A whiskey bottle comforts me and tells me not to cry

[onesyllable]

WHO: Joshua Faraday
WHERE: Fountain. North Village. South Village Inn
WHEN: Middle of November
OPEN TO: Vasquez, All
WARNINGS: Will update if needed

---

Arrival

Last he'd known was a comfortable bed, a full belly, and a lot of nightmarish thoughts of how he and the others might die the next day. Somehow finding himself drowning rather than waking up to die is far more fear inducing.

Dragging himself out of the water and onto a bench, he lay down there in the sun for a bit, trying to dry off and buy himself time not to think about this. Whatever this is. Nothing looks right. His clothes aren't right. Hell, for all he knows this is Hell and he never made it out of Rose Creek except in a shallow hole. However it happened, he's not ready to think about it.

Also to not think about the pain he's got in his gut, his skin feeling tight and his head pounding. Drowning will do that to a man. So will being a mostly functioning alcoholic without a drink and with your body having a fit that you're running on empty.

So he lay there under the sun, not caring it is cold on his wet skin and clothes and pretends none of this is happening while he tries to clear his head.

The Inn

Finding Vasquez after Joshua gave up on ignoring how much like shit he feels hadn't done much to help in so many ways. He knows things got bad. Like he's been in a coma bad or the like. He's gotten some whiskey though, and he's been nursing the bottle for a few days to try and not get back to feeling like he did when he arrived.

Not that things are much better. Between Vasquez's attitude, the revelations that were made, and the weirdo who apparently wore a fur coat for everything - maybe even sleeping - and he just needs time to think.

So he makes the hike down to the Inn every few days, getting a meal and trying to make sense of his place and all that he seems to have lost. At least now he has a white linen shirt to wear and so he's only got on the yellow pants with the shoes they gave him. It all feels weird, but the food is familiar enough so least there's that.

He's curious about others though, settling down at tables where others are and giving them a minute or two before asking about where they came from, what they do here, or what happened to them before they got stuck here.

The House - Locked to Vasquez

It's been a few days and Joshua is still trying to work this out. He's not sure what to think about Vasquez and this Booboo fellow or whatever the hell his name is. He's not sure how to handle that Vasquez is being with others. It's all so different than what he's familiar with, especially since even having feelings like that he hasn't let them so because it's wrong and screwing that up could have caused a lot of shit in a war they had started.

Jack had been a bear in a human suit, but Joshua is pretty sure their roommate is definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing, so he's glad when he wakes up and he's apparently gone and out.

Sitting on the front porch in the chill air, sipping a bit off the little bit of whiskey he has left in the bottle and trying to not think while waiting for Vasquez to get up.

Comments

[quinientos]

Vasquez had spent last night in Bobo's bed, not because he's actively trying to mess with Faraday, but because he couldn't bear the loneliness of being alone and knowing how close Faraday had been. Close and breathing and with Vasquez unable to go watch over him, he knows that he needs to keep his distance, which is why he'd crawled with his tail between his legs to Bobo's, even if nothing much had happened.

Exhausted, still, he's giving off jaw-cracking yawns the next day as he heads to the kitchen to search for food, digging through to find the eggs he'd nabbed from the chickens and starting to cook for himself, listening for any noises. There's none inside the house, but there are from outside, which makes his heart race a little when he remembers their newest roommate.

Ducking his head outside the door, he makes an annoyed sound at Faraday. "What are you doing, you're going to freeze," he chides, reaching back for the sweater he'd thrown over a couch, showing it at Faraday. He, himself, is wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket he'd stolen from the inn, wearing it overtop his pajamas like a cape. "You want me to worry about you getting pneumonia?" he complains, to cover up for his genuine worry at losing Faraday to something as silly as a cough.

[onesyllable]

He heard movement, considering that he should head inside but he's still not sure his mind is in a place where he's not going to start another fight. Except he knows he's going to. At least if Vasquez is pissed with him, he can see him all fired up like that. That is something, after all. Something he can handle without worrying he's wanting too much, expecting too much, and doing things that could get them both damned.

"Not everyone is as thin blooded as you are," he says, though even as he does, he pushes himself to his feet, moving for the house. "Wasn't sure you were here. Your room was empty."

