for @convincingsmile - Nobody's dying today (probably)

[technicallyhellbound]

Edwin knew as soon as he fell through the mirror that something was wrong, and not just a little bit wrong, but the kind of wrong that made the whole world tilt on its axis a little.

It wasn't a misdirected portal, not like the case that had ultimately led them to Crystal, not like many other failures of concentration when traversing mirror portals before, it was something else, and he couldn't place what it was. All he knew was that he'd simply passed through the mirror in question and had landed, hard on the floor on the other side of the room, hard enough that he actually skidded a couple of feet and that couldn't be right because that actually hurt, and hurt in the way he hadn't felt in... well, decades.

It was enough to tumble him against the far wall just from his own momentum, impacting hard enough to knock the breath out of his lungs, and that was definitely wrong, because he shouldn't have had breath or lungs. He could see, even through pain-hazed vision that the poltergeist he'd been baiting had, indeed, gotten caught in the trap he himself had leapt over when aiming for the mirror.

That was, however, the last thing he saw before the half-rotted-through loft floor gave way beneath his sudden and unexpected weight, sending him falling, flailing, scraped to ribbons on the broken slats, to the ground below, and he was reasonably sure he'd actually heard something snap on impact, ribs, if the sudden radiating pain was anything to go by, though his shoulder wasn't in good shape either, and that was an entirely different kind of pain, just layering on top of the feeling of the ragged scratches from the wood, and it occurred to him, dimly, that he'd forgotten how much he hated the feeling of blood on his skin.

It had been different in Hell, the pain, the sensations in general, all of it, it had been horrible, yes, but it was so much more visceral now, and even as his vision began to go hazy again, head swimming, his last thoughts were trying to remember how he'd somehow gotten separated from Charles, who had been barely a step behind him when he'd rounded the corner into the loft pursued by the poltergeist now trapped securely above him.

Comments

[technicallyhellbound]

He nodded at the question, smiling as Charles drew him in closer, "I did. While it did get to be too much for me at one point I simply went outside." It hadn't really been 'simply', but there was no point in souring Charles' memory of the night,

A soft hum followed, nudging his brow against Charles' gently, "And one of your new friends gave me some earplugs after that and the rest of the night was much more tolerable." His brow creased a little, drawing back just far enough to see Charles' face, "Did you know they made those, now? They're just soft foam, I probably still have them in my pocket from last night."

[convincingsmile]

Oh right, Charles remembered catching Edwin and Crystal outside once. It was still blurry though. But he smiled a little, but it turned into a wince as his headache was acting up.

"I thought those were only for sleeping," he chuckled. "I should've thought about it..." he mused. He sighed then, frowning as his headache drilled a hole deeper into his temples. "We met with people Edwin, good guys," he whispered. "I could feel the music in my chest."

[technicallyhellbound]

He reached up to run his fingers through Charles' hair, scratching delicately at his scalp as if that might help alleviate some of the headache, "It's quite alright, apparently most people don't think of it, and you'd have had no reason to."

He smiled, dipping in to press a quick kiss to the tip of Charles' nose, because it was right there and he could, "Can't expect you to think of everything all the time."

[convincingsmile]

"'M just trying to be better, trying to be like you," Charles whispered, his eyes closing again. But before Edwin could move away he leans in too; he pressed a kiss to his lips. Oh, no matter how many times he does, it's always a thrill to feel Edwin's warm, living lips against his. Charles shivers, feeling a few things. He could... maybe he could make Edwin happy. How much time do they have? Maybe of they would be quick... "Ow," Charles groans when his headache just gets rid of all those thoughts for him.

"Should we get ready? Crystal's gonna be here soon, yeah?" Charles muttered, holding onto Edwin tighter, fighting the nasty headache that was threatening to get worse and worse. Ugh, he needed some water, and an aspirin. And the greasiest burger...

[technicallyhellbound]

He'd been about to teasingly remind Charles that Edwin himself wasn't the all-knowing expert of all things, but then Charles was kissing him and it was easier to just reply in kind, fingers sliding down to the nape of Charles' neck, kneading there.

He hummed at the question, reaching for their phone to check the time, "Soon enough, but we should still have time to shower and dress before she arrives. Think we should get you a paracetamol first, though, one should be alright on an empty stomach, another once you've eaten if you still need it."

[convincingsmile]

Edwin's touch was warm and cold at the same time. Charles let out a relieved sigh, but the moment was only temporary.

"Right, good plan, good plan," he winced when the headache turned into a violent icepick trying to mine all his remaining brain matter through his temples.

