reverie⚡inbox

[striketwice]

REVERIE INBOX "THIS IS ALEC. MAKE IT QUICK." ⚡ voice . text . action ↳ OVERFLOW | REGISTRY

( code from supersuits )

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[striketwice]

[ For Alec, it balances out, at least. The grief and deep, deep regret over the loss of his father is outdone only by the searing hatred he bears his mother. She got what she deserved, but sometimes Alec feels it wasn't enough.

Alec doesn't respond to Henry outright, but the small upturn of his lips must mean he's glad to hear it. He listens to the music a moment longer, then: ]

I never would have pegged you for a Kate Bush fan.

[vecna]

[Okay, but. What. A sharp little laugh, disbelieving.]

A fan?

[a b s o l u t e l y not]

You know this song?

[striketwice]

[ Oh, what's with that reaction? ]

Yeah? I grew up in the 80s, remember? I was twenty-something whenever this came out.

[vecna]

You better not tell me it's one of your favorites.

[He hates this song for how difficult it made things for him.]

That song was the last thing that stood between me and returning home. For a time, at least.

[striketwice]

I can take it or leave it.

[ That's him with like 99% of music, anyway. ]

Somebody kept slipping out of your grasp with it?

[vecna]

[But what’s that 1 percent.]

Yes. This one girl used it as shield against the invasion of her mind. And she was such an easy target, too — so torn up over the death of her brother. It should have been simple.

[He says this all too casually. Henry remains a Big Bad at his core, but at least with a new path ahead of him, this is only frustrating to think about, and not much else.]

Well. It worked out in the end, either way. But I’m still not fond of the song.

[striketwice]

[ I guess you'll just have to ask huh.

Alec hadn't realized that things like grief opened up someone to being an "easy target" but he supposes on some level it make sense. That kind of thing gets into your head, he'd know. Must make it easy for someone else to get there, too. ]

No? You might almost be able to argue that you and I got to meet because you were cockblocked by Kate Bush.

[vecna]

[Cockblocked by Kate Bush… please don’t say those words in that order ever again, Alec.]

No, we got to meet because you and I met whatever criteria there was for the Warden to bring us in here as inmates. I’m not giving that song more credit than what’s due.

[Speaking of songs, he does wonder—]

You’ve figured out my last weakness, so how about an exchange of information? What would be your song?

[striketwice]

[ He just laughs. Henry's really not kidding when he says he hates that fucking song. ]

I think we've moved past "exchanges of information", Henry. You can ask me a question just because you want to know the answer.

[ That said, he regards the radio a moment. It's kind of startling how quickly something springs to mind, but then again, Alec has so few good memories. The options are slim. ]

Doubt you'd know it, unless one of the guys at the lab was a big fan of rock.

[vecna]

[He quirks his smile. They are indeed way past the point of “exchanging information” but he thinks it’s amusing to frame it that way, Mr. Info Broker.]

If they were, they wouldn’t have told me anyway. I’m pretty sure Papa instructed the other orderlies to not interact too heavily with me.

[He was an orderly, but he was still One, which straddled the weird line between test subject and employee. Neither one or the other.]

But that doesn’t matter. I’d like to hear it.

[He tilts his head towards the radio. Maybe if you tune it a little more, Alec!]

[striketwice]

[ You're hilarious, Henry.

He looks from Henry to the radio. He gets the hint, at least, and starts fiddling with the dials again. Static and more static, until at last the sound of a guitar riff begins to become clear. ]

... It's scary how you can do that.

[vecna]

[Isn't he? :) ]

You don't mind, do you?

[Casually plucking little tidbits of information out of Alec's head, remembrances as they float to the surface. Henry has realized he never wants to betray his trust by diving in completely without permission, but skimming the surface is fine, right?

He listens for a bit, regardless of the answer. It isn't exactly his taste in music (he would argue he doesn't have one), but this was apparently from his lab era, so he never got to hear how it changed over the years. Minus whatever Eddie Munson blasted in the Upside Down and... Kate Bush.]

What is it you like about this? [No judgment, just sincerely curious.]

[striketwice]

Nah, I don't mind.

[ It does come back around to trust, and in this case Alec trusts Henry never to take anything that isn't willingly given. Besides, he has no secrets worth keeping here. Not between them. Like he said before, all Henry needs to do is ask. ]

About the song? [ Hell, he's not sure he can find the words, really. ] I dunno. Takes me back to one of the few moments I can remember being happy, for one.

[vecna]

[The trust runs deep; that's saying something for a man who likes to steal away agency from any given individual's memories. But Alec is and always will be a special case.

The few moments he can remember being happy, though... Henry tilts his head a little, hazarding an easy guess as to what that could mean.]

Time spent with your father?

[striketwice]

Kind of.

[ Another shrug, and he turns his back to the radio, leaning against the desk. He's doing that thing again, that crossed arm thing that his dad did. The song carries on behind him. ]

I used to use the extra space in the garage to work on my magic. Dad had this radio he always kept on when he was working. [ A pause. ] It was one of the good days.

[vecna]

[Henry does note the parallel of body language. He shifts his own a little, clasping his hands behind his back.]

So, a song bolstered by fond memories.

[He imagines those are few and far between for Alec after the death of his father. That makes this song playing on the radio so much more poignant.]

It's good that you have one. [Lightly, since it will never apply:] Your own tune to escape with.

[striketwice]

[ He breathes out a little laugh. ]

Too little too late, I'm afraid.

[ He couldn't escape Henry even if he wanted to. ]

[vecna]

[Oh, Alec. You can't just say stuff like that. Henry really is hopelessly trapped in his orbit.]

Too caught in my web?

[striketwice]

[ He can and he will. And he did. ]

If I say yes, will you get smug about it?

[vecna]

I don't think "smug" is the right word. Grateful, I think, that I could ensnare you. [Even if Henry thinks it really is the other way around.] Even if I never planned for it.

[striketwice]

I never planned on ending up in an extradimensional prison in the first place. Let alone... this. Us.

[vecna]

[Alec's song plays to the end, and the radio gently fades to static. Henry waves a hand, and it silences itself outright, quiet and waiting.]

You can make fun of me for being technologically inept, but can you imagine what would have happened if I hadn't accidentally switched teams?

[striketwice]

[ HENRY you can't say that and not expect Alec to instantly latch onto it. ]

If you hadn't what?

[vecna]

[Listen, at least he didn't buttdial his way into Unicorn.]

Accidentally switched teams. It's easy to do on a... "touchscreen", you know. That's why I was so put-off the day we met, because I hadn't meant to change blocks.

[He says so put-off, even though he was all polite smiles that day, anyway. The usual.]

[striketwice]

Henry... oh my god.

[ There's something so unsurprising and yet so hilarious about this revelation. He's not going to tease him only because he's too busy laughing. Please hold. ]