Gregory Doesn't Want To Explain Himself Any Further. He Wants To Go Inside And Head Down To The Sinkhole

★ — Gregory doesn't want to explain himself any further. He wants to go inside and head down to the sinkhole with Freddy — as much as he feels he has to go back, he wants to get it over with as quickly as possible. She's just taking up more of his time. ( more time for someone to notice he's gone missing again in the first place ). It would much easier if they could just go inside and go their separate ways, doing whatever it is they both feel they need to do without interfering with each other. Pretending they never met at the back door.

But by the way the blonde has stopped working at the lock and is instead looking at him, it's clear she's looking for an explanation. Gregory whines ( dramatic ), letting his head fall backwards as he looks to the night sky.

"Look. I have been inside before, and I know it's dangerous. But if I tell you why, you have to promise not to freak out, okay? And you can't call the police. You can't. Because I swear I'm somewhere safe now, but ... I need to go inside. I need to see something."

Her brow furrows a bit as she listens to him. "What could you possibly want to see in there if you've already been in there like this?" It's a mix of disbelief and hoping the kid might give her a lead. Maybe he's lying, trying to talk her into letting him go on his own. But just maybe he's telling the truth, and whatever he wants to see is what she is also looking for. Not that she's about to let him go see it, if that's the case. Putting a kid anywhere near her father is a recipe for disaster, clearly.

She finally processes the last statement, however. "Friend?" Well, now she's curious. She's still not sure what to make of the kid. He seems to know something, if she can trust his word. It's still a kid, and a kid who seems eager to get in at that. Maybe he's just making something up to try and get her to let him go.

Either way, she's not going to continue to pick the lock until he gives her more information.

[ JACKET ]:          sender notices the receiver beginning to shake after an immensely distressing incident, and removes their own jacket to wrap it around the receiver’s shoulders.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒.

★ — Gregory's throat feels hoarse from screaming ( feels as though he's been screaming for hours, for help, for someone to hear him, for the blind panic that felt as if there was no other outlet than to scream in anguish ; though it can't have been more than a few minutes since he escaped. since the fire started ), and yet he starts once more the moment he feels a hand on his back, desperate and tired, sure that he has no more fight left in him — if this is William crawling his way back out of the fire, then Gregory is going to die here.

He's flailing in his potential assailants arms, weakly hitting at them as his screams meld more into exhausted sobs, pleas for them to let him go when a familiar voice ( one he's long associated with safety ) cuts through the haze of panic, and for the first time since the flames started Gregory truly sees.

He sees Michael.

Michael, who he had been so certain was dead in a basement because of him, because of his inability to take care of them both. He thought he was never going to see him again.

He's holding onto him tightly, not letting the teen fight out of his grasp, but still at arms length distance so that he's not smothering Gregory, not invading his space and increasing his panic. His expression is deathly serious, full of concern — still pale, but alive, his blue hues worriedly scanning over his smaller frame. Gregory is covered in blood.

( he's not sure how much is his own, and how much is the blood of his guardian's father ).

A long moment passes as they stare at each other in similar states of disbelief. Michael is mumbling words of reassurance that Gregory doesn't hear. His shouting sobs pitter off into quiet cries as the fight leaves his body, slowly and then all at once. Pure exhaustion takes its place. Gregory's knees begin to buckle, and he falls forward onto Michael, trusting that the man will catch him. He does. Without a second thought, Gregory wraps his arms around his neck. He's trembling.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I — I thought he'd leave me alone if he saw it. I didn't know he was looking for it. I'm sorry. I didn't know ——."

Half - babbled apologies that Gregory is hardly conscious of, just overcome by the need to make sure Michael knows he's sorry. Michael returns the embrace just as tightly, pulling Gregory in tighter as he tucks himself into the man's collarbone. He feels safe. He wants to stay here, forever.

Everything begins to blur together as the adrenaline begins to wane. Michael shifts, and Gregory allows himself to be maneuvered around easily ( not noticing that even as he's moved, michael never once lets him fully slip from his hold ), still muttering apologies under his breath that are softly forgiven and excused. Something heavy settles on his shoulders, the weight of it solid and warm ( not that it's the cold causing the teen to shake like a leaf ).

It feels safe. Michael is safe.

An arm wraps around his shoulders, pulling him in close to Michael's side and Gregory goes without resistance — burying himself into his guardian's side, leaning his weight into him ( something in the back of his mind reminds him that michael isn't fully healed yet, he shouldn't be relying so heavily on him, but it's not enough for him to take back control of his body from moving on autopilot ) as the man begins to steer him away. Gregory stumbles as he moves.

The crackling of flames continues behind them, though neither looks back.

Argumentative Sentences, Vol. 1

(Sentences from various sources for sparking up an argument between muses. Adjust phrasing where needed)

“I wish that you knew when to shut up.”

“What the bloody hell was all that about?”

“Who the hell do you think you are, interrogating me like this?”

“Your denial screams of guilt.”

“I’m not covering for you. If this gets out, you’re on your own.”

“Do you think you could survive for just a few minutes without showing off?”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I haven’t done any of the things you are accusing me of!”

“I’m not asking how you did it - I’m asking how could you?”

“I don’t mind you going, I mind you leaving me behind!”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“Have you got no shame?”

“I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t have a choice!”

“You want me to live by your rules but you can’t even live by them yourself!”

“Why can’t you just be normal for once?”

“Normal? You are not normal! This is not normal!”

“Are you trying to be impertinent?”

“Why are you always like this?”

“Nobody asked you to sacrifice yourself.”

“Oh, you meant spectacularly ignorant in a nice way?”

“Why do you want to piss on life before you’ve even lived it?”

“You ruin the life of everyone you’re close to!”

“You really are a pain in the arse, aren’t you?”

“Are you trying to annoy me?”

“You’ve wanted rid of me since this whole thing started!”

“Me? There’s nothing wrong with me!”

“Don’t make me order you.”

“Stop being such a drama queen!”

“You are starting to drive me nuts, you know that?”

“What the hell are you doing!?”

zombie and 12 year old bonding

inbox call !! you know the drill — like this and I'll go through your meme tag and toss gregory in your inbox!

tlou au my beloved,