Colin's posts

Ashley nodded in response.

"I gathered that." he said.

"...anyway, I'm going to go and get some more sleep. I feel like I still can sleep. All night, really." he continued, before shaking his head slowly and making his way back into the room he'd previously been in.

"...night, Miss Anya." he told her.

"Please. Just Anya." Anya responded.

"Okay. Good night, Anya." Ashley re-stated.

Ashley looked at the strands of web uneasily, but then nodded.

"All... all right." he said.

"...........I'm sorry." he apologised.

"I'm sorry I acted the way I did." he told her.

"But... I mean... just..." he then stammered further, clearly unsure of how he would say what he wanted to say, before just sighed in defeat, and giving him. He wasn't an eloquent boy.

"I'm sorry."

@sorrowthemad: Here's hoping it's swift, and ends with the best possible outcome.

Ashley was silent again, before nodding.

"I see." he said.

"All right then, thanks for the... warning? I guess?" he said further.

"..." he then looked a little guilty about her comment where she said he had head trauma. He looked away for a moment, and bit his bottom lip.

"I need to tell you something." he admitted. "After my head's not so hazy." he went on.

"...and where Lindsay won't be able to hear it." he then added.

Ashley looked like he was convinced of that, but Anya knew Lindsay was intelligent. He would be smart enough to pick up on perhaps the little holes in her logic... but thankfully, it seemed like he was too tired to think about it too much, and he took it at face value.

"Makes sense." he said. "Good night." he told them.

"Sleep well." Anya replied with a smile and a light chuckle.

"Night." Ashley told him, as his brother disappeared into the room, shutting the door behind him. Ashley then looked to be thinking about something, as though he were confused.

"...why does this place even HAVE bedrooms then?" he asked. "If you don't sleep... why even have a room that even IS a bedroom?" he asked her. "Why not make it something else?"

"This is more than enough." Lindsay told her. "The fact that they're actual rooms, with actual beds, and actual pillows, and actual-" he started to say further, before Ashley interrupted.

"I think she gets it." he said.

"Oh. Right." Lindsay responded.

"I think I'm going to just go to bed, then." he told them. "I am feeling very full and tired." he commented.

"Where do YOU sleep?" Ashley asked Anya.

Ashley paused for a moment, and then nodded very slowly. Deliberately.

"Yeah..." he said.

Lindsay then yawned. Rather loudly.

"I could fall asleep right away." he said, causing Ashley to smile a little.

"Yeah, been a bit since we had a real comfy bed." he admitted.

"Maybe turning in early wouldn't be such a bad idea."

The boys looked at their portions, and then looked at her.

"Good for me!" Lindsay said.

"I like mine as well." Ashley confirmed.

Anya could tell that Ashley was still hiding something though, but Lindsay was oblivious to it. Right now, anyway. However, he also seemed like he wanted to say something, but was holding back.

"Sorry about slipping." he apologised.

"It's okay. You're all right now, and it wasn't your fault." Lindsay insisted.

"I do!" Lindsay responded enthusiastically.

"I do, as well." Ashley said.

"...and yes, that does smell really good." he admitted again, getting to his feet, and making his way towards where Anya was, with Lindsay helping him a little. Once they were there, he looked at her.

"I didn't know you had bear meat here." he commented.

"It goes bad surprisingly quickly.

Ashley nodded in response, before pausing.

"Oh... moving my head hurts..." he mumbled.

"Ashley... are you all right?" Lindsay then asked. "You seemed... off... when we were arguing in the water." he told him. "And it's not like you to have slipped so easily." he went on.

"..." Ashley was silent for a moment, before looking away.

"I'm fine..." he answered quietly.

Ashley was silent, before just nodded.

"Yeah... yeah, sure..." he said.

"So what should we do with the packs?" Lindsay asked.

"I have no idea." Ashley admitted.

"Though if there's food in them, take it out before it spoils." he then suggested... which told Lindsay and Anya that, at the very VERY least, he was in no absolute hurry to leave any longer.

@sorrowthemad: Eesh... yeah, that sounds miserable. I don't wish covid on anyone, not even those I hate with a passion.

@totalanimefan: That is adorable. Cooper tends to favour the corner of the bed, and only goes for my chest if I happen to roll over onto my back, as I'm usually a side-sleeper.

"..." Ashley was silent again as he looked at the packs.

"...I see." he said.

"Thank you." he told her, before going to a chair and sitting down in it.

"I want to stay here." Lindsay told him. "But I don't want to be separated from my brother even more." he went on. "So... so when you're ready, we'll both go." he told him further.

"Yeah... when I'm ready." Ashley confirmed.

"When I feel 100% certain I am ready to go, we'll go." he stated.

"When do you think that'll be?" Lindsay inquired.

"...probably not for... a VERY long time..." Ashley mumbled.

Lindsay just nodded in response, as Ashley approached the choker.

"This... is this a trick?" he asked, before shaking his head.

"Why do I ask." he grumbled, before, seemingly by instinct... or maybe sheer curiosity... grabbing the choker.

And, much like Lindsay, he went through something VERY similar. To the point where Lindsay had to coax/force the choker out of his hands, and set it back on the counter, as Ashley staggered back.

"Wh.... what...? That..." he stammered.

"For real?" he asked Anya.