If I should die before I wake

nav Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Maybe He'll find a use for it.

[addkindness]

For a long moment there’s silence thanks to Adelaide having nodded off. Then there’s a long buzz and the sharp click of the outside entrance unlatching for Aaron to come inside.

[somegodlessafterthought]

Frankly, he almost cuts and runs during the long silence, almost counts the whole situation a loss, would you like to try again, but as he's eyeing the street, the door unlatches, which means he's really got no other option. Stepping inside, he makes his way carefully to her door, then knocks, attempting to quell his nerves--this is Adelaide, for all intents and purposes his best friend. He doesn't have to be nervous. He doesn't. 

[addkindness]

[Text] We’ll ring you up when  you get here.

[somegodlessafterthought]

It takes him a good twenty minutes to make the walk to Adelaide's house, but he gets there eventually, stares distrustfully for a moment at the intercom button, then pulls out his handy practically unbreakable cell phone instead of trying to work it out.

[Text] I'm outside.

[addkindness]

[Text] I am completely sure.

[Text] You can come by now if you’d like.

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] I'll let you know when I'm outside?

[addkindness]

[Text] Just the ones I always do.

[Text] It’s all right. You wouldn’t be in the way!

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] All right--if you're sure?

[Text] When should I try to drop by?

[addkindness]

[Text] No problem.

[Text] Sure!

[Text] Forewarning that Uncle Archibald will ply you with snacks.

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] Oh, crap, do you have people over? I can wait if I'd be getting in the way.

[addkindness]

[Text] It’s okay. 

[Text] Aaron it’s okay, I promise.

[Text] I understand why you didn’t.

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] Thanks

[Text] Really. 

[Text] It's been a while, want me to swing by later tonight to catch up?

[fidelitaas-blog]

Excuse him as he groans uninterrupted for three minutes before sighing. No biggie Chas, he obviously knows you have weird angel person in your head. Just calmly explain to him that the thing that singlehandedly threw all you thought you knew about your religion down the toilet is trying to take you over so they can kill him. 

You’re really bad at pretending you don’t know what’s going on. Yeah it’s talking to me, it really doesn’t want you around me for some reason. Like..Eldritch horror screams level of don’t want, it’s been booting me out of my body all damn day. 

No harm in trying to stand up again. With support from this stupidly huge apple tree he manages to remain standing long enough to see Juniper in the distance. He weakly waves and puts his phone away before sighing. 

So what do you have in your head. Kindness? Diligence? Something that Chastity doesn’t like? 

[somegodlessafterthought]

Yeah, okay, Aaron's scuppered. For the third time in approximately as many minutes, his body language changes entirely, shifting to resigned like putting on an old sweater. "Yeah, I know. Heather says it helps with the whole not being shitscared of me thing, but." He winces in sympathy when Chas lets on about the screaming, looks like he wants to apologize before he's distracted by trying not to look like he's hovering in case Chas doesn't make it to his feet okay, or in case he starts to fall.

Then he's distracted by shooting a glance towards Juniper, and then the question, so it turns out he never quite apologizes. 

At least, not for the headache. 

"Yeah, uh--Wrath." 

He smiles, and it's sickly, awful, makes him look like he's half underground already. It's also mercifully short-lived, warping into a more humorous expression like he hasn't just admitted to hauling around one of the seven deadly sins in the back of his head. 

"Not a fun ride, fucked up my church life something awful, fucked up my outside life something worse--you already knowing is probably the first time something related to it's gone right." A pause, painstaking. "Or at least, not gone wrong. Been a bit of a war zone, tryina keep him under control, tryina keep everything safe. But--I can explain better when your friend gets here, won't have to repeat myself that way."

[addkindness]

[Text] Why are you sorry?

[Text] It hadn’t even occurred to me that she would’ve.

[Text] I’m glad that she was and is safe.

[Text] I like her!

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] For not telling you sooner

[Text] I should have told you when it happened

[Text] I really am sorry

[sanctimonisms]

┉┉ ◣♥◥ [text to: ???]: currently saving up for a car but i guess we could cut through the park & get the hell out of here 

 [text to: ???]: if shes not dangerous then shes certainly suspicious ?? she called you her brother but i dont know how willing i am to believe that 

[text to: ???]: i dont want to put you in harm’s way tho i can probably get chas off campus since ive got a killer headache myself 

[text to: ???]: its just best if you get off campus ASAP i can get w/ chas in just a few minutes

[text to: ???]: but b4 we split could u give me a very brief rundown of what the actual fuck is goin on 

[somegodlessafterthought]

[text to: ???]: It's complicated, but you should honestly be okay

[text to: ???]: I can give you a long/short version when you get here

[addkindness]

[Text] Yeah they took out that one bridge.

