☆TWO

[redwhiteandhero]

Characters: Alfred F. Jones and YOU
Setting: Gymnasium
Format: I'll follow you
Summary: Just trying to keep warm.
Warnings: None right now.


[Alfred had gotten in the habit of a morning jog since school had ended, and he figured he might as well keep it up in the Tower as well. You never knew in a place like this when you needed to be in good shape. Plus, it was a good way to keep warm when there was no heat in the building.

Today especially he was feeling quite warm before he even finished a lap around the track. Too warm. He tried to keep going, but his legs were starting to feel like lead weights, and his head ached. Three-quarters of the way around the oval, Alfred gave up, wobbling over to lean on a piece of exercise equipment to catch his breath. Phew. This was obviously consequence of trying to exist on nutribars alone.]

Comments

[redwhiteandhero]

He's got a gun? Sweet.

[colonial]

A weird one! [It's not muzzle-loaded or anything!] Do you know how to use 'em?

[redwhiteandhero]

I bet I can figure it out. [Meaning not at all.]

[colonial]

Okay! [Accepting this entirely at face value!] Wanna go see if it's in his trunk?

[redwhiteandhero]

All right! [However, when he tries to head off toward the staircase, his body rebels.] Woah I... Got dizzy there for a second. Maybe I'll just sit here a little bit.

[colonial]

[America, already partway up the steps, turns around and frowns at Alfred.] Are you sick?

[redwhiteandhero]

I'm fine! I'll catch up with you in a little. What room's it at?

[colonial]

He's in 1-20. Hey, we could go up to the elevator! It's pretty close!

[Two floors up in the bug room, specifically. America hasn't realized that yet.]

[redwhiteandhero]

Elevator? [Colonial bb how do you know more than him.]

[colonial]

[Mostly stumbling around breaking things until he understands them.] It's a big box that you stand in and it goes up or down to different floors! That way you don't have to walk up a bunch've stairs!

[redwhiteandhero]

Oh! [So it's like magic.] That sounds swell. [He manages to get to his feet and follow the little guy up the stairs, putting a hand out once or twice to steady himself when a dizzy spell hit.]

[colonial]

[America will stay dutifully close to Alfred--after all, if he falls down the stairs America is pretty sure he could catch him. Once they reach the insect floor, though, America is reminded why he doesn't really go here.]

Um... It's over there. [He points across the room.]

[redwhiteandhero]

[Alfred peers into the space.] It's all dark.

[colonial]

We should go fast. [Dark usually means monsters here.] Can you?

[redwhiteandhero]

Yeah, I can do it. [He doesn't like the sound of that.]

[colonial]

Okay, we should run real fast on three. [America steels himself for this trip across a room.] One... Two... Three!

[redwhiteandhero]

[Running running oh god what are they running on aaaaa]

[colonial]

[This is really gross though eventually America's feet stop squishing and start hitting metal. He brings a few of the bugs in with him, though.]

[redwhiteandhero]

[It isn't until they're inside the elevator and he can see the bugs they've tracked in that Alfred realizes what was in the other room. He slumps against the wall, going slightly green.]

I think I'm gonna be sick.

[colonial]

[America shivers a bit himself, looking at the bugs on the elevator floor. He usually doesn't mind bugs, but a whole room of them...]

...Let's not go there again.

[He presses the button to go to the dorms!]

[redwhiteandhero]

[Bugs on their own aren't so bad, but that many of them...?

The movement of the elevator isn't helping his nausea any.]

[colonial]

[America busies himself pushing all of the hitchhiking bugs into a corner. At least they don't have that far to go, relatively. And once it stops they'll be on the right floor!]

Maybe there'll be something to eat in his trunk, too.

[redwhiteandhero]

Man, I hope so. [Alfred is huddled against the wal holding his hand over his mouth at this point, but that still doesn't seem to turn him off the idea of food. Real food.]

[colonial]

[And they're at the dorms! America steps out of the elevator.]

Are you sure you're okay?

[redwhiteandhero]

Yeah, totally. Gimme a second.