Day 49: Early Afternoon - Tasty Burger

[feartehreaper]

[ Continued from here. ]

The damn burger place was actually the last place Haseo would have wanted to revisit after the previous week, but there was little other choice when practically dragging the distraught Endrance along with him and trying to find an appropriate shelter: he couldn't be certain anywhere else close would have somewhere to sit

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[oftemptation]

Endrance squinted, the contrast between the too-bright fluorescent lights and the dark clouds outside hitting him harder than expected. Then there was the faint blood smell - no. That wasn't blood, though it might as well have been. He almost fell into the seat next to Haseo's, one hand reaching out for one of the Rogue's.

"I...I'm sorry, I'm..."

Breathe.

He fell silent again, focusing on the sound of his breath for a few moments. "I didn't mean to fall apart."

[heraldric]

WET. ARGH. Leon hated the rain. Sure, water was one of his best elements, which made this situation somewhat ironic, but he preferred water that he controlled himself rather than a steady drizzle that soaked him whether he liked it or not. A nurse had loaned him a poncho, which thankfully kept his clothes mostly dry, but it didn't keep him from dripping wherever he went.

Even at Tasty Burger he had to take his coat off at the door and stomp off his feet on a rug that was already so sopping he doubted it was still absorbing anything. He hadn't eaten much on the bus, so while the smells inside the building weren't the most appetizing they still advertised the fact that there was food to be had. He pulled out a coupon, thankfully only mildly damp, and was about to order at the counter when a familiar pair of faces distracted him.

If there was anyone aside from Claude he knew he'd be safe with... "Hey, guys!" He smiled cheerfully even though he could tell Endrance didn't appear to be in the best of moods, and plopped himself down

[feartehreaper]

Haseo didn't even think about the place smelling like meat and just how entirely undesirable that might be; it likely would have only made him hungry if he'd been less stressed. He only remained a bit stiff as Endrance grabbed his hand, not sure if he should be embarrassed or irritated or sympathetic or what. He lowered his chin, mouth settled into a flat line and considerable conflict in his eyes as he looked around them. "It's--"

... Not okay. It wasn't okay because everything was completely out of control, and when Haseo honestly needed Endrance to be at his strongest? Instead he was faced with someone who had utterly come unglued, and the perceived lack of understanding in how to deal with it. Of course, there was no telling why there weren't more people driven to outright insanity, if not for the random disappearances... however

[oftemptation]

Endrance just nodded, letting go of Haseo's hand with one last squeeze. In the end, repeating that inwardly was going to be the best he could get, and he closed his eyes for a moment, blocking out the bright light and atmosphere and focusing on his own breath again.

I...I can't go to bits right now. You need me in one piece, and I...I can't fail. If I do...

"I know," he said, quietly. "I know that. So..."

He looked up, then, only then even realizing someone else was there. "Oh...hello...I'm sorry. I...I'm not feeling so well, so..."

[heraldric]

There was something familiar about this gathering in a way that didn't immediately strike Leon as deja vu-ish. It was the addition of Endrance, he realized, that through it off. Before it had been Kibitoshin. The three of them had been in the Tasty Burger like this right as night had fallen the week before. This thought caused the boy to glance sharply toward the windows, but it wasn't nearly dark yet. In any case, if the zombies did return it wouldn't matter where they were. He'd been trying to keep the thought off his mind so it didn't depress or worry him too much (he'd had enough of that) but that didn't mean he hadn't been careful to stay around groups of people like he was doing now

[feartehreaper]

Haseo caught that brief alarmed glance, and over the top of finishing his coat unbuttoning, gave a sudden stern look in return. Don't say anything he thought at the boy, wishing it would get across somehow not to reveal just what had happened here earlier- how, starting right on the other side of the building, they'd been forced to fight for their lives.

... And to kill the creatures, some who had definitely been townspeople moments before, using whatever was within arms-range, hoping to fend them off just long enough to find a way out... how even when the zombies had no chance, they continued to attack despite destroyed body parts and

[oftemptation]

"If it'd be easier, I can step aside for a few minutes...?" Endrance's words were quiet, calmer than they had been a few moments prior. What happened before had happened, and while it wasn't really easier to accept it, it...if he was going to be honest with himself, panicking over it wouldn't help things. Whatever would happen would happen, and it didn't matter where they were when it did.

He took a moment to glance out the window. "I hope this rain lets up, regardless...I hadn't even realized how bad it was until a few moments ago.

That was really more for Leon's benefit than his own, though. The rain mirrored Endrance's mood, and he didn't mind it so much, personally.

[heraldric]

"Don't be silly! You were here first." Leon shook his head. It looked like Claude and Guy were in the room now too, though he'd missed them entering. If he really needed to leave he could always just visit them instead. Right now this building was probably the safest place for him to be in the entire town, despite what had happened the previous week. (At least there were chairs and trays to whack zombies with, right?)

He smiled at Endrance, trying to get across that he wasn't uncomfortable with him there even if he wasn't feeling all that chipper. (And the man was right - this wasn't exactly the best weather for being chipper.) It wasn't as though the rain had been coming down all that hard until a few minutes ago anyway, so it was no big deal that he hadn't noticed - especially since he was preoccupied.

[feartehreaper]

[ Over to here. :) ]