Event #4 - Blind [TAG Alex]

[Nancy Holmes]

Nancy wanted to be alone. Needed to be alone. If nobody was around her, she couldn't hurt anyone. She should just get rid of that damn phone, but she was too afraid for her life to throw it away. How weak she was, it was disgusting. She quickly made her way into the corridor, alone. When she needed to decide if she wanted to go left or right, she walked slower and eventually stopped. She was standing at the crossroads. Literally and metaphorically. Which way should she go...? Which one was the right way? How could she even know? The tentalized girl stood there for a good while, before she turned left. Which room had been here, again? She couldn't remember.

When she stopped in front of the door, she read the sign on the wall next to it: computer lab. Well, nobody should disturb her here, right...? She opened the door and walked inside. It was as dark as in all other rooms, but much more stuff was stored here. It looked just as usual in here. Many rows of desks, each of them a computer on top, shelfs stuffed with books, some printers and the projector.... and a sandbag on the ground. In a sudden attack of rage, she walked over to it, ready to kick it through the room, but in the last moment she realized that it wasn't a sandbag - it was a person. Shocked, she kneeled down next to the person, who was lying on their side. It was obviously a guy, black hair... "Alex??", she asked worried. Please don't be dead. I couldn't bare it. Be alive, be alive, be alive... With shaking fingers, she reached out to feel his pulse.

bubum bubum

Oh, thank god. It was there. Carefully, she turned him around, on his back. She let out a sharp scream, when she saw his face. It wasn't human..! This.. this was some kind of monster, not Al!! She crawled a meter backwards, bringing some space between the creature and herself. Panting in fear, she waited for it to attack her, but... it just kept lying there, not moving a muscle. She looked around the room, searching for something to defend herself with. She finally reached out for a chair and slowly approached the man again. When she took a closer look on his face, she sighed. It was him after all. But....what happened to him?

She put the chair away again and kneeled down next to him once again, bending forward to look at his face. "Oh, Alex.... just what on earth happened to you...?", she whispered and hesistantly touched his cheek, gently stroking over it. She felt the urge to touch the ripply skin above his eyes, but she didn't want to cause pain for him. Who did this to him? Someone...who also got a message. She swallowed. She didn't deserve to pity him, she wasn't any better than the person who did this to him... She pulled her hand back.

[Alexander Attiyah]

When Alex and Copper had finally found their way outside the classroom they were in, it took them awhile to navigate the expanse of the corridor. Or more accurately, it took Alex a long time as he was slowly inching himself along while using the walls as a guide. Meanwhile Copper was completely fine and as adventurous as ever, bounding up and down the hallway before scampering back to nuzzle the ravenhaired in the legs as if to get him moving quicker.

"This would be so much easier if I had something to feel around with," he thought out loud in a frustrated whisper as he continued to keep his left hand on the wall, being slow so as not to accidentally step somewhere where he couldn't step anymore and fall down one of the giant holes in the floor. Unfortunately the only thing he had to help him know where he was was his memory of the school and the sound of the pupper's paws hitting against the tile floors along with the occasional 'wroof' helping him pinpoint the dog's direction and route. Which wasn't much help considering the two floors were incredibly identical and the corridors were littered with debris here and there, sometimes blocking the entire path as he could feel to the right almost immediately after exiting whatever room he had woken up in. And if it weren't for the wall he was leaning against, the ravenhaired would have fallen a lot more times than he could count.

But eventually after a few minutes, they came to what felt like a crossroads considering the wall suddenly gave out into nothing. Taking a step forward, Alex could feel rubble blocking part of the wall to his left and bit his lip, considering his options of where to go. Though it seemed like Copper already had an idea as his paws merely continued on to the right, the sound of him sniffing along the floor meeting the ravenhaired's ears. And so the male followed the best he could - albeit not as good as he wished he could have as his lower leg slammed into what felt like a desk in the middle of the hallway. "Ow! Okay, so not that way," Alex muttered under his breath as he stumbled past the object in the other direction, rubbing his thigh that had hit against the object as he heard Copper scratching against something a few steps ahead.

