Within Reach
Chapter 3: One Night Off
The building was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet for comfort. Abe kept looking back at the hallway to make sure nobody was coming as Vesper called the lift back up. They stepped inside and he pressed the button for the seventeenth floor.
They didn't speak during the ride, which felt like it was going on for ages. Abe was feeling claustrophobic after only the first couple of floors, anxiously rubbing at his bag straps and shifting weight from foot to foot. Vesper noticed how wound up he was and shot him another amused smile, but it went unnoticed with him too busy staring at the floor number steadily ticking up. Slowly that smile waned as the realization of why the other was so nervous set in. Vesper sobered up before the doors slid back open.
Thankfully, there was nobody in this hallway either. All of the apartments across the hall were lived in- one of them even had the door wide open and the sound of a television was coming from it- so the risk of running into a neighbor was a possibility, but everyone seemed scared into their homes. Vesper's door was open, probably from the Sligs busting in and searching, and he muttered under his breath before guiding Abe inside, the Mudokon stumbling on the way in.
Abe stood in darkness for a few moments as the door was shut and locked and dread crept up in his throat. Only to be dashed away by a dull click as light filled the apartment. Abe looked around with curiosity at his new surroundings. He hadn't ever seen a place like this before.
The "apartment" was bigger than the office- about exactly the size if there were two offices plopped down beside each other and the wall between them was knocked down. That was where the similarities ended. The walls were padded with some sort of soft foam that looked to be threatening to peel in the corners. The windows were covered in heavy, dark curtains.
All of the furniture was pretty cramped together, but it was surprisingly nice. One of the first things he noticed was a couch that looked like it could've come directly out of Molluck's office, down to the carved wood of the legs and the overstuffed plush padding, which seemed so out of place in a building where just out in the hallway there was peeling wallpaper and dust in the corners of the floor.
In the back right corner there was a little kitchen. In the back-left corner, there was a nicely dressed bed and near it was a door to what he assumed was another bathroom. There was a television- he didn't know you could just have one of those, maybe people in the city had them installed to get advertisements delivered directly to their homes. There was some other furniture too, all of which looked expensive.
The lighting in the apartment was different too. There was a frosted glass dome covering the ceiling light and it seemed to soften its brightness. It wasn't very noticeable to him except that it looked a little dimmer, but it must've been significant to Vesper as when he passed by, he had his eyes opened more naturally.
"Normally it looks better than this, but normally I don't have a dozen angry Sligs breaking in and swarming the place…" Vesper muttered with an annoyed grumble. He took the trench coat back and hung it up on a hook beside the door then passed by. "I have to make a quick call, so you just make yourself at home. This'll only take two, twenty minutes tops."
Alarm bells started going off in Abe's head at hearing this. "Who are you calling?" he asked.
"Nobody you need to worry about. I'm just making a quick call to my colony to bring them up to speed." The look on Abe's face when he heard this was the same he had when he first ran into the office; dead silent, wide-eyed panic. It was almost enough to get Vesper to reconsider. "Don't get your feathers ruffled. I'm not going to tell them about you. Word gets out that I'm hiding a fugitive and I'm looking at a life sentence."
Or a death sentence, Abe thought without saying. He relaxed only slightly, still not comfortable with this scenario.
"They just need to know about what's going on out here before stocks start dropping and they start throwing more moolah at it. They need to know that there's more than just numbers on the line," Vesper explained. He approached a desk in the front left corner and dropped into the chair before gesturing to the couch. "Make yourself comfortable."
Just sitting down felt like a fast way to make himself vulnerable, but Abe decided to continue trusting Vesper and sat crossed legged on the couch. It was even more soft than he was expecting it to be and he ran his hand over it to feel it. It almost tickled his skin, whatever it was.
He was dragged out of this brief distraction by the soft tapping of Vesper dialing the phone. It was one of those desk phones with the tiny buttons, which Abe had seen before and always thought they looked difficult to use. Though Vesper seemed to have no problem clicking the buttons with his claws. He then waited on the line for a moment before speaking to an unknown person.
