( ɪɴʙᴏx. )

[decelerate]

DALLEN S. TEXT/VOICE/MMS

Yo. Obviously I'm not here right now, so leave a message, etcetera. If you're my sister, just dial again.

code by jerky.

Comments

[decelerate]

pinky swear i wont.

[duette]

[ ...Good, pinky swears were sufficient. ]

Okay, pinky swears. Here.

[ INCOMING MMS. It's a little blurred because she'd picked up and bolted about .02 of a second after taking it, but there's a very blue, very undead looking girl on the ground, what appears to be a detached arm next to her, and three sets of quite shambly looking legs gathered around. ]

[decelerate]

[ so as soon as he receives the mms, he lets it download right away. he couldn't believe his eyes once he finally gets a good look at the picture. it's either his sister had a run in with a pretty convincing film prop, or that's a legit zombie right there. ]

holy shit harper.

[decelerate]

[ then, a few moments later— ]

want me to come get you??

[duette]

See, I told you!

[duette]

[ She fidgets on her next reply, because she'd been really shaken up. It was why she'd texted, instead of called. ]

I ran all the way back to the school because I didn't know where else to go. So...

Yes. I want to go home.

[decelerate]

[ now he feels like a dick for not believing her at first, but he probably can make it up somehow. ]

be there in a sec. want me to grab anything though? ice cream, cupcakes, etc

[duette]

No, I have a ton of homework and it's late! What am I going to do if Mom calls to check up?

[ HARPER SUTHERLAND LOGIC

>ATTACKED BY ZOMBIES
>THAT ATE UP WAY TOO MUCH TIME ]

[decelerate]

tell her you had a run-in with the undead. but yeah ok im coming asap.

[duette]

Don't even joke like that!! I don't need her thinking *I'm* crazy!

[ SIGH. STEEL YOURSELF, GIRL. ]

I'll be waiting here.

[ At Starling-Chandler's courtyard, which is spacious, and entirely empty now. ]

[decelerate]

nah she wont. ill vouch for ya.

[ that's the last message he sends before getting in his car and driving all the way to harper's school. finding a parking spot isn't so hard when everyone's gone back home already, and it doesn't take him forever to find his sister either.

in his hand is wintermelon bubble tea that he hands over to her as soon as he's close enough. ]

Ready to go?

[ he'd ask her if she was okay, but he doesn't want her thinking about the incident any more than she already has, so the sugary treat is his sneaky way of saying he's concerned. ]

[duette]

[ Harper's dubiously quiet for a while, even when she hears the car pull up, and the approaching footsteps. She can't stay mired in her pit of drama forever, though, and looks over at the offering of sweets. Her motions are almost ginger as she takes it, given that she knows how she reacted. She's not sorry, but she is aware, at least, and smiles haplessly. ]

Mmhm. Really ready.

[ Shouldering her bookbag, she cups the drink in her hands and stands. ]

...Thank you.

[decelerate]

No big deal.

[ the smile that appears on dallen's face is immediate, small, and it stays even when he turns to head for his car. he makes sure he stays close to harper, because he's seen her freaked out before, and this is one of those moments where he's going to be the one to make her feel safe. no zombies would get to her while he's around, okay. ]

So you said you had a ton of homework.

[ he even opens the passenger side door for her. ]

Can you ditch it so we can watch movies or something?

[duette]

[ Harper ducks into the car, and the safe familiarity it provides. She doesn't pass up the chance to shoot Dallen an aghast look, albeit one that's completely unconvincing. Despite what she might like to say, there were some things that still remained unchanged, in all their honesty.

She tucks her skirt in primly and shuffles her bag to her side. ]

No horror.

[decelerate]

[ they're twins, after all, so whatever look harper tries to throw at him isn't something he'll fall for. one of the things he's gotten really good at is reading his sister, so—

there's a smile playing on his lips as he starts up the car, pulls out the parking space and gets on the road. ]

So we're watching Love Actually. You're making the popcorn.

[ heh. ]

[duette]

[ Harper thought as much, cradling the wintermelon tea in her palms, rested against her lap. Swiveling to look out the passenger side window as the city flashes by, her expression may or may not match his, but she's not sure she feels up to being so transparent with it.

Instead, she chimes matter-of-factly: ]

Kettle corn. With cinnamon.

[decelerate]

Sounds awesome. I'm game.

[ he follows the usual road that'll take them home, driving safely because hey, his sister is here and he doesn't want to spook her unnecessarily. when he stops for a red light, he glances her way and notices the drink on her lap. ]

You don't like the slush or—?

[ maybe the whole zombie thing is still bothering her? ]

[duette]

[ Starting with a blink, Harper seems to not understand what he's getting at until she looks down herself and notices she's completely forgotten about the drink. ]

This is from the new place down the street, isn't it?

[ She'd only been talking about it for a month, since the sign had gone up on the storefront. It was a darling place, with a cute veranda. Pink and cream, cursive writing. Everything she liked about little places like that. ...Of course, he remembered. And gone into such a cutesy place by himself.

Lifting the drink, she takes a sip, making sure to get a tapioca pearl or two. A second or two passes where her expression is completely neutral, like that of a tough judge, a sweets connoisseur — ]

...Good choice.

[decelerate]

[ he was starting to get worried, okay. maybe he picked the wrong flavour, maybe she's allergic to wintermelon but he'd know about that, there's barely anything kept a secret between the two of them, but— the worry melts away when she takes a sip.

phew.

the green light tells him to go so he does, makes a left turn at the next street because they're approaching the street that leads them home. ]

Yeah. We should go there sometime. They got cute snacks and junk, with cats and puppies made out of icing.

[ dallen isn't totally ashamed to be seen anywhere near that place. ]

[duette]

[ She presses her lip to the straw in thought, sipping every now and again. Now that they're headed along familiar streets, familiar turns and signs, she's unwinding. ]

I don't think I've ever made a puppy out of icing. Are they better than mine?

[decelerate]

Nah, 'course not. Yours are always better.

[ soon enough, he's making his way through the parking lot. getting to their usual spot isn't too hard from there on. as always, once he's turned off the engine and everything, he opens the door for his sister.

someone grew up to be a loser nice brother. ]

[duette]

You say that because you're obligated. I want to see them though! Icing puppies. Maybe I'll try birds next time... fondant sparrows.

[ Harper climbs out of the car, gathering up her things. It's clear the comment is completely harmless. Normally she'd tease him further, but she figures that'd do, for now. Once they're making their way through the lobby and into the elevator to reach their apartment, she tightens one hand on the strap of her bag, and considers the slush clutched in her other. ]

Dallen.

[decelerate]

[ dallen doesn't do anything beyond nodding his head in reply to her plan. birds would be interesting to see, it sure will beat puppies at any rate. plus, his sister should already know that he always means what he says so he doesn't bother clarifying it.

when the elevator doors close, he turns to face her at the mention of his name. ]

What's up?

[duette]

Maybe I'm a little on edge, but... I have a bad feeling.

[ Of course she does — things like this only happened in movies, and dumb television. But no, now it'd happened, it'd really happened to her. What she was absolutely sure was impossible.

And she had proof. ]

[decelerate]

[ that's never a good thing.

dallen still doesn't know the full extent of what happened, beyond harper running into zombies and arms being thrown around, but that doesn't mean he'll worry less. harper looks pretty spooked, after all. ]

'cause of the zombies, or something else?