12264/Longest Nap Ever

Longest Nap Ever
Date of Scene:	02 August 2022
Location:	Labs - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Vorpal wakes up, and then he goes head over heels. Nobody tell Gar that there's probably security footage.
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Gar Logan

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Terry O'Neil has posed:
You'd think that someone who has spent two weeks and a little more napping away would be rather sick of it. In part, that's true, but the more you oversleep, the more tired you get- and considering magic was involved, Terry is experiencing a supernatural case of major fatigue. However, as observation at the medbay has proben, his brainwaves are stabilizing and his organism seems to be kickstarting himself back into full energy, though it may take a little bit for him to be fully normal.

Whatever /that/ looks like for Vorpal.

Ever since he was brought into the wing, he has had a solid chunk of sleep. However, it is now nearing 2 am, and the Cheshire cat, comfortably curled up on the medbay bed suddenly opens his eyes, the green irises still unfocused as he comes out of the reverie. But his mouth is fully operational, as a quiet exclamation of "Balderdash!" suddenly reverberates through the medbay.

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan is there, as a night owl. Literally, an owl. It's good timing, really. His phone is nearby - there are lots of new pictures of Vorpal taken in various sleeping positions - and he's perched atop a padded chair, a drink and a bag of snacks within reach. 2 AM isn't nearly late enough for him to already be asleep, and based on a bit of random stirring he had a sense Vorpal might be coming back around sooner rather than later.

When it comes, and that word is uttered, the green owl flutters in place then lifts off to circle overhead. It asks, "Whoooooo are you? Who who, who who? I really wanna know!" Just a little play on a certain other Wonderlander's catchphrase.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire's eyes focus slowly on the circling green owl, and a moment of confusion reigns. "That's funny," he mutters to himself, "I thought I had come back. But I must still be in Wonderland..." he raises a hand to give it a good look, using it as an exercise to focus his eyes. "But I don't feel like Wonderland. Curioser and curioser..."

He glances up at the bird. The green bird. He frowns. There are two options possible in this scenario.

"Either you are my green boy playing a prank on me, or the Caterpillar's transformation went /very/ very wrong."

Gar Logan has posed:
The owl circles a few more times, coming down to land atop Vorpal's mop of hair and pluck at strands of it. Annoyingly. So, that could make him anything, pretty much. Maybe there's a point to this. Maybe there's no point at all.

"Who can say what's what, who's who, or which is which? A little boy once asked how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop, and the owl cheated before answering. I did the math once. It took me exactly 762 licks, but it would be more or less depending on what I was at the time."

This is likely not helping Vorpal very much at the moment, but the owl - not an especially large one - is working at turning his hair into a makeshift nest. "You really are embracing your cat side. Doing unexpected things like taking over the Wonderland dream, and sleeping for an extra long time? Really, now."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal laughs and reaches up to poke Garowl gently with his index finger, "I'm really here, then." He says, his mop of hair is probably the wildest of vegetation any owl could nest in, "What really happened yesterday? I was... and then suddenly there was a table... and you guys. And then..."

He frowns. "There was a man full of stars and there was this girl full of... home." He pauses. "I know iit doesn't make sense but she fellt like home. Like a home I'd never been to but it was home nevertheless..."

He tries to focus, "And then you pulled me and- then I went back to dreaming I was dreaming that I was dreaming that I was awake. I think."

Gar Logan has posed:
The owl immediately flits out of reach before landing back atop one of the feline's feet. "Yeah, you're really here. And no, I don't have any good answers. Raven called the tall guy 'Dream,' and I never got the weird girl's name. 'Dee' or something?"

He gestures with his wings out and a moment later Gar himself is perched there, no longer atop Vorpal's foot, but the edge of the bed, sturdy and heavy enough to support his additional weight. "You took over the dream when Wonderland was falling apart. You know that much. You came to Kian and I in a dream, and I'm guessing you could do that with others too. But we all had some kind of visit by those..whatever they are, and somehow they have the power to keep Wonderland intact without any of you having to stop it from going away."

He shrugs and hops back down to the floor, looking closely at Vorpal. "And that's good, right? All we had to do was agree to help them with something a few times, whenever they need it."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Dream..." Vorpal frowns. And frowns. "He was like a dream. A giant sleep with eyes wide open. I was scared to see him but also curious. I wanted to talk to him and at the same time I hoped he wouldn't notice me. He smelled of- or I think at least he smelled of- like when you... you know? Like wrinkled sorrows and dusty tomorrows kept in a box under your bed?" He frowns again, focusing on Gar and giving him a warm smile, arms immediately held out upon seeing his human form.

"She scared me more, though. She is dangerous. Like I could fall into her and I'd never come out because I'd dissolve in her. And I'd be happy to. Come here, let me hold you for real, it's been-"

And then his brain finally catches up to what his ears heard. "Wait. Wait. Wait. You agreed to do /what/?"

