Loid's Apartment 1} Loid Alone
Loid lay on the ground, parka hood up and head rested against a large plant pot containing a well-taken-after flowering salvia. He stared up at the tangled canopy of flowering vines and leaves overhead through dilated pupils, and let out a wistful sigh.
"I dno't knwo, Astrid. The visiosn hvae been odd lately, yuo know? Thigns just feel like they'er fallign apart, and ti's all my fautl."
He silently listened to Astrid's response and nodded.
"Thta menas a lot, thnak yuo. But I still feel lkie somethign bad is goign to happen."
He rubbed his tired-looking eyes and sat up, turning around and sitting cross-legged to face the plant he was speaking to.
"You raelly thikn that? My gtu feelings usually arne't wrogn... But I knwo better than to doutb your sage advice, Astrid."
He smiled at her as she responded to him and let out a small chuckle, looking down at the ground. He winced in pain and put a palm to his temple. Astrid asked him if he was okay.
"Yeha, sorry- Jsut a headcahe. I thnik- Agh-"
He buried his face in his hands for a moment, head throbbing. Loid dug his nails into the sides of his head as a sudden pain shocked his brain. He reached a trembling hand into his pocket and took out an assorted handful of pills, shakily shoving a few of them into his mouth and swallowing, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He placed the rest of the pills back in his pocket and put his hands on his knees, letting his head fall back to point his face skyward. He meditated in silence as the drugs were digested.
Twenty quiet minutes passed, the occasional slow breeze rustling the leaves of the many plants in the room. Eventually, Loid took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, before opening them to look back at Astrid with a weak smile. Her leaves and flowers gently swayed to greet him.
"I'm bcak. Sorry abotu that."
He gave a shy smile and looked away, listening to her response.
"Thnaks for understnading, Atsrid. "
He chuckled at her witty joke and rubbed his eyes again.
"Yeha, you cna say that agian," he leaned forward a bit, "you dignified boon of phoenix acumen. I raelly appreciaet havign you around, you knwo."
He smiled and sat up, joining his hands on his lap.
"So, waht should I do nxet?"
He tilted his head at her answer, finding it to be an unexpected solution to his problem. But, it made sense. "I guess I hvae been pretty loenly for a while nwo..." He looked down at his hands for a moment, playing with his thumbs, and then smiled back up at Astrid, "I'll gvie that a tyr. Thank you, Astrid."
Loid gently wrapped his arms around the pot and hugged it, staying there for a few seconds before sitting back and standing up, quickly dusting himself off.
"I'll lte you know how it gose. See you ltaer."
He span on his heel and walked out of the room, giving Demeter--a dwarf pomegranate tree--a fistbump on the way out. He went to his room and turned on his computer.
He spent a few minutes trying to remember his Pesterchum password, before logging on and hesitantly joining a memo.
"I dno't knwo, Astrid. The visiosn hvae been odd lately, yuo know? Thigns just feel like they'er fallign apart, and ti's all my fautl."
He silently listened to Astrid's response and nodded.
"Thta menas a lot, thnak yuo. But I still feel lkie somethign bad is goign to happen."
He rubbed his tired-looking eyes and sat up, turning around and sitting cross-legged to face the plant he was speaking to.
"You raelly thikn that? My gtu feelings usually arne't wrogn... But I knwo better than to doutb your sage advice, Astrid."
He smiled at her as she responded to him and let out a small chuckle, looking down at the ground. He winced in pain and put a palm to his temple. Astrid asked him if he was okay.
"Yeha, sorry- Jsut a headcahe. I thnik- Agh-"
He buried his face in his hands for a moment, head throbbing. Loid dug his nails into the sides of his head as a sudden pain shocked his brain. He reached a trembling hand into his pocket and took out an assorted handful of pills, shakily shoving a few of them into his mouth and swallowing, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He placed the rest of the pills back in his pocket and put his hands on his knees, letting his head fall back to point his face skyward. He meditated in silence as the drugs were digested.
Twenty quiet minutes passed, the occasional slow breeze rustling the leaves of the many plants in the room. Eventually, Loid took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, before opening them to look back at Astrid with a weak smile. Her leaves and flowers gently swayed to greet him.
"I'm bcak. Sorry abotu that."
He gave a shy smile and looked away, listening to her response.
"Thnaks for understnading, Atsrid. "
He chuckled at her witty joke and rubbed his eyes again.
"Yeha, you cna say that agian," he leaned forward a bit, "you dignified boon of phoenix acumen. I raelly appreciaet havign you around, you knwo."
He smiled and sat up, joining his hands on his lap.
"So, waht should I do nxet?"
He tilted his head at her answer, finding it to be an unexpected solution to his problem. But, it made sense. "I guess I hvae been pretty loenly for a while nwo..." He looked down at his hands for a moment, playing with his thumbs, and then smiled back up at Astrid, "I'll gvie that a tyr. Thank you, Astrid."
Loid gently wrapped his arms around the pot and hugged it, staying there for a few seconds before sitting back and standing up, quickly dusting himself off.
"I'll lte you know how it gose. See you ltaer."
He span on his heel and walked out of the room, giving Demeter--a dwarf pomegranate tree--a fistbump on the way out. He went to his room and turned on his computer.
He spent a few minutes trying to remember his Pesterchum password, before logging on and hesitantly joining a memo.
Getting panicked by Trollian, Loid shook his head and turned off the computer. Nope, this wasn't going to work. Not while the walls were moving this much. The fact that he couldn't really read certainly didn't help, and he didn't need to meet new people anyway, and besides, he liked being alone, and-
Loid took a second to calm down and stop making excuses. This was going to be harder than he had thought. He couldn't just walk back over to Astrid and embarrass himself in front of her, though! He had a reputation to uphold. Oh, who was he kidding, she knew exactly what was happening already... Damn it, Loid, you've gotta get your butt in gear! He took a breath and bonked his face on the keyboard.
Loid took a second to calm down and stop making excuses. This was going to be harder than he had thought. He couldn't just walk back over to Astrid and embarrass himself in front of her, though! He had a reputation to uphold. Oh, who was he kidding, she knew exactly what was happening already... Damn it, Loid, you've gotta get your butt in gear! He took a breath and bonked his face on the keyboard.
To be Continued...
Comments