"Yeah, reading Lord of the Flies in middle school didn't exactly prep us for the real thing either," he says bitterly. "History class probably what, gave you this picture of a lot of happy people chilling at the bathhouse in pearly white robes?"
Funny, he didn't ever imagine Rory going to school, although he knows he must have. It's something he doesn't think about with adults.
He shifts position on the bed, getting comfortable. He hates binges. He always feels so disgusting afterward; his stomach and throat burn and ache, and he feels tired to the bone. Sick, body and mind. His eyelids flutter for a moment - he needs sleep more than he thought. He's been up, what, at least thirty-six hours?
"Roraincus," Howard repeats, rolling that word around on his tongue. "Nah, I'm gonna call you Rorius Caesar. In secret, though."
He has a feeling Rory hasn't advertised the dual memories aspect of himself to everyone he meets. Which means Howard's in some inner circle, closer than just a stranger or a coworker, being trusted with information. It's a risky thing to do with Howard, not something most people would try given Howard's penchant for self-serving double-crossing and weaseling. But Howard takes the gesture as a show of faith; he takes it seriously. He won't tell anyone unless Rory gives him permission.
He nods. It makes sense. Rory's falling a bit more into place the more he explains, and that comforts Howard. And he appreciates the honesty, that Rory doesn't endorse that delusion of some magic fountain of will that will cure everything and put all the fear away. He wishes that fountain existed, but looking for one that doesn't exist is worse than just accepting it's not there.
Howard has a cat to protect, he guesses. And Zouichi, even though Zou neither needs nor cooperates with any forms of protection, rendering all efforts futile. So he has a cat.
And he's one of those 'somethings' Rory's protecting.
He squeezes Rory's hand back. "Thanks, Rory. I don't...I didn't know how I was going to handle tonight. I thought I was fine, but then Albert was gone, and...thanks. You're going to wake me up if I'm having a nightmare, right? Because those are so not fun."
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Funny, he didn't ever imagine Rory going to school, although he knows he must have. It's something he doesn't think about with adults.
He shifts position on the bed, getting comfortable. He hates binges. He always feels so disgusting afterward; his stomach and throat burn and ache, and he feels tired to the bone. Sick, body and mind. His eyelids flutter for a moment - he needs sleep more than he thought. He's been up, what, at least thirty-six hours?
"Roraincus," Howard repeats, rolling that word around on his tongue. "Nah, I'm gonna call you Rorius Caesar. In secret, though."
He has a feeling Rory hasn't advertised the dual memories aspect of himself to everyone he meets. Which means Howard's in some inner circle, closer than just a stranger or a coworker, being trusted with information. It's a risky thing to do with Howard, not something most people would try given Howard's penchant for self-serving double-crossing and weaseling. But Howard takes the gesture as a show of faith; he takes it seriously. He won't tell anyone unless Rory gives him permission.
He nods. It makes sense. Rory's falling a bit more into place the more he explains, and that comforts Howard. And he appreciates the honesty, that Rory doesn't endorse that delusion of some magic fountain of will that will cure everything and put all the fear away. He wishes that fountain existed, but looking for one that doesn't exist is worse than just accepting it's not there.
Howard has a cat to protect, he guesses. And Zouichi, even though Zou neither needs nor cooperates with any forms of protection, rendering all efforts futile. So he has a cat.
And he's one of those 'somethings' Rory's protecting.
He squeezes Rory's hand back. "Thanks, Rory. I don't...I didn't know how I was going to handle tonight. I thought I was fine, but then Albert was gone, and...thanks. You're going to wake me up if I'm having a nightmare, right? Because those are so not fun."