Chapter Text
The step that he falls into is beyond familiar. It’s known.
It’s trudging through rain as the unit moves forward to claim another useless plot of mud. It’s leaving the stage with a medal against his chest and a number carved into his skull. It’s forgoing sleep for days as the amount of patients that need his trembling hands only increases.
Going forward as an obligation. His sworn purpose. He is not a person, he is a nameless, unthinking thing pulled along by a taut rope.
He is not done, so he may not rest. It is not yet his time to finally die.
As unbelievable as it seems, the world still prefers him alive, if only slightly.
Get back to town. Get back to town. Just get back to town.
Mantras help. Protect the body, protect the town, and so on. Do no harm. Repetition is good.
For some reason, the thought of anything being good makes his grimace deepen.
Disregard it. Keep moving. Get back to town.
“...I’m sure I can find- oh, wait, hey! Doc!”
An interruption. He can hardly hear it through the ringing in his ears, but he stops moving.
Closer. Dangerous. “Doc? Doc, you good?”
Something falls out of Legundo’s mouth. It barely registers as blood.
“Woah! Okay, got it!” Shuffling. “Here, take this. I have some of your weird stew. Drink it!”
Something’s pushed into his hands. He follows orders like a good dog of the military. Some things never change, no matter how much he wishes he could escape himself.
He doesn’t taste the food as it slides down his throat. He blinks as the soup settles, and it’s like he can breathe after drowning.
Legundo shakes his head to clear it. It still rattles around, headache pulsing. God, did he sleep with his glass eye in? He finishes the mix of daisies and mushrooms and heaves a sigh. Nature’s regenerative properties run their course. He can think again.
Right, he had been… in a crypt. With Cleo. And he couldn’t remember how they arrived there because…
Because someone had taken control of his mind.
And now, he couldn’t remember how he started walking back to town… because it had happened again.
Somewhere between watching Cleo exit the crypt and his trek through the woods… he’d lost control of himself.
There had been… someone there with him in the crypt. But he just couldn’t focus on them. God, fuck, who could’ve-
Don’t. Don’t think about it right now. Not when there’s someone in front of him.
It’s a testament to how much progress has been made that when Legundo focuses on his companion, his brow only furrows a little to find Avid.
Avid is grinning nervously, as fidgety as ever. “Uh. Hey, you with me?”
“...Yes,” Legundo manages. He wishes it wasn’t difficult to speak. Avid is slowly sliding into his mental category of a patient, and he can’t afford to lose composure in front of him anymore as a result. “Are you alright?”
“Doc. If you knew what you looked like right now, you would not be asking me that.” Avid giggles.
Legundo has to train himself to no longer become annoyed whenever Avid laughs like that. He passes the bowl back to Avid, noting the blood on the rim. “What do I look like, then?”
“Well, your nose is bloody, so that’s pretty bad. You’ve been crying. And Abolish and Cleo were looking for you.” Avid cringes. “And uh. You’ve got a little something here.”
Avid gestures to his own chin, and Legundo takes the hint. Legundo wipes the drool off his face without a word. The saliva mixes with the blood on his face.
“So, um… I should probably get you back to town?” Avid’s sentences do that quite a lot. Trail up. Like he needs permission for everything. For all his bravado, he’s quite the follower.
The ugly thing in Legundo whispers that he’d make a good soldier for that trait.
“Yes, let’s head back,” Legundo agrees tightly, already beginning to walk again. It tugs at him, the thought of returning to town. Some logic argues that perhaps wondering where Abolish and Cleo are searching would be smarter, but Legundo needs to go back to town.
He needs…
His jaw clenches.
“Avid,” Legundo starts, and he hopes he doesn’t sound too unapproachable. Avid’s very flighty. “What did Cleo and Abolish say about my absence?”
“Uh, I only ran into Abolish, actually, but he said Cleo was looking too. He just said that you got lost. You gotta stop getting lost, Doc,” Avid chuckles. “People are worried about you, you know?”
