026 》sweet troubled man are you giving or taking?

[thering]

characters: Malcolm, Neal, Negan, Raylan, Doc
location: 1306 Phillips Dr
date/time: day 26 morning
content: the reset Playstation button was pressed
warnings: tbd

After the strangeness of the past two nights they were likely fully expecting to awaken in the same strange, different, not-so-new anymore places they found themselves in in the past two days.

Instead everything seems to have reset, again. The three permanent residents and two guests are back in 1306, exactly where they had been two nights ago. Malcolm was in his own room, Neal was in Doc's and Negan in Raylan's master bedroom. The two displaced cowboys are downstairs sharing one too-small couch, a night of drinking culminating in fighting over couch space and who gets to be the bigger spoon.

The fire in the fireplace had gone out and their Winter 2020 Collection of bespoke lanterns have vanished, but nothing else seems to be awry.

Comments

[thering]

"You had whiskey?" Doc perks up like a dog's head lifting at the sound of the rustling of the treat bag who was otherwise content with just lying lifeless on the floor.

"I don't think you get to complain about whatever happened over the last two days if you had whiskey," he quips lightheartedly as he makes his way back to the couch once the fire is going steady, sliding into the seat next to Raylan's. He isn't awake or lucid enough to hesitate or deliberate over whether he's sitting too close or too far or maybe he should take Raylan's chair or just not sit down at all, where to put his hands and all the rest of it.

A comfortable silence settles between them and gives way only to the spittle and crackle of the wood going up in flames. In that moment it didn't seem necessary to say that he appreciates being back here in familiar company. They communicate through looks, nods, snickers, sighs, and occasionally if they're sitting close enough, reassuring and reaffirming little knee bumps.

[tinstar]

"I tried to bring some home for you, I promise," he replied, the exhaustion of everything in his voice as he watched Doc from his half lidded station. "Though between Constantine and I, we mighta drunk it all."

He wouldn't put it past them. Unmoving as Doc settled on the couch next to him, Raylan ruminated on the feeling of having the company that understood him without knowing everything about him. It was nice, their communication and he'd even argue that it was nice to have the fleeting contact. He'd long stopped keeping count, but his well was far from full.

"'m glad you're back," he mumbled after several minutes of them sitting there. He didn't have to say he was worried about Doc, that was implied in the statement. They weren't going to talk about how they'd woken up but that too, was implied in the statement.

[thering]

"I am sure you did," he quips right back with no malice in his tone. Maybe he's a little jealous, but he'll get over it. He doesn't think that anyone got their tropical island paradise getaway while the others were left to suffer.

"You're getting sentimental, old man," Doc teases with a playful knee bump and a smile he can't keep off his face. Not that he minds hearing such kind words. There was a time he didn't think he would be missed.

"Better wake up before you profess your love."

this work for transition?

[tinstar]

"Shuddup," Raylan grumbled back to all of it, but the edges of his lips curled.

Upstairs, they could both hear the shuffle of someone moving around, though it stopped after a second, earning only a glance up of Raylan's attention. "That scratchy shit better not start here too-"

But it was only Malcolm.