deercountry | a place for buds

[It's fortunate that neither of their other selves hang around for that long, alone and unsupervised without the other. Palamedes doesn't remember anything about where he's been, while his miserable wretch other self sulked in their house for a time; he definitely didn't go to the other Trench where those two are from, so who can say— it's been a strange couple weeks.

But what better way to celebrate their reunion than eating weird chocolates! None, frankly. Palamedes insists on eating a thing for once, for the scientific value of it!, and luckily it's a fairly normal end result and they have nothing as dire as time loop berries to worry about.

So it's absolutely Palamedes' own fault, he realizes, when he's not paying attention on a walk about town and the latest repetitive idle thought - One year without Camilla. A whole year and no Cam. - strikes him moments before he simply... freezes.

Ah. He's not down on the beach at risk of being washed off the shore in his struck-stiff state, at least; closer to the docks, where Viktor has taken him before to explain interesting facts about boats. How could their boat date spot betray him this way... It's literally all he can do to somehow tap mentally into his omni, and fire off a Stressed Text:]

Hi, not urgent, [kind of urgent but,] are you busy? I can't move. I am... be-statued, at the docks.

[what a milestone, pal wanting to eat a real food. viktor pokes fun at it for quite a time, because he thinks he deserves this, thank you. especially after the last month of manageable but, in his humble opinion, incredibly stupid nonsense. he could really go on about his other self if given the chance. funnily enough he's far more sympathetic to very sad other pal.

it's good to work though, just holing in with research and largely ignoring the trench at large for that research. the whole eye swap thing is both novel and a little alarming at first, given you know, how having someone's eyes can be when it comes to certain necromancy nonsense. surely nothing weirder will happen.

yup, like stopping from a ping on his omni to see that.]

I would love to hear what else you think doesn't count as urgent.

[he's already moving, of course, forgoing his cane because leaning against rio tended to be faster these days and rio isn't having any delays, thanks.]

I'm on my way. Are you in any immediate danger?

[There's definitely something a little wild about the compatibility chocolates swapping their eyes— make no mistake, Palamedes finds it pretty delightful, but it's a delight that comes with all kinds of other, less delightful associations. Maybe he'll even get to talk about those soon, when Viktor gets here.]

Mealtimes. The end of the work day. Haircuts. Waking up Rio when she sleeps on my legs.

[You know, things he doesn't find urgent. He's not very bothered about the be-statue-ing, all things considered; much stranger things have happened to his body in this place than just being unable to move freely. And being able to still message Viktor helps take his mind off the reason he's here, stuck firm on the docks, not quite enjoying the breeze, so.

He's been worse. Their bond is just as always, and so there's an edge to him that bleeds over, the sort of sense that he is fine— but not entirely, but also that he can wait until Viktor arrives. It's a clumsy balancing act, this fine-ish feeling.]

I'd hate to find out what happens if something tips me over, but besides that, no. Not that I'm aware of.

[despite the situation here is viktor, lips quirking, fond amusement overlapping with concern through the bond.]

And now be-statuing. I feel one of these is not quite like the others.

[time to make it to the nearest lamp, then the docks which he usually likes coming to. admittedly it's probably better this happened here, where they're somewhat known given how often viktor pulls pal for walks or to get questionable fried seafood (sometimes on a stick!) at least people here might not push him over for fun or profit.

so he leans against rio and makes his way, one of the dock workers pointing in a direction with something like 'that walking skeleton of yours is over there,' which probably has some funny necromancer jokes somewhere in there. viktor nods his thanks and answers the rest of it when he's within sight.]

We'll try to make sure- Rio, careful! [because rio is abandoning him to dart over and sniff at pal, making viktor sigh and limp the rest of the way.] Thank you, Rio- yes, we'll see if we can't keep you from falling over.

[hey? this is weird. viktor touches pal's jaw with his fleshy human hand, a faint frown and ripple of concern.] Can you feel that?

You're sassing me? In this condition? I love you, too.

[Ha ha, gay. Now, he's a living statue right now, and very cold? Still, he manages to keep his spirits up until he hears the lumbering footsteps of best girl Rio and feels some genuine relief. Luckily he's not in a particularly wacky or perilous pose - he's just standing there, unblinking and unable to actually look at either of them as they approach.

And he still has to communicate via omni, so:]

Hmm, no. But I can hear and see you, which is better than nothing.

[Still not great! But something. And this other thing:]

Tell Rio I said hello and that she's a very good girl.

[someone has to keep up the gay status quo, and viktor's lips quirk despite himself. rio noses around pal, distressed, looking to viktor with a trill that says 'fix this? now.']

Palamedes says hello and that you are very good- I know, we'll figure this out. [he assures the omen, who lets out a little huff and settles to sit at pal's said forlornly. viktor shakes his head and goes back to examining his statue husband.]

If we can't find a more immediate way to cure this I'll call someone to help bring you home. [friends help friends move their statue husbands.] Did anything odd happen before this process began? Anything at all out of the ordinary?

Out of the ordinary... no, I don't think so.

[This is technically true, he thinks about Cam all the time, so give him a moment for that to click. He'd love to like, look around? Or give Rio a pat? But he's just Stuck, which is agonizing.]

