#g.edgar

[containatrocity]

The move had been relatively quick and painless, for both Edgar and Gabe, all things considered. They'd shared the space for a while, and despite the comfort both of them certainly took in the familiarity, G was the first to admit when Edgar broached the subject of moving to live with Nathan- that he'd been trying to think of a way to bring up his plan to go live with Josie- a house certainly offered more options for his art spaces and music than taking over the kitchen periodically to prep taxidermy pieces, and after nearly a year together, most of his things had ended up there anyway- jokingly pointing out that the stand for his bass guitar had been sitting in Josie's room for the last two months- the first thing he'd moved to live with Edgar when he'd settled into the apartment.

There was also the fact that sharing the same space had led to a handful of times where Edgar had come home just in time to find Gabe in a compromising position typically related to needing to hydrate in a state of general undress, and unwilling to endure that forever- well, it was time. It's with a couple boxes, however, and a handful of posters for the recent play, that G is stood outside Edgar and Nathan's, knocking on the door and holding up the posters when it swings open. "Hey, Ed! Was finishing up packing my stuff at the old place, found a couple boxes of your stuff, and the flyers for the play and ballet, there were only one of each, and I know they're not my copies because I hung those up at Jo's already- I'm off at the station and Food Market today so I figured I'd swing by with it. Last thing left of either of us there is like, that big stain on the carpet from when Silas and I told you we 'could definitely paint a prop without getting house paint in the carpet' and were really, really wrong. Feels weird. And I mean if you want to keep that-" he produces his box cutter from his pocket. "There are ways. Ways that void the deposit."

@edgarwayne

[gloves2write]

Mirror Tell Me

Looking in the mirror

Trying to figure out

Where is the beauty

When you’re not around?

Sometimes I think it leaves

When you’re not there to point it out.

-G.Edgar

[containatrocity]

"Well, I mean, maybe not for other people. But I've lived with you for a minute, and like, I'm a lot better at people watching than most people." G tries to soften the declaration, running black painted fingers through similarly raven hair. "I don't mean to call you out, man, but I mean it. You do a lot a' nice things for other people, Me, that uh, Kirby fella who scares me, the kids at the middle school. You deserve to have a nice thing, if you think this is that then, you deserve that. Or whatever. I'm bad at this whole. Advice thing, I spent the first 16 years of my life in a vaguely uncomfortable cult situation, so the important years are a little furry."

He waves his hand, as Edgar apologizes. "Not your fault, it's my stupid head as always." He shrugs. "After long enough you start to get used to it. Still not fun to think about but... normal enough to ignore." He shrugs. "I'm a'right. I'm having fun, in any case, no matter how I used to feel about halloween, I'm enjoyin' being out with my friends and seeing everybody have fun. I mean I didn't have friends for like, 25 years, you know? I figure I gotta enjoy what I've got now. And I gotta find Lucy later, I saw she was back in town and I wasn't allowed t' go out looking for her when she went missing 'cause the rangers were worried I just wouldn't get back to 'safety' after nightfall."

His cheeks quickly flushed at G's comment. Edgar did always appreciate the other's honesty and bluntness. "It's that obvious?" At this point there was no need to keep denying. It's like G said, he was a flashing Neon Sign apparently. He quickly softened, though, as he's told he deserves to he happy. Quite a few people in his life have been saying that lately, and perhaps it was time he started to believe them. "Thank you, G. Really."

He nodded as G explained the reasoning for the 'ice.' "You can certainly tell what you were going for. I'm not a horror person and I still instantly recognized the costume. It really turned out incredibly."

Edgar's expression dropped as he reached to gently take G's hand. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. I had figured since you enjoy writing horror that you really liked the holiday. I shouldn't have assumed like that. I'm sorry."

He was able to offer a small, sad smile, although it always broke his heart when G expressed the struggles he went through. "I'm proud of you for making the best of the festival and having some fun."

