The invisible voices

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“I’m sorry but I just don’t appreciate being told that I— I’m just— you have to do the best you can, with the incomplete information you— the situation changed and— I know! That’s why I wasn’t going to take any risks either!” Conrad concludes a bit too loudly, slowly turning purple with a combination of indignation and the returning fear that Junior really was going to sue him or worse. He takes a few more deep breaths. “You’re not going to lose her. We’re going to get through this together and we’ll both make sure that she’ll be fine, okay? Here, have some tissues.” Conrad reminds himself to schedule some kind of debriefing after all this. The stress was really taking a toll on him. More than usual.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior opens his mouth, presumably to yell some more, but Lucille stops him by whispering something in his ear. He listens and goes silent, then resumes rocking her, one hand gently stroking her hair. “You found her vault, didn’t you?” he asks somewhat bitterly. “You have to understand. Nothing can happen to her. Nothing. Please, Mr.McCarthy. I’ll help you guys find Le Cauchemar, but… she can’t go.” He looks around the room, and spots Wilbert, which gives him some relief. “Willy can stay with her! Somewhere safe, too. T-They can go back to the princess suite, or.. we’ll figure something out. But I’m not letting her go near the attic.”

[telepathic-lass-blog]

“Uh, yeah, we did.” Nina says awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. “…I’m sorry Junior.” She says softly. “We’ll definitely make sure nothing happens to her, don’t worry about it.” She nods confidently. 

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“Y-yes, we’re very sorry. And, uh, if it’s any consolation, I do understand.” Conrad resists the urge to mention that having Wilbert watch Lucy was originally part of his plan. He reminds himself to calm down again. Being accused of putting people in danger was probably the one thing that he found most difficult to get over. But he resolves not to let it cloud his judgment. Much.

“Wilbert?” he calls to him. “Do you mind continuing to watch Lucy?”

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert looked down, taking a little bit to respond. Why would Conrad want him to watch Lucy again? It wasn't as if he's been anything even remotely resembling competent last time he'd been assigned the task. He couldn't do anything against a nightmare. What if another one showed up and then everything would be ruined just because he was so wimpy? Helplessly, he looked over towards Nico, almost as if he was hoping the older boy would answer for him.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Let's see if Wilbert's any more useful when supervising Lucy

Wilbert starts out at least, fully intending to participate in the battle against Junior’s nightmares. That’s before he realizes he really doesn’t have any skills that would be even remotely useful in a fight. Quickly, he takes several steps back, away from the door, and then takes off at a run, tripping and stumbling down the hall, almost as if he expects Lucille to disappear into nothingness as soon as he lost sight of her. Conrad had said that anybody who didn’t want to fight could go with Lucy, hadn’t he?

Chickening out again.

Being a burden on the entire group, and then running away.

Typical. 

[psychicstimuli]

There was probably something Nico could have done to assist in the battle against Junior’s nightmares, but the simple fact of the matter was that there was no point in wasting his effort if the others could handle themselves with minimal casualties - and he could also slip by unseen if they couldn’t. 

He decides to stay back with the little girl construct until the fighting died down, and quickly notices Wilbert scurrying towards the same destination. He pops into sight close behind him.

“They shouldn’t be very long,” He says, giving a casual glance over his shoulder before looking away from the rest of the group and leaving them their own devices. “How are you holding up, good friend?”

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert's still quite nervous, but he's got himself under a slightly better control now, and nods. 

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Let's see if Wilbert's any more useful when supervising Lucy

Wilbert starts out at least, fully intending to participate in the battle against Junior's nightmares. That's before he realizes he really doesn't have any skills that would be even remotely useful in a fight. Quickly, he takes several steps back, away from the door, and then takes off at a run, tripping and stumbling down the hall, almost as if he expects Lucille to disappear into nothingness as soon as he lost sight of her. Conrad had said that anybody who didn't want to fight could go with Lucy, hadn't he?

Chickening out again.

Being a burden on the entire group, and then running away.

Typical. 

