh, right." He keeps referring to the place as 'Lucy's' since it doesn't feel like his, not really, but consistently doing so also raises a few odd questions. "Um, she moved out. That's why she let me take over the place. Pretty sure she's living in the ROMAC apartments now? Yeah." She hadn't exactly been secretive about it, so Daniel's assuming it isn't really a Big Deal.

"Not sure what I should do about the, um, bag. Seeing as it's gone." He shrugs, rigid and uncertain, and scowls at the ground. "Just kinda rubbed me the wrong way, you know."

Oh. So that kind of allegiance switch.

Suddenly Seth is not entirely sure what to answer. If Lucy hasn't told Gabe herself, then it probably isn't Seth's place to do so. Especially since she's staying with Romac, and, well, Gabe once upon a time killed something like a dozen Romac employees. Seth has no idea of Lucy knows that, but she surely knows about Gabe... not being particularly fond of Romac. Then again he's not exactly fond of the rebels either, especially after he found out what they did to Seth, but he still lets people stay at their apartment.

However, if Lucy's not just living there, if she's actually working for them, then it might be a different story, and Seth's not sure if he wants to encourage Gabe to investigate. Then again, he doesn't want to lie to Gabe, for a multitude of reasons. Lying by omission isn't as bad, but it still rubs Seth the wrong way.

He forgets to answer Daniel.

"Uh." Seth's silence is a little worrisome but it seems to be more the silence of indecision than anything else. "Is that, uh, are you okay?" Daniel frowns, abruptly insecure. "Did I - say something wrong?"

Seth blinks and looks up from his staring contest the phone. "Oh, no, um," he answers, grasping for a moment for how much context to give for his sudden silence. He supposes he might as well explain a little.

"Just. Gabe and Lucy are friends, as far as I know, but apparently she hasn't told him she's moved. And, well, Gabe not on good terms with Romac, to put it lightly, so I was just..." Seth pauses a little. "Well, wondering what to say."

"Uh." He blinks his eyes shut for a duration that's a little longer than the norm. "You can just - say she moved. Pretty sure it was, um. To avoid Peter." If that was a secret at some point, Daniel's positive the dream in which they were physically shackled together changed that.

"I mean, hopefully I won't be staying there too long either." He scrubs a hand through his hair at that. That's a bit of stress he doesn't really need to think about right now, locating a new place he can somewhat afford. "Ideally."

"Oh yeah, I've got more insight than I really need on that whole situation," he answers with a nod once Peter's mentioned. From pretty much everyone but Lucy herself, it seems. Seth stares down at his phone for another moment before replying.

"Well, just don't follow Lucy's example on where to move. Romac tried to do the same thing to Gabe as the rebels did to me," he says for context on why they are definitely to be avoided as well.

"Ah," says Daniel delicately, because he doesn't fully know how he should respond to that. Unlike Seth, he has almost no frame of reference for that new bit of information (whereas in the case of Seth he has almost too much of a frame of reference).

"Wasn't planning on it," he offers with a partial shrug. "Political involvement isn't looking like such a great plan, so I was hoping on steering clear of them both, rebels and ROMAC."

Seth nods. He knows this already really, Seth is pretty sure he suggested as much in their very first conversation even. "I'd suggest somewhere downtown," he adds, further considering Daniel's housing options. "Further away from the Rift and all that. I lived down in the financial district before I moved in here." And, well, the only reason he's okay with living this close to everything is because he's got a literal archangel upstairs, and the fact it's free certainly doesn't hurt.

"Huh, okay." He's already planning to consult Google maps on the matter. Since being introduced to the concept, Daniel has placed a great deal of his faith in Google maps. "I'll give it a shot."

He folds his arms, considering, before pulling out his own phone. "Not sure how eager I am to exactly steer clear of the Rift itself, mind. I wouldn't mind helping people who fall through, just kinda wanna keep out of it with the factions."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you when you're drowning in rabbits," Seth answers with a shrug. "Or when everyone starts talking a different language. Or the rain makes you invisible. Should I keep going?" he asks, smiling a little. It's a lot easier to joke about these things when it's a bit longer ago. It's only a few days since the rain thing, of course, but it's easier to get over it if he can joke about it. (If only he could manage to apply that logic to his imprisonment.)

Daniel's eyebrows climb higher with each hypothetical situation - or rather, not hypothetical. Seth seems to be speaking from experience here which is, well, it's the Rift. He really shouldn't be surprised at this point.

"I just think people coming in should know, you know." He shifts a little in place, also smiling but still feeling the need to justify himself. "They should know what signing up for either faction would get them into. I was just lucky to have heard through word of mouth before either of them could induct me."

"I agree," Seth answers with a nod, smile widening at Daniel's desire to help. He would do it himself, if he weren't worried about being spotted by a rebel who knows him. Or generally being not the most enthusiastic about crowds. Seems to trigger his claustrophobia, which has gotten worse rather than better, since every time he recovers from a situation that plays on it, another one comes along.

"Oh, then there was the time it took away our powers without warning, and I walked into a door," he adds, his smile turning a tad self-deprecating.

"Smooth," Daniel comments dryly, grin becoming a little more pronounced. "Sounds like fun. I mean, one good thing about a spaciotemporal anomaly hanging out in the middle of Manhattan," he spirals a finger in a sloppy little circle above his head, "never a dull moment."

He coughs, remembering that's hardly a 'good' thing where most rifties are concerned. There was the whole rain-disappearing thing, after all, which had really been no fun.

"Well. Maybe not good. Interesting, I guess." And Daniel's used to interesting. He got interesting about twice a week at the SGC. Compared to well sir, the galaxy is in grave danger and so the universe is about to explode. again., temporary power disappearance or perception-filter rain doesn't seem quite as unmanageable.

"Well, Johnny thought it was very funny, at least," he answers, still smiling, though it fades a little as he thinks back to it. "It... certainly wasn't a dull evening, plenty highs and lows. Though most of the unpleasant stuff was circumstantial, not the event itself. Powers came back the next day." He's not entirely sure he wants to think about the bad stuff, but sometimes it's hard to stop himself.

[closed] After painting the ceiling red

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

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)