[containatrocity]

"Hey, Edgar- I don't know if I'm gonna crash with Cyan tonight-" He's talking before he really stops walking, coming to a stop beside his roommate with a clear of his throat. "But if I do I'll make sure you know where I'm at, so you know to lock my door if I come home." He seems in high enough spirits, his costume depicting him perhaps a little closer to the body he sees in the mirror on bad days- it's almost comfortable, to finally match somewhat to the twisted picture in his head. It helps, of course that the energy in town is infectious and fun, and that he has, for the first time in forever- managed to make more than just... one friend. He follows Edgar's eyeline for a moment, elbowing him slightly. "Hey. Earth to Edgar. you still in there dude?" He smiles a little. "You still haven't said anything to the firefighter guy? You know, Cyan could probably hang around and bully you for a few weeks until you cave to peer pressure and like... do something about McSteamy." He fishes in his pockets for a cigarette, sparking up and taking an absent drag.

"I dig the costume though dude- you and Yvette went in on a friend costume right? I saw her earlier."

@edgarwayne

[containatrocity]

"They will." It's declared flatly, as Edgar insists that the ghosts may not even notice him sat beside Gabe in the slowly spreading amber glow of the evening. "I've seen it happen." He's not trying to scare the other man, or hell, even be particularly mean- It's simple fact- he's seen people torn to ribbons, time and again, in the 12 years Huntsville's been cut from the rest of the world. It's a lot of trauma to bear mentally sane- much less aching the way G was without the constantly looming threat of being killed by something slipping from the woods, whispering with his mother's voice.

"You should leave without me." Comes the clarification, a frown, as Edgar's hands shake violently. It's not that cold- G knows he's scared. There's a pang of guilt, suddenly- sure, G might be okay, but he doesn't want to scare anybody- especially not Edgar. "... You shouldn't be afraid for me either." He mumbles- but it seems to work, his guitar sat aside in its case as he drags his knees to his chest absently. "I meant to call somebody after I left work. You. Josie. Cyan. But then I came out here instead."

Ignoring the growing pit in his stomach, Edgar shook his head, crossing his arms as he leaned against the tree. "I'm not leaving without you and that's final. If you're that worried about my safety then come home with me G. Otherwise, I'm staying. Who knows, maybe those things won't even know I'm here." Honestly, he was bloody terrified, but he was also dead serious about not leaving without his roommate. His friend. Edgar clutched his jacket to hide the way his hands were shaking.

[containatrocity]

"No." G declares flatly. Oh, he knows this gambit- everyone tries it. Deep down, he knows it's because they love him. On the surface it upsets him. "You're not like me, they won't leave you alone, you have to go home." He shifts away, starting to play his bass again, it's no song that's easily placeable, just something slow and riding, probably built to accompany, rather than be played alone. "And you're going to get cold." He doesn't turn to look at Edgar, the mere risk of any reflection is enough to make Gabe... reluctant to look at anything that isn't the forest stretched wide ahead of him. "You'll go home when it gets too dark." he declares, leaning his back into dark, gnarled wood. "I know you will. You have to get back for Nathan. And your other friends. And you know you won't be safe out here."

Edgar had seen G in these kinds of episodes before, but never this bad. He was worried something might have happened to exacerbate things. "Well, I can't go home without my roommate." He found a patch underneath the tree that wasn't completely covered in snow and sat down, crossing his arms. "So I guess I'll have to stay here with you." It was a gamble but....he wasn't sure talking G down was even an option at the moment, not with this level of severity.

[containatrocity]

"Oh it's going um, good. She's excited. Like uh- Really excited. I think maybe the excitement will wear off after a few days and she realizes I'm kinda like, yanno. there permanently." It's stated as he tucks his boxcutter back into his jeans, humming as Edgar takes the offered flyers. "We've not gotten much uh, unpacking done." His cheeks flush slightly red for a moment, and then he continues. "But I'm excited to actually have like, an office to work in, you know? For my writing and my art. I always felt a little bad occupying our kitchen table for taxidermy projects. Oh! Wait! that reminds me!"