Charles took the paracetamol because he would rather risk a stomach ache than this headache. And by the time Crystal got there, he was showered and slightly less miserable. Though not enough for Crystal not to pick up on it and roast the everloving hell out of him for it. As he deserved. But in exchange, she was true to her word for bringing the best breakfast sandwich he could ever wish for, with a sports drink to prepare them for Edwin's day of outing. And when Charles realized that he was terribly hungover on the day Edwin was supposed to have his fun, he felt completely crushed... Though he hoped he could still salvage the day somehow and make sure Edwin had just as much fun as he did yesterday.

[technicallyhellbound]

Crystal was just as surprised as Charles had been the first time when Edwin sprinkled two of the hot sauce packets that had been included with breakfast over the potato-and-egg hash she'd brought for him, while Edwin, for his part, was still touched that she remembered about his distaste for meat.

He just shrugged when she questioned why he wasn't hungover, "I am, just not as severely. I didn't have as much to drink for one thing, but also just tolerance I suppose. Apparently allowing children a little bit of gin punch for the holidays isn't the done thing anymore." A twitch of a smile, "Not to mention, our cold medication had both cannabis and cocaine most of the time."

He considered as he continued with his breakfast, "I think the self-guided tour of the botanical gardens would likely be best for us, given the current state of affairs." Mostly that even though he liked listening to people who knew what they were talking about, he wasn't sure he would be able to keep from making corrections, that and listening to someone else talk definitely wouldn't help anyone's headache at the moment.

[convincingsmile]

Right, Charles knew Edwin had alcohol from a young age, and his cough syrup was something that was so illegal today, but very fun. And yet he didn't expect him to handle his drink so well. He drank last night, right? Bloody hell.

But, on the other hand, it was great to think that he was getting to know a side of Edwin he wouldn't otherwise. Not a new Edwin, but an alive Edwin... Though, Charles tried not to think about that fact too much.

"Mm, mo, mate-" Charles snapped, with his mouth stuffed with his eggs and bacon sandwich. Then he struggled to swallow it before he continued. "No, no, we can get a guide, yeah? It's something you wanted, maybe they gonna tell something you don't know, or, or, or you can correct them on something. Wouldn't you like that, yeah? Don't hold back because... because of current state of affairs." Charles just couldn't say 'because of me' out loud.

[technicallyhellbound]

He smiled, reaching over to give Charles' hand a squeeze, "It's for my own sake as well, I don't trust myself not to correct someone with inaccurate information." A little shake of his head and a half-circular gesture with his fork, "General knowledge has advanced more than I realize, sometimes."

His brow creased, considering, just making a thoughtful sound, "I suppose we can decide when we get there, if there's a guided tour that's predominantly younger children I think I'd be more inclined to ask questions instead of stating facts that may no longer be true."

[convincingsmile]

"Right, but then you'd learn in a fun way," Charles sighed, squeezing his hand back. "What, you wanna learn together with a bunch of little kids? That'd be cute. You'd be like their older brother or something," he chuckled, exchanging a look with Crystal. "So yeah, do as you want mate, I'll be there no matter what or how you wanna do it."

Though the thought of little children usually delighted him, now with the headache still lingering on the edge of his consciousness, he wasn't sure he had the patience for them... But it would be so fun. Children knew how to have fun!

[technicallyhellbound]

"And for what it's worth I'd much rather be corrected by a six year old than a grown adult." He added with a shrug before returning to his breakfast.

Crystal had been puzzled by this turn of opinion, at least until that particular statement, which put it all into perspective and she nodded, "Kids that age like being smarter than anybody older than they are, but they won't be dicks about it. Most of the time."

"Precisely so." Edwin agreed with a nod, honestly glad that she understood what he was getting at, "So we'll take the more direct route to get there, see what the makeup of the upcoming guided tours is, possibly join one of those, or take the self-guided if not, stay for the bird educational segment, then take the long way back so we can stop for ice cream."

[convincingsmile]

"Sounds like a plan," Charles grinned, risking another bigger bite from his food. He devoured it in two more bites, thanking Crystal over and over again. At least his stomach was getting better but he still felt sick and weak as they took off. He could have stayed in bed all day, but that wasn't an option. The living didn't know how good they had it... Though, ghosts never experience hangover due to them being... dead, so, fair exchange?

Either way, the beginning of the trip was like stepping out to World War 3, like all the light, the sounds, the... everything was almost too much. Everything Charles loved about being alive was now either annoyed him or made him sick.

But they made it, and the fresh air did help, but he would have died again without coffee.

[technicallyhellbound]

Edwin, for his part, was thankful for sunglasses, mostly because he'd very nearly forgotten just how bright the daytime world usually was. Certainly they'd been out in it before, but it was different as a ghost, less distracting.

