poppy seed waltz / tw, day 6

It's a gargantuan task to get up. Gargantuan task to try and get the dead weight up too. It’s like cajoling Hugo, it’s the way Tick can be so charismatic, right up to a certain point. Made it this far hasn't he. Talked his way out of the Detention Centre with just enough charm and apparent stupidity. Somehow convinced Lu not to bash his skull in six days in a row.

“The tower is right there,” he says, moving like molasses, doing his very best to maneuver Lu up, “We’re going to walk over, and there’s going to be something that will help us.”

He says this very stubbornly. Very assuredly. No waver. He slings Lu’s arms around his neck.

“We’re not going to disappear.”

Because the statue is very obviously not out here. Wherever here is. But there had to have been somewhere it retreated to before, back when it was still stone and statue-y, so there must be somewhere it's retreated to again now.

Lu won't let go of him, which makes the whole forcing him up thing a little harder, but Tick's not completely opposed. Not completely. It's a good idea. Just in case one of them does disappear. Like the statue.

Even though that's not possible.

What the hell did he do to them.

He hoists Lu by the waist, huffs, only then struggles a little bit to get an arm under his legs. There's the chill of the stone through his shirt. He tries very hard not to drop him. The walking is very slow. But Tick doesn't let go, just in case Lu suddenly does disappear.

Tick will know to actually start panicking then.

“It'll be fine." He stresses again, "You can eat whatever we find. I’m giving you dibs.”