He practically drops the water bottle he's holding, pulling his satchel over his shoulder to open the flap. "I know it's kinda in poor taste since you've got the rats to give you my usual rodent pieces so I worked a little harder on these in secret. And it's kinda hard to find animals that aren't rodent shaped- or Peabody shaped. But he lives at the Radio Station now." The Hedgehog Gabriel had accidentally befriended was, in fact, in a cage in the front entry of the station, these days- solid company for whoever was running the boards that day. He stops rambling long enough to hand over a small wooden box- a pair of male cardinals carefully preserved on a branch. "I thought maybe putting clothes on a bird was silly- but Lenore brought these two in pretty close together and they were in pretty good condition so um..." And now he's nervous, again. "Yeah."

Edgar snorted as he took the fliers from G. "Not necessary. I think I'll retain that memory for as long as I live. I don't need the physical proof to be able to say 'I told you so,'" he teased. His expression turned more serious as he looked the other over. "How's living with Josie? Is everything going alright so far?"

[containatrocity]

He doesn't look up from his instrument, breath showing on the air in front of him. He's bundled up to cover every inch of himself- it's barely there for the cold. "Can't." he responds, adjusting in place a little more. "Might hurt someone- I'll be okay." It's hard, when he gets like this to shake himself loose- he'd given it a concerted effort, at work, smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk while the feeling of crawling under his skin built to a fever-pitch, he'd even considered calling someone, anyone to try to talk him down- He'd walked home for his guitar, to Josie's for his amp, and out to the woods, instead. It had been simple misfortune he didn't run into anyone who regularly minded him in the process.

"I'm just gonna stay here, tonight." He insists, hand closing around the neck of his bass to stop the quiet thrum. "I can go home when everything's over." There's an emptiness to his pattern of speech when he gets like this, as if it's hard to think through the weight of his delusions. "I don't want to look at myself anymore."

G's work had called Edgar and he'd been searching for the younger man ever since. He had a few ideas of where he could be, but nothing concrete. So it was a relief to hear the music, an almost siren call to find his friend and bring him back home. "Pretty sure that's my line," he said with his own equally soft voice. "Let's go home G. Please. We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

[containatrocity]

"Listen, man, if I was obvious about my thing for Josie, you're kinda. Neon sign about that Nathan guy." It's not mocking, just an observation, albeit a little more blunt, perhaps, than Edgar might have liked. "I'm not judgin', I'm just saying. You deserve to be happy, Teach." He leaves it at that, as the older man points out his costume. "Ah, I mean, me and Josie just both really like Stephen King, so when I said I wasn't super sure what I wanted to go as, we brainstormed while we were hanging out- Jack and Wendy was easy with what we have, comfy for Josie to wear and I realized maybe a little too late that I just looked like I was wearing a lumberjack costume so I uh. Threw in the whole... frostbitten thing." It does, at the very least, help communicate that he's supposed to be Jack Torrance- the 'ice' on his jacket and black-painted fingers eaten away by the cold a solid call back to his ultimate fate.

"Ah, I don't... really actually do Halloween normally? Every day is kinda living a horror movie for me, after all, but... I've been pretty okay- no...Bad mirror days, recently, and the 'skewed worldview' seems pretty satisfied to stick to it's usual, so, I figured I could go out on a limb a little and have some fun. I uh. well. I'm already dead, so I may as well enjoy it right?"

The older man blushed heavily as he finally looked over to G. "Really? You too?" Being tired of saying 'it's not like that,' Edgar just let the comment slide. "You...mentioned not being home tonight? That's totally fine, just keep me posted."

He nodded with a smile. "Thanks! Yours looks amazing too! I'm guessing you're really getting into the spirit of things? This is definitely your time to shine."