Nearing where the dog was, he realized it was a door and after a few seconds of feeling around for the handle, he got it open and Copper immediately dashed inside. "Any idea where we are, boy?" the ravenhaired asked as he cautiously stepped inside, the door shutting behind him. At first, he didn't feel anything or have much trouble walking. Though it didn't take long for him to eventually trip over something on the floor, causing him to inhale a sharp, panicked breath as he was sent to the ground with a hard thud.

"Shit, this is frustrating," he mumbled in an annoyed tone as he pushed himself up off the floor with his elbows. Seconds later, he was met with a cold, wet sensation suddenly pressing against his cheek, recognizing it as Copper nudging him with his nose as if to see if he was okay. "I'm okay, bud. Thanks," he assured the pupper, his hand reaching towards the direction he could feel the dog's warm breath coming from and after feeling his soft fur under his fingertips, started to pet him gently. Reaching behind him towards where he had felt his foot connect with whatever had sent him to the ground, he moved his hand around until he came in contact with what seemed like a cord of some kind, and after following the line, felt a plastic sorta texture in the shape of what felt like one of the school's monitors. All of which caused the ravenhaired's eyes to widen as he suddenly realized where he was.

This is the same monitor Ryan pulled down, he concluded with a hopeful grin, remembering the layout of the room from his first visit there. Now I finally know where I am...

His victory was shortly lived, however, as suddenly a searing pain flared up around his eyes, causing Alex to immediately wince as he collapsed onto his side in pain, his energy draining. Dammit, not again! he muttered inside his mind as he tried to bite through it. Though it continued to ache, almost like it was still processing the very trauma that had been done to them in an echo of sorts to what he had endured. And as the burning-like sensation continued to flare up, the ravenhaired merely lay as still as he could as the minutes passed by, his fists clenching in silent strain at holding the pain back... hoping it would pass soon.


At first, Alex didn't realize the extra person in the room, his senses still focused on his eyes. But as he lay there amidst the stillness of the room, he heard a familiar voice call out his name, causing him to perk up. Nancy? he thought, his eyes slowly opening at the sound. It was so faint... he was almost sure he hadn't actually heard anything and it was simply his mind playing tricks again like it had with their drama instructor. But when he heard movement from directly behind him, followed soon by a warm sensation like fingers now pressing against his throat, he immediately attempted to move, his arms pushing against the tile floor as the other person gently moved to turn him...

Though the sound that suddenly ripped through the silent room immediately made the ravenhaired freeze, any words he had intended to say caught in his throat.

It was definitely Nancy. He knew it was her; he could tell by her voice. But she had screamed, like she was scared for her life. And while at first he had thought something was seriously wrong or there was a threat nearby, it suddenly dawned on him that her reaction wasn't because of anyone else in the room or even Copper for that matter. He could tell from the sensation of her staring at him: she was looking at him.

"'ey," Alex breathed out in an awkward chuckle, unsure what to say to such a reaction as he lifted a hand towards his hair and ran it through in a sheepish manner. "Long time, no see." He laughed a little at his attempt at a joke, waiting for her to respond. Though she remained silent and he bit his lip slightly instead while his face fell, suddenly feeling a lot more self conscious. He was sure he probably looked awful; it only made sense considering he had acid chucked on him. But while he was confident in himself and he knew his appearance didn't mean much when it came to who he was, he couldn't deny her reaction stung a bit and he found himself wondering for the first time how everyone else would react to him, too. Would they scream in fear too? Would they dare even talk to him? And what would Em think? And Misha....

He cut the thought off, not wanting to think about that and turned his head away instead as if to hide most of his scars from Nancy's eyes. He didn't really expect her to approach him. Yet he was surprised when after a few moments, the sound of a chair being set down and her kneeling in front of him met his ears. And suddenly her warm fingers touched his cheek right where his old bruise had been, causing him to jump ever so slightly from the unexpected gesture. It was sadly a side effect from him not being able to see anymore. But quickly he started to relax as her gentle touch began to comfort him, his head turning slowly towards her while he focused on her voice.