“They shouldn’t be,” Legundo mumbles, and Avid doesn’t seem to catch it.
God, his head is killing him. He finds his cloth in his pocket and pops out the glass eye, tucking it away for safekeeping.
Much better.
“Let’s see, um… Abolish also said you might be acting weird? And okay… you were, no offense.”
Legundo… stumbles. He doesn’t mean to, but he bumps into Avid, who fumbles to keep them from both falling.
“Woah! Hey there, big guy, careful!” Avid chirps.
“Sorry. I’m sorry,” Legundo says automatically. He straightens, and resumes putting one foot in front of the other.
“You okay?” Avid tilts his head.
“I’m fine,” Legundo says automatically.
Avid snorts in disbelief.
“Alright, I’m not, but it’s the same for any of us these days. It’s not your concern.”
“Okay, okay,” Avid spreads his palms. “I said I’d help you, though. Just let me know, you know?”
Legundo grunts in acknowledgement.
“So… you’re not a vampire?”
Trying to school his surprise, Legundo only says, “I said I was one.”
“Yeah, but… you were crying actual tears and not blood. And the soup actually helped you. You didn’t look grossed out by it or anything.”
“Would you have fed it to me if you thought I was a vampire?”
“No, I’m not stupid! I have raw meat on me if you were one!” Avid sputters. “It’s not just that, I studied vampires for a while, okay!?”
Legundo sighs. If this were earlier in their relationship, he’d rise to match Avid’s anger, but there’s no point. “Well, there’s no use in hiding it. You’re right, Avid. I’m not a vampire.”
“Then why did you say you were?” Avid asks incredulously.
“I wanted the town to realize that it is not vampires versus humans. It’s those of us who support each other and those that see us as a problem to be snuffed out.”
“Okay?? But… you shouldn’t want to be a vampire.”
Firmly, Legundo states, “I don’t. The cost would be too high if I were to turn. But I need the townsfolk to trust each other.”
“Yeah, good luck,” Avid huffs. “We’re all liars. And half the town are vampires.”
Legundo glances at him. Avid seemed so devoid of hope at times. “Avid. It’s our town, regardless of what some of us are now.”
“For how long? When it’s so many of us? When m- my roommate’s…” Avid trails off.
Legundo wills himself not to sigh. “Drift is still Drift, Avid. I thought you knew that.”
“I- Yeah, yeah, I do…” Avid grimaces.
“They’re hungry, Avid. Hunger drives people to do terrible things sometimes, but it means that they need help. Becoming a vampire is not damnation. What we are doesn’t make us monsters, it’s what we do. We all make choices.”
“Fine, fine. But it’s still-” Avid shakes himself out. “You remember what I said, right? About… my best friend?”
The crease in Legundo’s forehead loosens from sympathy. “Yes.”
“She attacked me. Out of nowhere. She of all people hurt me. And she’s not like the vampires here, so I don’t even know if that’s what she was, but I spent most of my time believing that, and what if it happens again? What if all of a sudden it’s all gone again? What’s the point of avoiding it?”
“Don’t lose hope, Avid. It’s not inevitable.” Legundo glances at the man he once thought to be nothing more than a nuisance. How he wishes he reached out sooner. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Avid’s mouth opens slightly, then he looks away from Legundo.
Before Legundo can think of what to possibly say to him, there’s a rustling.
“Doc?” Oh, it’s Abolish. “There you are.”
“Abolish,” Legundo greets, shoulders dropping in relief. “Thank goodness.”
Legundo feels incredibly lucky that Abolish is the one to find him and Avid. The last thing his blistering headache needs is Cleo and Avid within any capacity of each other. Christ alive.
He isn’t sure what happened between them. Cleo had seemed at least civil with Avid just the other day, but now she gave him a wide berth and a scathing look whenever they crossed paths. It was like she and Legundo had swapped places when it came to Avid.
“What happened?” Abolish asks. Straight to the point as always.