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

telepathic-lass:

mrduckandcover:

Conrad gets the last few sniffles out of his system and shakes his head to clear it of foolish sentimentality just in time to catch Nina starting to stray from the group again. He grumbles admonitions in her general direction as he hurries to catch up, and briefly entertains the idea of putting all the campers on child leashes. Although the proper term was child safety harness.

“Oh, hey sir.” Nina says, not looking up at Conrad. She doesn’t delay any longer, and opens the door. “Ooooh.” She breathes. Nina steps in, looking around curiously. She snorts at the large painting of Junior. Figures. “Are all the paintings in this place of Junior?” She asks no one in particular.

The next room is the Salon of Peace. It is a large, spacious room, adorned with golden wall decorations. However, like everywhere else, it is also in a state of disarray. The large crystal chandelier that once hung from the ceiling now lies shattered in the center of the room, while the painting of Junior has three large claw marks across it. The door leading to the next room is sealed off, but it looks like it’s about to burst inwards. Hissing noises can be heard from the other side, while the arms of nightmares poke out from the crack under the door, clawing at the floor and the door.

Lucille lets out a gasp when she sees the arms wriggling around, then shrieks when another ominous roar shakes the palace. She lets out a wail and clings to Conrad’s side. Madeleine’s leash escapes her grip, and the anteater prances into the room, examining the mess while staying a safe distance away from the door. 

[telepathic-lass-blog]

“Shhh, it’s okay Lucille- Madeleine! Come back!” Nina runs after the anteater, abruptly changing directions when she sees the arms. She dances around a moment, trying to catch the leash. She eventually gets ahold of Madeleine’s leash, gingerly pulling the anteater back toward her. “C’mon, Madeleine, stay with us.”

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

Conrad reflexively throws his arm out to hold Lucille back, although that turned out not to be necessary. “It’s alright. Shh. It’s— Nina! Dammit, I told you to stop doing that!” His movement restricted by a wailing child clinging to him, he eyes the door warily and gestures for Nina to stay the hell away from it.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

“T-That’s the way,” she sobs, pointing to the other door. “That’s how you get to Junior’s room, but… but…” She gestures to the nightmares pressed up against the door and trembles as tears stream down her face. “Is he dead?”

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert winces at Lucille's words, and anxiously clenches his fists at his sides, letting out a startled squeak. Somehow the gravity of the situation had not sunk in before, and was just beginning to do so now . He's not exactly sure what dying in his own mind would do to Junior, but it can't be anything good. If he was braver, this'd probably be the point where Wilbert took a page out of Nina's book- metaphorically, of course, and pun not intended, and rushed ahead of of the group, through the door, to where Junior hopefully was. Not that he's fool enough to think they aren't going to go through the door eventually. He expectantly looks up at Conrad  waiting for the older man to instruct them on what to do next.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Versailles: The Palace

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“Shh. Lucille, it’s alright. I won’t let anything happen to you. …Here, I’ll go first. Just keep telling us where to go. Uh…” Conrad pulls a rubber glove out of his pocket. “Aha.” He turns away to blow it up like a balloon, tying it closed and drawing a happy face on it in pen. It looked like a cartoon udder. “Ta-dah,” he wheezed weakly, handing the makeshift balloon thing to Lucille. Little kids liked balloons, right?

[telepathic-lass-blog]

 ”Shh, shh it’s okay.” Nina says soothingly. …But it’s clearly not okay. She looks at the sad little balloon. “Uh…” She decides not to burst Conrad’s bubble. Or, er, balloon. Nina wanders around the room a little, inspecting everything. “So uh, where do we go next?” she isn’t eager to linger around here, but she also has a nasty feeling it’s just going to keep getting worse.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Lucille takes the balloon with a bewildered look on her face, but it at least stops her from wailing. Continuing to look at the sad little glove, she lifts a shaky finger and points to the doorway in front of them. “W-We gotta go this way.”

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“Alright.” Conrad says, glancing up at the ceiling before clenching his hands into fists and marching forward resolutely, or as resolutely-looking as he could while still sidestepping debris and fallen artwork every few feet.

