If the earth should dry. May your dreams never die.

❝You are nothing more than a MAN-CHILD!❞

The Countess declares in total exasperation. Alcina can just tell she's going to develop a RAGING headache the longer she's in the presence of Heisenberg and his WHINING.

The black-haired mutant is already reaching for her cigarette holder, lighting the tip of it for a CALMING drag. Smoke drifts from blood-red lips as eyes narrow to the shorter man attempting to intimidate her. Her free hand rests on one hip now, beginning to pace around the other as the two wait for the other Lords to join them at their convenience.

THE IRON LORD WOULD ROLL HIS EYES, as he made a half-hearted attempt to get comfortable then. An arduous task for a number of reasons, especially when considering the only COMPANY that he had at that very moment.

This church bench that he had settled upon was anything but comfortable, and would only worsen his already sour mood. For despite taking some pleasure in being able to so easily rile up this MIGHTIER-THAN-THOU BITCH-- the feeling was MUTUAL, with how much she exasperated him.

A complete, fucking waste of space (And castle), really, with how goddamn DELUDED she was-- when it came to her unwavering loyalty to that damn woman.

"Blah, blah, blah. Can't you come up with something more original?"

For now, he would rest back against the bench and cross one boot over his knee. Lifting his cigar up to his lips, as he takes a few harsh puffs from it. With this being perhaps the ONE AND ONLY MOMENT where there was some SEMBLANCE OF PEACE between the of them...

One that was of course short-lived, the moment Alcina chose to open that damn mouth of hers again. Causing him to lift his infuriated glare up towards her towering form, as he pulled his cigar away before he ended up biting right into the poor thing.

The fog had been following him for hours.

James couldn't say when it started getting thicker. Silent Hill had a way of doing that, one moment the streets were just empty, the next they were swallowed whole. Buildings blurred into pale silhouettes. The road beneath his feet stretched out like a question that refused to answer itself.

He walked anyway.

His jacket hung damp against his shoulders, and somewhere far off, the low groan of metal echoed through the town. Pipes shifting. Something dragging. Maybe just the wind. Maybe not.

James slowed near an intersection where a rusted street sign leaned crookedly toward the road. Toluca Lake should have been just past this stretch, if his memory of the town hadn't twisted like everything else here.

He stopped.

For a moment, there was only fog.

"...Hello?"

The voice didn't belong to the town. That much was obvious immediately.

James turned his head, scanning the grey haze around him. Shapes moved in the distance, not the shuffling silhouettes he'd started to expect, but something shorter. Softer around the edges.

A figure stepped out of the fog.

James blinked once, like his eyes were trying to correct a mistake.

The person standing there looked completely out of place. Bright. Almost cartoonish against the washed-out quiet of the street.

"Did you get lost?" James asked slowly.

He studied the stranger for another second, confusion knitting across his face.

"This town isn't exactly..." He paused, searching for the right word.

"...a good place to wander around."

The distant groan of metal returned, longer this time, echoing through the empty street.

James glanced down the road toward the sound, then back toward the newcomer.

"You didn't come here looking for someone too, did you?"

For a moment the question hung in the fog between them.

Then James added, a little quieter.

A MYSTERIOUS CALL to Smiling Friends Headquarters would lead the pair to the TOWN OF SILENT HILL. With Mr Boss as usual offering not much else, other than the location and the name of their client.

And while already somewhat deterred by just how gloomy and deserted the place looked, it wouldn't hurt to take a quick look around for the client in question. Just so that they could at least report back to Mr Boss that they had indeed tried to find the guy. Honestly, who would even be out here? All this fog had to be a health hazard, right?

"That had to be a prank call, man. I think we should just head back now, and--"

Charlie was then cut off by a soft voice, with Pim and him turning towards the direction of where they heard it come from. And while the taller of the two was surprised (If not a little disappointed) that there was indeed someone in this town, Pim would smile and wave just a little too excitedly over towards the man.

"Oh, thank goodness! Hello there, sir!"

Once both parties got past most of the haze that was clouding their vision of one another, there was a quiet, somewhat awkward little moment that followed-- as they simply stared at the other. With Pim smiling politely up at the blonde man, unbothered by the BAFFLED LOOK that was being directed their way then.

"Oh no, sir, we're not lost!"

They have only really been searching around this town for less than an hour.

"We are looking for someone, actually! You wouldn't happen to be JAMES SUNDERLAND, would you?"

While Pim's attention was fully on the man in front of them, Charlie had noticed the groan of metal off in the distance. Blinking, and looking down the street for a moment-- what the hell was that sound? This entire place had been pretty quiet, up until they found this guy.

"Pim..."