"Oh, Alex.... just what on earth happened to you...?" she asked him, causing the ravenhaired to frown as echoes of all those horrid sounds he had heard minutes...hours...ago rang in his mind.

"Let's just say I had a run in with hell itself," Alex replied in a rather bitter tone at the memory, only to wind up wincing a little from the ache that throbbed behind his eyelids. Immediately he felt his friend's hand lower away from his face in response, and he raised an eyebrow in her direction. Is she scared of hurting me? he wondered as an inquisitive expression crossed his face. Or... is it something else?

"It's okay," he replied as he gave her a small smile back, hoping to reassure her a little as he shifted into a better sitting position. "It just flares up sometimes, I'm fine. I've had worse pain than this." He gave a short chuckle, attempting to brush off his injury like it was no big deal. Though he hadn't exactly had injuries quite to that extent where they were permanent... But he was alive! Which was... something he wasn't sure he could say for the others. God, I hope they're okay... "What about you?" he asked Nancy after a moment as Copper came over and let out a little "woof!", his nose nudging the dark-haired girl's hand. "Are you doing okay? I didn't hear anything about you from any of the others after that earthquake happened."

[Nancy Holmes]

"'ey, Long time, no see."
O-Oh... he was awake.... and... he seemed to be himself. It was his voice and his typical gesture, running his hand through his hair... That was when Nancy put away the chair slowly. In every other situation she would've laughed about his terrible joke, but right now she couldn't bring herself to let loose of her tension.

"Let's just say I had a run in with hell itself,"
Could something be even worse than what she had expected..? Maybe. Well, it could always be worse. Barely..but worse. When she pulled her hand away, he raised his eyebrows at her. What was it? Did he want her to continue or something..? "I was just-", she started, but he interrupted her with a lighthearted voice and sat up. How the heck did he manage that. He even...smiled. Nancy stared at her friend in confusion and admiration. He had been going through something serious and he still... He was still so strong. Looking at herself, she was ashamed. She was different, she wasn't strong. Everyone, even herself, thought that she was a strong and disciplined person, but now when shit was really going down, when something happened that was out of her hands... She turned out to be a weakling, lost in the chaos and not being able to structure even her own thoughts.

"It's okay, It just flares up sometimes, I'm fine. I've had worse pain than this."
She raised an eyebrow like she always did when he said something ridiculous, but then remembered that he couldn't see her. He would never be able too see her again. Or anyone else. Nothing. "......Are you sure? I don't think that something similar ever happened to you... I mean, you've been close to get badly hurt from your own pranks, but... You've always been fine. And now....", she trailed off. "I wish I could help you... But I can't help anyone.. I'm useless.", she said with a soft voice, her desperation boiling up inside of her again.

"What about you? Are you doing okay? I didn't hear anything about you from any of the others after that earthquake happened."

She shook her head, her eyes started burning again from tears. Didn't she cry enough already..? It started to hurt with every tear more. Suddenly, smething wet touched her hand. "C-Copper..! So here's where you ran off to...I didn't even see you in here...", she said and petted the dog's head who let out a small bark and wiggled his tail. "You're a good boy....." She tickled his big dangling ear. She knew why everyone was saying dog's are a human's best friend. They were giving so much and weren't expecting anything in return...maybe some snacks. Her eyes overflowed.

"No, I'm not okay", she finally admitted to Alex. For a moment, she thought that it was quite convenient that he couldn't see her right now. She was looking terrible. She WAS terrible. A terrible person who had done terrible things. "I'm not better than the person who did this to you..I hurt Thalia because I was too afraid of dying when I wouldn't. And now she hates me. And she's right. I deserve her hate.", she sputtered out. He should scold me like I deserve it. Come on Alex, be mad with me. Say something like Nancy what ahve you done? - Nancy, have you lost your mind? - Nancy, I don't want to be in the same room as you! She squinted her eyes.

[Alexander Attiyah]

"Are you sure?" Alex heard Nancy ask in response to him shrugging off the pain, causing him to give a guilty smile. "I don't think that something similar ever happened to you... I mean, you've been close to get badly hurt from your own pranks, but... You've always been fine. And now..."