[telepathic-lass-blog]

Nina follows Conrad, hopping over the debris. “I wonder what Junior’s nightmare is going to be like.” She says thoughtfully as she hops and sidesteps, talking more to herself than to the others.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

As the party progresses through Junior’s mind, Wilbert trails along behind them. Not far enough to get lost, but far enough to be a degree or two detached from most of the proceedings. He doesn’t want to cause any trouble after all. Not when everyone else here has already been through Mary’s mind, and Wilbert’s not even going to pretend that he understands what that entails, but he does know that that for sure makes them much more experienced than he is as far as traversing mental landscapes goes. 

However, as the group heads farther into the more obviously unkempt parts of his friend’s mind, Wilbert can’t deny the fact that he’s starting to get nervous. That is, more nervous than usual, which when combined with his other omnipresent fears and insecurities, made him pretty much terrified. He scurries to catch up with the group, not wanting to be too separated right now. In his haste, he trips and falls over part of a smashed painting, landing hard on his hands. A quick check reveals that although they’re scraped, they aren’t bloody. So, muttering apologies to no one in particular, Wilbert pushes himself up, barely wincing- he’s proud of that, and closes the remaining distance between himself and the rest of the group, eventually slowing to walk beside Nico.

[psychicstimuli]

Nico’s attention is momentarily pulled away from the notes he had begun to take on the ruined area of Junior’s mind with a faint clatter. He peers up from his journal and turns to face the source of the noise, but Wilbert had already closed his distance with the group at that point. 

“Wilbert, my good friend.” Nico’s eyes shift back to his journal, and he continues to scribble down rows of analysis and observation as he talks. “How have you been holding up since we last spoke? You’re standing, which is a definite improvement, and you’ve chosen to accompany us this time, which indicates something we said stuck. Glad to have you along either way.”

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Nico's "we" passes height over Wilbert's head as the boy nods nervously. "M'okay now," he lies.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Versailles: The Palace

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“Shh. Lucille, it’s alright. I won’t let anything happen to you. …Here, I’ll go first. Just keep telling us where to go. Uh…” Conrad pulls a rubber glove out of his pocket. “Aha.” He turns away to blow it up like a balloon, tying it closed and drawing a happy face on it in pen. It looked like a cartoon udder. “Ta-dah,” he wheezed weakly, handing the makeshift balloon thing to Lucille. Little kids liked balloons, right?

[telepathic-lass-blog]

 ”Shh, shh it’s okay.” Nina says soothingly. …But it’s clearly not okay. She looks at the sad little balloon. “Uh…” She decides not to burst Conrad’s bubble. Or, er, balloon. Nina wanders around the room a little, inspecting everything. “So uh, where do we go next?” she isn’t eager to linger around here, but she also has a nasty feeling it’s just going to keep getting worse.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Lucille takes the balloon with a bewildered look on her face, but it at least stops her from wailing. Continuing to look at the sad little glove, she lifts a shaky finger and points to the doorway in front of them. “W-We gotta go this way.”

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“Alright.” Conrad says, glancing up at the ceiling before clenching his hands into fists and marching forward resolutely, or as resolutely-looking as he could while still sidestepping debris and fallen artwork every few feet.

[telepathic-lass-blog]

Nina follows Conrad, hopping over the debris. “I wonder what Junior’s nightmare is going to be like.” She says thoughtfully as she hops and sidesteps, talking more to herself than to the others.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

As the party progresses through Junior's mind, Wilbert trails along behind them. Not far enough to get lost, but far enough to be a degree or two detached from most of the proceedings. He doesn't want to cause any trouble after all. Not when everyone else here has already been through Mary's mind, and Wilbert's not even going to pretend that he understands what that entails, but he does know that that for sure makes them much more experienced than he is as far as traversing mental landscapes goes. 