I was looking at the water— obviously, I'm pointed at it— and thinking about the relentless march of time, more or less. And Camilla. Which do you suppose did this? If this is Remina's latest time-related punishment to step up from loops, I'm going to be incensed.

[He'd sigh if he could. He can't even blink. It's rough. But okay, first, one more Joke...]

Tell me: am I a good-looking statue? Well-sculpted?

[viktor frowns when the vague hope that skin contact might fix this so far proves not to be the case. he holds a hand to pal's jaw regardless, stubbornly, a glance around to see if there was any blood messages or other dramatic things. nothing. at least no taunting this time.]

Given Doorway's obsession with connection I would say Camilla. [the joyful timing of it being a year also doesn't help.] Though I can't say I understand the purpose of this if that is the case. Something about being stuck? Bah.

[he's going to put doorway on his list under remina at this rate. still, the joke gets his gaze back and a quirk of his lips.]

I'm impressed it took you this long to make light of that. For that impressive feat of restraint I will tell you yes, you're artful. Statuesque. I'm sure you can find better puns.

I could, but I'll think on them for later. Wouldn't want to bore you with the duds.

[Viktor loves his awful jokes, after all. At least he's a sexy statue, that's very motivating despite his poor circumstances.

Now, onto how Doorway thinks he deserves this for some reason, huh... great.]

Stuck. Hm. I'd like to think I'm not— am I? Have I been trapped in amber this whole time, do you think? You'd know.

[He isn't sure how to feel about it either way, all things considered. If he remains unchanged then that must be some personal failure, but if he's too changed, is that an insult to Camilla's presence in his life as friend and cavalier...

So, now being a statue is making him anxious. Cool.]

How generous. [there's a pause before he leans forward to kiss a statue, that happens to be his husband, pulling back with a soft, disappointed sigh.] I knew it would be too much to hope for a fairy tale resolution.

[still, trench loved that bullshit so part of him had vaguely hoped a kiss would break the curse or whatever nonsense. ah well.

he considers for a long moment before settling on,] Stuck isn't the word I would use. You move forward and accept your life here better than most, I would say. You're realistic about matters.

Being 'stuck' on the thought of Camilla seems an unkind assessment to me. It's unreasonable to assume you wouldn't be to some extent, given your relationship with her.

[Viktor is going to have to bang the statue.... no. Palamedes, too, wishes that miraculously he'd spring back to full movement thanks to a kiss, but alas: he is still like this. He's trying as best he can to force his limbs to move, which of course looks like nothing, because he's a statue.

It's a process.]

It's how punitive this feels that really does it for me.

[That's... dry, as dry as a text can be from a man who cannot move his face. It's dry as hell.]

Just like Remina and her miserable fruit loops, you know? To be punished for wanting you to be well, or to see Cam... I'd shrug here. Imagine it.

[god. you know! now he's annoyed!!]

I don't want to hear a damn thing ever again from any of these big angry children about the importance of "bonds" if they're going to turn me to stone over them.

[this is some pygmalion shit alright. viktor is already going over who he can ask to help move pal home in his head. jason is a good bet, he was strong and not a stickbug. the real criteria here, being able to bench press pal if he was stone.

also fruit loops is a great joke viktor does not have the context to appreciate, rip.]

What irritates me more is we follow all the tenants Doorway is supposed to encompass. Are we not social and connected? [are they not incredibly gay constantly?]

Well, I can't say I didn't have a feeling something like this would happen. [about cam, specifically. she was too important to pal for the trench to leave alone for long.] So, shall we try to untangle it now or shall I call Jason to help us move you home?

God, no, don't call him yet. I want him to think I'm competent.

[Ha ha, as if this is his own fault and not the Trench's, but still. He can embarrass himself in front of Jason another day, ideally... His miracle texting goes silent after that, while he focuses extremely intently on being Social and Connected and Not Miserably Alone, because all of those things are true! He shouldn't be penalized this severely for one woman (although later he will admit that of course the depths of Camilla's absence warrant this much upset, never mind that now).

He is silent. Literally, a statue.

And then one of his arms seems quite literally to crack at the shoulder, swinging at his side with wild abandon like a mannequin who has had enough.]

Is it moving? I can't tell. If it doesn't stop, grab it for me.

[It will stop eventually, through inertia, so that's fun. But that's all it seems he can force through pure aggressive thought, so alright, it's time to unpack.]

Well, as you know: it's been a year. Since Camilla.

I very much doubt he'll see this as a failing of yours. [very dry, but sure, no moving service just yet.

the silence is a bit concerning, more so because doing so as a statue really gives the impression there's an inanimate object in front of him and not his husband. of course that concern is cut off when pal is suddenly moving, flailing almost.]

It is, in fact you might nearly elbow me again. [said with a happiness most wouldn't pair with that statement. but this is good, this promises there's a solution and not the trench making them wait some nonsense out like it sometimes does.

the movement is a little unsettling regardless, and his fingers go over his shoulder as if expecting to find fractures or cracks.]

Yes. I assume you've never been more than a few days without her before any of this.

a place for buds

mannequin challenge with viktor

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