The time of our great undoing

[fallingbackup]

When Kevin woke up alone for the first time in months, he knew almost immediately that Glen was gone. If he were still human, he'd have looked everywhere for the man until he'd at least tracked down one of his Chains, and gotten confirmation from them that he was no longer in the world with them. But as it was, he could smell that the very spot he was laying on was the spot where Glen's trail had gone cold. The duke had vanished from the bed they shared as the knight slept.

That was well over a week ago now and in his head, Kevin's been lost ever since. He's done the best he can to take over Glen's duties around the house, and the Jabberwock, for whatever reason, has let him do it. But no matter how he tells himself that he's only minding things until Glen returns, and that he will, the atmosphere in the house rankles against him. Young Gilbert doesn't accept him -- not like this. The little Lacie pities him for the depth of his sadness; Lottie scoffs at him for thinking he can even attempt to fill Glen's shoes, even if he knows perfectly well he's only providing a poor substitute. With every day that passes, he feels more and more withdrawn, and so, when he can, Kevin escapes. He can be found wandering the city, now and again, letting the noise of it drown out his own thoughts. Or he can be found patrolling the fences around the farmlands as usual, perhaps in the hopes that the familiar solitude of it will help keep him in his right mind. But the truth is that Kevin hasn't felt this out of place and unsettled in at least a year, since he'd come to live in Glen's house in the first place. He'd thought he was home at last, that he'd found a new family and even a little peace. Now, it seems that all of that peace was in Glen all along, and Kevin has no idea when or if the duke will return.

But the most upsetting part of it all is what he does know. If Glen has really gone home, he's no doubt living through the Tragedy. Right now, somewhere, Kevin's Oswald is staring at the man who's broken his heart, there are swords raised between them, and the duke is maybe just realizing that he's going to die on that blade because Jack Vessalius never did love him enough.

And Kevin can't do anything about it.

Comments

[fallingbackup]

If Kevin notices or cares about the changes to the house, he gives no indication of it, but he does walk a little slower once they're past the skulls. It's occurring to him now that using his surlier counterpart as an escape route means interacting with said counterpart. And their dog. In their house.

This is undesirable, and the knight loses heart with efficient speed. He doesn't want anybody. He just wants Glen.

But there's no backing out now; he can't think of any excuses quickly enough, though he wracks his brain for something feasible. He'll just have to hope that Asshole isn't in the mood for anybody but Lacie, and shoos him out quickly. He'd been reasonable enough on Kevin's territory, but now Kevin is on his, and he doesn't even think to question the wolf part of him that fully expects the other man to be on his guard.

[retraced]

Gilbert follows, tapping his shoes off as well and shaking out his jacket before stepping inside. He turns towards Kevin to ask a question, but he's caught off guard by...whatever the man is doing. This is going to take some getting used to.

"What is it?"

[fallingbackup]

"I haven't tracked down where Gilbertine's room is yet," the knight explains. "The funny-talking Break often sits in the common areas, though. I bet I could find him for you."

That Break passed by recently, in fact, on his way from the closest sitting room to somewhere else.

[retraced]

"N-no, I can go find them myself-!"

He knows that Kevin is used to doing this, but asking him to sniff out his friends feels like asking for too much. His hand reaches back up to grasp his shoulder.

[fallingbackup]

By this time, Kevin is far more accustomed to the little Gilbert, and the boy's tendency to flap his hands at the idea of receiving help when he himself is capable even if it would make things easier for him. After a lot of dubious head tilting and private contemplation, Kevin has concluded that he just doesn't want to impose on people too much. An admirable quality, to be sure, and one which Kevin now ignores at his leisure.

This being the case, he says, "It'll only take a minute," and starts off down the hallway.

[retraced]

It would only take a minute to check through the rooms on the lower floors as well, but as Kevin has already started walking, it would be rude to rude to leave now. Bother.

So Gilbert keeps his hand grasping his empty sleeve and walks behind him, quickly looking into each room as they pass, if the doors are open. If they really are going to be stuck here a while, he should spend this evening after Gilbertine and the twins fall asleep memorizing where all of the different rooms are.

And hoping that they don't randomly change location as so many of the rooms in the mansion had.

[fallingbackup]

Sure enough, Kevin picks up on his elder counterpart's scent somewhere around the staircase, and trails him to one of the quieter sitting rooms toward the back of the house. Being tucked out of the way, the room isn't used as often as the others, and Kevin himself had sat in it often when he and Glen still lived here. It doesn't really surprise him that another version of himself would know about it, and make use of it.

Quite suddenly, though, not far from it, Kevin stops in his tracks, looking surprised. His sensitive ears have picked up on something still a little too quiet for Gilbert to hear.