Legundo glances at Avid, but he’s turned away, hands just below his eyes. Best to leave him be.
As much as it’s painful to know that Avid’s grieving right now, it does mean he won’t be listening in if Legundo has to bring up anything sensitive.
“I don’t remember,” Legundo answers significantly. “I believe there was another entrance to the crypt that we were unaware of.”
Abolish nods once in understanding. “Sorry for losing track of you.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Abolish hums. “So, you’ve been lying then?” He opens his mouth slightly to flash where a fang would be.
Legundo tries to hide his surprise, but of course Abolish of all people would realize he’s not a vampire. Two people noticing in quick succession is not a good sign for his ruse. “What do you mean?”
“Only humans can get the way you were earlier,” Abolish explains. “So. Yeah.”
Legundo sighs. “Of course. Well, you’re right, obviously.”
“Just wanted to check. I’m gonna find Cleo.”
Nodding his head, Legundo responds, “Good. Avid and I will be in town.”
“Got it.” Abolish seems to scrutinize him. Legundo isn’t keen on being the one examined for once. “You alright?”
Legundo laughs humorlessly. “No. But I’ll be fine. Focus on finding Cleo.”
“Sure. We’ll see you soon.” Abolish starts to depart. “Take care.”
Avid chimes in. “Bye Abolish!”
When Legundo faces Avid, he’s waving, recovered from whatever emotions overtook him.
“Bye, Avid. Bye, Doc.”
Legundo adds his own wave and farewell. He and Avid resume walking. He has to get back to town.
This need, this pulling…
He doesn’t want to focus on what had undoubtedly happened to him in the gap between speaking with Cleo and meeting up with Avid, especially not when Avid is in the vicinity. But his skin prickles.
Something happened to him, and he has no inkling of what.
He needs to know more, even if it pains him to risk being unraveled.
“Avid,” he starts slowly. “Have you heard of vampires having… mind altering capabilities?”
Avid’s eyes go wide. “You… You’re asking me?”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re asking me,” Avid repeats in disbelief. “About vampires.”
Legundo wills himself to not sound frustrated and perhaps fails. “Yes, Avid. Do you know or not?”
“I- yeah, yeah I know!” Avid grins in excitement. “I do! Uh, there’s definitely records of it, yeah. There’s a lot of conflicting rules, this isn’t an exact science…” No kidding. “...but generally it’s called hypnosis, even if it’s different from, like, human hypnosis.”
Legundo hums in acknowledgement. Any knowledge is good.
Avid continues, “Um… it’s pretty much agreed that vampires use it to feed, that they make you feel all passive so you don’t get away… And I know there’s a problem if you’re under their control for too long.”
Legundo glances at the position of the sun and swallows.
If Avid has any more information, it doesn’t matter, because they’ve reached the town. Once Legundo crosses the threshold, he feels something in his mind loosen.
Avid’s still beside him as they move through the town. “So, why do you wanna kn-” He stops and straightens, something threatened in his eyes.
Legundo remembers back when Pyro had been with him and Avid, unseen. Avid had perked up then too, hadn’t he? Avid brushed it off as the wind, but… he had sensed Pyro.
It was never just the wind. Not in Oakhurst.
Where is… there.
Perched on the town wall is a brown bat. Legundo tenses and reaches to jostle Avid’s shoulder. “Hello?” he offers. Don’t assume the worst.
“Oh- oh! Hey, which one are you?” Avid asks with a little less vitriol than he would have just a few days ago. Progress.
The bat ignores Avid, instead briefly locking eyes with Legundo.
The eyes-
Oh. Oh god.
Before everything starts swimming, he watches the bat give a full body shudder and fly off.
And things… float.
That glance, that little glance, had been enough. It’s awfully funny. He’s smiling now. Wow. Huh.
Legs hardly feels himself relax. Here it is again. He’s happy. Floating. Because of-
Hm, he can’t remember. He should know whose pretty eyes he was lost in, but he doesn’t. He’s not allowed. Oh well.