However, as the group heads farther into the more obviously unkempt parts of his friend's mind, Wilbert can't deny the fact that he's starting to get nervous. That is, more nervous than usual, which when combined with his other omnipresent fears and insecurities, made him pretty much terrified. He scurries to catch up with the group, not wanting to be too separated right now. In his haste, he trips and falls over part of a smashed painting, landing hard on his hands. A quick check reveals that although they're scraped, they aren't bloody. So, muttering apologies to no one in particular, Wilbert pushes himself up, barely wincing- he's proud of that, and closes the remaining distance between himself and the rest of the group, eventually slowing to walk beside Nico.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

“Don’t be afraid, Wilbert. It’s going to be alright. I’d never let anything happen to you or Junior or anyone, okay?”

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

A massive fountain lies a short distance away from the entrance. Without warning, a splash is heard from the...

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert has just opened his mouth to say something- perhaps to respond to Conrad, perhaps to ask what they need to do, when the splash sounds out from the fountain. Wilbert shudders at the scratching and grunting sounds that follow. They sound they sound like some kind of animal, but he can't tell whether or not it is friendly. Still, he forces himself to shakily follow Conrad, trying to put his more timid thoughts out of his mind.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Versailles

It was nearly night time when the group arrived in Junior’s mind. Dark, intimidating gray clouds coated the sky, yet despite it nearly being dark, a scorching wave of heat covered the land, and the air was thick with humidity. Burning wood can be smelled in the distance. The group landed in the front courtyard of a grand building- a near, if not exact, replica of the Versailles Palace. The palace looked dead, save for a few dimly lit windows. There is no sound to be heard, like the calm before a great storm, yet vibrations can be felt from underneath their feet.

[telepathic-lass-blog]

Nina looks around, adjusting her glasses. “Is… is this Versailles?” She’s a bit baffled. Is this Junior’s mind? She vaguely remembered that he liked France a lot or something…

[mrduckandcover-deactivated20151]

Conrad didn’t know what Versailles looked like, but it sounded pretty likely. He focused on the more universally-recognizable features of Junior’s mindscape: heat and humidity. God, it was gonna be terrible for his skin condition in here, was it? He sniffles a bit, trying to clear his nose. Despite the humidity, he thought he smelled something else familiar around here. “…Is something burning?” he asked the others.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert shifts nervously from one foot to the other, and looks around. He doesn't know what to make of his current surroundings, and to his disappointment, unlike all the other minds he's been in, the owner of the mind is nowhere to be seen. Still, despite this, and despite the fact that the trip into Junior's mind was a very spur of the moment thing, Wilbert's determined not to back out of it. Not only would it be abandoning Junior- it would also be inconveniencing the rest of the group, and at this point, Wilbert is determined to prove- both to himself and to the rest of the group that he's not the useless burden he seems like. Still, Wilbert knows that he's not going to be able to do anything on the scant bits of knowledge he's picked up in basic braining and levitation. He needs to find somebody who can tell him what's going on. 

Unfortunately, Conrad looks to busy, and despite Mary's claims of control over her powers, Wilbert would still rather avoid her. He'd also prefer to stay away from Nina, as he gets the impression that she doesn't really like him all that much. And that leaves... no one. Wilbert bites his lip nervously again, and lets out a little whimper. He doesn't want to seem stupid in front of any of these people. Finally he resolves that unless an opportunity presents itself for him to discretely get his questions answered, he'll just have to wing it. 

So, putting a solemn look on his face and trying to control his fear, Wilbert walks up to stand behind Conrad.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Prelude to Versailles

Junior now lies motionless in Wilbert’s lap. His skin is now the same color as Wilbert’s; a ghastly, pale blue. His breathing remains weak and shallow, and he takes no notice that the others have arrived back from Mary’s mind.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert, on the other hand has noticed as the previously motionless figures on the floor getting up and moving around. He doesn’t make any acknowledgement of them though, too focused on taking care of Junior- by which he probably means ATTEMPTING to take care of. Most likely, his not knowing what to do is the source reason of why Junior’s been getting persistently worse. 

[telepathic-lass-blog]

Nina’s eye falls on Junior and Wilbert as she looks around the room. “Oh no.” She mutters, walking over and kneeling by them. “Junior?” She shakes him lightly, looking up at Wilbert questioningly.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior groans, shivering at Nina’s touch, but the heat can be felt radiating from his body.