[Text] Oh

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] I'm sorry

[Text] Heather had nothing to do with it though, she was safe

[Text] Is safe, I mean

[fidelitaas-blog]

Yeah I’m uh..Waiting on a friend to come get me- Dammit what the fuck do you want!? I’m not giving up control! I-Uh s-sorry I uh.. 

In the span of five seconds he literally felt as if someone punched him in the head and he had finally gotten sick of chastity not shutting the fuck up. They still refused to explain to him what was going on and he was already getting sick of these constant soul battles he had to do today because someone pissed in their cereal. He sighs and rubs his head and whips out his journal, it’d be better to give them what they want rather then suffer this shitty fucking headache right?

I’m..I’m really not okay, sorry about that this uh..Migraine feels like someone’s screaming at me! I sure wish that screaming would stop, haha! If only this migraine was a living thing! Yes that was a shot at you you useless piece of crap. If he bashed his head against the floor would they finally leave him alone and go away?

[somegodlessafterthought]

--That. That changes things. Aaron's entire posture changes in a slit second, and where before he had been all concern, now there's a sharper hint of urgency to it. His tone, when he speaks, is slightly horrified. "It's talking to you?"

Fucking. Do you see that. Do you see that. That is where Aaron Fletcher done fucked up, and the moment the words are out of his mouth he regrets them, and it's almost funny how exactly how readable he is so neatly counteracts the danger his Sin emanates, the way regret at fucking up again crashes through him undercutting the impression that he could probably take down everyone on campus with nothing but his hands and his teeth or at least die trying. "Shit, sorry, I didn't mean--"

"--is something causing your headache?"

Way to sound like you don't know too much, Aaron. Definitely going to make actor of the year, especially with all that sympathy you're not hiding.

[sanctimonisms]

┉┉ ◣♥◥  [ text to: ??? ]: hey you know that weird kid with the sketchbook in the park?? juniper jackson aspiring starving artist part time salvation army worker its nice to meet u

[ text to: ??? ]: idfk how i got yr number but i need to tell u to get off campus right now. ditch the conversation with the boy & just leave because there is a woman out there she spoke to me and she’s lookin for someone and i had a bad feeling

[ text to: ??? ]: whatever you need to tell us can wait just leave NOW

[somegodlessafterthought]

[ text to: ??? ]: That's gotta be Patience, she shouldn't hurt you or anyone but it's definitely a good idea to get low when she's around, is there anywhere you can go off campus

[ text to: ??? ]: He's got a pretty bad headache, can you meet him somewhere, get him to a doctor or something? I wouldn't suggest it myself but he mentioned it and it would probably be safer than on campus

[ text to: ??? ]: If you know where she is I could try to distract her

[addkindness]

[Text] I’m safe at home wrapping presents.

[Text] …When you say it wasn’t good

[Text] How bad is that?

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] Good

[Text, delayed] Remember the earthquakes?

[Text] Please, just stay safe

[somegodlessafterthought]

eldritchisms replied to your post:

( txt ): will do <3 stay safe in there peach bb.

( txt ): thanks <3 hurry home, I miss you

[addkindness]

[Text] Heads up that Patience is looking for you.

[Text] I think something’s going on.

[somegodlessafterthought]

[Text] Shit.

[Text] Shit fucking shit shit shit shit, thanks Adelaide, seriously stay safe the last time she was looking for me it wasn't good

[Text] Where are you?

[fidelitaas-blog]

His breaths come out slow and steady as he holds his head, they’re screaming louder and he’s praying to god that they stop screaming. Just tell me what the hell you want you stupid angel! He’s close to screaming but he has to keep his composure around this man or else he’ll look like a lunatic, last thing he really wants at the moment. He leans against a nearby tree for support so he doesn’t collapse and looks up. 

Yeah I took like two doses of aspirin but for some reason they aren’t working..I think I’ll have to go to the doctor for this.

