(yeah, she's still up. she's reading a book she got out of the library, can you believe it? it feels so normal to abby. sitting on her unmade bed, novel in her lap, reading by the light of the desk lamp on her bedside table.
she's hung her firefly pendant from the neck of the lamp, and it dangles down, just brushing the edge of the framed photo there. pride of place, right in the middle. she turns a page, then glances up as the door swings open, closing the book on her thumb to mark her place.)
Hey. (what time is it? seems late. her expression softens at the look on his face. is he checking on her? she leans forward a little to pat the end of her bed.)
[He always checks on her. She just doesn't know because he can usually glance over at her from his bed, make sure she's okay, and then go back to sleep without alerting her.
Now he has his own room. It's nice. But waking up and not seeing Abby despite knowing she was there stirred some anxiety in him. He pads over, still rubbing his eye, and drops down onto the bed next to her.]
(it's so good, jennifer was right. she's almost to the half-way point on it. there's a little stack of books by the foot of her bed that lev will probably notice when he comes to sit: three, four titles, in a little pile, waiting for their turn. abby intends on getting to all of them in time.)
Yeah?
(for a moment she looks a little concerned, her brow furrowing as she watches him come to sit next to her. he doesn't look like he had a bad dream, but... sometimes he doesn't like to talk about it, so. she'll wait for him to bring it up, if that's the case.)
I can't sleep, (she confesses, glancing back down at the cover of her book. murder on the orient express. lev would probably like it, she thinks. he'd like trying to solve the mystery.) There's too much to think about.
(she sighs, and sets her book aside properly. in lieu of a bookmark, she's just going to have to remember what page she's on.)
Everything.
(the magic, whether this is a dream or not (and having to accept that, some how, both are true), all of the different people here who came from all sorts of different places and different time periods. some of them knowing her, already, or at least recognising her face.
one thing sticks out most of all. she rubs the back of her neck for a moment, and looks at lev.) I don't like that we can't leave.
[It's asked like a question mostly out of an attempt to be polite and bridge understanding. He knows Abby's driven desire to find the Fireflies. It's what's been pushing them forward for months. It's not quite an obsession, but it keeps her going. And he goes for her.]
(she nods, and folds her arms, suddenly a little restless.)
... We were so close. (her mutter is low, almost wounded. she hadn't said as much to anybody on the network, but it's really getting to her. and now, to find herself trapped in some dream, and shoved all the way to the opposite edge of the country? it's cruel. abby is used to life being cruel, but this is– it's just too much.)
[He reaches out and gently, so gently, touches her arm. He wants to comfort her, show her affection. The Fireflies don't mean to him what they mean to Abby, but he wants her to be happy so very badly.]
(she swallows the bitter disappointment with effort, watching his fingers lightly brush up her arm. it's not often that he has to be the one to comfort her. abby tries really hard to keep him from ever having to do that; he has enough to worry about without her problems piling in on top. he's just a kid, he doesn't deserve that.)
Yeah. (after a beat, she sighs, and resolves to let it go. he's right. and apparently, according to will, the fireflies aren't going anywhere. they're just frozen in time, waiting for abby and lev to return and discover them. she just has to hold on, until that point.)
It's... the way it is. It seems cloudy, but there's light behind the veil. Don't lose hope.
[Okay, well he's still a teenager who doesn't take compliments well, so he'll just look away when she tries to thank him. HE'S TOO COOL THANKS. Or maybe he just doesn't want to see her be vulnerable.]
it makes abby smile, actually, just for a moment. at least lev is a blessed constant in whatever the fuck this place is supposed to be. here, by her side, and spouting off little tidbits of wisdom whenever she needs it most. she appreciates him so much.)
Okay, (she concedes, and nudges him in the side with her elbow.)
I'm sure between the two of us we can come up with a way to get out of here sooner rather than later.
Maybe. But sometimes you just have to go through a dream. You can't just make yourself wake up.
[He shakes his head, not trying to be discouraging but... he is someone who has found accepting the dream logic of this place to be easier than it is for both.]
Yeah, we do. We're getting good at it, huh. (all the shit they've had to deal with, and yet. still standing. still going strong. that's all that abby can ask for, really.
his yawn makes her yawn too, big and long. it's been a very strange day.)
Want to stay in here? (it feels odd, thinking of going to sleep with him another room over from her... so far away.)
[He’s started to get used to sleeping alone. He’s not sure if he likes it or not. And it’s hard to imagine sleeping a room away from Abby now that she’s here.]
Cool. (she doesn't need to do much to get ready for bed, just kick her boots off and leave them down on the floor with the tongues of them pulled forward. ready to pull them back on at a moments notice, if she needs to. force of habit.
he has to scoot over for her to get the blankets pulled back. they're so clean. they look like nobody has used them before, which is the wildest notion of all to abby, and she has two pillows for some reason– she passes one to lev, bunches the other up underneath of her head, and lies back with a sigh.
and another yawn, for good measure. okay, maybe she is tired after all. she thought she might have to wear herself out a little more with the book, but her eyelids are drooping already.)