Which is a lie. He knew exactly where Vasquez had gone the night before, and he'd been up most of the night fighting not to drink down what whiskey he has, bust down the door and likely get himself killed trying to kick the ass of someone that was likely crazy.

Crazier than he and Vasquez were.

"You don't gotta worry. I'm too fucking good to die," he says, not realizing how harsh his words can be. "You cooking breakfast? There enough for two?"

Yep, distraction. That's the best choice.

[quinientos]

The full body flinch that goes through Vasquez at the dying comment isn't restrained at all like it probably should be, but he can't help it. He still remembers finding Faraday's mangled body, he still remembers how the hope bled out of him when he'd thought that just maybe they'd be fine.

No one was fine, though, and it had left Vasquez feeling empty and awful. Now that Faraday is here, he has a second chance, but for what? He doesn't know. Reaching into the bowl, he starts cracking more eggs so Faraday won't steal his, because he knows they're at risk.

"How did you sleep?" he asks, his attention fixed on Faraday in a way that might appear obsessive, but again, this is a man who's come back from the dead, as far as Vasquez is concerned. Things that hadn't been possible now are again, in the most amazing of ways. "Adjusting? In general?"

[onesyllable]

At least it got him into the house, where he fought rubbing his hands together and proving just how cold he is. Instead he leans against the wall by the door, watching Vasquez set to making their food.

"Never knew you were domestic-like. I guess it makes sense in a way." Which is a low blow and he knows it, but damn he's bad at emotions on the best of days and this isn't even in the top ten. He might be there with Vasquez but damn if it's not all confusing, especially about the Mexican.

"And I slept fine," he says, shrugging as if it's nothing and lying through his damn teeth. "What's there to adjust to. I'm just in some weird place where you're shacking up with some hombre that's kind of washy between the ears and I've lost a year of my damn life and no idea how or what I was doing. Everything's perfectly fine."

[quinientos]

Vasquez raises a brow as he starts to push around the eggs for a scramble, snorting a little. "So that's what this is about?" he says, leaning his hip against the counter so that he's allowed to cook the breakfast and watch Faraday, reaching out for some of the bread he'd made.

He's not domestic, he just likes to eat, and sometimes that means having to do it for yourself.

"I'm not shacking up with just him. You're here under the same roof, aren't you?" he feels compelled to point out. "And you're not the one who lost any time, I just lived more of it. It just means I'll die sooner, all the stress and the greys in my hair." He pushes around the eggs, letting his gaze slide over Faraday. "What's wrong with Bobo, anyway?"

[onesyllable]

He gives him a pointed look, just staring at him for the longest time. He's not sure what's weirder. Being without a hat himself, or staring at Vasquez without one all the damn time. All of which is just trying to distract himself because of the rest of the conversation.

"You called him your boyfriend, so why are you suddenly so bothered by me stating facts?" Definitely challenging him now, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "And why are you playin' games like that? I mean... I don't get it, and why and I know," he says, holding a hand up to stop him. "I told you I didn't want to know, and I don't, but you've lived another year I haven't and do you not even get how disturbin' that is? And he looks like Jack Horne and a damn next of hornets had a baby and let the wolves raise him."

[quinientos]

"Maybe I said 'boyfriend' to get you angry," comes snapping out before Vasquez can stop himself. He forgot how heated and in the moment Faraday can get him, forcing himself to breathe out slowly and keep poking at the eggs. There have been others too, not just here, but in the other place. He's not about to talk about Buffy and the less said about how Billy Rocks pinned him to a counter and went down on him, the better.

"He's good company and until you came back, he was the only other one from our time," Vasquez says, annoyed. "Sit," he insists. "Or I'll throw the eggs in your face and see how you like them, then."

Arrival

[houmaprotector]

Alec made a decision post Matt Murdock to try and position himself at the fountain. There were people who regularly appeared here and - better to get seeing him out of the way.

In this case however it's a bit warm so he's been rooting, trying to splatter the ground with a few water droplets when the man drags himself out of the water. Easy enough to uproot himself and move over.

"Are you all right?"

Said the giant tree being, hands out, expression concerned.

[onesyllable]

Life for Joshua was fairly normal until, well, magically waking up in another place. He played poker. He drank. He took on an army and went into it believing that he'd come out alive on the other side. All normal things.

