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LOCKED TO istheindustry

Summer was coming to Johto, and quite frankly, Logan was glad it was nearly here. He had been spending his time up north with Reaver, travelling to Mahogany Town, a remote little town that housed one of the Gym Badges they were in the process of collecting. Logan hadn't expected it to be so cold, even in spring. Finally it was beginning to feel like that awkward transition phase between spring and summer, and the heat was a welcome change.

They had arrived in Mahogany last night and had spent the better part of the day travelling to the Lake of Rage. Both of them had seen it on the map, but Logan hadn't expressed any desire to visit it until they had stopped in Mahogany. Yes, he understood that the badge challenge was important (he was the one who had been so determined to start collecting the badges anyway), but the badge wasn't going anywhere. Neither was the lake, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted to see it for himself.

Logan had always loved the water. The royal family had a small place in Millfields that they visited during the summers when the Hero Queen simply couldn't stand the heat anymore. Logan had loved exploring Bower Lake as a child, and it was something that never really left him even after all this time. He had only been to Bower Lake a couple of times since he took the throne, and had only brought his sister with him once. They had both been a bit too old to frolic in the ocean like children - at least, that was what they said until night fell and they were certain they wouldn't be spotted by any of the nobles that lived in the area. He remembered that evening fondly; but there were very few things about his sister he didn't remember fondly.

He brushed that thought aside, not interested in dwelling on the past. It never ended well. He was here in Johto now; he had to look out for himself - and only himself - though it was still something he was in the process of learning how to do. He was getting used to not having control over people, but taking care of himself was still something Logan hadn't really adapted to.

That said, he did look quite a lot healthier than he had in Albion. The darkness was still present around his eyes - and likely would always be, he was tainted, after all - but he had put on a bit of weight and the constant travel was doing some good for him physically. Of course, it didn't help that he was travelling with Reaver who would run on ahead if he was allowed. Logan still had difficulties keeping up with the ever-energetic industrialist, but he hadn't reached his breaking point yet.

The travelling today had been relatively light and easy; there were trainers to fight and plenty of grass to wade through, so speeding to their destination was out of the question. He was thankful for that. It did put them a bit behind schedule though; they would have to spend the night up at the Lake of Rage and return to Mahogany in the morning, but Logan really couldn't say he minded that any. If the lake was anything like Bower Lake, then he doubted he'd want to leave so soon anyway.

Speaking of the lake, it finally came into view amid the trees and Logan stopped short, staring. It was huge, possibly even larger than Bower Lake. The water looked clean and clear from where he was standing (though admittedly, it was still a bit hard to judge and it could just be wistful thinking on his part) and the shores were completely clear, no people anywhere in sight. Apparently this wasn't a very popular tourist destination for whatever reason. Logan found himself releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, glancing side-long at Reaver for some sort of confirmation that the industrialist was as pleased with this as he was.

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"Perhaps." The remark wasn't as defensive as it could have been. Logan was thankful for that, at least. "This is the largest lake in Johto; surely there's something interesting around here." Johto seemed rather fond of hiding items in completely random locations for people to find, so why would the Lake of Rage be an exception? Of course, they would probably explore the entire lake just to find one potion, but at least it would be fun.

Logan pretended he hadn't seen Reaver struggling with his gloves, though it had been a bit amusing to watch. There was no need to draw attention to it, at any rate. He quickly started toward the inn, finally feeling the chill in the night air and repressing a shudder. Hopefully there weren't any Ghost- or Psychic-types out here.

The innkeepers were very nice and handed over a key for a small amount of money. They didn't seem to care that Logan and Reaver were only getting one bedroom for the both of them, but Logan supposed they had seen far stranger things in their time here. The room was on the first floor, a good ways away from the front desk with a window facing out toward the forest rather than the lake, but that was hardly important. Logan set his belongings down and removed his night clothes from the bag, hesitating a bit at the bathroom. Showers were still a bit of a weird thing for him and he could never figure out how to get the damn thing to not spit freezing cold water at him. Of course he had learned to deal with it - cleanliness was more important than comfort - but that didn't make the experience any less unpleasant.

For a moment he considered letting Reaver have the bathroom first, but that moment passed quickly enough. He had been kind enough to Reaver today. It would only take him a few minutes anyway.

