LOCKED TO alchemicals

[deaftly]

[He doesn't remember anything. All he knows is that there's a bright light in his face and he just wants to sleep. After a couple of minutes of tossing and turning he finally opens his eyes and sits up. The room he's in is perfectly white, without any sort of interesting features. There's a desk and a chair, but nothing on either of them. They're as white as the walls and floor, and on closer inspection, the bed he's in is just as white and spotless as the rest of the room. The sheets are a bit on the stiff side even though he's been sleeping under them, and the bed is kind of hard for his liking, so he finally squirms out from under the covers and stands.

The clothes he's wearing strike him as being wrong, though he can't recall what the "right" clothes would be. They're white - like everything else - and they're very simple. He doesn't have anything to compare them to, but the material is soft and kind of thin and feels a little odd. He shrugs off his confusion about the clothes and starts for the door. Even the doorknob is white, which strikes him as strange for about half a second before he yanks the door open.

The room that he enters is spacious. Like the room he woke up in, everything is white. There's a sofa, a small table in front of the sofa, and a couple of plush chairs. There's a couple of doors leading elsewhere, and his first order of business is to see where they lead. One leads to a perfectly white kitchen which isn't interesting right now (though some part of him wonders if the food will be just as white) and the other door he comes to is locked. There should be a front door around here somewhere though, right? He doesn't want to be here. He can't remember why he's here (or anything, really) but being here doesn't seem right.]

Comments

[alchemicals]

If you want to, I'm not going to say no. Do whatever you want; it's going to be pretty boring either way.

[deaftly]

It'll be fine. I'll come into the room in a little bit, alright?

[alchemicals]

Okay. Don't worry about waking me up, all right? Just come in whenever you're good.

[Good lord he is going to go pass out so hard if no one minds.]

[deaftly]

[Some time has passed. It's hard to say exactly how long because Naki hasn't been keeping track (though he's beginning to suspect that he wouldn't like knowing exactly how long it's been anyway) but it's been enough time that he's had to eat. Obviously he waited until Kimbley was asleep before trying the... most-likely-human meat, but whatever it was, it was good. Sure, it was cold and kind of gross, but it was way better than anything else in the refrigerator. He hasn't tried eating anything else, simply because it all disgusts him. Well, except coffee, that's fine. In fact, he's gotten in the habit of making coffee frequently.

To say Naki's observant would be an overestimation of his abilities, but even he's beginning to think something's wrong with Kimbley. Of course he hasn't said anything about it because he's probably wrong, right? Right. So instead he'll just doodle on the walls like always.]

[alchemicals]

[The funny thing about not eating is that after a while - a few days or so - you stop being hungry and you start being tired.

You don't really notice it, either; sure, you know you're sleeping a lot more than you usually do, but it doesn't hurt any and it's not like there's anything wrong with sleep. If anything, it passes the time. Makes you feel like a regular goddamn time-traveler, what with how well it passes the time. Lay down for five minutes and suddenly you're six hours into the fucking future!

Either way, he's started tying his hair back with some ribbon he'd found in one of the drawers in the bedroom; it's nothing fancy, just enough to keep the longer portions of it out of the way. He's noticed it's been shedding more than it usually does; swear to god, if this place legitimately ends up making his hair fall out he's going to be pissed.

He's made a habit of checking the drawers in the house; it's easier that way as opposed to making Naki it do it, because Naki's not observant enough to notice what's changed most of the time and because there's no point in freaking him out if he does have a shining moment of clarity and realizes that something's off. Besides, it's like getting to go on the world's dumbest treasure hunt first thing in the morning. Something to do, anyway.

Speaking of something to do - Kimbley doesn't join Naki at the walls today, instead sitting down at the table, toying with something between his hands.]

Seems our benefactor finally gave us something to do. You play cards?

[He still sounds tired as hell, despite the fact that he just got up a short while ago, but he's content with trying to get the plastic off the deck and opening the box.]

[deaftly]

Huh?

[Naki looks up at that. It takes him a moment before he caps the pens he was using and approaches, sitting in the other seat and staring at the box in Kimbley's hands.]

Cards... I think so? I don't really remember any games off the top of my head though.

[Something is definitely off about Kimbley. He sounds kind of tired, but that doesn't make sense. He got up not all that long ago, right? Naki decides not to focus on that and instead gestures to the cards.]

