The Park [Friday, Late Morning]

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

This shit just wasn't good for Effy's carefully monitored state of calm.

Three days of portal cancellations, delays and reroutes and she’d finally been dumped at the causeway this morning. It was better all around (and for the sake of her ongoing sanity) if she continued not to think about what she’d left behind... or the lack, thereof, and certain other people who just weren’t fucking answering to anything, however much she called.

Her usual bench in Bristol probably didn’t exist anymore, so she’d chosen a Fandom counterpart for now, despite the chill. A place where she could sit, breathe, and watch the last hardy ducks. You could almost pretend the world wasn’t falling apart at the seams.

... Well. The ducks were still there. That was vaguely comforting.

[[Finally, I can post! The park is an open place, and she is botherable.]]

Comments

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex was disheveled and tired but he'd ended up on the island amazingly enough. It didn't make him feel that much better but, after all the running he'd done, at least now he could find a spot and collapse.

His eyes were burning and his feet hurt so he didn't immediately see Effy as he stumbled and trudged his way towards some hotel or something. Something.

[SP yay since I just got home but I wanted to throw him at her!]

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Even Effy had to squint a moment at the stumbling figure before she really knew for sure, and got up to jog over to him.

She wasn't in general, a demonstrative person, though she was better these days. Apparently, today she forgot that. Or didn't give enough of a shit about keeping the appearance up. Either way, she had every intention when she reached him, of throwing her arms around his neck and not letting go for a while.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Well, that hadn't exactly been expected. For a second, he stiffened because he hadn't realized who this was or what had happened just yet. When his brain finally processed everything, he returned the hug and leaned a little more against her.

He was gonna tell everyone to never run very long at all. It made your feet hurt something fierce. Thinking about that was a nice distraction from everything else.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Learn to answer your shit phone." It got mumbled half into his shirt, it couldn't really mask the worry, but she didn't honestly care. So fucking what, she'd worried.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I don't have it anymore," he said and pressed his lips against her temple. "I dropped it when I was trying to get the fuck away from...whatever that was. It took my mom right in front of me."

He shuddered and then bottled that back up tightly.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy'd been spared that one, and guiltily was suddenly glad of that, and squeezed him that shade harder. "This is fucked up." Stating the obvious, but true.

And still not loosening up on her grip on him.

"It's going around all over."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You too?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to know. He was worried if it was her brother who'd been lost. "Tony?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

She finally moved away a little. "Went to my mum the other morning..." Effy shook her head. "Couldn't even remember who he was." Which was a disturbing mirror of earlier times.

"Before I realised, half the fucking city was just--" Gone.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Sorry." And he honestly was. He felt helpless. "I don't know what's going on. I don't even know what being here's gonna do but I guess...I guess it's good that's still here."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"This school survives every cock up." It had also been the only place left to run. "Best place to be."

In addition, they were both here, rather than dead. Or... whatever.

For the first time, she started actually taking in him for more than just the relief of being alive, and frowned. "How'd you get here?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I ran for awhile," he said, feeling those muscles aches starting to hit him again. "Fell into a portal, fell out somewhere in Delaware and managed to get here after that. Not a real nice trip."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"You look like shit." It was said with a faint smile, but was completely true. Sorry, Alex. Didn't mean anything by it, especially considering she probably didn't look much better.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I know." He managed a small half smile. "You look like even more shit than I do. So ha."

It was a weak attempt at a joke there but an attempt nonetheless.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy huffed a sort-of laugh. "Oh, burn." Not that offended, no.

"I'll let you share my bench?" It was the best she had to offer right here.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I've always wanted a bench," Alex joked, giving her a smile and reaching for her hand so he could slowly walk over to the bench. "You seen much of the island since you've been here? Anything weird to see?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

He got a mild shrug out of her. "No weirder than usual. Kind of weird in itself, right?" It was usually the centre of everything. The fact it was whole and everywhere else was fucked...

"Not been here long but-- It's quiet."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Where you staying?" Alex asked, rolling his neck on his shoulders. "Hotel?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"I guess." She wasn't really intending on holding to her bench plan. "Bit nippy for napping out here."

"Kind of didn't want to be sitting in hotel room doing fuck all, though." So she chose to sit and do fuck all in a park. As you did. No one claimed her logic was flawless.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"So, you decide to come out here and freeze to death?" he asked, going for the light conversation instead of anything else. "At least the hotel had heat. And porn. All hotels have porn, don't they?"

Distracting conversation was not coming easy.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

It was better than the alternative quiet.

"Or you could get your porn off the internet like a normal person," she noted with a mile smirk. "Could probably get it on my phone out here." The cold was an issue she couldn't fix.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I'm old school," Alex said, shrugging. "I prefer my porn on a nice television instead of a tiny computer screen."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy snickered a dry laugh as she retook her seat. "Here I thought a three inch screen and freezing myself to a park bench while I watched was true luxury," she joked. "I'll have to rethink."

"Only back five minutes, already I'm educated." In porn. That sounded about right, didn't it?

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Why are you sitting out here?" Alex wondered, raising an eyebrow. "Being inside might be a little more comfortable."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Habit." She shrugged, elaborating after a moment. "I've got a place like it back home. Can't go there." So here it was.

"Besides. Sitting alone in a hotel room seemed..." Depressing? Yeah.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Seemed to warm?" Alex asked, going for the joke. "Seemed too likely to cause napping?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Right." Effy curled a small smile. "Wouldn't want to fuck up my whole body clock any more than it already is."

"Think we need to call it portal lag?" Having not been on a jet, and all.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I think I'm just gonna call it being fucking tired," Alex decided with a sigh. "It's a little more straightforward for my liking."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Sure I can help drag you to where they have TV and a bed, if you want." She'd offered to share bench, but he didn't seem that keen. Which wasn't entirely shocking. Not the best napping spot.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You actually gotten a hotel room?" Alex wondered. "If not, why don't I just get us one and you can bunk with me. Not like we haven't done that before. Might be -- "

Comforting.

" -- convenient."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Mm." Convenient. Yeah. "I haven't been by there yet. Only got here this morning."

"I'm sure I can put up with you for a bit." A small smile twitched her lips as she glanced across at him.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"How kind of you," Alex replied, all sarcasm. "Besides, I think I'd be the one putting up with you. You being as annoying as you are and all. It'll be tough but I'm sure I'll deal."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"You invited," she noted, managing a ghost of her usual smirk as she stood. "You want me." Some things didn't change.

"Come on. Before I actually have to drag you there."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." He really needed to sit or sleep or something. He stood up after her and nodded. "Yeah, let's get out of here. I'm fucking exhausted."