Sure enough, he returned from showering (it was freezing cold as usual; he really wasn't surprised), dressed in the usual long pajamas. The collar was high enough to hide the scars that went up to his neck and the sleeves hung down over his hands to hide the scars there, and the entire ensemble was dyed the same purple as the king's attire he normally wore. He was quick to slip under the covers and try to repress a shiver.

"Well, I see no reason to not stay for a while, then." He was still rather amused, though to his credit, he was trying to keep it toned down; really, he was more than content to simply get inside - teasing Logan could wait for a while, or at least until after the man was done with the shower.

...although admittedly - and not that it would have mattered much anyway, given that Logan still hadn't quite figured out the water and Reaver wasn't about to point anything out unless asked - it was probably a wise idea to not show Reaver any kindness in that regard. At least, not if Logan wanted to accomplish anything within the next good long while - the entire thing was absolutely fascinating, if a bit bizarre at first, and if anyone thought that room was going to be relinquished before the hot water was good and dead, they certainly had another thought coming to them. His vanity had always been unrivaled back in Albion; in Johto, where there were approximately twenty-six-and-a-half million more ways to cater to that vanity, Reaver had quite naturally brought it clear up to eleven.

And yet, as was so astutely noted earlier, all good things must come to an end, and amazing showers were no exception; as elaborate as most of his clothing choices tended to be, however, he tended toward simplicity rather than extravagance when he slept - he had never been one for sleeping in anything that would undoubtedly lead to him doing battle with his clothing in the middle of the night, and as such he was wearing a set that was soft but generally nondescript, loose but generally comfortable, one of the sleeves falling back a bit as he played with his hair a little where it was lying tousled and damp against his neck.

"You know, as much as this place isn't Albion, I must admit that some parts of it aren't nearly as bad as they could be." He wasn't looking at Logan, continuing instead to mess about with his hair in the mirror for a moment; just the same, he doubted the man was asleep - he tended to have difficulty with that unless someone was nearby. Reaver couldn't exactly complain; he was similar in that regard.

Logan really wasn't surprised that Reaver took forever in the bathroom; he was certainly vain enough to spend a long time on his appearance, and preparing for bed hardly seemed like an exception. Logan drifted, not quite falling asleep but getting close, thoughts thankfully free from the Crawler.

Reaver returned eventually though and Logan pushed himself up on his elbows, listening to what the industrialist had to say. "Which parts?" Reaver's statement was a bit broad, but there were quite a few things Logan would agree with. This world was strange and it certainly wasn't home, but it did have some very unique and fascinating things.

"The technology, for one." Reaver's voice was light but admittedly somewhat distracted; as soon as they got to Mahogany Town he was going to get his hair whacked off, there was no doubt in his mind at this point. "Most of it is fascinating, so advanced it's hardly distinguishable from flat-out magic; a bit of a shame we won't remember this place any, as you've no idea how much we could profit from implementing such things in Albion - I've hardly stopped with the mental calculations since we arrived."

He seemed to decide at that point that his hair was more or less going to be a lost cause tonight and quite simply gave up, and he made his way toward the bed; he didn't lie down just yet, simply sitting on the edge of it for the time being, idly crossing his legs at the knee. "The power some of these creatures possess is rather fascinating as well, when they aren't being bloody annoying; some of the opportunities have been interesting, to say the least. Things along those lines, really."

"It is fascinating. I've attempted to figure out how it works, but I'm afraid it's a bit over my head." 'A bit' was a dreadful understatement; Logan had absolutely no idea how any of this technology worked. As far as he was concerned, it was magic. "The Pokémon are interesting as well. This world is certainly a fascinating one; there are so many places to go and things to study."

Even so, it would never be as good as Albion. Logan flopped back on the bed, resting an arm over his eyes for a moment before glancing over at Reaver again. For all that fussing he did with his hair, it didn't look all that different. It was ridiculously cute when it was long, for lack of a better word, of course.

"It is a shame we won't remember it, but there's no sense in moping about it."

Reaver just smirked a bit at that. "My dear, have you ever known me to waste time moping about things?"

He reached out, stroking Logan's hair a bit. "I imagine you want your rest for the time being?"

He would have replied that no, he hadn't known Reaver to waste time moping about things, but at the same time, it really wouldn't surprise him, but Reaver was faster and Logan shivered at the touch. He was still cold, but that wasn't why; Reaver's touch was nice and some part of him wanted Reaver to touch him.

