deadnerve | (no subject)

[Devon feels grumpy. This feels like a deliberate coaxing out of grumpy.]

where to

I know a hill where we can see the constellations.

ok
meet up by the food tent?

Lovely. See you in ten.

[Sometimes he doesn't know why he bothers - why he gets up, puts pants on and mismatched socks, grabs a hoodie and heads on out to meet Harry for a walk. His hands are up inside the sleeves of his hoodie, one arm all the way inside the body so he can smoke with his hand popping up through the neck hole to hold his cigarette on the way over. He'll debate putting it out once he sees Harry.]

Hey.

Ah, Devon!

[And Harry is... Harry. He looks pleased to see Devon, like he doesn't notice his general disarray. His eyes are warm as ever and his smile as delighted.]

How are you?

[He flicks ashes aside, before regretfully being polite and pinching out the light to his cigarette entirely, ferreting it away in his hoodie pocket after pushing both arms back out.]

Kinda tired of tent life. You?

I'm used to it. [An easy answer that masks the discomfort he still feels when he thinks of his life before Saltburn.

Harry steps to Devon's side. He has both of his eyes back now, at the end of the month.]

But I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my room. And proper dinners. And the theatre room. Oh, I do miss that! I've so many films yet to see. Here, come along, walk with me.

[Devon likes him better with both eyes - it makes the experience of having helped him remove one feel more... like a dream, a false memory rather than a lived one. He wonders what Harry did with his eyeball. Maybe he'll ask later.]

Mmm, yeah. I miss the food too.

[And the drug room.]

Do you think all the rooms will still be there, when it's back to normal? They have to be, right?

[Casually, Harry takes Devon's arm in his.]

Perhaps. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost some, but then they seem to come and go as they please anyway.

The library, I hope, will be more or less intact.

Yeah, that's probably a big one.

[He adjusts his stride comfortably, eventually glancing up to Harry.]

So, what else do you do for fun. Besides walks.

An invaluable resource.

[Harry glances sideways at Devon.]

Oh, well. I look at the local floral and fauna; anything rare or unusual I note down. I like to watch films, and to listen to music - both things I could not do back home, such fabulous technology didn't exist! Oh, and I like photographing things. People. That's much easier these days, too.

I'm afraid I'm not terribly exciting, Devon.

Oh, right. You're gonna take pics of me soon, yeah?

[And if he gets his way, they'll be nudes.]

I need to get you to play like, Pickleball or something. That sounds lame, actually. I'll let you play The Sims. So we can stay in my tent and hang out.

Yes! If you'll let me.

What on earth is a pickleball? I admit I'm not very athletic, although we did try to get a game of cricket going the other day.

I would enjoy that, I think.

It's like tennis but kinda more pretentious somehow.

[Not a helpful answer.]

Do you like architecture? Half the fun is setting up the houses. I'll set you up, it'll be fun.

Oh, I see. I would try?

I do. I don't know much about it, but I used to enjoy walking in London and looking at the new buildings. [New to him. R.I.P. Harry, you'd have loved the Crystal Palace. Missed it by just a few years.]

I'd like to watch you try.

[Amused.]

Mmm, maybe I'll set you up with a Sims City. Or we can play Civ together...

[Devon: distracted by this, mood +5]

I'll do whatever you like, Devon.

[A smile.]

I'm very fond of you.

Yeah, well. I like you too.

[Nerd.]

You play any instruments, Harry?

I'm afraid not. But the manor apparently had a pianoforte - my mother used to play a bit of that.

Do you play?

I used to play the piano as a kid. I don't know if I'd remember how anymore.

[But he's thinking he might try.]

Well, when the manor is restored we shall go in search of it! Perhaps you'll remember more than you expect.

Oh, up this hill, dear.

[It's a low, sloping hill but it's far enough away from the campsite that the stars above then are brilliantly visible.

When they reach the top of the hill Harry looks up at the sky, obviously enchanted.]

Mmm.

[Noncommittal to the idea but actually kind of into it. Isn't it weird he's been thinking a lot about hobbies lately and how he should get into more that aren't just fucked up sex and anime? He follows Harry to the hill, looking up as well when they're standing at the top. The sky is pretty cool... he'll admit as much.]

Brighter than I thought they'd be.

It's from the lack of lights. Particularly the electrics, I think.

Ah, look... [He points upward.]

Ursa Minor - so that one there at its tail is Polaris. And that means Ursa Major is just... ah. There.

Do you see them?

Mmmnnno. Where?

[He's trying - and he steps closer to Harry, head back to look up, tracking before he's pointing upward.]

That one? It's the scoop, right?