Where'd you find these? In that same drawer or somewhere else?

[alchemicals]

Same place as always. If there's anything good about them, at least they're consistent.

[Just...let him break the deck once he's got the cards out and shuffle a little while he talks, then.]

I think I remember a few games. Nothing great, but I can probably teach you easy shit like twenty-one. We can't really bet anything, but it's something to do, I guess.

[deaftly]

Yeah, sure, it'll at least be something different.

[Things he never thought he'd get bored of: drawing on the walls.]

Um...

[Naki frowns down at the table for a moment before he continues.]

...Are you feeling okay?

[alchemicals]

[If he sees anything weird about the question, he seems to shrug it off after a second; he just kind of laughs a bit, the sound quiet.]

Me? Yeah, I'm doing fine. How about you?

[deaftly]

I'm fine, but I mean you seem... weird.

[Naki absently pushes his hair out of his eyes as he thinks.]

I mean you're... um. Hmm. I don't really know but there's something different. I guess you seem more... shit I know there's a word for it that isn't "lazy" but I can't remember what it is. 'Cause you're not lazy, you're just... tired a lot, I guess?

[alchemicals]

...Oh.

[He stops shuffling at that, headtilting a little.]

I guess I've been tired lately, yeah. It's not like I'm sick or feverish or anything, though.

[deaftly]

You sure?

[How can Kimbley be so casual about that? Sure, it's not like there's much to do here, but sleeping all the time doesn't seem normal. If that was what he was doing just to pass time that's one thing, but Kimbley seems tired a lot. Naki looks kind of troubled by this, though that might just be him not knowing how to express whatever it is he's feeling.]

[alchemicals]

Yeah...?

[He pauses for a moment before going back to shuffling the deck.]

...You sure you're okay?

[deaftly]

Of course I'm fine.

[Naki moves to prop his chin on his hand, glancing at the cards Kimbley's shuffling. He's silent for a long time before finally opening his mouth again.]

...You'd say something if you weren't feeling well, right?

[alchemicals]

...If I thought it was worth mentioning.

[That's...probably not the answer Naki's looking for, but it feels weird lying to the guy.]

[deaftly]

Why wouldn't it be worth mentioning?

[alchemicals]

Would it bother you if I wasn't feeling well?

[deaftly]

Well, yeah, of course it would! You're my friend!

[Not "you're the only other person in here" or "if something happens to you I'll be alone", no of course not. Because this is Naki we're dealing with, so obviously we're friends.]

[alchemicals]

See, that's why there's no sense in saying anything.

[His words are patient, though. Not exactly gentle, but kind of like he's explaining something to a kid regardless.]

It's just going to stress you out, and if it's something that I can get over there's no point.

[deaftly]

But--! But what if something happens? What if you don't get over it? What if you--

[He doesn't continue that, instead shaking his head and slamming his hands down on the table.]

Don't just keep shit from me! That's-- That's not gonna help any!!

[Despite the increase in volume, it's obvious that Naki's not angry, just scared.]

[alchemicals]

[The sudden slam against the table startles him and he jerks back in his chair a bit; he doesn't seem like he's going anywhere, though, outside of the initial reaction.]

Do you really think I'm going to give that sick fuck the satisfaction of seeing me die in here?!

[deaftly]

No, of course not but-- but that's not something you can just decide! You can't just say "well fuck him, I'm just going to refuse to die" and just... not die, it doesn't work like that!! If it did then no one would ever die!!

[Naki moves to set his hands on his knees once he realizes that they're shaking badly, but that doesn't keep his shoulders from twitching. It also looks like he's on the verge of tears so have fun with that, Kimbley.]

[alchemicals]

Yeah, but -

[...Wh...What are you doing, hold on, there's something else to be concerned with here - ]

Are you crying?

[deaftly]

Um... s-sorta?

[Is that a bad thing? He didn't think it was. Naki runs his sleeve across his eyes, but that's not doing much to stop the tears.]

[alchemicals]

...Hey, come on. You don't have to cry over me.

[He has no idea what to do with this and it's obvious; apparently he's just going to...kind of keep talking at Naki anyway, because that's as valid a solution as any.]

I'm going to be okay. I've got control over this, and it's going to work out. I'm not going to let anything happen.