"Horromog, Caul, Ryce Investments, Coakley Ryce. Thank you."
Abe was beginning to feel significantly more nervous. Normally he could work out these feelings on the run but sitting still made them all the more obvious. He felt as closed in as when he was in the elevator, he felt as fuzzy as the couch, this was a terrible idea. He was setting himself up to be captured and just so he could ignore what he was actually supposed to be doing. Somewhere out there, Mudokons were suffering-.
Tap, tap, tap.
Abe was yanked out of his thoughts by the dull tapping from his amulet and looked down obediently. There was no glow, so he lifted it into his palm to get a better look. His guide stared back at him with her almost comforting smile. She always looked so serene, even in the direst of circumstances. She must've been able to hear his pounding heartbeat and was offering her quiet condolence.
It was comforting in its own way. She didn't say anything, didn't even show a flicker of light, but looked up with him with a look that told him he would be safe.
Abe smiled a little as he felt the tension slowly start to leave him. He softly tapped against the amulet in return, as though to communicate that he was alright. She tapped back in answer.
All the while, Vesper was sitting there listening to the garbled dialing as the call was patched through. He was liable to be on for that full twenty minutes just waiting to get routed to the colony, but it would be worth it. They all were going to know the truth about what was going on in Mudos. They needed to know what life outside the colony was truly like, especially Coakley.
While his impression of his kind was that they were negligent and dismissive, they had no idea what atrocities were being committed here. They would lose their minds when they found out that the so-called "workers" were drugged-up slaves forced to toil their lives away in dangerous plants or else be killed on the spot. They would be up in arms about this.
…Wouldn't they? That thought alone took the wind out of his sails instantly. Would they care about the Mudokons?
He had just told Abe earlier today that the others didn't care about anything except their luxurious lifestyle, which Vesper knew from experience. They didn't think highly of Mudos, or Glukkons, or cared what happened with either as long as that flow of moolah wasn't disrupted. It would be easy for them to see Abe not as a savior or a sympathetic figure, but something standing in the way of their cushy lifestyle.
Then all it would take is a phone call and the Sligs would be back in droves. Maybe they would spare him if enough moolah was offered up, but it would doom Abe, which would also doom his revolution. Who knew how many Mudokons were relying on him even now- Vesper could singlehandedly destroy everything they struggled for. He would be helping the cartel cover it all up.
Right as Vesper was starting to really get battered by these thoughts, staring at the papers on the desk as he realized he was entirely alone in this and couldn't tell anyone, he heard a soft tap, tap, tap and looked over towards the couch. Apparently, it was Abe's amulet as he picked it up and studied it. Only now did Vesper notice how frazzled he looked, but it didn't stop Abe from getting a small smile.
He couldn't imagine what monster would try to stitch it up that soft smile.
It was just enough to change his mind and hang up the call before it could go through.
Vesper rose from his chair and circled around the back of the couch to peer over Abe's shoulder. Abe noticed him coming, but instead of asking what he was doing he turned the amulet so that Vesper could see. There was that little bug thing again, staring out at him from behind the glass, or whatever that shell was. It looked surprisingly content with seeing him, apparently oblivious to how many gourmet insects he ate regularly.
Speaking of which- "You hungry?"
"Always," Abe answered without thinking. He then realized what he said and tried to correct it. "Wait, no. I just meant… No, I meant that," he said with a defeated tone. "Yes."
Vesper decided not to read too much into it and beckoned the other back up before leading him into the kitchenette. This, like most of the things in the apartment, was completely foreign to Abe. Food preparation in a meat packing plant was done on a production line in mass quantities, smashed up, pressed into pockets, and filled into barrels to be shipped away.
It wasn't hard to figure out what everything was though. The tall box that Vesper opened up was a refrigeration unit, just much smaller than he was used to, and it was filled with stacks of labelled packages along with some other boxes and various bottles. Vesper started pulling out the packages and reading the labels on them; they were obviously packages of processed food.
"Just a head's up, but is there anything you can't eat?" Vesper asked. He continued to scrutinize the packages.