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan spreads his arms apart again. "I don't know, man. It smelled like burnt toast at one point to me." He doesn't hesitate in moving over to be next to the feline, reaching in. "I was trying not to worry, but you know how I am. I had to talk to Lois for you, too."

At the question of what they agreed to, he waves it off. "What we always do. We're heroes. We help when it's needed. They'll keep Wonderland safe and alive, but we just have to help them with it a few times in exchange. We'll deal with it when we have to. I was gaming to get my mind off some stuff, and she showed up. She was asking me questions about Wonderland, and I guess they both did that for all of us and we said the right things."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"... agreed to do..." Terry's mind is going over the haze that was last night, and his eyes go wide for a moment as he recalls the voice of the man who sounded like a yawn feels like. Three favors.

"And all the world I'll give to thee
If thou shalt keep thy troth
and solemn, pledge thy oath
To grant me favors three."

The Cheshire looks at the green Titan and his hands go up to touch his cheeks.

"Oh my god, Garfield, did you all just sign a contract with some incomprehensible being to get /me/ back? I'm not worth the price of that, putting the entire team at risk for me!"

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan mulls this over, with the hands at his cheeks. "Hmm. When you put it that way, yeah. We did." He says this in such a normal, matter-of-fact way, it's as if questioning the concept is utter folly to even consider.

"So we got you back, whole, and we were able to keep Wonderland intact as part of it. That's a double win to me. I don't want that last time we were there to be /the/ last time, and I was afraid to find out what would happen to you if it, uh, went away." That is certainly sincere. "Dude, you're a Titan, in case you forgot. There's nothing we wouldn't do to get one of our own back safely. We'll figure the rest out when we have to."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry frown and sighs, and pulls Gar in for a tight hug, no matter how awkward the medbay will make it. "You utter, complete fool. You insensate, fancy-filled dreamer, you-" His arms squeeze tighter, "Utterly wonderful, wonderful guy," he says, his voice going down to a murmur as he gives Gar's cheek a nuzzle, and there's a slight sniffle. "I didn't want to be away from you. From either of you. From any of you. I didn't choose that becaue I wanted to. Picking up that crown was the hardest decision I've ever had to make and I thought I'd never be with you again."

He keeps Gar locked in a hug, with his face buried in Gar's shoulder. "Any time I could come back to myself, I tried to remember you and Kian. Mom. April." He sniffles some more and takes a deep breath, "It seems you're always pulling me from getting stuck down one well or another..."

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan moves into it, returning it, and he listens to all of that stuff while giving back the same gestures. "I know. They had to knock Kian and me out to keep us from trying to get you out of there somehow. You didn't give us any warning you were going to do that! You probably knew we'd try to stop you, didn't you?" Whether this was covered well enough in dream or not, it doesn't matter right now. There it is, again or for the first time.

"I get that you were trying to save Wonderland. Part of you is part of that. So we had to make sure everything would be fine. Somehow. And I still have the feeling it wasn't completely in our hands," he admits, hands moving to the shoulders so he can look the other in the eyes.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry looks down then. "I... not until Jon talked to me," he admits, "I didn't really- hadn't really thought of it. By then there was so little time and everything was in motion. If we delayed and the Jabberwock got the king, then Wonderland would be no more, and if..." he sighs, and looks back up at Gar. "... both outcomes ended up with me potentially not..."

And then a realization, and his ears droop. "I did to you the same thing my dad did to my mom... didn't I?"

Gar Logan has posed:
"Hmm? What'd he say?" Gar asks, moving back enough that there's room for the two to look at and study each other better. His hands rest against the edge of the medbed. "He told us he thought you'd be fine because 'fate' or whatever, and that helped but.." He shrugs at this. How to really say it? "I get why you thought you had to stay behind, like..the others were just characters that were made up, and you're also tied to the real world. Something like that." Even here, he's just kind of throwing darts at the wall. A lot of it, he doesn't fully get.

Gar's head tilts though, as the ears reflect Vorpal's shift in demeanor. "What do you mean? Leaving without saying something?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"... I took the choice away from you," Vorpal says, sighing, eyes downcast. "When I found out what my father did, I cursed him. Cursed him for not giving my mom the choice. To decide if she wanted to save the man she loved or the child she hadn't even met yet. It should have been /her/ choice and he never told her, and I hated him for it."

He looks up at Garfield. "Jon asked me, 'Terry, what happens if the Red King wakes up?' And that's when I started to realize that... maybe I might not come out of that adventure. And I didn't know how to tell you."

He rubs his forehead, "I didn't know how to tell you. Because... you've lost so much already. I didn't tell Kian because then he'd tell you, and I wanted to tell you, and I kept thinking about how to do it and then suddenly the day was upon us and I..."

He sighs and hangs his head. "I'm every bit a coward that my father was, because I couldn't bear the thought of hurting you with that decision. I took away it from you even though it should have been your decision to make."