She had trailed off in her words, though nothing more needed to be said as he gave a sheepish chuckle under his breath in return, one of his hands coming up towards his face to feel the skin near his eye. "And now I'm handicapped," he finished simply as he felt the rippling texture beneath his fingertips, his face falling into one of regret as a hint of sadness reverberated in his tone. "Can't say I'm enjoying the experience so far. But... It could have been worse... a lot worse." He gave her a sad smile, though his tone became more solemn the more he spoke, and he turned his head away slightly as he bit the inside of his cheek.

In truth, he knew how close he had come to dying in that room. It wasn't hard to figure out between the screams of agony, the stench of death in the air, and the harsh revelation about Amanda. If he had picked that first number like Zak did, he was fairly certainty that he would have died. As for the others, he wasn't even sure if they were alive right now either or what punishments they had been given even... He was glad to be alive and have that chance to find his friends and family again, even despite the cruel irony of his own torture that was making that task seem rather impossible. Yet he couldn't help but feel so much anger and bitterness towards what happened during that horrid event, and why they had to suffer at all. And even worse at the hands of someone they had actually known.

"I wish I could help you," he heard Nancy continue to say, her voice quiet and soft. "But I can't help anyone... I'm useless."

At her admittance, Alex frowned. She definitely didn't sound like the confident and determined black-haired girl he knew back in their private singing sessions. But then again, in no way did he blame her; this place was hell, sworn to take apart the pieces of all of them that made them feel like they were in control and leaving them to fight for their life against something they couldn't even see or physically fight against. He barely felt like he was hanging on himself right now, trying to use his humor and determination like a crutch just to keep him going... to help him feel more like himself and keep his hopes up - for the sake of himself and those he cared about. And for someone like Nancy who liked being in charge, well... He definitely understood her in a lot of ways. Even if he was horribly awkward at expressing so.

"Nancy Holmes? Useless?" he replied back quietly with a small smile before scoffing playfully, his tone lighthearted and teasing. "I'll believe it when I see it." He paused for a moment, realizing his words with a short laugh as he turned his head back to face her. "Which I guess means never. But I still stand by my point."

Alex stopped for a moment as Copper came over towards them, helping to lift the mood a little much to the ravenhaired's relief. Though as he asked his music partner how she was doing, he couldn't help but raise his head in surprise as Nancy suddenly broke down into tears in front of him, made evident by the sobbing gasps that were filling the room as she spoke. He had never heard her cry; he was pretty sure the girl wouldn't dare in front of him considering how much he liked teasing her. Which was probably a fair and true point in most cases, he admitted. But now, all he could do was silently listen to her confession at injuring Thalia in an attempt at self-preservation, not entirely sure what to even say in response.

"And now she hates me," Nancy finished quietly, her voice breaking. "And she's right. I deserve her hate."

Alex's brow furrowed slightly as her voice died down, contemplating all that she had said as he thought about his own experiences and situations. He didn't know the whole story behind the incident of her hurting someone, but he could just as well guess she had probably been asked to. Just like everyone else... And while he refused to hurt someone else at the sake of saving himself, he still could see where Nancy was coming from. Plus for all it was worth, she sounded sincerely apologetic at least, and that was already a far step up from the beast that had held them prisoner... who was doing all these awful tasks to begin with... and who had probably killed several of them if the ravenhaired could bet on it. And after a moment he finally spoke, mulling over his words as he went.

"Well I can't exactly say that I agree with hurting someone like that to save yourself, but... I understand why you would," he began slowly, his hand absentmindedly stroking Copper's fur as he continued. "Things are... massively fucked up around here. Hell, I'm not even sure how any of us are still sane right now. And I'm not gonna speak for Thalia since it sounds like she's said her share already. And honestly, I'd probably wanna kick your ass too." He formed a pointed and somewhat lecturing kind of expression on his face as he spoke, though his lips gradually lifted up into a small smile while his features softened as he moved to continue. "But I'm sure a monster wouldn't feel sorry for what they did," he said gently, shrugging his shoulders a little in emphasis. "And at least from my position, that counts for something. Right?"