[cottoncandylightningrod-blog]

Mary blinks, and sits up, flexing her fingers a little. The ever-present electrical strain moving through her like an active Tesla coil was gone, but she could still generate the resonance in her mind. She felt it, and exercised it by making her hair poof a little.

She smiles, and looks up, before realizing everyone was busy with Junior on his death bed. She scrambled up, and leaned over him.

“Junior? Can you hear me? Do you need me to give your heart a jump start? It’s cool, I can control my wattage now!”

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert watches Nina and Mary cautiously, fearfully. He's unsure what Mary means by "giving Junior's heart a jumpstart", but as it apparently involves her electrokinesis, he's wary of it. "What are you going to do to him?" Wilbert asks quietly.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Prelude to Versailles

Junior now lies motionless in Wilbert’s lap. His skin is now the same color as Wilbert’s; a ghastly, pale blue. His breathing remains weak and shallow, and he takes no notice that the others have arrived back from Mary’s mind.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert, on the other hand has noticed as the previously motionless figures on the floor getting up and moving around. He doesn't make any acknowledgement of them though, too focused on taking care of Junior- by which he probably means ATTEMPTING to take care of. Most likely, his not knowing what to do is the source reason of why Junior's been getting persistently worse. 

[ghostlymedium-blog]

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior’s eyelids barely open, just enough to see that his face is still smushed into Wilbert’s stomach. He doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep for, but if he and Wilbert are still in the same position, then it couldn’t have been for more than a couple of hours or less. He didn’t think it was possible, but it felt like every single muscle on his body hurt, from the joints in his toes to the roots of his hair, making it feel like each limb was made of lead. Just lying still made him completely nauseous, so he didn’t even want to see what would happen if he tried moving. He feels horrible. So horrible, and the fact that everyone was stuck in the main lodge for an indefinite amount of time finally hits him. He lets out a soft sob as a tear rolls down his face, feeling how cool it is against his burning skin.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Although he hadn’t been asleep for any of the time he was with Junior, Wilbert had reached the point where he wasn’t paying any attention to the things happening around him- albeit that wasn’t much right now. 

The lull provided his nightmares with the perfect importunity to assault him again. No diversions, although his current actions didn’t provide much fuel for their comments. The had to settle instead for what Wilbert had done in the past.

Junior’s sob catches him off guard. The nightmares are quick to make the claim that it’s somehow his fault, but Wilbert’s too panicked to pay much attention. 

“Junior? Junior? Are you okay?” Of course he’s not okay, you idiot. “What’s wrong?” Junior’s crying, and everything’s wrong- Wilbert doesn’t know what to do and he doesn’t know what he can do and Junior’s too nice to have to be sad and Wilbert’s trying not to cry himself, he’s trying to be calm and gather his thoughts and be calm and be like Nico, when he’s actually no good at anything, and he’s trying, he is trying to think, trying to remember what other people have done for him, and he’s trying to stroke Junior’s hair because it’s the only thing he knows to do, hoping it helps, but really Wilbert’s hands are shaking so bad it’s hard to imagine anyone finding it comforting.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

“It hurts,” Junior whines. “Everything hurts… My head is killing me, I’m so achy, I just…” He lets out another sob, his tears leaving small damp spots on Wilbert’s sweater.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Shakily, Wilbert wraps his arms around Junior, at a loss for anything else to do. He wishes Jack hadn’t gotten up and left earlier. Or somthing. Even if Jack couldn’t see or hear, Wilbert bets he would have still known what to do. Or at least have had a better idea of it than Wilbert did. 