So as he's standing there next to the fountain, dripping water as he coughs hard to try and clear his lungs to breath, he's struck with two things. One is that he's dressed in what appears to be the worst dyed pajamas ever, and is in public in them. Two is that he's being addressed, he realizes as he lifts his head, by a being that is not like anything he's ever seen before.

"What in the Hell," he mutters, hands braced on his knees, and not sure if he trusts himself with more words than that. No, wait, he can't help himself. "How much did I have to drink last night?"

[houmaprotector]

"Only you can answer that." Alec shuffles forward, "...Though you must be new, and I would like to help you if I can because you're not where you ...think you are."

He paused, "Wow. That came off far more mystical sounding then I wanted it to." He paused, "...Let me try again. Can I help you?"

[onesyllable]

"Well yeah, unless everyone else goes around in the cold dripping after trying to be drowned," he says, though there's a bit less heat to his words this time.

Still looking confused though, is head canting to one side. "You can tell me where the hell I am, and how far it is from Rose Creek. I don't remember leaving last night and I sure don't remember putting on these weird pajamas."

The Inn

[succored]

Getting lunch at the Inn was both comforting in being the one meal he never had to scrounge for and because it was a great way to meet everyone else in the village. Granted, not everyone seemed to want to chat, but at the very least, it would help Ty learn the faces of everyone here.

So it was a bit surprising when someone else sat down and struck up a conversation, Ty always happy to meet someone new. He answered the first two questions easily, but his smile slipped slightly at the last one.

"There was a disease that swept through and killed a lot of people in my city. I was supposed to stay there and help those who couldn't help themselves, but instead I woke up here." He shrugged, not wanting to dwell on it too much.

"What about yourself? What's the last thing you remember?"

[onesyllable]

Digging into the food, eating voraciously as he listens. Frowning though as the man talked about a disease, about people dying. Making a face then, shaking his head.

"That's madness. I hadn't even imagined," he admits, sitting back in his chair and considering him and that question being turned on him.

"Going to sleep. It was the night before a war. Six of us against an army we guess to be about two hundred men. Then I came up drowning here," he says, pausing as he puts it all into words. "And then I learned here it's been over a year since then and I remember nothing."

[succored]

It wasn't something Ty felt like delving into, and more importantly, he was more interested in what this guy had to say.

"It seems like the Observers in charge like to do that sort of thing, messing with timelines and memories. One of my best friends has been here for a long time before I showed up. And somehow he has more memories about what happened in my time than I do." He frowned down into his food for a moment, before turning his attention back up to him.

"What happened with your war? Do you know?"

[onesyllable]

"That what people call them?" His nose wrinkles at that though, not liking the name at all. "Anyone ever seen them?" He'd doubting it, but can't hurt to ask. Not that he's been learning much about all of this beyond what it was before him.

He looks down, toying with his foot then but not eating it. "We won, I'm told, but... Something happened to me, I just didn't ask what." And he knew it was being a coward, but he can't bring himself to ask. Not now. Maybe not ever.

[succored]

"It's a lot more succinct than 'the jerks who brought us here'." Ty offered up with a small shrug, before shaking his head. "Not that I know of, but it wouldn't surprise me if they somehow walk among us." Whether as the animals around here or even as an actual person pretending to be brought here like the rest of them.

It seemed like a touchy subject, what had happened, but he was curious about one thing. "So someone from your world is here with you?" He didn't know whether it was meant to comfort them or horrify them, to have familiar faces trapped here as well. Most of the people he had met seemed to have someone they knew here, which might mean something, but just what he still wasn't sure.

[onesyllable]

"And yet so much nicer than everything they should be called." Which is easy for him to say not knowing the truth of what they've saved him from."

Joshua snorts at that, just trying to even imagine if they were there, just being normal with the rest of them. Looking up to the other man, he nods.

"Name's Vasquez. Been here a while he makes it sound, but we were there together in Rose Creek. He remembers the battle, I don't."

[succored]

"I'm sure." Ty said with a small laugh. "I'm hoping there's a point to all of this and not that we were just brought here for some twisted form of entertainment, but who knows."

Ty was curious if Vasquez had acted strangely when this guy had shown up, but decided against asking. It would just be him projecting at that point, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to poke into that particular nest. So instead he asked, "Right. Have you been settling in here okay?"

