Hollow stepped out of the car. the sky was dreary and frostbitten, dark sluggish clouds crawling across it's cold depths.
He inhaled, slowly. the city felt so unfamilar, no matter how long he spent his childhood here. Archive rested a hand on his shoulder, and he stiffened. Archive inhaled slowly. he didn't seem to know what to say for a long while.
"son." Archive said, slowly. unsurely. "I'm glad you're here."
a long pause drifted slowly through the still, stiff air, clogged with dark grey and choking freeze. Archive stepped forward, beginning to walk towards the apartment. Hollow felt a shudder creep up his spine. he looked around where he spent half his life until the disappearance, during his return he was feeling more unsure than ever. he saw Archive giving him a beckoning nod of his head at the edge of his vision where the archivist stood underneath the door's automatic sensory.
Hollow puffed out an exhale and walked into the lobby of the apartment. "It'll be nice." Archive tried to make conversation. the silence was far too choking. "we can rekindle. you can reunite with your old friends. Oleander misses you." Archive said gently. Hollow grimaced. he had two memories of Oleander. in one they were making daisy chains in what used to be a field and was now a maze of looming buildings. he had told Oleander she was a princess. this started a game. Java and Tourma pretended to be scary dragons, and Hollow had to "kill" them to get to Oleander. The second was of Hollow showing Oleander his pet rat, Gary.
too bad Gary wasn't here to get him through this. the plane didn't allow rats, so he had to hand Gary over to an old friend, which was when he started to get extreme doubts about moving to Hopes Dawn to "rekindle" with his father, Archive. but the plane flight was booked, and he'd feel dumb to run away from it now.
there was a soft ding that made him nearly jump out of his skin. Archive laughed, and Hollow sighed, stepping into the now open elevator as he realized it was just that. he realized it was the first time Archive laughed -really laughed- since seeing Hollow again.the archivist had been just as lost in his thoughts as Hollow.
the elevator lurched sickeningly upwards and Hollow gripped the railing on the sides of the boxy thing. he was relieved when it shuddered open so he could step out into the hallway.
he and Archive's apartment room was all the way at the back of the hallway. he inserted the room key and hesitantly twisted it in the lock....
characters featured / mentioned:
Hollow @tales-of-the-heartless
Oleander @chouette-de-la-flore
Java @blogverse-mori-but-hotter
and of course, writing by me, Simon :>
Nov 1, 2020 - Nov 30, 2020 (ik such a long time for such a short chapter ;w;)
