Streets of Fandom, Early Tuesday Morning

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

Don't ask him how he got out.

Just don't ask.

Atton was kind of wishing that whatever it was that was keeping him alive would've bothered getting him stitched up too, instead of stumbling around Fandom's streets with his hand pressed to one stab wound and half his shirt wrapped around another.

One hand pressed against the walls to keep him steady, he slowly limped his way down towards the causeway. If he could just get out before anyone noticed him, he could always collapse onto a doctor late--

His hand found nothing but sheer air and he went tumbling into a dumpster, his balance gone.

Great.

[[ open. ]]

Comments

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

Jo was on her way back from her weekly holy water run at the church (because old habits die hard and the last thing they needed on top of Umbridge was a bunch of demons, they'd probably cheer her on) when she heard noise that sounded oddly like a person tumbling into a dumpster.

Her hand dropped to the knife at the back of her belt. It wasn't much but it was easily hidden and could provide a nasty surprise.

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

Atton barely muffled the curse that threatened to escape his mouth.

He thought about getting up. His body said otherwise. "Nghhh..."

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

Well, Jo'd recognise that sound even if she hadn't spent years in Umbridge's Fandom, since she had... "Who's there?"

She didn't take her hand off the knife. Since it could still be a trap. It wasn't paranoia when half the island was out to get you.

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

Did he know that voice?

... no, Atton didn't think he did. Course, he'd spent most of his time on this island tied to a chair, so it wasn't like he knew an awful lot of people.

Still. Better to keep qui--

"Hey, Force, why are you doing this to me?"

What the--

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

The 'nggh' had pretty much killed all his chances of not being found. Jo looked him over, if this was a trap, he'd certainly put in the extra effort.

"You don't look so crash hot," she said dryly. "Need a hand?"

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Am I not living up to what I'm supposed to be?"

Atton's singing voice was not exactly clean. "What the," he mumbled. Progress! "Uhhh..."

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was one of those days, was it?

"Explanations can wait for what the singing's about,
But you stay there much longer, you'll probably bleed out."

If Jo sounded remarkably blase about this, well, Fandom, and enough hunters had shown up at the Roadhouse bleeding and in need of stitching up that she'd been inured to that before she came here.

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Force,
I really don't know what you mean,
Seems like salvation come only in our dreams."

Atton could do epic bitchface, as it turned out.

"...Yeah, I could use some help."

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

Jo didn't really blame him, she'd had time to get jaded, after all.

"Think you can walk if you lean on me?" Jo asked, crouching next to him.

"Even before the pink bitch this island was strange,
Weirdness occuring, oft of a random range."

She rolled her eyes, so not the time for singing exposition.

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Think so," Atton coughed out, and forced his body to at least sit up.

It sent a huge spike of pain up from his gut, but he was going to deal with that.

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

"Good," Jo said, moving so she could support his weight. "There should be a safe house with the right supplies nearby. And clean clothes."

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

He slid his arm around her neck. Okay, friendly. He could deal with friendly. "Thanks," Atton muttered. "I-- don't like the look of it don't like the taste of it don't like the smell of it-- Oh, come on."

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

It was entirely possible that he'd revise the assessment of friendly when he found out the best anaesthesia and disinfectant on hand had came out of a liquor bottle. "The singing'll be over by tomorrow," she assured him. "Things like this only last more than a day on the weekend."

If only other aspects of this island were as temporary.

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

Eh. That just made it sound like home.

The liquor, that is.

"Is this somebody's idea of a joke?" Atton said weakly. "Did that witch pull this off?"

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

Liquor was easier to get supplies of under the radar than the real thing, so it was kind of like back at the Roadhouse too.

"If it's a joke it's the island's, not Umbridge's," Jo told him. "It was strange when I got here and I predate her."

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"You mean there was a time this-- place-- wasn't under the control of-- some crazy schutta?" he asked, limping along.

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

"She was supposed to be a temp while our real principal was on maternity leave," Jo explained, keeping an eye out in case any stray loyalists showed up. "Zoe's been in detention about five years now, so you can guess how well that went."

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Guess you just don't know how to fire people right, do you?"

He was starting to feel better. You could tell.

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

Oh, yep, he'd fit right in here. "Not the way she does."

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, she... tried to fire me... a bunch of times," Atton grunted. "I guess... it didn't take... heh."

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

"Careful," Jo warned him. "People might think you're stubborn or something."

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Nah, not stubborn," Atton coughed. (Okay, that was a lie.) "She's just... really terrible at just throwing someone out the airlock."

Another cough, and then,

"Awake to the sound as they peel apart the skin,
They pick and they pull,
Trying to get their fingers in,
Well, they've got to kill what we've found,
Well, they've got to hate what they fear,
Well, they've got to make it go away,
Well, they've got to make it disappear."

[sia-later.livejournal.com]

When you heard things like dumpster-falling-into, you tended to want to check that out. Which was why Sia followed the noise to find Atton with a greeting of, "Making friends?"

[plannedtohunt.livejournal.com]

"That sounds about Umbridge's speed," Jo agreed grimly. "On the upside, we know your lungs are okay."

[justadeserter.livejournal.com]

"Think they missed those... in the stabbing," Atton agreed. "Lucky... me..."