There wasn't a school group, it was too early in the day for that, apparently, but there was a local senior citizens begonia fanciers group, and as far as Edwin was concerned that was just as good because one thing he knew was that the two groups of people who were the most delightfully opinionated were young children and the elderly, something that was only reinforced when one of the ladies -wearing a frankly ridiculously oversized straw hat- gave the three of them a knowing wink and an approving nod and Edwin couldn't even be sure what it was she thought she was seeing, but not about to argue it, either, keeping his hold of Charles' hand

Crystal also noticed, giving the woman a brilliant smile as she looped her arm a little more securely through Charles', keeping him sandwiched between herself and Edwin.

[convincingsmile]

Charles was honestly a little out of it by the time they got there. He was holding onto Edwin's hand for dear life. He only noticed something was about when Crystal also linked her arm with his tighter. Charles looked around, spotting the look on the woman too. He would lie if he said a cold dread didn't run down his spine, but it passed a moment later. There was no judgement but more amusement in her look. So it relaxed Charles a bit.

"Everything good, mate?" Charles checked in. Though it was probably for himself too. He knows he kissed Edwin at the concert too, and definitely showed others that they were together. But that was a safer place for it...

[technicallyhellbound]

Once Edwin had realized that her look was some sort of wry approval he'd relaxed as well, just nodding at Charles' question, "Yes, quite." There was no hesitation in using his free hand to brush Charles' hair away from his brow with his fingertips, testing his temperature as he did, "And you? If you need to sit down for a moment we certainly can."

Crystal found that she was actually enjoying the tour guide, which she hadn't expected, "And you and I can find somewhere in the shade to sit and watch while Edwin gets used as a parakeet perch." A little shrug, "Unless you were into that, too."

[convincingsmile]

Charles closed his eyes as he felt the cool touch of Edwin's fingers on his forehead. He stifled a groan, leaning into the touch, seeking more. Oh he could get used to this...

"I'll be fine, yeah?" he smiled, squeezing Edwin's hand in return.

Then he gave another pained groan.

"I wanna be a parakeet perch too..." he sighed. He definitely was suffering but these were parakeets! When could he feel little birdie feet on his shoulders if not now?

[technicallyhellbound]

"Sure, then I'll sit it out and take pictures." Crystal replied, amused.

Edwin just nodded, giving Charles' hand another squeeze, "We'll have a sit down in the shade before then, though, wouldn't do to have you feeling woozy while covered in birds." It was only as the tour continued that he started to notice some interesting dynamics in the rest of the group, but it wasn't anything he could fully focus on while also paying attention to the guide.

He was amused by the packet of wildflower seeds they were each given for completing the tour, just tucking it away in a pocket before steering Charles gently towards a bench in the shade, "We've a few minutes until the next bird encounter, and it's only across the way." A nod towards the small stage with permanent perches installed on it.

[convincingsmile]

Charles nodded, letting himself be steered and guided at this point. Though he admitted sitting in the shade did revigorate him a little. He had so forgotten just how nice it was to be out in the sun, then seeking shelter under some trees. The more he noticed these little things, the more he dreaded for it all to end.

When they sat down, he was silent for a bit. Then looked up, frowning.

"So, anyone noticed the old folk being proper weird or 's just me?" he asked.

[technicallyhellbound]

"They most certainly were." Edwin replied with a nod, "Though I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

Crystal looked from Edwin to Charles and back, "Yeah, you didn't see the pineapples?"
Edwin's brow furrowed, "I fail to see what their choice in accessories means, of course they've got a symbol, they're a botany club?"

Crystal sighed in a way Edwin had come to recognize as some part exasperation and some part steeling herself for an explanation, "They're swingers. That's what the upside down pineapple means."

Edwin was sure he'd heard the term before, but didn't have his notebook on him to be able to leaf through to one of his updated vocabulary pages to be sure, "I'm going to assume you don't mean swing dancers."

[convincingsmile]

"Pineapples?" Charles frowned, trying to think what the hell a fruit had to do with anything...? But then Crystal explained and Charles felt his headache coming back full force. "How what?! They were eying us all the way, mate!" he said, looking both at Crystal and Edwin. "They- do you think they were, like, seriously interested?" he asked Crystal with wide eyes.

Then he paused for a second before he laughed out loud, despite the headache.

"I kept thinking if they could see if I'm sick or somethin'".

[technicallyhellbound]

Crystal shrugged at Charles' question, though she couldn't help but smile at the combination of indignation and curiosity, "Don't know. I mean, we're definitely not in the club, no insignia, but maybe they thought we were new and didn't know about it."

