PERVERSE - Apply Fic

17

When Ajay was alive, his body never betrayed him. He isn't sure what he is now, but he aches in ways he never did at his peak fitness. Ajay is no stranger to struggle though, not in any version of existing, and so he pushes himself to chase after Ambrose and Audrey, getting closer and closer as he jogs through the streets.

Ajay is much faster than Ambrose and Audrey, who are dragging a body. He sees them down the street, only a few blocks from the church, and it is the dead of night after all. There are no cars. He steps a foot onto the road.

The loud honk of a horn blows out in front of him. He squints his eyes at the bright flashing light. Ajay stumbles back, landing on the ground.

He covers his eyes to block out the light, but it's gone. There is no car. Maybe there never was one. Maybe there was one, but not here and now.

Ajay is no stranger to pushing himself past his limits. He gets up and jogs toward them, finally catching up.

"What are you even thinking?" Ajay asks.

Still, Ajay helps grab the bag. Together, Ambrose and Audrey are able to pick up the pace. The smell is rotten, but at least not putrid. Ajay isn't sure what to make of it.

"You can keep your mouth shut if you want to uphold our deal," Audrey snaps, one hand on their hip another gripping their pen and notebook so tight the plastic pen cracks in their fist.

Ajay glares at them. His eyes cross Audrey's face, and something about the way their face creases so easily makes him think Audrey has done this before. They have been on the brink of everything and lost it all. Ajay tends to think of himself as proper-mannered and so he doesn't ask the question that pops into his head.

This is how you died, isn't it?

Ambrose doesn't care about any of this. There is very little left for Ambrose to care about anymore.

~~~

After calming down Leo, Clare went out to tell everyone not to leave. She didn't let them in, not yet. Not with Leo, sobbing in the top of the church tower, trying to muffle his cries. It is better than it was before, at least. She couldn't even hustle them all into the basement, since Este is drunk and Clare worries that whatever has happened to her is just as bad.

Then, eventually, she welcomed everyone inside. They needed to have a meeting, even though Lydia had fallen asleep on the steps even with Barry shaking her every thirty seconds, trying to keep her awake. Nico's lips were blue, bluer than Fallon's since they kept giving up their coat for her.

They all collected in the basement, unaware they were passing by Leo who was in the bathroom. Leo stared at himself in the mirror, trying to blot out the tears off his face. It was clear he had been crying. Behind him, he can see Miko pressed so close to him in the corner of the room. She doesn't look at him though. Leo knows her well enough to know that there are very few things to keep his ghost quiet. It must be his face too. Maybe she doesn't even recognize him.

Leo never thought about ghosts being haunted. If he wasn't certain Miko was a manifestation of his mind and not related to death, Leo might think she has ghosts of her own, haunting her. Leo's been with the RCMP long enough to know that there aren't people who don't have ghosts. Miko's shadow might not be hers.

Clare goes up the stairs and knocks on the door. The others are adjusting. It wasn't cold enough for frostbite, but the wind ate away at many of their hands and lips, all chapped and dry yet still blossoming violet and red. Este pays them no mind. She's gotten into Eva's stash now, drinking herself silly. No one is brave enough to confiscate her liquor.