"I don't think so… None of this is from RuptureFarms, right?" Abe asked. He tried to look at the labelling and didn't recognize it as anything made by the factory.
"Not as far as I know," the other muttered. He then glanced over before getting a somewhat apologetic smile. "As sad as it is, this is as good as it gets unless you're willing to shell out a small fortune for fresh."
"It's fine! Anything's fine. It's probably way better than what I've been getting," Abe assured. He didn't want to sound as desperate as he was, but he saw a 'Khanzumer Klassix' label and now it was fair game.
Eventually Vesper settled on one, tearing off the top and popping a hole in the plastic before tossing it into a box with buttons on it. The box hummed to life with a warm glow, spinning the box inside of it.
"…I was thinking it over, and maybe you were right to be cautious about me calling the colony. It's not worth the risk. I'll just call and tell them what's up once you're gone," Vesper said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked over to see Abe staring intensely at the box spinning in the microwave and quirked a brow. "Yeesh, you really are hungry, aren't you?"
"Always," Abe answered distantly. Both brows raised at this and a long pause commenced until Abe snapped out of it and looked back at him. "But, yeah, maybe that's for the best. Thank you."
"Thank you. It saves me thirty minutes of my life I wouldn't get back," Vesper answered with a playful smirk. Abe's stomach waited until right now to twist up from hunger. Thankfully, the microwave dinged.
Both of their experiences were entirely different when that box came out of the other box. For Vesper, it was typical fair. Smelled passable, looked a little hard on the eyes, but probably tasted a little better. Noodles and sharp sauce, with limp vegetables and no meat, just in case RuptureFarms did have its fingers somewhere in the package.
But for Abe, someone who had lived with much less and of much worse quality, it looked and smelled delicious. If not for Vesper's earlier comment, he could've believed readily that this was what Glukkons ate on a daily basis. He barely restrained himself as he watched Vesper dump it into a bowl and stick a fork in it.
"Here you go. Don't burn yourself," he said, passing the bowl off. Abe didn't need to be told twice, shoveling into it, ignoring how the noodles burned his tongue. Meanwhile, Vesper popped a second box in. "You know, what's funny? This is the first time I've had dinner with someone since I left the colony. You're the first person I've had in here… Except the Sligs. I really hope they didn't break my lock."
Vesper folded his arms as he gave a tired exhale. "Ever since I moved here, I've pretty much been on my own. I got to admit, risk of death sentence aside, I enjoy the company. If I'm going to be completely honest, I thought you left when security came in- you're going to choke. You know that, right?"
Abe hesitated in his frantic shoveling to shake his head, fully listening to what the other was saying. Vesper gave an unenthused look.
"Well then you're going to make yourself sick, especially if you've been running on empty. Slow down, it's not going anywhere," he affirmed. Thankfully the Mudokon did manage to control himself and Vesper checked the timer, then looked back in time to see Abe had totally stopped and was looking at the bowl with a guilty look. "Oh no. What's that look?"
"Nothing, I just… I feel kind of bad eating when I know that the guys are waiting for me. They're probably wondering what's taking so long, and they're just as hungry as I am."
"You can't start beating yourself up about that too," Vesper said with slight exasperation. He could tell from that look alone that these words didn't do much. "Do they have names, these friends of yours?"
This was another detail that Abe had glossed over in his careful retelling of his story, though now he thought about it and guessed it was safe to give more details.
"Well… There's Alf. He's my best friend and we go way back. I can't even remember before we met, but we've sort of always been together. Then there's Toby. We only met him sort of recently, but I'd say he's pretty much my second best friend after Alf. They're the only one's I'd trust coming here with me, I couldn't do it without them."
Vesper was listening of course, but he couldn't help but notice how animated Abe got when talking about his friends. He just lit up and talked without fumbling with his words. Just like with the bug, it was cute.
"I can see why you're worked up about them then," Vesper said, his sharp grin returning in full. "Either of them as cute as you?"
