63rd Transformation [text | action for Shark House]

[exeggutorhead]

When Envy wakes up early Saturday morning, it's to an empty bed.

It isn't an unusual thing; France has work most mornings, or gets up first to cook breakfast. There are plenty of places he could be. Except Envy doesn't remember France getting out of the bed to begin with, which even these days usually wakes him up at least a little. With a barbed feeling of unease tugging at his gut, he decides that it's nothing. He'll just go downstairs and find France and feel stupid for worrying.

France isn't anywhere in the house. Or the yard. Or in sight on the street.

Nobody else is awake yet to ask. It's half an hour of turning the 'Gear over and over in his hands before Envy finally hits Send on the short text that he'd deleted and re-typed five times.

Error: This number is not registered.

Must have dialed wrong.

Error: This number is not registered.

Ha, he can't believe his fingers are so clumsy this morning. He must be really tired. There's a roaring in his ears.

Error: This number is not registered.

---

Envy doesn't entirely remember walking out of the city and onto the route south of Goldenrod, and heading into the woods that run alongside it. He's still holding his 'Gear in one hand, and he must have grabbed his bag on the way out of the house because its weight is digging into his shoulder. Vaguely, he remembers that these were the same woods he'd gone to after Nanao had vanished the first time, years ago. France had come to get him that time. Stopped him from trying to break a tree down with his fists and talked to him and calmed him down. France was always the one to come find him when people vanished.

When was the last time Envy'd said he loved him? He suddenly can't remember, it never was very often. France had said it yesterday.

Something in him finally snaps underneath the numb disbelief, and he swings the bag as hard as he can at the closest tree. It makes a satisfying sound as it slams against the bark and the fabric tears. So he keeps at it until the strap breaks and the bag falls to the ground, spilling cracked-open Potion bottles and bright packages of trail mix all over the dirt. Satisfying, but not nearly enough because the moment he stops everything comes rushing back.

The rest of the house would be awake by now. He could call them, tell them where he is. But as soon as he thinks it, he realizes that he's not going to.

This time, Envy doesn't want to be found.

--

[It's just after dawn on Tuesday morning when Envy finally creeps back to the house. He doesn't want to be alone anymore. He probably would have come back the night before...but he's still self-aware enough to know that he doesn't really want anyone to see him like this. Right now, he looks like HELL. Just about like what you'd expect someone who just spent several days in the woods during a rainstorm, barely sleeping and having violent fits against nature.]

[If nobody catches him on his way in, he's going straight to get cleaned up. He's not okay, not by a long shot, but even in this state he can only stand being covered in mud for so long.]

[Later on in the morning, he sends out a text to the network.]

France is gone, for whoever knew him. If anyone got a Pokemon from him, tell me.

Comments

[Action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[After receiving a number of increasingly-worried text messages over the course of the weekend, Envy probably should have expected that his housemates would be on the lookout for his return.]

[Heather had dozed off sitting up on the couch-- it wasn't that she'd deliberately stayed up all night waiting-- NONE of them had, they weren't that neurotic, and they'd all arrived at the conclusion that Envy would show his face when he was ready.]

[... But there had been something good on TV, and hey, it couldn't hurt to keep an ear open for the front door...]

[When the sad, soaked Homunculus finally slips back into the house, she hears it and blinks awake, automatically stumbling upright off the couch.]</sub>

--Envy, s'at you?

[Action]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy freezes in place when he hears her, swallowing hard. Of course someone would hear him in spite of his attempt at sneaking. It's just his luck.]

[He's tempted to stay quiet, or maybe to make his voice sound deeper and pretend to be Scar. He didn't want anyone to see him looking THIS pathetic, soaked through and streaked with mud, his eyes bloodshot. He's even got the scruff of a beard coming in.]

[But there's not any avoiding it NOW. He doesn't have the energy to try.]

[So he speaks up, his voice coming out in the sort of hoarse croak that's one shout away from a lost voice. He's been yelling a lot, these past few days.]

Yeah.

It's me.

[What else is there to say?]

[Action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's really a good thing he didn't try to pretend to be Scar.]

[Because REALLY, ENVY?]