He’s literally the hugest skeptic to cross the earth at the moment. With this migraine intensifying in closer proximity to this man and him suddenly showing up on campus with no clear goal meant something fishy going on. But of course, Chastity decides to be the most useful angel in the world and simply give him a headache. Did other hosts have to deal with this or did this happen to be something he was saddled with. Nevermind that, mission was to talk to creepy weird man.

Um sir? You never said why exactly you’re on this campus, do you happen to have a child that goes here or a relative? I could point you in their direction, I know a fair number of people. 

[somegodlessafterthought]

Aaron's more familiar with what pain looks like than he likes to think about on any given day, and Chas? Is definitely in pain. Aaron has never been good at the whole communicating concern to other people thing, but after years with the angels and several months of having not one but two significant others to work out a relationship with, and he likes to think he's improved a bit. "Look--" then again, there's that word again, so maybe not. "--yeah, I'm meeting up with family, kinda, but if you have to go to the doctor, is there someone who can take you to make sure you don't get bad enough that you can't get there?" 

Because poor Aaron has no idea what the cause of the migraine is, poor Aaron is legitimately just concerned, and somewhere in the back of his head, Wrath is--well, not laughing, but the goo that the Sin can be pictured as is probably bubbling, in a spitefully pleased manner. 

He glances around, like maybe he's actually going to reach out and snag someone by the arm to get Chas someone to take to the hospital, pats the pockets of his jeans like he's looking for the (industrial grade, certifiably run-over-by-a-truck-and-survivable) phone Adelaide had given him, before he actually looks back to Chas, cutting himself off abruptly. "Shit, sorry, I hated older people deciding what I should do, sorry--seriously though, are you okay?"

[fidelitaas-blog]

His head is hurting something fierce, he doesn’t know why or how but he thinks it’s a migraine and those does of aspirin he got from a friend wasn’t helping- Okay why wasn’t it helping? At the very least it could dull the pain right? To top it off he thinks Chastity is angry about something considering he’s been kicked out of his own body no less than five times today, why did he have to be stuck with this terrible excuse for an angel again? That part was never actually explained to him and no matter how much he tried to get them to come out and talk to him they refused. 

Come on just tell me why you’re so angry! I promise I’ll let you use me as your meat puppet or whatever you’re trying to do if you stop giving me this headache. …How much of a nutcase do I look like talking to thin air? Ugh..

He tries to get up but the immediate stumbling and falling over tells him to remain in the same place. A huge sigh as he looks up to a see a man in the distance, at least he’ll have someone to make conversation with and oh this is just amazing. Somewhere inbetween him seeing that man and him being happy he had something to take his mind off his brain punching him in the skull the migraine got worse. 

I uh..Hi there. Are you a visitor to Redwood’s campus or something? You look way too old to be a student, no offense- Ergh..Sorry, I’ve got a killer headache, um could I ask your name? I’m Chas, it’s nice to meet you by the way.

[somegodlessafterthought]

Do you know, Aaron is starting to hate that itch? See, he's an old hat at it, as far as he's concerned, and it never not ever (with perhaps a few notable exceptions left out of this narration for the purpose of wallowing in both self pity and hatred) signals the start of something good. The fact that he's back in front of the very same high school he'd just days before stood in front of? Makes it about four or five times more likely that he's going to curse at some point in the next few minutes, going to do his level best to turn the air blue. He's just trying to decide if it's the same itch that had brought him last time, or if it belongs to an entirely different poor sap when lo and behold, the poor sap approaches him first.

So that saves some time!

Straightening to his full (totally unimpressive) five feet, nine inches, Aaron smiles, and it's no better a thing than he'd been able to offer Juniper, tight and with a slightly unhappy edge buried somewhere in it. This guy--Chas?--Chas, talks a mile a minute, and it's not even until he stops that Aaron gets a chance to offer his name. At his side, his hand starts to move up like he's going to offer to shake, but he remembers the shape his knuckles are in (not pretty, and him with no idea how they got that way) and drops it back down like it's hot. "I'm Aaron," he says instead. "Was actually only passing through--trying to shake an itch, it's nice to meet you too." That last bit comes hot on the heels of the rest, like he'd forgotten that he'd forgotten it until he'd nearly been done speaking. 

"Look, did you take something for that?"

Aaron, don't pry where you don't know if you're wanted.