(Untitled)

[coldshutsin]

Location: Cocytus's Room, Hallway and Cafeteria
Time: Afternoon/evening-ish
Characters: Cocytus and Phlegethon
Rating: PG-13 (for language)

Comments

[riverofwrath]

Not so much out of a particular desire for caffeine but out of the restlessness that came with being entirely out of control of his surroundings, Phlegethon was heading down the hall in search of coffee, grateful to escape the clutches of a conversation with Raziel.

He was effectively stopped in his tracks by the sight of his younger brother -- both the last person he had expected and one of the very few he might have hoped for.

"Cocytus." For once, he couldn't manage anything wittier or more eloquent.

[coldshutsin]

When you wake up in an institutional situation, you have to expect that someone is going to know your name and, should that someone see you leaving your room, they are most likely going to request your attention. You are not, however, required to expect that voice to be familiar. Nor are you particularly required to expect it to belong to, of all things, family.

Cocytus turned to face Phlegethon with, he knew, a moment of surprise still caught in his expression. "Phlegethon?" Rather stupid to voice that as a question, really. Who else could it be?

[riverofwrath]

He ran through a number of conflicting reactions all at once: relief at finding that he wasn't alone, the inner cringe at being reminded of his family, and the simple twinge of happiness at seeing his favourite brother.

At a loss for anything else to do, Phlegethon grinned, a bit helplessly. "I'm afraid so. What the hell are you doing here?"

[coldshutsin]

"Not a clue." It was said with a signature smile in that typically cheerful way that was easily recognized as purely Cocytus. After a short pause, he shrugged. "Of course, it might help if I knew where 'here' actually was."

While running into a family member was not exactly the most expected event, it was much nicer than simply running into a complete stranger while he was undeniably confused.

[riverofwrath]

That was nearly a laugh, though it was more on the bitter side than the amused, honestly. "Knowing didn't help me much, but maybe you'll be different." Phlegethon spread his arms, a gesture encompassing not just the hallway but the entire institution -- he never claimed not to possess a flair for the dramatic. "Welcome to Purgatory, little brother."

[coldshutsin]

A blink. It was just the simplest response as the facts slid into place and Cocytus worked his mind around it. Purgatory? Huh. Interesting. "At least that explains how I got here." Maybe he was taking this a bit too well but, being rather used to having to just roll with the consequences of a mistake, what else was he supposed to do? "And the general why of Purgatory tends to be rather simple, though the judgement of a Hades being in limbo is a bit of a surprise."

[riverofwrath]

Almost entertained at watching Coctyus' reaction, and having had the same thought himself, Phlegethon found himself grinning crookedly again. "I was less surprised to be dead and more surprised to find that I wasn't already burning. I assume we're being given the fairest chance we can get, for what that's worth."

[coldshutsin]

"Brilliant. Either we'll be shocked and amazed by the results or we'll just be prolonging the inevitable." And there was that Cocytus smile again as he shrugged. "I'm rather used to the latter, really."

That said, of course, now it was time to actually look around. After all, there was a key word in that statement: prolonging. Words like that tended to mean there would be a length of time involved. "So, is this entire place this painfully white and sterile? If so, I might have to call Purgatory something a bit closer to Hell than I would've expected."

[riverofwrath]

There was one of those faint, knowing smiles before he answered. "I'm only expecting the latter. A miracle couldn't keep me out of Hell."

Phlegethon quirked an eyebrow, glancing briefly and almost dubiously down the hallway in the direction he can been headed. "I've been about to find out. Care to join me for coffee? Reportedly there's some that way."

[coldshutsin]

"I believe performing impossibilities is what makes a miracle a miracle, brother dear, but I might have to agree with you on that."

Following that glance off down the hall, Cocytus hmmed. "Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out if the reports are true."

[riverofwrath]

"Technicalities, Cocytus."

"Exactly," he said, relaxing a little. "Shall we?" Phlegethon didn't actually see the need to wait for an answer before turning to make his way towards what he could only hope would be a common room.

[coldshutsin]

Simply falling into step by his brother, Cocytus continues to take in whatever there is to actually notice around him. Not much, really. It's all painfully clean and uniform and reminds him a bit too much of the days when talking his way out of Hell seemed a bit more likely.

"So, how long have you been here?" It's conversation for the sake of information. "Or is time one of those concepts that they expect us to let go of when we die?"

[riverofwrath]

For the purposes of retaining what sanity he still had, Phlegethon was, for the moment, resolutely ignoring the infuriating qualities of his surroundings and concentrating on the mission at hand. Caffeine.

He shot a quick glance back at Cocytus before answering. "It might be, but either way, it feels like -- Christ, a few hours? It's difficult to tell between the gunshot and waking up just how long I waited before venturing out of my room."

[coldshutsin]

"Hm." Considering this, Cocytus continued following the hall. A gunshot? Not a surprising way for Phlegethon to go. Far more respectful and rather less messy than the last flash of consciousness that Cocytus himself vaguely remembered. "And have you noticed anything actually being done here or has it all been...this. The sitting about and wandering when you get stircrazy?"

[riverofwrath]

It was more out of politeness than a lack of curiosity that Phlegethon didn't ask after Cocytus' death -- it seemed a touchy subject, and he would be courteous to him if to no one else. "Not yet, but the... fuck, I suppose she would have been an angel -- the angel, Raziel, who found me in my room claims there'll be some misguided attempt to get to know me in order to prepare me for my... final reward." The last two words were spoken with no small amount of distaste.

[coldshutsin]

Cocytus couldn't help but laugh slightly at that thought. "That should be an entertaining prospect."

So they put you through therapy to determine whether you were heaven-bound or hell-bent. "I suppose that will be the case for everyone here, then? Just what I always wanted. A stint in moral rehab."