There might be a voice talking to him. Should he focus? Hard to when the eyes are gone…
Legs tries, he really does, and…
Oh, Avid’s here. He can see Avid. That’s weird.
He’s been talking, apparently. “...geez, no wonder you were asking about this stuff. Shoot, and nobody else is in town… Um. Hey, can you hear me? Doc?”
Hands on his arms. Avid’s still hazy, not as clear as the mystery someone who caused this, but far easier to understand than the two people from way before. That’s nice.
Through his dreamy smile, Legs mumbles, “Avid.”
It’s fuzzy, but Legs can just about see Avid brighten up. “Legs! Oh, good, awesome. Um. Do you know how you got out of this before? Because this can’t be the first time, not with what you asked me and how easily it, uh… you listening?”
So many words. Hard to follow, but Legs answers through his leaden tongue, “Uhhh… I dunno. Someone helped, but I dunno how.”
Frazzled, Avid bounces on his heels. “Okay, shoot… Um, okay, okay. Okay! We’ll just stay in town and wait for Cleo and Abolish. And I’ll stay with you so that bat can’t come back and make you even worse! Sound good?”
“Mm…” Legs might mumble.
“Come on, Doc,” Avid says before tugging Legs along by the hand. Legs moves easily, a malleable tool. Hm.
So he’s happy again. He’s like this again. Wow. It’s so funny that Legs starts feeling tears on his cheeks. Dizzy, so dizzy…
They’ve stopped moving.
“Shoot,” Avid hisses softly. “Um. Doc. We’re… at your house?”
“Oh, really? Welcome,” Legs mumbles.
“Okay, apparently that’s good enough,” Avid whispers. “Thank goodness.”
They’re inside now. Avid guides him to sit on a bed. Oh, it’s his bed. That’s good. He’s still sleepy. He can just about tell how soft it is under him.
Legs is looking up at Avid for once, as Avid stands to the side of the bed, scratching the bandages on his neck.
Even with everything so hazy, Legs spots a patient in need. “Your neck. I can still… look at it. Later. Too sleepy now.”
“Oh. Um… it’s okay, I took care of it.”
“I can help,” Legs mutters. “Gotta help you.”
“You were busy. It’s fine.” Avid grimaces. “Doc, you’re bleeding.”
“Oh. Okay,” Legs laughs to himself. Blood probably leaks from his nose. “Can’t tell. ‘M so happy.”
“Yeah, wow, this… It’s different to see it instead of just reading about it. Do you know who did it?”
“Nooooope,” Legs drawls. “Oops. Dunno anything, ha…”
Avid wrings his hands. “I’m… I’m gonna get more of your stew to fix you up.”
Legs is slouching. He can hardly focus on the way Avid moves around the house. Legs’s face is wet with all sorts of things. Mm.
Something weird. Avid begins to sing to himself distantly. “Making stew for Doc and I, ‘cause he looked at a bat’s eye.”
Legs’s giggles take on a more musical cadence.
Avid’s red in the face when he glances back at Legs. “Sorry.”
“No, nooo, don’ be,” Legs’s smile might be less strained, but he can’t tell. “I didn’ know you sang.”
“I- yeah, well, I do. Or I did. Haven’t had much reason to in Oakhurst. It’s… too sad here.”
“You sound good. I wish you’d sing more,” Legs mumbles. “Wish you were happy.”
“Shucks, Doc.” Avid is closer. “You probably won’t even remember this, huh?”
“Dunno.” Prickling that the haze soothes. “Can you help me? I don’ wanna forget.”
“I- yeah, I can. I…” Avid hesitates, sounding like what he’s about to say takes a lot of effort. Legs can relate right now, haha. “It… sucks to lose time. To not… know what’s happening to you, so… yeah.”
It should suck, but it can’t at the moment. Too much floating. So happy.
“Okay, time for stew,” Avid announces, bowl outstretched.
Legs wants to hold it himself, and he kind of does, but Avid keeps his arms steady. Too much movement to focus on.