And that was when endearment turned to mortification as he realized he very much didn'tmean to say that. It was like the thought just slipped out on his tongue while he was running his mouth, and Vesper froze on the spot and tried to read for a reaction. Abe didn't say anything at first, so he thought maybe it had gone over his head.
Until Abe spoke, "I'm not- I mean- I don't know about that," and his voice was in an entirely different pitch and his eyes darted away. The skin on his face turned a touch more purple and Vesper fought the urge to drag his claws over his own eyes as Abe pointed to the microwave. "Are you going to get that?"
The microwave had been beeping for a little while unnoticed. Vesper tried to act smooth, "Yeah, just letting it sit in there a second to… Settle," but it didn't work. He just needed a quick distraction. So, he grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and tossed it into his arms. Then took him by the shoulder to steer him, "You go ahead and go sit down right over…"
It wasn't until Vesper turned around that he remembered the table was covered with junk. He just smoothly turned in the other direction to point him to the couch. "There. I'll be there in a second."
Thankfully, Abe was apparently just as eager to let the conversation drop, and left Vesper alone to transfer his meal. Though sitting on the couch alone made those thoughts about Alf and Toby return. He hoped they were okay, that the increase in security hadn't drawn attention out to their docked airship, barely hidden further out on the edge around the city. He didn't know what he would do if he returned to find them gone.
Because they would never leave him willingly, and probably not alive.
"I didn't mean to stop you. You can keep going." Abe slightly jumped at Vesper's voice appearing from behind him as he circled the couch, sitting down on the other side. He must've meant eating.
"Oh, yeah, just- just taking your advice," Abe excused. Weird he was so hungry before, but now his appetite was threatening to wane.
Vesper didn't notice. After the accident earlier, he thought it was better if he didn't get too fixated on his guest. Instead, he picked up the remote and turned the television on out of reflex. Something he might've reconsidered if he had remembered it was going to kick on to the news.
"-And as the meat shortage only worsens, we're expecting more supermarkets to turn into bloodbaths. Here's a recommendation, folks: have your meals delivered in. Sure, it's gonna cost ya double, but think of all that moolah you'll be saving on hospitalization!"
He almost turned it off then when he noticed a red warning bar stretching across the bottom of the screen. He leaned in and squinted to read it, and a slow smirk stretched across his face before he elbowed Abe.
"Hey, you better be careful when you head back out there. There's a rabid Mudokon running loose on the streets of Nolybab. He's already bitten six people," Vesper warned. Abe looked confused before he realized what he meant and got this unamused look that seemed so out of character that it got a laugh out of Vesper.
Though the news was much less entertaining. His eyes returned to the screen and glazed over shortly after at the Slig's longwinded explanation of this meat crisis. He almost expected Abe to say something, but he didn't. At least he started eating again, though he hesitated every time the Slig got close to mentioning what happened at RuptureFarms, as though he was listening.
Weirdly enough, the newscaster Slig almost seemed reluctant to discuss a topic that had been headlining the newspapers only a few days ago. He wasn't sure what to think about that.
It was when the Slig started segueing into plummeting stocks when Vesper was fed up enough to start clicking through the channels.
"I think that's enough of that," he said with an unenthused bite. The last thing he wanted was to think of stock options right now. As he continued to click through, Abe finished up the food and set the package on the floor beneath him. He was starting to get antsy again and sent a glance back at the heavy curtains, unable to see what light was coming through.
"Do you think it's been long enough that things died down out there?" he asked. Vesper's thumb paused, leaving the television on some sort of informercial about Glukkon scalp balm.
Just like earlier in the office when he thought Abe left, he felt a pang of disappointment. Though this time it was significantly worse and now it was starting to cloud his judgment.
"Err… Maybe? I don't know, seems like it hasn't been that long. Maybe you should stick around a little longer," Vesper suggested. He couldn't help but feel a little bad at trying to sway Abe, but he assured himself that it was for the best. The longer he was here, the longer Vesper could help him. "It's going to get dark soon. Why don't you stay and rest up then leave under the cover of night?"