"...he sings?" the knight asks softly.

[retraced]

That's all the confirmation that Gilbert needs that this is the same man that he remembers. He smiles, a little fondly, and nods.

"Mmh. Songs from his world."

[fallingbackup]

"...I've never --"

The knight glances between his friend and the door, suddenly looking self-conscious. He feels it. He'd started to say he's never really sang anything in his whole life. It's just never occurred to him to try. Not even hearing Lacie sing as she wanders the house; not even keeping Glen company, sitting in the window of the music room while the duke plays the piano. He's hearing his own voice in a brand new way now, and he isn't sure what to make of it.

Creeping silently forward, he pushes the door of the sitting room open just a little, enough that the older man's singing spills out into the hallway.

"The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim; the shades of night are lifting.
The morning light steals across my windowpane, where webs of snow are drifting.
If I could only have you near, to breathe a sigh or two,
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love on this winter's night with you --
And to be once again with you."

Kevin winces a little, suddenly getting the feeling that maybe Break understands him a little more than he'd like, too. Backing away, he jerks his head toward the door for Gilbert's benefit, keeping his eyes lowered.

"He has your daughter with him," he whispers.

[retraced]

He understands what Kevin is about to say, and so he gets the sudden hesitance to talk about it. So much about Break is already so different than Kevin, but add to that coming from another world and living a completely different life on top of it. It had been a terrible strain on Gilbert, living through so many other people's memories until he'd finally found his own, and discovered which of his alternate's pasts was actually his own.

But he still steps forward upon hearing Break's voice, ready to greet him, until he hears what else Kevin has to say. He freezes in place and pales. His children...how will Caroline be able to understand what's happened to him? Will she even remember him? Will she treat him like a stranger now?

He stares at the open door and lets Break's voice fill the silence on its own.

[fallingbackup]

Kevin watches him hesitate, confused. Though he's known about them for some time, he's never acknowledged Gilbert's children in their father's presence before today; in fact, he didn't even find out about them through Gilbert himself. Even though he'd smelled the twins on him every time they'd crossed paths in the other world and Gilbert hadn't reacted badly to his mentioning them before, could it be he doesn't want to see them for some reason? Maybe Gilbert will be unhappy to find out that Kevin has met them now, too?

"Come in or go away, but stop creeping~" Break sings pleasantly from inside the room, causing Kevin to give the door a guilty look. Probably he's keeping his tone nice for the girl's benefit, but Kevin knows a thinly-veiled threat when he hears one.

[retraced]

If he could find his voice he'd explain the situation, but it looks like they're both caught. He winces and steps forward, mouthing a very quiet, "thank you," to Kevin as he walks past. As soon as he's settled, he'll have to find the man again, thank him properly and inquire on a patrol schedule that they might be able to work out.

For now, though, he's got more people to greet.

[almost_elderly]

Break, meanwhile, waits patiently inside, half his attention on the door and the other half on Caroline. She's been grumbly lately, fussing in the night often, and that's why Break has her now -- he's giving her mother and twin a chance to nap a little, and catch up on their rest. Like most everyone else who cares for Xerxes Break, Caroline is as indignant about his general existence as always, but it would irritate her even more if the familiar presence she's come to expect was not there. To that end, she's willing to cling to him, so long as he sings pretty and lets her chew on his hair. She rests with her head on his shoulder at the moment, the end of his ponytail in her mouth.

Then Gilbert walks in, Break stops the little swaying dance he was doing to soothe her, and Caroline comes alive, shrieking for her father. Whether she's happy about him or not is debatable, but she certainly wants him, sitting up in Break's arms with her own outstretched to Gil, leaning so far that Break is obliged to lean back to keep them both from overbalancing.

Break sighs in relief, eye closing, blocking out everything but the sounds of the child in his arms expressing her opinions. Good. Very good.

[retraced]

Gilbert watches Break's reaction from the doorway, eyes darting between him and Caroline. He looks tired, shaken, he's mussed and damp and decidedly out of his element. But seeing his child reach for him, he finally finds the courage to step forward and reach out his one hand for her. He doesn't offer to take her from Break's arms, he only lets her grasp his finger and jerk it back and forth in fussy frustration.

"Sorry, Break. I was late again."

[almost_elderly]

"I'll say you were. And I see you didn't even have the decency to stop at Starbuck's on the way."

This homeworld joke of his that Gilbert won't even understand is about all the energy Break has for pretending he doesn't really care. With another sigh, Break closes the distance between them, allowing Caroline to latch her little hands on to Gil's shoulders with a gurgling coo. Shifting her easily to one arm, Break reaches out to lift Gilbert's empty sleeve, feeling it thoughtfully.