Tastes good, but still detached. It does make him feel a little lighter, even if he’s already as happy as can be. Wow.
“Here,” Avid mumbles, and then there’s something on Legs’s face.
Oh, Avid has a cloth. Legs’s face is less wet. That’s good.
Legs’s head lolls. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, you look a lot better. My, uh… I’d do something like this for my best friend. When she’d get back from hunting.”
“Mm,” Legs murmurs. He should be sad about that confession, but he can’t be.
Instead, Legs thinks about how nice it is that Avid had someone to do this for in the past. How good it is to see Avid being nice. Avid had been so troubled and lashed out a lot, but he didn’t have to be like that anymore. Legs could keep him safe, when he’s not so happy.
Mm. Too much thinking.
Avid’s next to him on the bed now. Legs tries not to lean into him. Doesn’t want to squish him.
“Y’re good, Avid. Good to see you be good,” Legs sighs.
“Huh?” Avid tilts his head. He does that a lot. Like a dog. Hm. “You’re… Do you have to say what’s on your mind, or something?”
“Can’t lie I think,” Legs notes. “Dunno. So loopy.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Avid chuckles, and Legs joins him easily. “Wow. It almost feels like you like me now.”
“I do like you,” Legs argues bearily. “Y’re scared but you care. Wanna know you better. Was too mean. Pushed you away. ‘M sorry.” At least if he’s happy right now, he can still apologize.
“It… huh. Does that mean…” Avid seems to stop himself. “Wait, I don’t wanna… force you to say stuff. That’s kinda messed up.”
Legs blinks slowly. Fuzzy. “Uhhh, I think there’s enough brains in my brain to say if I don’ wanna say somethin’ first. You didn’ do this, so y’re not as clear…”
“Okay…” Avid tries to follow Legs’s words. “So… Can I ask… Did you mean what you said earlier? About… how being a vampire doesn’t mean you’re doomed?”
“‘Course I did. Just hungry ‘n need help.”
Disbelief obvious even to Legs, Avid huffs, “Huh.”
“Aviiiiiiiiid,” Legs draws out the name. “It’ll be okay. ‘M okay. We can help…” he trails off, chin dipping to his chest.
“Doc?”
“Sleepy…”
Avid laughs. “Yeah, I bet. Um… Well, I guess it’d be fine for you to sleep… I hope.”
Legs hardly lets Avid get through the sentence before he stops holding himself up. His head drops to Avid’s lap. Whoops.
Avid’s flustered. “Oh, yep, there you go, big guy. Okay.”
Hand on his head. It’s cold. Legs giggles as things sink further away from him.
Time to rest… he needs to rest…Goodnight part two…
Legs drifts into unconsciousness, the world slipping out of his reach.
-
---
-
Scott’s been expecting company at this neutral beacon for a little while now.
When a brown bat joins him and flips into the humanoid form of Owen, Scott hums. “You’re not usually this tardy.”
He doesn’t frame it as a criticism. Direct challenges drive Owen away, so he only says it as an observation, while still making his disapproval obvious.
Owen joins him at the beacon, frowning as deeply as ever. He doesn’t reply.
“Busy with your… new fascination?” Scott asks lightly.
Owen grimaces. Got you.
“You were? How’d he take to it?”
“Who says it was a he?” Owen’s face is tight.
“Well, I don’t know exactly what you’ve been up to, but you do have a favorite human. I saw your handiwork on his neck.”
Owen glances at him in surprise. So easy to read, even if he isn’t conscious of the trait.
Oh, the good doctor. Scott would love to see him in an altered state. So much going on in that head of his. It’d make for quite a show to see all of it spill out of him.
Owen has good taste in his dishes.
Scott goes on, “We can only influence humans we’ve taken a nibble from, after all. Rather inconvenient if you ask me. That only means the first time we feed, we have to do it with no assistance. Not that the experienced of us need assistance.”
“I told him to cover the bite…” Owen mumbles.