"Does it really matter when the Sligs have night vision?" Vesper almost thought he was being called out, though a quick look at Abe's expression showed that he was sincere.
Vesper smile returned in full. "Of course it does! Night falls and the bars fill up. After two or three shots, nobody's seeing straight," he said with a wink.
Abe smiled back and seemed pacified by this answer. Though as Vesper returned to cycling through the channels, Abe continued looking at him, a more pensive look taking over. So far, Vesper seemed to have a clear picture of the city, and it was clear from his remarks that he didn't have a favorable opinion of it. Especially when added to the fact that he wasn't getting any workers coming for help here.
"Can I ask you something?" Abe asked. Vesper was almost surprised that he asked and looked to him questionably. "Why do you stay in Nolybab? If it's that terrible, why don't you just leave?"
"It's not that terrible. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty bad, but it could be a lot worse. It's not like there's that many cities in Mudos and if this is considered the best then I'd hate to see the others," Vesper explained. Abe furrowed his brow, seemingly not satisfied with this answer. The other's ears folded back. "Alright, alright. It's because… I can't return to the colony."
"Why not? Won't they let you come back?" Abe asked worriedly. He looked genuinely concerned, which felt unwarranted. It made Vesper feel a little too on the spot.
"No, they'd let me back. I know for a fact some of them want me back… I just can't do it. I can't go back to that cushy, lousy lifestyle after seeing all of this. What a waste of a life," he lightly vented. He then looked to Abe and managed a weaker smile. "Even this is pretty dull. You've got to be bored out of your mind here."
The Mudokon looked a little startled. "Actually, this is pretty nice. Gives me a minute to rest my legs," he admitted.
"You deserve it. I can't imagine what you've been through trying to come down here," Vesper murmured sympathetically. Abe rubbed the back of his neck and gave a noncommittal shrug, to which the other gave a sort of dismissive hand wave. "Don't go worrying about me. One of these days I'll get fed up and leave, but I don't want to think about that until I have somewhere to go."
This time it seemed to satisfy Abe. Not entirely- he still didn't like that defeated resolve in Vesper's tone- but he didn't want to push any harder. He just couldn't entirely understand it. His desire to help others and do something beneficial with his life, yes, but his willingness to stay here when he had the means to leave, when he wasn't helping anyone by staying, was harder to swallow.
Abe shook his head and tried to ignore his feelings. Vesper didn't need him "saving" him, he had to get out of that mindset. It was a totally different situation.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed that the other was staring at him. Though not at his face, instead looking down at his chest. Despite himself, Abe immediately assumed he was looking at his amulet, while he was eating, after earlier expressing a vague reference to eating something similar, which Abe's mind now contorted into a desire to wanting to eat her.
All of this finally culminating in a questioning but largely non-confrontational, "Uh…"
"Can I ask you something that's probably going to offend you but is coming from a place of genuine curiosity?" Vesper asked out of nowhere. Abe blinked at the suddenness of it.
"Er… Yeah. Go ahead."
"Did that hurt?" Vesper asked, pointing towards his chest with his fork. He then pointed at his hands. "Those too." That's when he realized he was looking at his scars and not his guide.
"Oh! Umm, a little… Okay, a little more than a little, but not all that much after it happened. Doesn't hurt now," Abe explained. He reached down to graze his fingers over the rough skin. It still felt so new and strange to have the brandings, but they also already felt like an established part of him.
Vesper set his fork in his bowl and offered a hand. "Mind if I take a better look?"
He was gesturing towards the hand touching his chest and it took him a moment for him to confirm that he did indeed want to look at his hand. He slowly offered it over, not out of hesitation but more from confusion. The second Vesper took his hand and his claws brushed his palm Abe flinched. He expected pain even though he didn't think the other was going to hurt him. Vesper looked to his face to read his response.
"Sorry. Guess I'm still a little jumpy," Abe excused. It was a lot easier than trying to explain the irrational fear of the other's claws and risk offending him. The other gave a sympathetic smile.