[Heather appears in the doorway to the living room, rubbing one eye. And then his bedraggled form comes into focus, and she just-- lets out a sigh.]</sub>

Oh, Envy...

_{[It's not an exasperated noise, OR a shocked one. Just-- just sad.]}

I'll get you a towel.

[Action]

[exeggutorhead]

[Scar was the first person he could think of who might be sneaking in or out of the house at this hour!]

[Envy winces and frowns at that sigh. He hasn't exactly looked in a mirror, but he knows he must look like shit. There's nothing he can do to hide that.]

[He hates looking weak like this.]

Yeah, sure. I think I've brought half the rainstorm in here with me.

[The attempted joke comes automatically, but it rings hollow.]

[Action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[For once she doesn't really have a sassy quip to bounce back off of him. It would probably help if she did. Make things feel a little more normal.]

[But for now it's just easier to disappear briefly and grab a couple towels from the bathroom. She comes back with one held out and the other over her arm.]</sub>

Here.

Did you get any of my texts?

Please tell me you weren't outside the entire time you were gone.

[Action]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy takes the towel readily, and tries to at least get his bedraggled, dripping hair a little drier. And it's a good excuse to not have to look her in the eye.]

I wasn't really checking.

[And definitely not looking at her now.]

I found some shelter. There was a tarp folded up in my bag.

[Action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[This, fortunately, is nothing like the time she marched home to confront him about Al-- she makes no attempt to force eye-contact.]

[She does puff out another quiet sigh, though.]

[Finding a tarp does not qualify as shelter, Envy. Like. AT ALL.]</sub>

I'm gonna put a kettle on. You want tea or hot chocolate?

_{[There ARE two days' worth of dinners wrapped up for him in the fridge, but a hot drink will probably go down better right now than reheated leftovers.]}

Action

[a_sin_for_him]

[Lust keeps her distance, even after Envy's returned. She doesn't know what to say or do, and the loss hits her as well. She can't begin to comprehend what he's going through right now. She doesn't want to hover or crowd him or make him feel put on the spot. And there are others to see to him.]

[But when the evening creeps in, instead of retiring to her own room, Lust knocks softly on Envy's.]

Action

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy hasn't gone to sleep yet. And honestly, he's not sure he even wants to in spite of how tired he is. He's stuck nearby the others all day, but now he's alone when he knows he shouldn't be in this room. In a way, it's worse than being out in the woods in the rain.]

[He nearly jumps at the knock.]

What is it?

[He's too drained to bother trying to put any life or energy into his voice.]

[a_sin_for_him]

It's me.

[Lust cracks the door, peering in. Her face is drawn and difficult to read.]

May I come in?

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's standing in the middle of the room when she looks in, and he nods, trying not to look too relieved at her being there.]

Yeah, you can.

[He wonders if he should say anything else, but he can't think of what.]

[a_sin_for_him]

[She closes the door behind her and regards him silently for a moment. She doesn't know what words to offer.]

I can't sleep.

[t's easier to avoid the obvious subject. Her heart's breaking for Envy, but these things are so difficult still. It isn't even a lie, she doesn't feel as though she can stand being alone in her room either. Misery loves company.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Yeah, it's much easier to avoid the subject directly. Envy, for one, is happy to.]

[So he sits heavily down on the edge of the bed, not looking at her directly.]

Well...that makes two of us. We might as well stay awake together.

[If he could just pretend that this isn't a big deal, pretend that he's fine...maybe he can make himself fine.]

[Action]

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[Henry hears the door and fights his usual instinct of going and hiding until he hears familiar voices. Instead, he exits the bathroom and turns the other way, bumping right into a horrible soggy octopus monster.]

[Envy's state of dishevelment is so severe that for a moment, Henry has an awful Water Prison flashback. A yell makes it halfway out of his throat before he returns to reality. He opens and closes his mouth a few times.]

[Envy is a dear friend to him, probably his best friend, but a selfish part of him did NOT want to be the one to meet him first. He is not great at this part of peopling.]</sub>

En-- uh. Envy.

[Action]

[exeggutorhead]

[It's okay, Henry. Envy's not so great at it either.]