Inn [hopefully late is okay]

[minus1twin]

Wanda always came to the inn's lunch hour. It was important for her to be surrounded by people, to remember that there were people who worried about her if she didn't check in, and to eat.

Arado, a large Norwegian hound, was sitting at Wanda's side and occasionally being fed scraps off of Wanda's plate.

She wasn't stuck in her scrubs but wearing a tight pair of tight black pants, a tank top and a dark maroon leather jacket. It was warm though Wanda was more accustomed to the cold than others.

Joshua's questions weren't unusual though Wanda wondered why he was so curious. "I was born in Sokovia but I lived in New York state before I came here." It was mostly true. Wanda didn't preface that she'd been in a prison in the middle of the ocean and had been broken out unless it was evident that someone knew who she was from the news. "Why do you ask?"

Late is forever okay

[onesyllable]

He's picking at his food at this point, mostly to keep himself from eating like a starving man presented with a fear. So he picks at it, though every now and again he takes several quick bites the way a man who knows starvation might.

"Soko... what? Where's that?" He frowns, considering that because he's never heard anything like it. "Never got out East myself. About as far East as I ever got was Texas," he admits with a laugh, amused by the idea given how far that actually is for a man on foot or horseback.

"Curious about... what happens before this place," he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "Way I see it, I'm don't remember a whole year and trying to figure out what happened."

\o/ YAY. I am forever late

[minus1twin]

"It's on the other side of the world." Wanda supplied with a bit of a smile. "I've spent the last few years in New York or traveling around the world but Sokovia is my home." She'll always miss it but she didn't have a place there anymore.

"I see."

Wanda pursed her lips briefly together before taking a small bite of her stew. "Do you have trouble believing in alternate timelines?" She's been in the village for over a year and has gotten very used to the concept.

"I think it's something like that."

Me too!

[onesyllable]

"Oh well, definitely not gotten out that far," he admits, pausing to even consider that. "Knew a fella from out that way. Well, way East, like the Orient, but don't think I'd ever get on a boat and spent a month or two trapped on the ocean to see it."

He's heard of others that have done it, but definitely not for him.

That question though makes him shift uncomfortably before he sighed, looking back to her. "Ask me that what was a day ago for me? And I thought you were pretty much loco," he says, solemn and uncertain about this talk. "Now that I see ladies walkin' around dressed as you are, and this thing on my wrist that's like no watch I've ever seen, and gangly purple sheep? Well... I'm not sure what I believe, but I'm kinda getting what I have to consider. Just not easy."

Frowning then, his brow furrowing. "It something you're comfortable with?"

XD

[minus1twin]

"Travel is a lot faster where I'm from." Wanda was going to say 'when' not 'where' but she instantly thought better of it. Even before hearing his answer, she had a feeling that he wasn't from a time where travel was the easiest thing.

To start, he called someone from the East an Orient.

"I don't know if comfortable is the right word." She admitted with a gentle roll to her shoulders. "I don't think it's something I'll ever be comfortable with but I've gotten used to it. I've been trapped here for nearly a year now." It was strange to think about but she'd gotten used to a lot in the village.

"Some things won't get easier but other things will surprise you when they do."

[onesyllable]

"A year in this place?" He nearly stammers over the words, jaw worrying as he tries to process that. He knows he lost a year, but he also knows that Vasquez wasn't here that whole time. Somewhere in his head, he's gotten himself convinced he's stuck here when getting back to where it looks like he turned coward is important.

Not knowing yet how important it might be that he never gets back.

"So you think this is some kind of alternative thing? Like some weird thing like'd be in some book? I'm there and here? I didn't lose a year, Vasquez just got one extra?" Which is kind of what he's been told but most of it he just figures Vasquez is teasing him about because none of it sounds believable.

[minus1twin]

"Something like that." Wanda agreed with a solemn incline of her head. It was awkward and uncomfortable to accept but she'd stop fighting the theories that all evidence supported. "Yes. I've encountered people who knew more than me of my time. I've remembered bits and pieces but I'm still me and I'm still here."

Her lips press briefly together. "I've dreamed of home and found those memories to be true. I've also been told by several people that they had no memory of me leaving." Not that it was an accurate test but Wanda couldn't ignore what it mean and then there was the machine within the bunker.

She didn't have the heart to tell him that they all might be clones or have memories implanted into them. It was too much and a detail that Wanda had yet to accept herself.