"But you've been busy in the meantime, haven't you."

[gather_ye_rosebuds]

Lacie pushes open the door and stands aside to let Kevin in. Beastie, on the other hand, promptly romps out, barking a greeting and jumping up at the both of them for pets... Until he realizes it's another boy-human. He peers up at Kevin, tilting his head and goes to sniff his feet. Then he promptly remembers this is the Growly One and scampers back inside.

Lacie snorts, and leans to call into the house for her Kevin to hear.

"I've brought home another live one! This one stays, at least for dinner."

[unghosting]

"Is it housebroken?" Kevin calls back. Emerging from the hallway to see what horror Lacie is about to turn his evening into, the swordsman pauses in the doorway, staring at his other self with an eyebrow raised dubiously. But the other Kevin, the one who is still a knight, only meets his gaze for a moment or two before he looks away, clearly disinclined to tolerate the scrutiny.

If it were anyone else, he'd be belligerent. If the other Kevin were in any other mood, this one wouldn't want him around. But he clearly isn't up to fighting, and Kevin knows that Lacie is well aware that the Kevins don't tend to mix when left to their own devices. She wouldn't have brought him home if she didn't feel strongly that he needs to be taken care of tonight.

"...close enough," he relents, retreating to the kitchen. Beastie follows along at his heels, giving an obvious preference to the proper boy human, whose growls are weenie and meaningless.

[gather_ye_rosebuds]

Lacie gives a satisfied nod and closes the door behind herself and their unwilling guest.

"Come on," she says to him, nodding toward the kitchen and following her Kevin and the puppy. Once she catches up, she murmurs two words into her Kevin's ear, knowing they'll explain as much as needs explained.

"Oswald's gone."

She turns back toward their guest.

"What do you want with the chicken?"

[fallingbackup]

He hears, sensitive ears picking up on the words easily, but he cooly ignores them. Even if he didn't want to keep the extent of his wolf senses to himself for the most part, he is a Kevin. He is an expert at pretending that things he does not wish to confront are not there.

"I'll eat anything," he answers absently, lurking by the wall instead of moving to sit at the table. "...except rabbits."

[gather_ye_rosebuds]

The answer, peculiar as it is, brings a soft snort from Lacie.

"Well, no rabbits, it is."

She turns to her Kevin, looping an arm through his. Between the two of them Beasty worms his way in to plop himself down so that he's effectively sitting on Lacie's feet and leaning against Kevin's leg's. The werewolf's presence has unnerved him a bit.

"What do you want, then?"

[retraced]

Maybe Starbucks is a Thing in this world. He makes a note to ask someone later where he can find it. It does sound familiar, now that he thinks about it...

(Frappuccinos with impenetrable perforated plastic.)

It's still tough to tell if Caroline is pleased or angry with her father and she slams her tiny hands into his shoulder muttering "da da da da da da!" but Gilbert is taking it as the scolding that he deserves for taking so long to get back here.

"...A lot of things happened. I remember everything now."

[unghosting]

"The still-beating hearts of the people I hate," Kevin says flatly. Behind him, the other Kevin snorts, very softly. Wiggling his besocked toes, just to irritate the dog, he adds, "Barring that, I suppose that spicy rice stuff you make will do."

[almost_elderly]

"Do you? You've a bit more direction then now, I hope."

He would dearly love to know, of course, just what happened to Gilbert's arm. Unlike his younger counterpart -- who was too preoccupied to wonder long, and too considerate anyway to pry into Gilbert's affairs if he wasn't going to offer the explanation on his own -- Break likes to know exactly what sort of trouble his young people are getting into. But just now, it must be said, his concern is fighting a losing battle with relief.

A lot of things happened. But Gilbert is standing here in front of him now, and really, that's probably enough.

[gather_ye_rosebuds]

This gets a laugh out of her and she leans up to nip at his ear. "Later." she whispers sultrily.

Slipping away while Beastie tries to twist around and nip not-so-sultrily at Kevin's toes, Lacie proceeds to get to work. A pair of chickens are transported from the ice box to thaw, and she starts to pull out the necessary pots and pans.

"Rice it is!"

[retraced]

"You could say that."

It might be a strange sight to see a man smile after saying such a thing, but he does. The loss of the limb was clearly an important part of learning that direction, and it's obvious that he doesn't find it a burden at all. Except, of course, in this case where he feels unable to take his own child into his grasp for fear of losing his balance. He gestures towards the couch with his head.

"Let's sit down. Where's Gilbertine?"