Pausing in his words to continue giving her a reassuring look, Alex felt Copper move a little from his spot resting next to them and let his hand drop down towards the floor, all while his mind wandered.

People he knew were dying: people he had spoken to and had classes with. The people he loved most in the world were missing or kept separated from him. And Amanda--or what was left of her corpse anyway--and the horrors he faced in there along with everything else going on in this godforsaken place weren't something he had ever been prepared to deal with. And all of it was taking a toll on him greatly. But he wasn't going to let it get to him; he couldn't afford it. Mostly for his own sanity... but also for those he cared about as well.

"If you don't want to be a monster, then prove you're not one," he said simply after a moment, his voice firm as his eyes stared straight ahead at the black expanse in front of him as if saying it not only for her, but also for himself. "I'm scared too. I don't know where my friends are or if they're hurt... Em is somewhere I can't get to, and I don't know when I'll see the rest of my family again... or well." He let out a short laugh, gesturing towards his eyes as a somewhat anxious expression crossed his face before shrugging sheepishly. "But I don't want to give up just yet," he said quietly, his voice determined. "And hey, you're Nancy Fucking Holmes! And the Nancy I know is no quitter."

Leaving his words at that, Alex shifted in his seat, doing his best not to look as awkward as he felt. Talking about his fears was definitely something he didn't like doing... especially to Nancy of all people. And all while trying to comfort her on top of that left him feeling more sheepish than he'd care to admit out loud. But as he turned his focus towards petting Copper again, he hoped that at least some of it might have helped. Nancy was his friend, and he didn't want her to end up losing herself in this place. He'd already lost too many friends... He didn't want to lose any more.

[Nancy Holmes]

"And now I'm handicapped, Can't say I'm enjoying the experience so far. But... It could have been worse... a lot worse."
His hand was rising to the skin next to his eye. He looked unbearably sad in that moment and Nancy felt so sorry for him. She moved her hand to his, touching it gently to let him know that it was there and then moved it to his hair, stroking a rebellious wrisp out of his face. She sighed when he turned his head away and let her hand sink again. He hadn't deserved that. She couldn't recall that she had ever seen him sad, he had never shown his soft side to her. But she was glad that he was doing it now. She needed comfort and he seemed to need it to. If she could.. she would give him what he needed.

"Nancy Holmes? Useless? I'll believe it when I see it."
When I see it.... It was silent for a bare second, before Alex started to laugh and Nancy following in. "You're such an idiot!!", she said, crying and laughing at the same time.The weight upon her heart suddenly felt a little lighter. Just what was it that he had in himself that made everyone laugh? She envied him for this ability. When she continued to talk though, the weight came back.

She wiped over her cheeks in an attempt to get rid of the tears, but new ones were following, making it impossible to dry them. Silently, she listened to what he was saying next. Not exactly comforting, but he was right. She sighed again. He was a much better person than herself. Instead of crying in the corner of a bathroom, he tried to make the best out of the situation. It felt like it was an eternity ago when she was first moving around with Phillip, so determined to find a way out. They had been such fools. There was no way out. Oh, wait - there was one. You die. She looked away, but Alex wasn't done with his speech yet.

"I don't know if I can do it, Alex. I...I just don't have hope. We're all gonna die here, I know it - it feels like the people here disappear one after one - and soon, everyone will be gone. We will be gone. I will be gone...! I just can't be who I used to be anymore... I simply don't have the strength. I can't fight this, I can't..get a hold of any of this.", she unbosomed herself to the blind guy. She was a captive of despair, she tried to reach for any straw of hope appearing, any, but ... there just wasn't one. It was like she kept falling into the dark, away from everything she caressed, away from her life... Into the black nothing of death. Loneliness. It was already starting to eat her up. She was desperate for something to cling to but couldn't let herself come near any of her freinds. Who knew if not another text would appear in the next moment, telling her to kill Alex, too? She should just leave him with Copper, he was in good hands. She should search for a place where she was all alone and should lock herself up.

