[Action + Accidental Dictation]

[hardenedimmortal]

[Adam had reached for his journal in order to check up on certain people. He'd disappeared before making sure that they were okay physically. He'd needed to take care of his own mental needs. His fragile psyche had been on the verge of shattering around him and, when that happened, people typically got hurt.

He'd fled to the forest where he'd let off some steam and just generally let himself unwind. Days later, he was still there. In that time, he'd acquired a new friend. A surprisingly fluffy kitten with reddish black fur and brilliant yellow green eyes. He'd tried to ignore the little creature at first, but it had been persistent. Finally, he'd allowed it to stay and even fed it and gave it attention.

But now? Now, he was wishing that he'd never met that fur ball. He hadn't even opened the journal when the kitten somehow managed to get onto his head and sink her claws into his scalp. The journal had fallen out of his hands and hit the ground, opening. The entire castle was treated to cursing in various languages including English, French, Italian, and Japanese]

I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE AND STICK YOU IN A STEW!

[There was a faint sound of a cat meowing]

I don't give a damn if you are a kitten or that I can't feel pain. THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO SCALP ME!

[More cursing, then some yowling and meowing]

Bloody cat.

Comments

[spongetastic]

That's... that's really you? [like he doesn't even care you're threatening a cat right now]

[hardenedimmortal]

[He almost snaps back with a snarky comment. Almost. But Peter had been one of the ones that he had originally been planning to contact before nearly being scalped. Snapping wouldn't be a good idea]

Yes, Peter. It's me.

[spongetastic]

Haven't seen you since I... I'm sorry. I tried to get back, but she wouldn't let me go.

[hardenedimmortal]

Peter.

[His voice is low and soothing]

I'm not angry at you and I don't blame you.

[No, he blames himself but he isn't going to tell Peter that]

[spongetastic]

The word you used was "disappointed". [that was a hallucination, but Peter forgets the difference right now]

[hardenedimmortal]

"Disappointed"? I never said that. I couldn't...I can't...

[He pauses, forcing himself to be a bit more wary of his words]

[spongetastic]

You, Nathan and Abel. [the three brother figures in his life]

I need to see you. Just to be sure you're real.

[hardenedimmortal]

I'm at the edge of the forest. I've set up a nice little camp with a small fire and a psycho kitten.

[spongetastic]

Don't leave before I get there. [he just wants to make sure. He's had hallucination!Adam talking ot him for days, after all]

[hardenedimmortal]

I will be here, waiting. I promise.

[spongetastic]

[you better, because Peter comes in record time. The last time Adam saw him, he was bloody and crazy. Now he's wearing clean clothes in his usual black and seems a bit more stable.

Tentatively he touches Adam's shoulder. He now understands how Sylar felt when he came into the mind-nightmare. Peter has that same desperate relief seeing Adam is real]

It's you.

[hardenedimmortal]

[Adam has been waiting, simply sitting there with the psycho kitten in his lap. A faint smile forms on his lips when Peter touches his shoulder]

Yes, Peter. It's me, in the flesh. I'm happy to see you looking better.

[He reaches over and gently squeezes Peter's hand as a way to comfort him]

Meet Kaede. She likes to scalp people and sink her claws into their legs and chest if she feels she isn't getting enough attention.

[Yes, he's talking about the cat and yes, he's acting as if he didn't just threaten to skin her and cook her in a stew]

[spongetastic]

[that actually gets him to laugh, and Peter reaches out to try stroking the cat]

Sounds like you two make a good pair.

[hardenedimmortal]

[He can't stop grinning when Peter laughs. He watches Kaede as she presses her head against Peter's hand, purring]

I suppose we are. She certainly seems to think so. She found me the night that we came back and hasn't left since.

[spongetastic]

[Peter scratches her behind the ears]

My Eeevee is like that sometimes. It's like he can sense my emotions.

[hardenedimmortal]

Eevee? What's an Eevee?

[spongetastic]

He looks a little like a fox. He's from a different world, full of strange creatures.

[kungfuwitch]

[Guess who had been trying to make tea when the journal flew open to THAT? She yelps and the teacup crashes to the floor. She'd been about to scold whoever it was for yelling like that when she realizes it's one person she's been hoping to talk to since they got back. She takes a breath, reaching for her journal]

Adam?

[hardenedimmortal]

[He smiles]

Fascinating.

[He studies Peter for a long moment]

How are you holding up?

[hardenedimmortal]

[He's holding the kitten by the scruff of her neck at an arm's distance when Phoebe's voice caught his attention. He drops the kitten and picks up the journal, leaving Kaede to tend to her now messed up fur]

Phoebe.

Filtered

[the_effect_she_has]

[...Yeah, Adam. You get a quiet snort of laughter.]

Cats are evil, didn't you know?

Filtered

[hardenedimmortal]

They're better than most humans that I've met.

[spongetastic]

Not good. I remember everything... What I did, what I heard and said, what I saw... I tried to kill people, tried to convince them to kill themselves. I was going to activate the Gravity Core.

[hardenedimmortal]

[He's silent for a moment, not judging. He hates that Peter had to go through that and knows that if he had gone through it, he wouldn't have felt nearly the amount of remorse that Peter does]

Would you like to talk about it About what you saw and heard?

Filtered

[the_effect_she_has]

[And you can have another laugh.]

...That's probably true, but it doesn't make them any less evil. Have you fed it?