[is the sleepy affirmation she gets to that question. His eyes are already closed, far too sleepy to even yawn.
He’s been good since he got here, able to make his way around and keep surviving on his own. He’s used to the strangeness of clean sheets and cooked food.
It’s just better than now Abby is here. He feels safe.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
you're so right
she's hung her firefly pendant from the neck of the lamp, and it dangles down, just brushing the edge of the framed photo there. pride of place, right in the middle. she turns a page, then glances up as the door swings open, closing the book on her thumb to mark her place.)
Hey. (what time is it? seems late. her expression softens at the look on his face. is he checking on her? she leans forward a little to pat the end of her bed.)
Yeah, I'm still here. Can't sleep?
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Now he has his own room. It's nice. But waking up and not seeing Abby despite knowing she was there stirred some anxiety in him. He pads over, still rubbing his eye, and drops down onto the bed next to her.]
I was sleeping. Then I woke up.
[It is pretty late. Guess that was a good book.]
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Yeah?
(for a moment she looks a little concerned, her brow furrowing as she watches him come to sit next to her. he doesn't look like he had a bad dream, but... sometimes he doesn't like to talk about it, so. she'll wait for him to bring it up, if that's the case.)
I can't sleep, (she confesses, glancing back down at the cover of her book. murder on the orient express. lev would probably like it, she thinks. he'd like trying to solve the mystery.) There's too much to think about.
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Lev pulls his knees up to his chest and leans against the wall, looking at her.]
What are you thinking about?
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Everything.
(the magic, whether this is a dream or not (and having to accept that, some how, both are true), all of the different people here who came from all sorts of different places and different time periods. some of them knowing her, already, or at least recognising her face.
one thing sticks out most of all. she rubs the back of her neck for a moment, and looks at lev.) I don't like that we can't leave.
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[It's asked like a question mostly out of an attempt to be polite and bridge understanding. He knows Abby's driven desire to find the Fireflies. It's what's been pushing them forward for months. It's not quite an obsession, but it keeps her going. And he goes for her.]
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... We were so close. (her mutter is low, almost wounded. she hadn't said as much to anybody on the network, but it's really getting to her. and now, to find herself trapped in some dream, and shoved all the way to the opposite edge of the country? it's cruel. abby is used to life being cruel, but this is– it's just too much.)
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[He reaches out and gently, so gently, touches her arm. He wants to comfort her, show her affection. The Fireflies don't mean to him what they mean to Abby, but he wants her to be happy so very badly.]
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Yeah. (after a beat, she sighs, and resolves to let it go. he's right. and apparently, according to will, the fireflies aren't going anywhere. they're just frozen in time, waiting for abby and lev to return and discover them. she just has to hold on, until that point.)
Thanks, Lev.
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[Okay, well he's still a teenager who doesn't take compliments well, so he'll just look away when she tries to thank him. HE'S TOO COOL THANKS. Or maybe he just doesn't want to see her be vulnerable.]
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it makes abby smile, actually, just for a moment. at least lev is a blessed constant in whatever the fuck this place is supposed to be. here, by her side, and spouting off little tidbits of wisdom whenever she needs it most. she appreciates him so much.)
Okay, (she concedes, and nudges him in the side with her elbow.)
I'm sure between the two of us we can come up with a way to get out of here sooner rather than later.
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[Not like walking out a door anyway.]
There are people who have been here for years.
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(she's smiling again, looking at him as if waiting for him to join in,) Nothing the two of us can't solve, right?
(they don't let anything stop them.)
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[He shakes his head, not trying to be discouraging but... he is someone who has found accepting the dream logic of this place to be easier than it is for both.]
But no matter what, we'll be together.
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We'll... figure something out. Eventually. (until then, abby supposes she's rolling with all of this. whatever lev needs her to do.)
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[Lev agrees with a yawn. They've been in terrible situations more often then they've been in good ones. And they're still here. Together.]
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his yawn makes her yawn too, big and long. it's been a very strange day.)
Want to stay in here? (it feels odd, thinking of going to sleep with him another room over from her... so far away.)
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[He’s started to get used to sleeping alone. He’s not sure if he likes it or not. And it’s hard to imagine sleeping a room away from Abby now that she’s here.]
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he has to scoot over for her to get the blankets pulled back. they're so clean. they look like nobody has used them before, which is the wildest notion of all to abby, and she has two pillows for some reason– she passes one to lev, bunches the other up underneath of her head, and lies back with a sigh.
and another yawn, for good measure. okay, maybe she is tired after all. she thought she might have to wear herself out a little more with the book, but her eyelids are drooping already.)
Hmm, (she sighs, and shuts them.) You good?
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[is the sleepy affirmation she gets to that question. His eyes are already closed, far too sleepy to even yawn.
He’s been good since he got here, able to make his way around and keep surviving on his own. He’s used to the strangeness of clean sheets and cooked food.
It’s just better than now Abby is here. He feels safe.]