"I don't blame you," Vesper said. He lowered his eyes again and pulled the hand in closer, though was much gentler with it now. He scanned over the markings with an interested hum. He pressed his thumb against the mark and traced over it, feeling the indention in the skin. He heard Abe make a noise and looked up to see him lightly chewing his stitches. He gave him an apologetic smile, "I've never seen a Mudokon this close before."
"I know that feeling… From you, I mean. Not Mudokons. Because I never saw something like you before," Abe tried to retort. It came out a lot messier than he intended, but Vesper chuckles and simply tapped his thumb on the edge of the mark.
"What's this symbol mean? Is it supposed to represent something?"
"It's the symbol for Paramites, I guess. That's the one I got from Paramonia and it kind of looks like one. Like I said, Mudokons used to worship them, so it kind of makes sense."
"Thanks for bringing that up, I wanted to ask you about that," Vesper chirped. He looked more eager as he set his bowl on the couch behind him and drew back his hand. He turned to fully face Abe and folded his hands in his lap, crossing his legs like the other had his and edging a toothy grin. "What's Paramonia like? I'm going to need more than just 'It's a forest'."
"Well, that's pretty much what it is," Abe said with a shrug. "There's more trees there than I've ever seen and the air smells so clean, no smoke, no smog. There's old structures leftover from the natives from a long time ago and in the center of it all is a temple, damp and cold, full of old webs and bones, and Paramites. That's the dangerous part, other than the Sligs who go there to hunt 'em. There's a lot of Paramites."
"Guess there would have to be to be a problem for someone like you," Vesper remarked, lids lowering, smile tilting.
"Thanks, but y'know, any more than one's a problem. Just two puts you on the menu," Abe said. The other furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Huh. They must be pretty fast then. Aren't they like…" He held his hands apart a foot or so. "This big?"
"What? No. They're like… This big." Abe leaned over to show beside the couch and even then he couldn't replicate the exact size, save that it was much bigger than that. "And they hunt in packs."
The look on Vesper's face was just enough to send a creeping smile across Abe's. Just that utter shock that Paramites weren't the size of Sloggies; Abe couldn't help but snicker.
"You think that's big? The Scrabs are bigger than either of us and they're a lot more hungry. You don't want to get stuck between a couple of them unless they see each other first, and then you better move out of the way or you're getting caught in the middle of two sets of chomping jaws, both looking to go straight through you," he said. This time reciting it with a more exaggerated tone, starting to have a lot more fun with it.
Especially since Vesper was still watching with wide-eyed interest. "That is definitely not the impression I got from those Tasty Treats commercials," he murmured.
"They'll cost ya an arm and a leg for a reason," Abe quipped.
"…Can you possess them too? The Scrabs and Paramites?" Vesper's smile returned with a familiar eagerness.
"Yup, but they're a lot harder to hold onto."
"So, there IS a difference in what you possess! Tell me more."
It felt weird talking so openly about this. Vesper was just so insanely curious about his abilities that he could see him practically light up whenever he mentioned them. He didn't get it, but he couldn't deny that something about it felt good.
It was such a weird juxtaposition. Abe didn't feel like he was some sort of hero even though the other revered him as such. He encouraged them to see their accomplishments as they were: their accomplishments. They had all done this together and had come far in the process. Yet here Vesper was wanting to know about specific things about him, not about what they had all done together. He wanted to know about locations he visited, scars he got, powers he had earned.
Abe didn't see the harm in it. It was a way of thanking Vesper for his hospitality and passing time a little quicker. The slight bit of joy he took in it was totally okay.
Though it didn't last. Something began to creep up on him and this time it wasn't guilt. It was something much more insidious, something that had been waiting for a moment of weakness: exhaustion.
He had thought eating would make him feel better once the feeling of overfullness wore off, but instead once it waned, he was rewarded with this overwhelming fatigue weighing down his body. He had seen the food being made, he knew it was safe to eat from how his body reacted, but he knew it was from eating and couldn't shake the growing weariness.
Abe had yawned a few times in the last few minutes, waiting until Vesper chimed up or took his turn to ask a question before doing so. Then he would try to perk himself back up by lapsing into an answer. The problem was that this wasn't working as well as he expected it to. He was sure that once he started moving, he would wake back up-.