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior wheezes and closes his eyes shut, his fingers curling tightly around Wilbert’s arm. Even with his eyes closed and vision blocked by a sweater, he can’t escape from the bright, busy flashes of light that dance within his eyelids. Everything is loud, like multiple conversations being held at once in a cavernous place, despite no noise going on at all. Wilbert’s shaky breathing seems amplified as well, and Junior notices that his friend is trying not to cry. He attempts to say something- anything, to comfort Wilbert, but his words come out as incoherent babble and nonsense.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Junior's trying to say something. Wilbert can tell that much at least, but what exactly that something is is completely beyond him, and he feels terrible about that fact. He can't stand it, and he can't stand the fact that he still has literally no idea what to do. He hasn't ever been in this kind of position before. A situation where he's had to comfort someone, and all he can do is keep up what he is doing and hope something happens, and someone will show up soon and fix things. So he does. He keeps stroking Junior's hair and hugging him, all the while concentrating on keeping his tears contained. Other than comforting Junior, that's his number one priority. He Absolutely Can Not Worry Anyone, and that is Very Important.  

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior’s eyelids barely open, just enough to see that his face is still smushed into Wilbert’s stomach. He doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep for, but if he and Wilbert are still in the same position, then it couldn’t have been for more than a couple of hours or less. He didn’t think it was possible, but it felt like every single muscle on his body hurt, from the joints in his toes to the roots of his hair, making it feel like each limb was made of lead. Just lying still made him completely nauseous, so he didn’t even want to see what would happen if he tried moving. He feels horrible. So horrible, and the fact that everyone was stuck in the main lodge for an indefinite amount of time finally hits him. He lets out a soft sob as a tear rolls down his face, feeling how cool it is against his burning skin.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Although he hadn’t been asleep for any of the time he was with Junior, Wilbert had reached the point where he wasn’t paying any attention to the things happening around him- albeit that wasn’t much right now. 

The lull provided his nightmares with the perfect importunity to assault him again. No diversions, although his current actions didn’t provide much fuel for their comments. The had to settle instead for what Wilbert had done in the past.

Junior’s sob catches him off guard. The nightmares are quick to make the claim that it’s somehow his fault, but Wilbert’s too panicked to pay much attention. 

“Junior? Junior? Are you okay?” Of course he’s not okay, you idiot. “What’s wrong?” Junior’s crying, and everything’s wrong- Wilbert doesn’t know what to do and he doesn’t know what he can do and Junior’s too nice to have to be sad and Wilbert’s trying not to cry himself, he’s trying to be calm and gather his thoughts and be calm and be like Nico, when he’s actually no good at anything, and he’s trying, he is trying to think, trying to remember what other people have done for him, and he’s trying to stroke Junior’s hair because it’s the only thing he knows to do, hoping it helps, but really Wilbert’s hands are shaking so bad it’s hard to imagine anyone finding it comforting.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

“It hurts,” Junior whines. “Everything hurts… My head is killing me, I’m so achy, I just…” He lets out another sob, his tears leaving small damp spots on Wilbert’s sweater.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Shakily, Wilbert wraps his arms around Junior, at a loss for anything else to do. He wishes Jack hadn't gotten up and left earlier. Or somthing. Even if Jack couldn't see or hear, Wilbert bets he would have still known what to do. Or at least have had a better idea of it than Wilbert did. 

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior’s eyelids barely open, just enough to see that his face is still smushed into Wilbert’s stomach. He doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep for, but if he and Wilbert are still in the same position, then it couldn’t have been for more than a couple of hours or less. He didn’t think it was possible, but it felt like every single muscle on his body hurt, from the joints in his toes to the roots of his hair, making it feel like each limb was made of lead. Just lying still made him completely nauseous, so he didn’t even want to see what would happen if he tried moving. He feels horrible. So horrible, and the fact that everyone was stuck in the main lodge for an indefinite amount of time finally hits him. He lets out a soft sob as a tear rolls down his face, feeling how cool it is against his burning skin.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Although he hadn't been asleep for any of the time he was with Junior, Wilbert had reached the point where he wasn't paying any attention to the things happening around him- albeit that wasn't much right now. 

The lull provided his nightmares with the perfect importunity to assault him again. No diversions, although his current actions didn't provide much fuel for their comments. The had to settle instead for what Wilbert had done in the past.

Junior's sob catches him off guard. The nightmares are quick to make the claim that it's somehow his fault, but Wilbert's too panicked to pay much attention. 

