reverie⚡inbox

[striketwice]

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

( code from supersuits )

Comments

[vecna]

[They were black widows. His favorite. That might not surprise Alec, either.

This spider, though? No different than a brown house spider, and it pokes at Alec’s fingers with its front legs, testing. It’s a tickly feeling.]

I’ll take suggestions if you have any.

[And then the spider ambles forward with all of its eight legs, right onto Alec’s palm. It starts to slowly explore, unsurprisingly.]

[striketwice]

I think you're contractually obligated to have at least one Charlotte.

[ His eyes stay on the spider crawling around on his palm. It makes its way to the edge of his hand and he obligingly turns his wrist, allowing her to crawl over the back of his hand instead. ]

Beyond that, I've got nothing.

[vecna]

[Henry sits beside Alec, watching his interaction with the spider. The curve of his fingers as the little arachnid eventually trails along them.]

Charlotte. [A reference he understands.] That’s a little trite, don’t you think?

[(Officially, this spider is Charlotte now.)]

[striketwice]

You didn't ask me for creative suggestions.

[ He seems surprisingly cool with just letting her roam around where she wants. This is by far the least weird thing that's happened to him since he got here. ]

[vecna]

I expect better than you by default.

[He’s just teasing, though, and he lets that fall by the wayside for a bit. Henry watches, letting silence settle. Alec's profile... He could draw that someday, too, maybe.

Finally-]

You were right, you know. About spiders and me. For the longest time, they were the only thing I felt like I could relate to. Didn’t you have something like that?

[striketwice]

[ In the moment of quiet, the spider travels along Alec's fingers, from one to the next. He lifts each finger in turn, apparently so intent on watching her that he misses Henry's eyes on him completely.

When Henry finally speaks, he glances over. ]

I guess I didn't. I was too busy picking fights with anyone who so much as looked at me wrong.

[ The spider comes to the tips of his fingers. He holds his hand out, offering it back to Henry. ]

Delicate things like this were never for me.

[vecna]

[Henry lowers his gaze to take the spider back. It crawls gently onto his own outstretched fingers and then his palm.]

They’re not as fragile as you think.

[He lets her settle before he stands to return her to the terrarium. At the desk, his hands dip into the open top of the class encasement, gentle.]

I saw that, too, though. On my way out of your memories — all the fights you got into.

[striketwice]

[ Maybe, maybe not. They're certainly too fragile for Alec to have handled in his younger days. ]

I figured you did. I was always so mad, and I had nowhere to direct that anger. It just came out whenever, however it wanted. It didn't matter who was in my way.

[vecna]

[Charlotte slips back into her home. Henry secures the terrarium’s lid.]

You let it all out, and I kept it all in.

[He returns to his spot soon after, sitting next to Alec again.]

I would have been one of the boys you picked on, or started a fight with. There’s one difference between us.

[striketwice]

[ It's weird to think of, what they would have been like as kids together. Alec snorts a little. ]

Oh, yeah. I would have made your life a living hell.

[vecna]

Hm. Maybe it’s good I didn’t meet you when I was younger. You’re already a pain as an adult.

[striketwice]

And yet, here you are.

[ His smile skews crooked, amused. ]

Anyway, do you want me to finish this portal or not?

[vecna]

[And yet, here he is.]

I’m not stopping you. How much longer do you have left?

[striketwice]

Like fifteen, twenty minutes tops, probably.

And then food. I've been at this all morning.

[vecna]

Yes, then food. You've been working hard.

[And that's not even patronizing.]

I won't interrupt you anymore.

[striketwice]

[ Thank you for genuinely acknowledging his hard work. ]

It's fine. Thanks for the break.

[ So saying, he hauls himself up to finish his work. ]

[vecna]

[No sketchbook this time. Henry will just watch him work until he’s done!

Twenty or so minutes pass.]

…Well?

[striketwice]

[ Like before, Alec checks and double checks his work, and when he's done, the marks vanish, leaving a yawning opening in the fabric of reality in their place. Beyond, the interior of Alec's room. ]

But wait, there's more.

[ Said like a true infomercial announcer. He waves the portal closed, then etches out another series of runes. The air tears open again, this time showing the shadowy corner of the graveyard where they started. It really is a network. ]

[vecna]

[Okay. Cheesy infomercial voice aside, it is impressive. Henry’s portals were never interconnected in that way. He's almost jealous.]

Soon you’ll be zipping around all over the place. Just don’t track graveyard dirt into my room, Alec.

[striketwice]

I'll be sure to portal in from someplace appropriately clean, Henry.

[ There's no shortage of sarcasm there. He waves the portal closed. ]

So, how about lunch?

[vecna]

[Listen, Henry Creel might be a gross monster thing in reality, but old human habits dictate CLEANLINESS!!! No dirt in here, sir.

The portal closes, and there’s some sense of satisfaction in knowing that Alec has a little secret route into his room, but he doesn’t remark on it.]

Sure. The kitchen or the diner?

[striketwice]

[ It'll be their little secret. ]

Diner, probably. I've done enough work today, I'm not cooking jack.

[vecna]

I guess you’ve spoiled me enough for one day.

[With the portal!

Henry stands, ready to go.]

Let’s go, then.

[TO THE DINER]

[striketwice]

[ TO THE DINER. They will walk there, the old fashioned way. ]

[vecna]

[How boring.

But some small talk as they near:]

Oh, I've thought of something else I meant to ask you about. I heard you visited a certain cell block?