"-Looking right through me."
Oh, right. Vesper had been talking. Abe had just ended up spacing out in the middle of listening and now totally lost track of the conversation.
"What was that last part?" he asked somewhat meekly. He was embarrassed, especially when Vesper sent him a befuddled look.
"I said- Forget what I said, this is exactly what I meant. You're dying on me," he answered. He was starting to look concerned. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, I'm fine. Sometimes I just get tired after I eat," Abe excused, rubbing over his eyes.
"Gee, you think?" Vesper gave him a worried smile. "Why don't you get some sleep? You don't mind taking the couch, right?"
Just the thought of leaving himself that vulnerable- and the mental image of waking up with a circle of guns around him- shot down this idea immediately. "No, I'm okay. I'll wake myself back up. I should probably get going soon."
Vesper didn't like the sound of that for numerous reasons, especially when Abe unfolded his legs and started stretching like he was getting up. Vesper beat him to it, standing up and heading over to the drawers between the bathroom and bed.
"Ignoring the fact that you're trying to walk out of here hours before originally planned, meaning that the city's still going to be awake and security's likely still around, you're barely staying awake. If you start running around in the dark like this, you're going over the edge," Vesper forewarned as he searched through the drawers for a spare blanket.
"…It'll get me to the bottom faster?" Abe joked with an innocent smile. Vesper's response was absolutely deadpan. A flat look took his face as he pulled out a spare blanket and firmly slid the drawer back in.
He turned fully back towards him, still holding the folded blanket, and then bluntly asked, "You know everything in this city drains downwards, right?"
Abe didn't really want to decipher that mental picture.
"You're the one who told me you've been on the move for days. Shutting off for a while isn't going to kill you." Vesper noticed how tense he got at the end of that, hands tightening on his bag straps. "…If this is about the Sligs- I know this is about the Sligs, I don't even know why I'm pretending it's not- I've got a deadbolt. That would hold off anything long enough for us to get you hidden."
"It's not just the Sligs…"
"I know it's not. I know you're also worrying about everyone other than you," Vesper said a little more firmly. "They're not going anywhere."
"I don't know that," Abe said quietly. He started to become defensive, edging slightly towards the front door. Vesper noticed, looking between him and it as a look of silent alarm crossed his face, and proceeded to backpedal on the spot.
"Alright, okay, I'm not going to force you. It's your decision, just an offer, didn't mean to come on that strong with it. You don't have to sleep, but I still think you should stay longer. Hell, if you look it might not even be dark yet. Not that it really gets dark with all the billboards and junk," Vesper chattered. Even being this tired, Abe noticed the sudden shift in demeanor and was now the one looking confused. The other smiled back. "Why leave so soon?"
In a moment he didn't think through, Abe asked the first thing that came to mind, "Why do you want me to stay so bad?"
A look of surprise hit Vesper's face, ears raised and eyes widening, and he was speechless for a long moment. He hadn't expected to be asked that and he didn't have a good answer on hand. Abe was supposed to leave ages ago when he first tried to walk out of the office, so he was well aware that eventually he was going to leave. This was just a detour on his adventures, a brief pitstop. He wasn't supposed to be holding him up.
"I just thought…" That was the only explanation Vesper gave. He trailed off after that, poised to say more but not figuring out what to say. From the way his eyes were darting in place, he was searching for an answer, but one wasn't coming to him. He couldn't find a good way to answer that question.
"It feels wrong."
So instead, Abe answered his. Vesper cut off and looked to the Mudokon only to see his tired eyes directed downward with that familiar pensiveness.
"To just… waste time when I know I have something I need to do. The last time I did, I almost got me and all my friends killed," he continued to confess. He rubbed his arms, almost hugging himself in an attempt at self-comfort. "There's so much I should be doing and when I sit still, when I'm not moving, my thoughts all catch up to me. How can I rest when my friends, my brothers are still out there trapped in alone? When any second now, the Sligs could come back and… And everyone's counting on me. I can't let that happen-."
