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[Since everyone and their mother felt the need to inform him that Haven is Horrific Stuff Central, Leo could've brushed off one day of this chaos, no matter how unbelievable. Nightmares about Elliot's death are pretty much the norm for him these days, and if it wasn't for the broadcasts, he might not have even noticed something was amiss. But two days in a row? Coupled with what's happening outside, that's definitely worth worrying about.

Elliot seemed fine last he'd checked, but that doesn't stop him from seeking out his friend and master as soon as he starts to think that all the suffering going on is more than just coincidence.]

Elliot?

Edited 2014-10-29 10:01 (UTC)

[ leo will find him in the room, seated at the edge of his bunk. along the bed is his violin case kept open, a blank music booklet inside. across his lap is a familiar black sword, which elliot is currently attempting to clean. not that it needed much cleaning in its current state at all.

in fact, from the rather robotic way he's going about it, it's clear that he's merely just doing it for the sake of distraction.

when leo enters the room, his head perks up, eyes immediately darting towards the other. ]

Leo. [ he takes a moment to look the boy over as is his habit these days, lingering for just a fraction of a second on those exposed eyes. it's still a little weird, even now. ]

Is something wrong?

Edited 2014-10-30 02:57 (UTC)

[Something's wrong. He's always been able to read Elliot, just as easily as one of his books, and he's grateful for that skill now. It's hard to say what, exactly, seems out of place, but he knows Elliot depends on that sword as a source of comfort (and god, it's still in his quarters back home, how could he have taken it, how could he have ever been so selfish) and somehow that makes him worry even more.

He steps further into room, moving close but not sitting down. He's too distracted for that, busy studying Elliot's face. Maybe someday, he'll stop being afraid that Elliot will vanish if he blinks too often, but for now he's still getting used to seeing Elliot looking back.]

Everything's alright? Are you hurt?

[ of course something's wrong. like leo, he isn't blind to all that is happening around them. he's been out there, spoken to a few people already, and frankly he isn't any closer to figuring things out now than he had been when all that weirdness seemed to start. how is he supposed to help people if he doesn't even know what's wrong with them? ]

Didn't I just ask you that question?

[ he makes a low, irritated sound in the back of his throat, but it's mostly dismissive. he holds leo's eyes for a second longer before turning back to his sword, idly running that rag over it. ]

I'm fine. Are you?

[Leo doesn't answer right away, considering whether or not Elliot's response is acceptable. There's no sign of blood or bruises, which is a relief, but he's still too subdued, and it's disconcerting.

Finally, he makes an affirmative sound, nodding slightly.]

Nothing out of the ordinary.

[Nothing but the half-hearted, misplaced hope that he'd be able to close his eyes without seeing Elliot drenched in blood again. But that battle, he assumes, has nothing to do with Haven.

He reaches out, then, stilling Elliot's hand. It's a light touch, almost uncharacteristically gentle, really, which is probably a sign he's feeling out of sorts himself. And, well, maybe he needs the reminder that yes, this place, this person, is still real. (Elliot's sappiness must be contagious.)]

Something's going on. I don't know what happened, but people are acting-- strange. [Pause.] They're hurting themselves.

[ elliot's hand stills under leo's, body tensing up considerably with the touch. it lasts only for a moment, as if his body needed that moment to remember, to readjust, and within seconds, he's relaxing enough that his shoulders are no longer stiff. though the tightness around his lips and brow remain. ]

And others. [ his words are curt, and he refrains from saying anything more on the subject (which might be cause for worry enough). in all the warnings and pieces of advice he'd been given on his first day here, no one had ever warned him that yao's reach could extend so far. that they can get into one's head...

it was a reality that elliot is far too familiar with. and frankly, a wound he's still struggling to heal from. ]

If they delusional, they're hallucinating. If they aren't hallucinating, they're wounded all over.

[ his hand tightens under leo's. ]

What are we supposed to do with that?

[Nothing, is the tempting answer that springs to mind. They don't know these people, this isn't their problem. There's nothing keeping them from staying in this room and ignoring everything around them. Not for the first time in recent days, the urge to block out the world is tantalizing.

But that's not who Elliot is. That's not even who he is, and Leo feels a twinge of shame for considering it, however brief. Besides, Oz, Ada? Those are their people, no matter how little he'd cared about what happened to them before Haven. This world doesn't deserve that resentment, at least not yet.]

Whatever we can. Some people aren't hurt, I saw them helping. You're not the only one, at least there's that comfort. [A pause, because optimism isn't really his strong point. But he's gentle with his realism, sitting down and putting his hand on Elliot's shoulder instead.] You can't save everyone, Elliot. You know that. But this is a war they've been fighting for at least two years. They've lived this long, someone must know what they're doing.

[ elliot takes a moment to consider that. it's logical, of course, and that's often what he ends up defaulting to leo for. he's always been a little too emotional for his own good, always too quick to react rather than stop and think about things first.

but how much logic can be applied to a situation like this? and how much does he really want to, in the long run?

he shakes his head, and though he doesn't move away from the other boy's hand, he stiffens beneath it all the same. ]

We were brought here for a reason. [ they had to have been. no one just brings someone back to life for nothing. ] It must be so we can help.

[ a pause as he grits his teeth stubbornly. ]

I refuse to believe it's the alternative.

Right, no one would gather up innocent people to experiment on them. That's ridiculous. [HEAVY SARCASM... bit of a sensitive subject there. He still hasn't forgiven Pandora (himself) for James.

But Elliot does have a point. It's the same thing that's been bothering him, though his conclusions haven't been nearly as hopeful. Clearly these aren't good people, especially if all of this agony is their doing. So why would they give him Elliot? What sort of "experiment" could possibly require such a massive array of complex subjects? It doesn't make any sense. He doesn't like it.

It won't do any good to sit here and speculate, though. If they've gotten away with nothing worse than a few bad dreams, they might as well take advantage of it. He can let Elliot play the noble hero, if it makes him feel better.]

Alright, then, where do you want to start?

[ elliot's eyes sharpen when they flick towards leo, every inch of his face and posture showing how very little he is in the mood to deal with sarcasm at the moment. particularly leo's, which had always had the strange effect of being far too cutting while rolling right off him as if it were water. it's leo, and so he knows it isn't meant to be malicious in the traditional way, but because it's leo, it's difficult not to let his words truly mean anything. ]

You.

[ it's a serious matter. they both know this. but it's not just about protecting people, to elliot.

it's about protecting his people. the people he should be able to protect.

leo.

sometimes elliot doesn't think leo knows just how important the other boy is to him. meaning, somehow, he's already failed.

he stands then, turning quickly to face leo, his sword held tight in his hand, stiff at his side. ]

There's no telling what kind of horrors this place has in store for us. Better for my peace of mind to know that if anything were to happen — [ he takes care not to let his breath hitch here, not to let his gaze shift or his lashes flutter ] — that you'll be able to protect yourself.

Do you still have your pistol?

Edited 2014-11-07 14:11 (UTC)

[Leo doesn't move right away. They've been through this before, and maybe it should be a comfort that Elliot is acting just like he always does, whenever something has him worried. But it isn't, because Leo isn't the one who ends up hurt. Elliot's priorities are all wrong, as usual.

Well, the Abyss isn't here to sweep in and save his soul this time. That won't be happening again. Not if Leo has anything to do with it.]

Nothing's going to happen. ["I won't let you get hurt again."

But there's no harm in indulging Elliot in this. Who knows, maybe his aim will get better now that he sees the world like everybody else. He nods, getting up to retrieve his gun from where he'd tossed it after the trip to Haven North.]

Ah, but I think it's mostly empty. [best bodyguard]

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