If you don't want to be a monster, then prove you're not one. His words repeated in her head. "Help me, Alex...", she cried, "I don't know what to do" Instead of listening to her head and do what was best for Alex, she slided over to him and hugged him. Being so close to him actually eased the mental pain she was in a bit. She was so tired of everything.....

[Alexander Attiyah]

Hearing Nancy laugh--even if it was for a short moment--was a definite relief for Alex, and he could feel the mood in the room lift a little at her chastising comment back. Now that sounds more like her, he thought as his lips turned upwards into a grin. Though as the conversation continued and each of them shared their fears, it was apparent that their regular back-and-forth banters during their practice sessions were far away now in what felt like an entirely different time and universe. Which probably wasn't too far off of a statement, considering all of the supernatural horrors happening around them now...

"I don't know if I can do it, Alex," he heard her admit after he had finished his awkward attempt at cheering her up, causing his face to fall as he listened silently. "I...I just don't have hope. We're all gonna die here, I know it..."

She continued to speak, all while Alex bit the inside of his cheek in an anxious and somewhat frustrated matter. He knew all too well how real of a possibility that statement was. And he wished he could be able to say otherwise... But truthfully, he didn't know what would happen to them. He didn't even know how many people had died already, or if there was anyone else who had disappeared like Drei.... His biggest fear now was that his friends--the people he loved--were being forced to play similar 'games' like the one he had been tortured in or were being attacked by this unseen entity or whatever it was. He had already experienced both first-hand; he knew the penalties and the real dangers they posed with their all-too deadly consequences. And it honest-to-God terrified him to think of losing anyone else or himself to this hellish prison. And as Nancy spoke, he swallowed hard, fully understanding the weight of every word she breathed.

"I just can't be who I used to be anymore," she continued to confess quietly. "I simply don't have the strength. I can't fight this, I can't...get a hold of any of this."

Her voice was breaking, each of her words seeming to bear every worry and emotion she was feeling right now. It was like the ravenhaired could feel the heaviness of the conversation on his own shoulders, and while he couldn't see her, he could feel how torn apart his music partner was. Nancy sounded so... broken. And defeated. It was so entirely foreign to him to hear her like this, like she was lost and in desperate need of something so hold on to. And he found himself immediately reaching forward on the ground until he felt her hand, gripping her fingers tight with his own.

"I know, Nancy," he whispered quietly, his voice calm and gentle yet carrying a hint of regret as well. He wished he knew more of what to say to her right now, though the simple gesture was the only comfort he could think of as he tried to give her something to hold on to. And he let out a discreet sigh of his own as his blank eyes stared straight ahead towards where the sound of her crying echoed in the silence of the room, feeling both uncomfortable and unsure of how to reassure her.

Silently he continued to listen to her shaky breathing for a few seconds, until he heard her voice break through the quiet of the room again, followed immediately by warm arms wrapping tightly around him. "Help me, Alex," she cried as she hugged him, her voice pleading. "I don't know what to do..."

Alex could feel her shaking against him, as if she was struggling to find something to hold on to. And slowly he returned the gesture, allowing her to cling to him as she cried. "I don't know what to do either," he replied quietly as his own grip on her tightened at his confession. "But we're in this together, okay? We'll figure this out." He remained like that for a few minutes, his arms wrapped around her in an attempt to comfort her. Though he could feel himself cling onto her as well, the weight of everything he had been facing and trying to deal with making his limbs feel heavy with lead. It wasn't just Nancy he was comforting; she was reassuring him to. And after giving her the time she needed to breathe steadily again while he continued to hug her, he gave her a small smile when they eventually broke away, his body leaning back to give her room to wipe her face.

"Is there anyone else you've seen here besides us?" he asked her in a somewhat hopeful tone after a short moment, remembering how he hadn't heard any voices or bumped into anyone earlier in the corridors. If there was anyone else around, it was probably best to stick together; plus the more people around to trade information, the quicker and easier it might be to find a way out or figure what the hell was going on around here. Though he had to admit, he was selfish in his hopes at finding more of his friends again...