“Oh, he did. I just have an eye for detail.” Scott chuckles. “You didn’t answer me, though. How did the good doctor take to it?”
“Fine,” Owen huffs.
Scott doubts that, with how unsettled Owen appears. Not to mention Scott’s initial suggestion was… missing some details. Very intentionally so. “Really? You were gone for quite a while. You weren’t keeping him like that for long?”
Owen’s expression only cracks for a second, but it’s enough. “What do you mean?”
Scott restrains himself from smiling in amusement. “Oh, you don’t know? I would’ve thought your sire would have explained this to you.”
“That’s-”
“It’s no trouble,” Scott interrupts before Owen can become too cross with him. “I don’t mind explaining. The effect’s only meant for feeding, you know. The mind doesn’t hold up well with that much pressure.”
To think Owen was so careless with his food. Damaged goods. Wasteful. It’s adorable.
Scott continues, “What’s worse about overdoing it is that you start activating the state without thinking. They can’t look at you without the effect taking hold. If you do it too frequently or without direction, they can build up a resistance to it, as well. They’ll still go under, mind you, but they’re a little more aware. Makes things very difficult.”
Oh, Owen only looks more stonewalled. He’s hilarious.
Scott delivers the killing question. “You didn’t just leave him like that, did you?”
There is not a doubt in Scott’s mind that if Owen were still able to blush, he’d be beet red.
“Oh, Owen, you’re too cute,” Scott croons.
“Watch your mouth,” Owen spits.
“Relax, he’ll come out of it on his own. No need to let your little secret spill by trying to undo it yourself. You’ll probably just make it messier.” How he wishes he had been a witness to the event. For all he played with Pyro on the idea, Scott really couldn’t be everywhere at once.
To think Owen had only just tried the ability and had let it go so poorly. And he thought he was on equal footing with Scott. How endearing.
And that’s not even the last of what Scott neglected to mention about hypnosis when he suggested this whole idea to Owen. He’s still not going to tell Owen that if his good doctor were to turn into a vampire, any latent commands would evaporate with his mortality.
But Scott won’t interrupt Owen’s fun by having his favorite meal embrace the darkness, as amusing as that would be. He’ll let this play out all on its own.
Now, if the good doctor pulls Scott into a scuffle and someone gets hurt, that wouldn’t be Scott’s fault, would it?
Scott won’t go looking for trouble, though. He’d rather not stain his sleeves if there’s no need.
Owen looks agitated, but he doesn’t snap at Scott. Doing so would only reveal how little he knew about this endeavor before diving into it, how much it affected him.
Instead, Owen only mutters, “I’ll take care of it.”
“Exactly right. You understand better now. You’re doing great,” Scott praises, not bothering to restrain his smirk.
Owen is all big emotions, big reactions, little preparation. So much fun.
Scott could pinch Owen’s cheeks if he were interested in losing a finger.
-
---
-
When Legundo comes to, the first thing he sees is Cleo’s agitated expression.
“We have to put a bell on you,” she growls.
He lets out a small laugh, but he shakes it off quickly. Laughter feels rotten right now. “It’s what I deserve.”
He sits up. He’s in his own room, thankfully, and the blanket had been put over him at some point. Cleo’s his only guest, sitting on a chair to the side of the bed.
Cleo gets straight to it. “What happened?”
“There was another entrance to the crypt. Man made. It led to a cave. Someone… Whoever did this to me found me, forced my eye open, and took me down there.”
“And you don’t know who it was.”
Legundo wishes he did. “No.”
Cleo looks away and frowns deeper. “Probably commanded you to forget. Avid already told Abolish and me what happened in town. God.”
Right. Strangely enough, Legundo does know what happened. There was a bat in town that met his gaze and dropped him into that altered state of mind. Avid had stayed with him. The details were beyond his reach, but he remembers it far better than the other two incidents. Small victories.
“Where is Avid?”
“I don’t know why you’d want to see him,” she says in lieu of an answer.