"Yes, of course." That thought was blatantly ignored and he shifted onto his side, waiting patiently for Reaver to join him so he could latch on.

Reaver noticed the shivering, though he didn't comment on it; the fact that the smirk deepened a bit at it might have given him away, however - he was reasonably accustomed to that sort of reaction (if not from Logan, then from others) and if nothing else it often entertained him, in some way.

He had never been off-put by the idea of continuing to be physically affectionate with Logan, after their attempt at a relationship in the winter had gone directly into the ground; however, he was honestly surprised that Logan seemed willing to accept it. However, it did make sleeping easier on both of them; he lay down easily on the bed, pulling Logan closer to him immediately.

Logan immediately latched on, grasping Reaver's shirt tightly and leaning against him. Reaver was warm, but that certainly wasn't the only reason he was clinging so hard. He had debated about leaving Reaver entirely after their relationship had failed horribly, mostly because the idea of spending time with him and acting as if everything was simply back to normal had bothered him. The first few nights after everything had fallen apart had been hell, and he had eventually given up on sleeping alone and had returned to Reaver. It was as though at night, he could have something close to the relationship that failed. It was pathetic to think of it that way and he would never voice it aloud, but it was something he had to look forward to, even now.

He genuinely loved Reaver, and this was the closest he could get to expressing it without risking messing things up.

The sudden clinging got a bit of an odd noise out of Reaver, though it wasn't anything terribly negative. "Really, Logan, you're half-frozen."

It was an idle statement, however, as opposed to any sign that he wanted to be released; to the contrary, he shifted to hold Logan tightly against him, one of his hands burying itself in Logan's hair while the other found his back, tracing over his shoulderblades and stroking lightly down his spine.

He didn't reply to that remark, merely rolling his eyes (not that Reaver could see that anyway) and cuddled closer. The stroking motion earned a soft, pleased noise from him, but otherwise he remained silent.

Logan didn't fall asleep right away though. He was tired, yes, but sleep never came easily, even if he was being held like this. His thoughts drifted easily enough, never settling on one thing for too long. It was only when he realized that he wasn't able to focus anymore that he forced his eyes closed and finally spoke, "Goodnight, Reaver."

The physical contact was comfortable, familiar, though Logan wasn't the only one who often had difficulty sleeping; he was still awake by the time Logan addressed him, having not...quite managed to shut his mind off yet. It was irritating, but he would deal with it; if not, he could always get up once Logan had fallen asleep. He doubted it would be much of an issue tonight; if nothing else, the day had tired him out reasonably well.

For now, however, he kept up that stroking against Logan's back, not pausing as he replied. "Of course; sleep well, my dear."

It didn't take any longer for Logan to fall asleep, thankfully. Staying asleep was another matter entirely. He was lucky if he made it through the night without waking up screaming, much less without having an actual nightmare. Even when he was a child he had been prone to having horrible nightmares, but those had been occasional and they hadn't been anywhere near as bad as the ones he experienced now.

Tonight was no different. Logan didn't remember exactly what the dream was about, but he knew the Crawler was there, taunting him for his failures and mocking his successes. Everything he had ever held dear would be wiped out when he returned home and this diversion wouldn't matter. He was only safe until Johto returned him to Albion.

Logan didn't wake up screaming, but he did sit bolt upright. The remnants of the dream left him quickly, just leaving the usual terror and anxiety that came with the dreams. It took Logan longer than he would like to admit to calm his breathing, though that didn't help stop the small tremors that shook him. He shouldn't be afraid. He was safe here, after all, and when he returned home they would have his sister's help.

But will your sister spare you? He could almost hear the wretched thing ask and Logan shook his head as if that would help remove the voice. It did fall silent, however, leaving him to shiver again.

He hated this. When had he become so weak?

Well, at the very least Logan wouldn't be awakening to complete darkness; Reaver had drifted somewhat eventually, though it hadn't taken him long to awaken again, his thoughts exceedingly overactive. It hadn't been Oakvale this time (praise Avo for small mercies); most of the things invading his mind tonight had nothing to do with the past, but rather issues concerning the future. By the time Logan managed to terrify himself awake, Reaver had been writing them all down, trying to purge them; he had left Logan in the bed and had taken to sitting at the table by the window, the soft light from one of the nearby lamps illuminating the pages of the diary he'd been filling.

He didn't look up, keeping his gaze focused on the page, on the words he was still forming even as he spoke. "Another nightmare, darling?" It was fairly obvious that, despite his wording, it wasn't a question; more a formality by this point. Of course it was.