Shifting on the floor a little bit, Alex awaited Nancy's response, keeping one hand near hers so he could tell where she was in regards to everything. Meanwhile he felt around for anything nearby, hoping to get a better sense of what was next to him so he could avoid another disaster with his walking. I've already tripped way more times than I'd like to, thanks.

[OOC: Alex is doing a perception check aka embracing his blind powers]

[Administrator]

Dice result: 1D10 => 5
Failure; you didn't find anything useful.

[Nancy Holmes]

"I know, Nancy,"
She felt how Alex took a hold of her hand and she looked down on them through the veil of her tears. She closed her fingers around his hand and put her other hand on top of their hands, clinging to them. Hold me... Keep me from falling...

She allowed herself to let go of all thought she had on her mind. Just... clear her head for a moment. She needed a break. Her head needed a break. And Alex was giving her the opportunity right now. She felt for comforting in his arms, save and sound. Maybe that was all she needed right now - someone to protect her and guide her through all of this. To tell her that everything was going to be alright eventually.
"I don't know what to do either. But we're in this together, okay? We'll figure this out."
Well, he hadn't said that exactly, but... Yes. They were in this together. She wasn't alone... Very slowly, her breath calmed down and her tears ran dry.

After a long while, she moved to give him a sign that they could break the hug now. She looked up to him and met his smile, automatically returning it. He gave her some space and she wiped oer her eyes, getting rid of all leftovers of the desperate tears she had cried. Then, she looked at him again. She would've loved to meet his eyes now, but all she could do was look into his face. His cute, friendly face. "Thank you, Alex.", she said genuinely, before she bent forward to give him a tiny kiss on his lips. Nothing romantical, just... showing her appreciation for the things that he had done for her. She didn't even blush a little after their lips parted again, though she had to admit his lips were pretty soft, even after all this time trapped. Her own were probably dry and chapped. "If we make it out alive, remind me to take you to a drink and pizza."

"Is there anyone else you've seen here besides us?"
"You mean right now? Yes." Nancy nodded. "Before I came here, I met Robert and Nerissa. They should still be in the toilets. Should we go and meet them?", she suggested. "I'll hold your hand.", she added and reached out for his hand, which was right next to hers. Helping him to get on his feet too, she got up.

[Alexander Attiyah]

Sitting there in silence after they had broke apart from their hug, Alex gave Nancy the amount of time she needed to wipe her tears away, hearing her sniffle a little. And though he couldn't see her, it was like he could feel her smiling back at him like he was towards her.

"Thank you, Alex," he heard her say after a moment, her voice heartfelt and comforting. And then before he could react or say anything else in response, he felt a warm breath of air followed by a soft sensation press against his lips, the unexpected gesture catching him off guard. The last person he would ever expect to kiss him was Nancy; she was too preoccupied yelling at him on their normal days for him to think otherwise. But the kiss--even as surprising as it was--wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It felt very honest, sincere... and most of all filled with a lot of gratitude and appreciation in it, exactly like her words had carried before. And as she broke away, he stared at her for a moment in surprise before the corners of his mouth pulled upwards into a genuine smile, his expression somewhat playful.

"Do you thank everyone like that, or am I just lucky?" Alex teased in reply as he grinned in her direction, all before his face relaxed into a sincere look while his smile softened. "But you're welcome." And he truly meant that; Nancy was a friend and he'd have her back. And as he spoke, he hoped she could hear in his tone and see in his expression just how thankful he was to her, too, for having his.

"If we make it out alive," she continued to say, causing him to raise an eyebrow curiously, "remind me to take you to a drink and pizza."

Following her words, Alex immediately let out a short yet lighthearted laugh, the atmosphere lifting up along with it. "Damn right, I will. And you better come prepared. I take my pizza very seriously," he replied back in a teasing tone, his lips widening into a grin before he let out a long sigh. "God, I could really go for a large pepperoni right about now." Or anything, he went on to add inwardly as his stomach gurgled in hunger as if to emphasize his point. He really was starting to wonder how long it had been since he'd eaten last... It honestly felt like days, and judging by how empty his stomach felt, that timeframe seemed about right.