"Stop."
In contrast to his rambling minutes ago, Vesper's voice was sudden and firm. Enough so that Abe's mouth clamped shut and his eyes raised again. Vesper had the same look and tone as he had earlier in the office when he was trying to coax answers out of him. He dropped the blanket on the couch and took a deep breath before continuing.
"You can't go on like this. You're already pushing yourself to the edge of your limits, you can't afford to deny yourself basic needs because someone else might not have them. I don't know where you got this idea that you could carry the world running on guilt and nothing else, but if you think you can keep up this pace, you've got another thing coming. The ONLY reason you've kept this up this long is because you HAVEN'T been doing it long. The amount of stress you're putting on yourself will kill you. I don't care what powers you have. You. Will. Burn. Out."
Abe had begun to nervously bite at his stitches. He didn't argue or even look all that startled, as though he already knew everything he just said. Vesper's features softened as he continued.
"You don't have to stay, you don't have to sleep, but something has to change here. I've only known you for a few hours and I know nobody can hold out like this, not even you," he finished. It was clear that he was trying his hardest to get through to him. It made it difficult to argue back, especially when Abe knew he was right.
He had been way more tired that this and still got up and ran for it, but that didn't mean he hadn't had plenty of close calls, and now he was at a point where he couldn't afford any close calls. Just thinking back to all those Sligs he had seen earlier was a cruel reminder that one stumble would be a swarming and a bullet through the eye. That mental image was enough to make him reconsider walking out that door.
Abe swallowed thickly as reason began to win out. "…Maybe you're right," he said softly.
"There's a first for everything," Vesper said with a cautious smile. He tried to hide how relieved he was to hear it and tried not to think of the implications.
He reached down and grabbed the blanket back off of the couch. He then looked back to Abe and without saying a word quirked a brow. That must've got the question across as Abe gave a defeated sigh and started to shirk off his bag. Vesper's eager smile returned as he smoothly unraveled the blanket in his hands, then proceeded to watch as the Mudokon sat down the pack and proceeded to collapse facedown across the couch. Vesper stared down at him for a pause.
"…You were actually going to fight me on this," he finally said, flatly.
"Mm-hm," Abe agreed. He pressed his face into the velvety cushions with a sigh. Maybe he could actually put his thoughts aside enough to somewhat enjoy this. He still reached out and pulled his bag closer just in case.
Vesper scoffed a little and tossed the blanket over his back. "You're something, Abe." He placed his hands on his hips and looked over his work. Then he slowly got an almost remorseful look. "And to answer your question, it's because I know once you walk out that door, I'll never see you again. I've got to make good use out of the time we have left."
Abe wasn't sure what he meant by that and didn't feel like asking for context. Afterwards Vesper walked off and then Abe reached into his bag and got out his map. He carefully removed his amulet and wrapped it its safety once more. His guide seemed contented as he did, no judgement or questioning on her face. That assured him a little bit and he took care to put her in the top of his pack before closing it.
This still felt like a bad idea, but he was starting to come around to it being the right call. If he didn't take care of himself then he wouldn't survive long enough to get to her. As wrong as it felt, this was what he needed to do.
He heard a weird noise and looked over to see Vesper dragging a dining room chair to the front door and wedging it under the doorknob, not satisfied with the deadbolt alone. Abe didn't say anything, but he didn't think it would do much good against the Sligs' battering ram. Before he could dwell on it any longer, Vesper flipped the light switch beside the door and the room went nearly pitch dark.
The sudden darkness was almost suffocating, with Abe's breath catching in his throat as his eyes struggled to adjust. He didn't give them a chance, instead choosing to close them tightly and try to ignore it. Darkness was safer anyways, even if it made him feel vulnerable. He forced himself to relax and focused on the sound of footsteps passing behind the couch. This was going to be fine.
He just needed a few hours of rest. It was only a few hours.
Mable: A quieter chapter compared to the last one, but sometimes that's necessary. Especially when you know it can't last. Just one night off, after all.