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[swatsflies]

@ZD
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((OOC: Zell may show messages to Jim Hawkins. If you do not want Jim to see/know, then please let me know.))

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[armoured]

[That sounds really REALLY creepy.]

Did they just laugh, did they say anything? It's just-- Brother and I saw someone, something, and it spoke to us first.

[swatsflies]

Whoa! You saw something, too? [ He's thinking back over the short interaction. Shaking his head, even if Al can't really see it. ] They just laughed and were gone before I could even look for them.

[armoured]

That sounds like something really different from what we saw, then.

[He hums thoughtfully for a moment.]

Do you still have the rock?

[swatsflies]

I gave it to Jim in the maze. [ To keep him from hurting anyone and to give him extra protection. ] Let me double check with Jim.

[ He presses the tablet against his chest to muffle some of the sound. Al can probably still make out Zell asking Jim about it. The voices go back and forth a little longer than a simple question, which might hint to Al things might not be okay, but eventually he Zell comes back! ]

Looks like it vanished with the food and backpacks.

[armoured]

[That's annoying, the rock might have been useful to examine more closely with things like the microscope to see if it was the same sort of rock as the rubble around town.]

Is everything okay?

[That was a long absence, Zell!]

[swatsflies]

[ He makes a noise. ] Yeah, it's fine. [ Spoken a little quickly as he rubs the back of his neck. ]

It was just a rough time for us. [ Very rough. ]

[armoured]

[He can't exactly frown, but the concern comes through in his voice clearly.]

Do you want to talk about it?

[swatsflies]

[ He has apparently caught the sighitis because he's letting out a heavy sigh. ]

He's just worried I'll keep blaming myself. Nothing to worry about.

[armoured]

Blaming yourself about what?

[He sounds half concerned and half stern, what's been going on here?!]

[swatsflies]

I wasn't really myself in the maze and could have killed someone. [ He also accidentally hurt Jim. :( ]

[armoured]

Oh.

[His voice softens, warm with concern.]

He's right, you know, that's not your fault.

[swatsflies]

[ He had a feeling Al would say that, but still feels the flood of relief coming over him from actually hearing it. ]

Yeah, I know. It's just hard. This place keeps finding new and exciting ways to screw with your head. It happens way too easily.

[armoured]

I know.

[He wishes he had something more comforting to say than that, but he doesn't.]

You have to try and listen to Jim, and Zack, and everyone else who's here to support you, though. We're going to get through this together, so you have to stay strong.

[swatsflies]

[ It's something straight up Zack would say, which earns a smile. Though there is something niggling him about the words. The I know has him worried. He didn't answer it earlier. ]

I will. You can count on it. [ A beat. ] What about you?

[armoured]

Huh? What about me?

[Wilfully ignoring the intent behind the question.]

[swatsflies]

You know what about you. How are you doing? [ Especially after all of that crap. ;-; ]

[armoured]

Zell, I--

[Even he can't bring himself to say that he's fine at the moment.]

I'm getting by.

[swatsflies]

[ He doesn't like the sounds of that. ]

Alright. You know, if you ever need anyone... I'm here. We're all in this together, right?

[armoured]

[There's a long... long hesitation.]

My brother is dead.

[Did he know already? Maybe. But it's at least some explanation for why he isn't doing well.]

[swatsflies]

[ Al can probably guess it's news from the sound of a sharp inhale. It feels like a punch in the gut, and it takes a moment to figure out how to word. ]

Frickin' hell. I...I'm sorry, Al. [ Making a frustrated noise as he rubbed the back of his head. ] What happened?

[armoured]

It was an anomaly.

[Another one, this is too many times that he's had to watch people that he cares about dragged away, helpless to stop it.]

I tried to-- I-- But I couldn't do anything.

[swatsflies]

[ What's even the right thing to say? He knows he can't say it's okay. He knows it's never going to be okay, even when you get someone back. Swallowing back his own emotions to do his best for Al. ]

I know. I know you did your best. [ He says it with certainty. ] I know you, Al. I know you would have done everything you could have.

[armoured]

[There's a very long pause, and when Al's response come it's in a muted voice, devoid of any of the hope that's usually there.]

But it wasn't enough.

YOUR SPIKE WILL BE THE SPIKE TO PIERCE THE HEAVENS, AL!

[swatsflies]

[ He places his hand on tablet as he heaves a heavy sigh. ]

I know it sucks. And it feels pretty shitty that it keeps happening. [ Curling up his hand into a fist. ] We just have to fix this frickin' place. Give it back it's power so it can bring everyone back. We'll make it happen, Al.

[armoured]

No!

[It's immediate and horrified.]

That's-- that's the last thing we should be trying to do. I know we miss the people that are gone, but bringing them back from the dead isn't right. It's not-- it's not natural, Zell, we shouldn't be trying to get all of them back.