But the uplifting break in the atmosphere was a welcomed relief and as he asked her his next question, was even happier to hear that there were others nearby. He couldn't quite remember who Robert was though the name sounded familiar... So he was here in the school during the earthquake too? But at the very least, the ravenhaired definitely knew Nerissa and hoped her wrist was doing better since Copper had bitten it last time he was in the computer lab. Though as he felt the fluff-ball nuzzle up against him, it suddenly clicked that maybe having the dog go near her wasn't exactly the kind of greeting Nerissa would want.

Yet it was definitely better to be together as a group. And so far, Copper had been a very good boy; Alex doubted he'd misbehave badly again after what happened the last time they were in the same group. But really in truth, his main reason for wanting to bring Copper along anyway was because he didn't want to lose track of the pupper again. The dog was his only connection to Drei right now, and his presence was definitely a huge comfort for the ravenhaired. One he sorely needed right now...

"That's probably the best idea," Alex replied back with a small smile as he grasped Nancy's hand, accepting her offer to help him up. Thankfully, it was much easier having a human lead him than an energetic Copper that kept bounding up ahead and back again. And with a little guidance, they both made it to the doorway without much trouble at all. However the second they went through the door, the uncomfortable wave of static hit again and his ears instantly rang, the dizzying sensation causing him to halt in his tracks

"Shit!" he muttered as he raised a hand towards his head, as if to keep the headaches back despite knowing how little good it did. He didn't want to get moved again... he was tired of switching and losing people. But before he could say anything else, his body began to lose consciousness and he slowly sank to the floor, the sounds of Nancy and Copper besides him fading away into silence as he passed out.

[Nancy Holmes]

Nancy would never admit it but the second she had pulled away from him - she had been a little scared that he'd laugh at her sudden gesture. It was really untypical for her, after all. Sure, she had thought about how it would feel like to kiss him in the past...a few times... But until now, none of them had made a move in that direction. Of course, these were exceptional circumstances. Very exceptional. Unique. Anyways, she was happy about the smile he gave her instead. It was weir tho that he didn't tease her at least a little bit.

"Do you thank everyone like that, or am I just lucky?"
Hah. Called it. She giggled and playfully hit his shoulder. "Definitely lucky. And don't pique yourself on that, it was a one-time thing, right?" It was more of a rhetorical question. She'd never promise anything she didn't know she could keep. And it had felt good, so she might wanna do it again in the future. Maybe. She was how his teasing expression softened. "But you're welcome." She smiled warmly.

"Damn right, I will. And you better come prepared. I take my pizza very seriously. God, I could really go for a large pepperoni right about now."
He sighed deeply and Nancy did the same synchronously. "Oh, hell yes. Sometimes a bit too serious if you ask me. Oh my goooood, stop! I'm only getting more hungry...!" Like it wanted to underline her statement, her stomach growled. "SEE?", she laughed. "That's your fault alone!" She gestured with her hand towards him, but then sighed. "I wonder how long it's been since I ate anything... At least we have fresh water. You didn't possibly see if any of the food machines are still intact? ...Or...heard about it?", she quickly added. "No? Damn...That would've been convenient..." Too conveniert it seemed.

Alex accepted her proposal and, holding hands, they walked to the door, Copper happily hackling and following behind them. As soon as they had passed the threshold though, the dizzy feeling came back. Oh no... She tried to hold onto Alex's hand, heard his curse, but there was no use. They both sank to the floor and she lost grip on his hand. Goddamn it. Her vision blurred as they were lying on the ground. She tried to reach for him again, to hold onto anything. "Alex..", she managed to get over her lips. She wondered if he could still hear her. If only she could get a hold of his hand or his clothes or anything, maybe they'd wake up in the same room again. Come on... Just a little bit more... She couldn't reach him. We're in this together. Damn you, Alex...don't say such things when we can't even stick together... Nancy passed out.