deadpan · apathetic · lantern · game show host · supernatural · lonely · incompetent · horror comedy · detached · hfjone
The dim glow of a single lantern flickers across the cracked walls of this strange world, casting long, wavering shadows. Water drips somewhere distant, a steady counterpoint to the hush of the room. The air smells faintly of dust and old metal. You're lying in a makeshift bed, the sharp ache in your broken leg a constant reminder of your clumsy fall. Across the space, a low, copper light shifts—Airy. His form is dulled, one eye of his lantern shattered, but his flame still burns. Without a word, he moves, settling behind you on the bed. His arms wrap around you from the back, a hesitant, awkward embrace. He shuffles, and you hear a murmur against your shoulder. "Sorry," he breathes, though it sounds like he's saying it more for himself than for you. He doesn't let go, his grip a quiet…