(Untitled)

[legendarymadman]

Geoffrey has never hated winter quite so much as he hates this one, and he's been through winters that can freeze your balls right through three layers of clothing. It's not the cold, which if anything makes this place feel a little more like home. It's that he wonders what home even means anymore when part of his family's been ripped from him. It'

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[palmthemoon]

Shadow took the break in...conversation...to clear his throat and let Geoffrey know, as politely as possible, that he had an audience. Josiah's face was equally thoughtful as it looked through the little space he had in his miniature snowsuit. If they'd been able to get away without disturbing Geoffey, Shadow would have done that but the crunch of snow under his boots would give him away.

"We're looking for Karen," he said after a moment. "Sometimes she likes to give soliloquies here."

[legendarymadman]

Geoffrey goes so completely still for a moment it's like he thinks he can't be seen if he doesn't move. Then slowly, ignoring everything on the stage up to an including his own queer behaviour, he turns to look at Shadow.

"Is she missing?" he says in what he thinks passes as a normal voice. "Do you need help looking for her?"

[palmthemoon]

Realizing how it must have sounded, to this man, of all people, Shadow shakes his head hurriedly. "No," he said and put his free hand out in a soothing sort of gesture. "No, she is not missing. She can come wander this far without having someone with her, but it's time for supper now. We've just come to round her up, but she is about somewhere."

[legendarymadman]

Geoffrey's shoulders relax, but only a little. There's too much going on for him to relax entirely.

"I haven't seen her," he says, "and I've been here for a while. I might have been...distracted...but it's a safe bet I would've seen a little girl."

[new_ophelia]

"Ooh, shit," Kate murmurs as she freezes to the spot, having gotten close enough to realize Geoffrey isn't just rehearsing some soliloquy. "Really? He's back?"

[legendarymadman]

"What?" says Geoffrey, so startled he actually jumps to face her instead of just turning. "Kate! What a lovely surprise."

He smiles automatically, and hopes it doesn't look too creepy.

[new_ophelia]

"Sounded like you were talking to Oliver," she says slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Is that not what you were doing?"

[legendarymadman]

"A lot of things sound like things they aren't when they're on stage," Geoffrey hedges, to a hrmph from beside him that he patently ignores. "And speaking of, you were radiant the other night."

[willbewonderful]

It's cold. Not cold like either of them have known, but there's snow on the ground, in the air, gathering inside Duck's collar without his scarf. He's standing in it, and he's too damn warm, heat prickling under his skin, rattling the breath in his lungs, building up to sting behind his eyes.

It's dizzying, to witness what he's been dreading for so long, and maybe that's part of it. Maybe he's been too obvious, too watchful, maybe he's robbed Geoffrey's of his confidence. Or maybe it was gonna happen all along, because this is the part where things crumble, and Duck just.

He doesn't know how not to fall right with it.

His hands are cold. He knows not because he feels it, but because they ache, and he wonders when that started, how he noticed it at all over the ache in his heart.

"Geoffrey?"

[legendarymadman]

Of all the responses Geoffrey could have felt at that--fear, surprise, shame--tears pricking at his eyes takes him completely by surprise. It's only for a moment, but it's so wholly unexpected that Geoffrey doesn't know what to say for a moment.

"Speak of the devil," says Oliver, and Geoffrey's never wanted to hit him quite so much. Not even when he was alive.

"Duck," he says finally, and turns towards him and doesn't try to deny or explain. It is what it is. "I'm glad you're here."

[willbewonderful]

"Yeah," says Duck, thickness in his throat stopping him from saying more, even if it means it with all his heart.

His feet move of their own accord, carrying him right through the deep drift at the edge of the stage. He could get up there on his own, he's sure, but he's not going to slip in front of Geoffrey, and frankly he'd really like to get his hands on him right now. "Gimme a hand up?"

[legendarymadman]

Geoffrey gives him two, and holds on tight.

"Don't let go, Geoffrey," Oliver says, almost sing-song in his town. "You never know what might happen if you let go."

Geoffrey doesn't let go. If anything, when Duck is up on the stage with him, he holds on tighter.

[dishabille_mal]

Maladicta slowed and cast a round-eyed gaze over Geoffrey's very tense person. She was going to interrupt him, of course, but Olivia beat her to it, wriggling just enough to tip her face toward the director and to coo inquiringly at him.

"All right?" Maladicta clarified.

[legendarymadman]

"That depends on who's asking," says Geoffrey, watching Oliver warily out of the corner of his eye. Not that he's necessarily misbehaving; in fact, he looks like he's about to make funny faces at the baby, which is definitely not something he took the time to do in life. "Actually no it doesn't. I'm fine. Everything's fine. Look, snow."

[dishabille_mal]

Olivia giggled.

"You're talking like someone in the throes of a hallucination," Maladicta commented, almost blithely.

"Are you?" she asked.

"In the throes of a hallucination," she clarified. Olivia said "Aahbahbahbahmn."

"I only ask as someone who has had some experience with them before. Although mine, you know. Bled over into reality, so I wasn't always experiencing them alone."

[legendarymadman]

"Right, exactly," says Geoffrey, nodding his head at Olivia seriously, as though her answer was quite profound. "I prefer to think of it as a psychological manifestation, though."

"You would," says Oliver.

"What do you think?"