Fair enough, considering Legundo himself is dreading seeing Avid after what Avid had been forced to do for him. Legundo avoided becoming intoxicated in front of others for this exact reason. He doesn’t want to be remembered for his lowest moments.
Only Legundo deserves to have those moments at the front of his mind.
Wait, Cleo looks annoyed. Oh, she meant something else. “Why the disdain for Avid all of a sudden?” Legundo asks.
They huff. “He’s an unpredictable liar. I don’t need to explain much else.”
“I’m a liar, too. We’re all liars, Cleo.” It’s not an excuse, but Avid had done a lot for Legundo today. “You can dislike him, certainly, but don’t antagonize him. Trust me, that only earns you a migraine and gets you nowhere.”
“I’m not going to talk about this right now,” Cleo shuts down. “What matters is that we’re not leaving you alone. Not when this makes you such a lia- an easy target.”
Legundo heaves a sigh. “I… understand.”
Then, so slightly he almost doesn’t catch it, Cleo softens. “I’m sorry, Doc. I bet you’d like to be alone right now.”
More than anything, other than maybe a half gallon of vodka. “It’s alright, Cleo.”
“It’s not!” they suddenly snap. “You understand that, right? You understand that none of this is alright? That someone here has done something unforgivable to you?”
Huh. Cleo is usually the type to tell others to take their lumps, never allowing for much grace for themself or others. To hear them shout this out so suddenly is... notable.
“Of course I do,” Legundo answers quickly. “I know, Cleo. I do.”
Blood brims the corners of Cleo’s eyes. “Then why aren’t you angry after what’s been done to you?”
“I am,” he insists heavily. “Believe me. But I haven’t even had a moment to… process. I don’t understand, I don’t know enough. Now is not the time to lose my composure.”
A stretch of silence. The town feels too quiet.
“You don’t need composure right now,” Cleo eventually says. “There’s no emergency, Doc. I can’t leave you, but I can give you a moment.”
Legundo shakes his head. “I appreciate it, but-“
“I’m not asking. I’m telling you you’re going to have a moment to process this mess. That your body is no longer your own. That your mind is no longer your own.”
Can’t. He can’t. “Cleo…”
Cleo glares at him. “For god’s sake, just take the damn moment!”
Christ, Legundo has been the one to receive aid before — refer to the scar crossing his face and eye — but it never felt justified.
Legundo swallows. “Just… watch the door? Or the window?”
Cleo does not smile in triumph, but they do lift their chin. “You lean back in bed. Keep me on your blind side if you want to forget I’m here.”
After continued reluctance, Legundo does just that, turning his body to face the foot of the bed. Cleo is on his left, so for his sake, she is no longer there.
Legundo doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be doing exactly. He folds his hands.
Alright… think of it piece by piece.
Someone, and he has no idea who, is controlling his mind. Affecting his behavior, removing his memories, and who knows what else.
God, right… His pull towards the town today had felt… artificial. If the unknown someone could give him commands that lasted outside of the times where he was fully under the influence of the hypnosis, then god only knows what else they could command Legundo to do.
There’s no telling what will become of him now… what they could mold him into.
He swore he’d never be that man again, but what if…
What if they made him into that man again?
God. Oh god.
He’s leaned over, pressing his forehead to his knuckles, elbows on his legs.
Legundo needed to be in control. He had to control himself. And if he couldn’t… god, he only wanted to help. He came here to help.
Do no harm. Protect as many as you can.
And it could all be ripped away from him. And he might not even know.
It feels like punishment, like torment.
He’s already cried more times recently than he has allowed himself to in decades.
But now, now, with his tear ducts burning, it only partially comes out of the pain, the fear, the misery. The turmoil slides so easily into wrath.
The rage in his gut is so familiar it hurts. He hates this. He doesn’t want to be this. He can’t let this happen.
And when he knows who is responsible for this, there will be hell to pay.
For this moment, though, Legundo crumbles into himself and weeps.