[When he literally bumps into the other man, Envy freezes in place, staring. He doesn't know what to say...and that half-yell is just another reminder how much he doesn't look like himself right now.]

Henry.

[Let's just say our names at each other how about that. He adds in a tired mutter.]

I was just...I was going upstairs. To get cleaned up.

[Action]

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[Henry swallows and then he nods. He moves out of Envy's way to let him pass. What to do? What was he supposed to DO? He had to stop staring at Envy.]

[Did he faceplant in some moss?]</sub>

I'll make some coffee?

[Action]

[exeggutorhead]

[ACTUALLY...that was a pretty good thing to do. Envy actually perks up slightly at the mention of coffee, even if it's more an automatic reaction after spending three days out in the rain.]

[The staring is still making him feel awkward, but Envy will always prefer an offer of food or a hot drink to more overt gestures of comfort.]

Yeah, okay. Meet you in the kitchen.

[He manages a ghost of one of his smirks and starts scooting past to head upstairs.]

[no_ufo_ending]

<sub>[And so it would come to pass that Envy would find Henry in the kitchen with a couple of cups of coffee. He doesn't know how Envy takes his and honestly the 'building your perfect cup' bit is pretty calming so the mug he holds out for his friend is plain.]

[No murmur, no little side comment. Henry is in clam mode, but the tiny, 'i will listen to literally anything' smile is still in place.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[When Envy comes back into the kitchen, he's looking much better. He's in clean clothes and the mud is gone, as is the scruffy green beard. His hair is still damp, but now it's because it's been washed and not from the rain.]

[The uncharacteristic drained, sad look hasn't gone away, but he doesn't look like such a terrible mess anymore.]

[He takes the mug, grateful, and takes it over to the counter to start fixing it up how he wants it. Which would be lots of creamer and sugar.]

Thanks.

I thought I'd be able to sneak in without anybody noticing. Should've known better in this house, right?

[But he's still glad that Henry's here. He doesn't want to be alone anymore.]

text;

[ossifragant]

[He's not sure what to do, so he decides his best bet is to text Envy first. The other man is practically someone Greed would consider his brother once more, so seeing him in such distress is...

Well, it makes him feel awful.]

Have you come home yet?

[It should be obvious, he hopes, from the question that he considers Shark House Envy's home as much as his.]

text;

[exeggutorhead]

[Yeah, it's obvious all right. It's a good feeling to hear it, underneath everything else.]

yeah I have, came in this morning

are you at the house?

[He's seen Heather and Henry, but at the moment he's just been skulking around and avoiding going into his and France's room, so it's entirely possible that he just hasn't run into Greed yet.]

text;

[ossifragant]

I just stepped out. I'll be back in a few minutes.

You in your room right now? I'll stop by when I get back.

text;

[exeggutorhead]

in the kitchen, actually

[And when Greed gets back, that's where he'll be still. He's at least cleaned up from this morning, so in looks he's normal. But how he's acting looks as out-of-place on him as the scruffy green beard he had earlier. He's sitting entirely still and quietly, staring down at the table and only looking up when he sees Greed.]

[There are dark, dark circles under his eyes. He doesn't know what to say.]

text;

[ossifragant]

I'll be there.

[Even though Greed doesn't know what to say, he's always lousy as this kind of thing, he doesn't waste time coming home.

He sets the bag of groceries on the counter-- there's nothing that needs refrigeration, so he doesn't bother pulling them out of the bad. He can take care of that later. Greed sits down next to Envy, watching him. His expression is soft, cautious.

Greed doesn't know what to say, but he raises a hand to place it on Envy's shoulder.]

action

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's shoulders hunch and he won't meet Greed's eyes when he sees that soft expression. It's the centuries of hiding emotion and weakness that makes him uncomfortable with letting others see it, especially his fellow homunculi. But he doesn't have the energy to even try to hide it.]

[And shouldn't he be able to be weak in front of Greed, now?]

[He starts slightly when Greed puts his hand on his shoulder, and then very nearly leans into it. Envy desperately craves contact right now. No matter how unusual it is for the two of them.]

You think it's too early to make use of that bar of yours?

[There's a weak note of humor in his voice, he's trying, but his voice is mostly just hoarse and dull.]