"Junior? Junior? Are you okay?" Of course he's not okay, you idiot. "What's wrong?" Junior's crying, and everything's wrong- Wilbert doesn't know what to do and he doesn't know what he can do and Junior's too nice to have to be sad and Wilbert's trying not to cry himself, he's trying to be calm and gather his thoughts and be calm and be like Nico, when he's actually no good at anything, and he's trying, he is trying to think, trying to remember what other people have done for him, and he's trying to stroke Junior's hair because it's the only thing he knows to do, hoping it helps, but really Wilbert's hands are shaking so bad it's hard to imagine anyone finding it comforting.

[laughingalonewithmycards-blog]

Jack nods as Wilbert writes out his message. “Okay. Uh, what about everyone else? Nina and Mary and Nadia and… and Fritz and Maple? D’you know about them?”

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Out of the five people Jack had listed off, Wilbert only knew two of their locations for certain. Nina and Mary were on the floor of the tv lounge with Nico and three of the four counselors. He didn’t know enough of what the six of them were doing to explain it with words, and he certainly didn’t hnow enough of it to exlain it with shaky letters traced out onto Jack’s hand.

Wilbert also had no idea as to locations of Fritz, Maple and Nadia. Nadia, he hadn’t seen since the last lesson, and Fritz and Maple, he’d never seen at all. Never met them.

He had to write that out on Jack’s palm. “im sorry i dont know im sorry”

So useless. Always making mistakes, always trying to patch them up with ‘I’m sorry’s. You can’t even promise it won’t happen again can you? Do you know what your only redeeming feature is? You almost accept how useless you are.

Wilbert wanted to scream, but he couldn’t scream. Couldn’t scream, couldn’t cry, or else somebody would see him. Somebody would hear him. Somebody wout try to help, but they couldn’t help. Coldn’t help soebody who was already so useless.

That’s right. You’ll only ever be a burden. A useless burden.

“im really really really s-” His eyes were too blurred to keep writing and Wilbert had to cut out in the middle of a word. He bit down on his lip. Hard. It might have started bleeding, but if it had, he didn’t notice. He was too focused on not letting his pinprick tears become any more than pinprick tears, not letting any of them fall on Junior, not letting them catch Junior’s attention, not bothering anyone.

[laughingalonewithmycards-blog]

Wilbert keeps apologizing, but Jack isn’t sure what he’s apologizing about.

He’s afraid of you. After all, you are the enemy here. Marzena may have been the one with the plan to release the nightmares, but you’re the one who followed her so blindly. Stupid boy…

Wilbert’s hand is shaking as he spells out his message, and when he’s done, Jack slowly takes his hand back, hugging his knees again.

[theoldarchiveofjuniorb]

Junior hears Jack’s voice, but is too busy having his head buried into Wilbert’s sweater to focus on what he was saying. He rolls his head over slightly- it’s too heavy at this point for him to lift it- and looks up at Wilbert and gives him a weak smile. In the amount of time he’s been sick,  his looks were beginning to suffer. His rich blue skin has faded to that of a pale sky blue color, his eyes dark and sunken looking. “You’re too good to me, Willy, takin’ care of me n’ Jacky,” he rasps, then nuzzles his head back into Wilbert’s stomach. “How’s he doin’? Jackyyyy…” His hand reaches out and feels around for Jack, in search for a leg or hand.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Wilbert blushes a bright crimson at Junior's praise, not entirely sure why it's something he's so happy about. Not even Nico's congratulations during levitation class had evoked this kind of response from him. 

But he goes looking for Jack right after thanking you. It's obvious isn't it? Who's more important to him. 

Wilbert was trying to convince himself that that was fine. That he didn't care as long as Junior didn't hate him, but it wasn't working so well. However, he does know that he can't let Junior see the fact that his lip is bleeding, so he dabs at it with his sleeve, trying to be discreet. 

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Why don't you ever see a black ghost?

I think I maybe have though? I don't know. Sorry.

[ghostlymedium-blog]

Can you talk to animal ghosts?

I don't know. I don't think I've ever seen one...