Edwin shook his head, still puzzled, not sure if what he was assuming was correct, "I'm afraid I still don't."

Crystal laughed, shaking her head, "Swingers are couples who trade partners, Edwin. So they probably all thought a lot of things about the three of us." She reached over to rest the back of her hand against Charles' brow, "Including that you're clearly unwell. No fever, though, not clammy, this is just good old-fashioned hangover."

Edwin just shook his head, kneading at the bridge of his nose, "That's... well, that will be a story to add to our adventures, won't it?" It wasn't an objection, it wasn't even really any sort of distaste, it was a sort of half-grudging acceptance, mostly that the world really had changed from what he knew.

[convincingsmile]

"Good ol' fashioned hangover," Charles repeated in a groan, as he pressed his forehead against her cool fingers. Then he chuckled, looking at Edwin. "At least they were half right, yeah? About us," he grinned. "And I'm always happy to be mistaken as your boyfriend, or uh, night companion, Crystal," he said with a wider grin.

Soon, the bird encounter started, and it was as magical as that sounded. Charles was actually surprised that it was much more exciting than the plants. Alright, no offense to plants, but birds are cuter. Edwin is cuter than anything, though, but when it comes to birds and plants, it's birds. It was loud, and lively and Charles battled with his renewing headache, but he was glad they didn't miss this.

Birds handled them in a different way when they approached them as living humans. They were more... natural? When they were approached by ghosts, birds were just a little different, not entirely like cats, but different.

And it was always a treat to see Edwin happy.

[technicallyhellbound]

Crystal snorted, "I'm no homewrecker, and if I was I could definitely do better." There was no real heat to the jab, and she pressed a quick kiss to his temple immediately afterward, to take any tension out of the exchange.

Edwin was delighted by the birds, especially the one that kept side-stepping along Charles' arm to get at his earring, regardless of where the handlers moved the bird to, whether it was Charles' other shoulder or Edwin's, just inching its way across Edwin's shoulders and down his arm until it could catch at Charles' arm again to make its way back up to his ear.

Once Crystal had realized it was going to keep trying, she'd swapped the polaroid for her phone so she could get video, something that Edwin didn't even notice, too enamored of the pink cockatoo currently perched on his outstretched arm, eying him like it was trying to determine if he was a sucker or a threat as the handler explained their usual habitat, diet and gave Edwin a pistachio to hand over before once again rescuing Charles' from the attempted earring-thievery.

Edwin was still smiling when they rejoined Crystal, more at ease than he had been even just on the tour.

[convincingsmile]

Charles laughed out loud at Crystal's remark, nodding as she kissed his temples.

Trying to guard his shiny earring from the parakeet, he could barely contain his laughter too. He kept ducking away, or even tried to reason with the bird. In the end he just resolved to be rescued by the handlers every time one of the birds got close to their prize. He learned nothing about the birds that day, but he could watch Edwin smile and even laugh a little made everything thousand times better.

"That was fun, eh?" Charles exclaimed once they joined Crystal again. He couldn't stop smiling, but he also could not take his eyes off Edwin either. It was always a rare treat to see him like this. And he was alive. God, Charles felt himself falling in love again. He was ready to reach for Edwin's hand but then he spotted someone nearby. Someone familiar. The Night Nurse... and Charles honestly thought he was just too tired.

[technicallyhellbound]

She definitely wasn't a too-tired hallucination, because Edwin spotted her as well, the ease that had settled over him evaporating just as quickly, practically falling away as his shoulders drew up square and ready, something that brought him to his full height, it was something that made him a little imposing even without his usual choice of outfit that made it a more severe impression.

It was also something that didn't cow the woman at all, not that he was really trying to, and before he could ask what was happening, she just regarded each of them in turn and Edwin was pretty sure she could somehow tell exactly where they'd been and what they'd been doing since she'd last seen them, especially when her tone was -in his opinion- particularly snippy, "A case has come into the Agency's purview that requires your particular skills. I'll leave the information in the office so you can formulate a plan, and will check back in with you in the morning when you'll both be more capable of assisting. It is time-sensitive, but not yet critical."

That said, she was gone, and Crystal arched a brow, tone dry, "Nice to know I'm not needed, I guess." She shook her head, slinging an arm across Charles' shoulders and catching Edwin's elbow gently, since she knew how he was about contact, "I say we still get ice cream on the way back, don't think that case is going to go critical after an extra few minutes."

Edwin had just shaken his head at the Night Nurse's departure, "The absolute gall of her to just expect we'll be able to help." Another head-shake, though it was more to clear his mind -and his attitude- rather than to negate what Crystal had said, especially as his next statement was, "I rather think we should, yes."