Oh, [ he repeats, much warmer this time — it's always a nice thing to hear when people have actually good families, the way it should be. back home, none of the four of them had had that luxury, and niko, the one with the best chance of patching things up, well. she was gone, now.
still, ] Was it similar to this one, or totally different?
[ does that matter? not really, but the framework does — when they bought it, why they chose whichever watch they ended up choosing... all of that matters. perhaps even more so, here, in this room. ]
... huh. Well, I'm sure it would look real cool, once done. [ he may not understand the process, but he can offer his unwavering support... ]
Similar enough. My father did not appreciate those overly busy watches. The ones with faces within faces.
[Those crazy waterproof space watches that can tell the time in 50 countries at once and whatever, not that kind. Just one simple face, that's enough. And it doesn't particularly matter, but Charles showing interest in his family is always appreciated.
He bends a few more wires, humming. Considering.]
It would. [Hmm.] I do not know if it is still there.
[ call him old-fashioned, but isn't a watch supposed to just... show the time? what's with the rest?
anyway — the remark reminds him again that they are, still, in that same very room where octavian died and then spent so long after, and charles frowns once more. ]
... Right. You know, maybe we should try to leave. I mean, we could, yeah?
[ sure, octavian could continue to fiddle with the music box... but they could also, hm, not be here. surely he's spent long enough here. so don't mind him as he's turning around to look for the door, ]
Oh. [Oh, yes that is a point, isn't it. Octavian pauses and looks up from his work, looking over the rest of the workspace and then turning back towards the door.
It didn't occur to him, is the thing. Of course it occurred to him to prevent Charles from having to be present for the very worst of it, and of course it occurred to him to tinker with this music box contraption, but to simply turn around and leave the room?
Bad habits, he supposes. After a moment he gets up from the bench.]
Some part of me will never leave. But yes. We can.
[The door is somehow swimmy and not entirely tangible, at least to him. He gestures.]
[ charles aims for an encouraging smile — he thinks he can guess why octavian would have fallen right back into simply being here, after so long of that being his very existence... which is also very much why charles thinks they should leave.
this room has taken enough of octavian's time, stolen far too many years from him, for it to deserve any more time of this dream.
and while the door seems strange, to say the least, one second entirely normal and there and then dreamlike and misty the next, he's not going to let that stop him.
he reaches for the handle, twists it, pulls it open.
and then turns to octavian, smiling, holding out one hand to him. ]
[The door never becomes more clear to him as he comes to stand by Charles, watches him reach for it. Dimly he recalls that he hadn't opened it himself the last time he left this room either, and perhaps that should make him feel some kind of stuck and pathetic.
Stuck, perhaps. It remains true that he will always be in this room, at least in the cosmic sense. But Charles is here to open it for him, and his nephew and friends had done it the first time, and that feels—better. Warmer.
He considers the room for another few seconds before reaching out to take Charles' hand.]
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expiationlogs2025-01-13 12:39 pm
no subject
still, ] Was it similar to this one, or totally different?
[ does that matter? not really, but the framework does — when they bought it, why they chose whichever watch they ended up choosing... all of that matters. perhaps even more so, here, in this room. ]
... huh. Well, I'm sure it would look real cool, once done. [ he may not understand the process, but he can offer his unwavering support... ]
no subject
[Those crazy waterproof space watches that can tell the time in 50 countries at once and whatever, not that kind. Just one simple face, that's enough. And it doesn't particularly matter, but Charles showing interest in his family is always appreciated.
He bends a few more wires, humming. Considering.]
It would. [Hmm.] I do not know if it is still there.
no subject
[ call him old-fashioned, but isn't a watch supposed to just... show the time? what's with the rest?
anyway — the remark reminds him again that they are, still, in that same very room where octavian died and then spent so long after, and charles frowns once more. ]
... Right. You know, maybe we should try to leave. I mean, we could, yeah?
[ sure, octavian could continue to fiddle with the music box... but they could also, hm, not be here. surely he's spent long enough here. so don't mind him as he's turning around to look for the door, ]
no subject
It didn't occur to him, is the thing. Of course it occurred to him to prevent Charles from having to be present for the very worst of it, and of course it occurred to him to tinker with this music box contraption, but to simply turn around and leave the room?
Bad habits, he supposes. After a moment he gets up from the bench.]
Some part of me will never leave. But yes. We can.
[The door is somehow swimmy and not entirely tangible, at least to him. He gestures.]
You will have to do it.
no subject
this room has taken enough of octavian's time, stolen far too many years from him, for it to deserve any more time of this dream.
and while the door seems strange, to say the least, one second entirely normal and there and then dreamlike and misty the next, he's not going to let that stop him.
he reaches for the handle, twists it, pulls it open.
and then turns to octavian, smiling, holding out one hand to him. ]
Come on. Let's get you out of here.
giving this one a 🎀
Stuck, perhaps. It remains true that he will always be in this room, at least in the cosmic sense. But Charles is here to open it for him, and his nephew and friends had done it the first time, and that feels—better. Warmer.
He considers the room for another few seconds before reaching out to take Charles' hand.]
Yes. We can go.