Logan really wasn't surprised that Reaver was writing, it seemed that he was always up before Logan no matter what ridiculous time it was. The king ran a hand through his hair, gripping at the ends for a moment before responding. "Yes. Yes, it was."

The light was warm and welcome even though it did cast shadows that Logan found himself staring at warily. At least it illuminated part of the room. He felt safer that way. The Crawler couldn't go into the light, he was certain of that much. Not that it really mattered here, but he wasn't thinking clearly just yet.

There was no easy way to calm himself down after a nightmare like that. Distracting himself was how Logan usually handled nightmares, and tonight was no exception. "What are you writing?" He doubted Reaver would tell him, but it was at least something else to focus on.

Reaver shook his head at that. "Nothing of any importance, my dear - simply thoughts that wouldn't leave me alone for the time being, they were making it a bit difficult to remain asleep."

He paused for a brief moment before continuing. "I suppose you could say I find it easier to handle thoughts like that once they're written down; there's something I like about seeing them. It makes everything seem more manageable, I suppose, if they can be condensed like that."

"Really?" Logan had never thought of it like that. Of course, writing things down was just asking for someone in the castle to get hold of it and gossip about it, but even if that hadn't been an issue, he was afraid he would just start writing and never stop. There was so much he would like to get out of his system, and if he could function in the same sort of fashion as Reaver and write it all out... well, he'd be writing forever.

"This is what you always do, isn't it?" He nearly asked how Reaver functioned with only a few hours of sleep, if it was even that much. He ultimately didn't. "What sort of thoughts have been bothering you?"

Reaver glanced up at him; he didn't seem bothered by the questions, the usual smirk present across his features - but that didn't mean he was going to answer more than he felt like, either. "Tonight? Some things involving Albion, primarily, and how they relate to this place. Again, it's nothing that should concern you."

Logan was silent for a moment, considering Reaver's words. "Is it something you don't want to discuss, then?" Whether or not it would concern him didn't matter, what mattered was that it was something that would help keep his mind off of the nightmare. He was already calming down a bit, which was certainly good, but it wouldn't do to go back to thinking about it and risk upsetting himself again.

Reaver shifted his pen a bit, toying with it between his fingers; he didn't answer for a while, though it was obvious that he was thinking, at the very least, rather than simply trying to blow off the question.

"It's all unpleasant business, my dear; however, if you're going to insist - without going into too much detail, you're aware by now that I'm rather...ah, long-lived, shall we say. The fact that this place can strip even the most basic of physical enhancements from people has some fairly unfortunate implications, as far as that goes; I'm not entirely sure how that's going to turn out to be affected."

He paused again; that light smirk was back and rather dissonant, all things considered. "As I said - not terribly pleasant, is it? But there isn't much to be done now, at any rate."

That was something Logan had never considered before. Many people knew Reaver had lived for a very long time, or at the very least, longer than any normal human (or Hero) should have lived. If it was some sort of special ability, then Johto would have suppressed it somehow. Logan found himself tilting his head again and corrected it.

"You're not sure if you'll age here, is that what the issue is?" Hopefully they wouldn't be stuck here long enough for that to matter, but he could see where that might be a concern, seeing as how it looked like Reaver hadn't aged a day over thirty.

"It is a concern of mine, yes; admittedly, I hesitate to really entertain the idea that we'll be here for that long, though the fact that others have been here for years doesn't seem promising."

"There are only a few that have been here for longer than a year." It wasn't exactly a comforting remark and he knew it, but Logan was trying. "Hopefully we'll return home before then."

He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, watching Reaver but making no move to come any closer. He couldn't see what Reaver was writing from back here and he doubted Reaver would be okay with him reading the writing. "It is an understandable concern. I don't know how your... inability to age works, but I doubt you'll age much, even if we are stuck here for years." It wasn't like Reaver would age a hundred years over night, right?

"Well, I - "

Wait.

"...inability, Logan?" He sounded rather incredulous; he was fully aware that it was a hell of a detail to get snagged on, but really... "You make it sound as though I should find that sort of thing desirable."

"You're saying it isn't?" He was back to headtilting again, but Logan didn't bother correcting it this time. "You've lived for hundreds of years and lost countless people; do you seriously not see where a normal life would be a good thing?"

LOCKED TO istheindustry

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