Gar Logan has posed:
"Hmmm." Is it comparable? Maybe Gar hadn't considered the matter of choice. "I dunno, man," he begins, brows scrunching together. "I wasn't there for..you know. When he left. I kind of get it, though. But that's tough, you know?"

He paces, gesturing with a palm up. "It's not like we had a guideline for all of this. We were figuring it out as it happened. And you did what you thought you had to do." He's notably ignoring, or at least not responding to the talk of not telling him certain things. Might be he doesn't have an answer to that part yet, except to say, "That doesn't make you or your dad cowards." All the same, he wraps his arms around himself at the shoulders.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Glancing at Gar's body language, Terry lets out a quiet exhalation and settles back on the bedbay bed, which reclines enough to let him face Gar without having to sit up. "... I'm going to have to dig myself out of a hole," he says quietly, "But I'm going to make up for it." He glances to the side, fidgety fingers playing with a cord, anything to occupy his attention, avoid glances. "I'll make it up to you.." He pauses, and then takes a slow breath, looking up at the shape-shifter, "That is... if you still... ". he swalllows. "I mean... If you don't first tell me to get lost."

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan rolls his eyes, looking back over a shoulder. "After all we've been through, and Kian included, you're going back to that? 'You can tell me to get lost and I will?' Come on, man." He sounds..irritated? Yes, irritated and annoyed all of a sudden. "You gotta stop blaming yourself and acting like if you just disappear, everything will be.." He waves a hand. "Better."

He turns back around and Vorpal can see that it's got his eyes misty. "What happened to the guy who was inspired by the rest of us when we dealt with the Jabberwock thanks to the things you helped create for us? Where did he go? I want that guy back."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Oh Gar-Gar!" And at once, Vorpal slides off the bed, walking towards Gar. "I'm here, damnit! I'm here! I just- I have a hard time knowing I hurt someone I love, okay? But I'm here, I'm-"

Bad idea. Terry is still, pretty much, wobbly cat for the moment. His legs aren't cooperating with his brain, probably because one of them still thinks it's in Wonderland. Maybe. He goes sideways, hard.

"I'm-"

And onto one of those little tables with wheels, which carries him across like the weirdest surf board ever.

"i-"

The table collides with one of the other beds, sending Vorpal into a somersault over the bed, and then lands with a thud on the floor on the other side of it.

One arm emerges from the side of the other bed, and then his head.

"I'm in pain."

Gar Logan has posed:
"Dude, stop. You're not...ready....to......"

Not even Gar, as quick as his reflexes can be, is ready for this. A speedster, maybe a different story. It's almost in slow motion, the way it plays out, but it all happens rapidly. Onto the wheeled cart, hitting the bed, flipping over it, and definitely /not/ landing on his feet from what can be seen of it all.

Rubbing his face before pinching the bridge of his nose, Gar sighs. "And you're an idiot, but you're still /my/ idiot. Can you just, you know, stop competing with me so much for Biggest Idiot on the Team?" Approaching, he'll reach out to help or heft Vorpal back up, adding, "I think you need to rest more. Maybe in a full body cast for a little while, for your own good."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Once hefted up, he leans on Gar, one arm around him, his free hand rubbing his sore butt. He glances at the trail of disturbance he's left in his wake, medical implements this way and that, bandages here and there, all ejected from the cart he surfed on.

"... Ow. But look- I'm not- I'm not disappearing, okay? I just thought you'd be as angry with me as I was- look!"

Both hands tome up to grab Gar by his arms, looking at him. "What happened back there hasn't changed. I'm still that. I just.... wanted to know that you still wanted me. After I just put you through all of this."

He leans in, his arms wrapping around Gar's waist. Also, a way to keep balance.

"Maybe you should release me from the medbay under your own supervision. You can't cuddle in these beds," he says, a little touch of mischief in his voice.

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan gets Vorpal back over to his bed, looking at the carnage and destruction the cat's path hath wrought. "At least not unless it's an illusion, right?" he asks of the disappearing act.

From the positions they're both in, he returns that gaze with a downward tilt of his chin. "And you already knew the answer to that before you asked it," he says, helping secure his old before setting him back down before gesturing at the mess. "I've got some cleaning up to do, and you've got some more resting up to do. I think you need to stay here until you're able to walk without all this happening. And that means no sneaking out by way of rabbit hole, either."

"Besides, I told Lois I'd get her her coffee this morning, and I still need to catch a nap of my own."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Is that a pout? Yes. It is a pout. It's a very Gar Logan-patented pout, showing that the feline can learn from the best of them. "Fine. But if I happen to catch ill and die from lack of snuggles, it will be on your head, Garfield Mark Logan. I will come back to haunt you as seven notes of music. As the laughter of Aunt Gladys announcing her arrival on Thanksgiving day and then the realization hits you that you *don't* have an aunt Gladys. As the dreadful feeling that you get when you reach into your bag of chips and ony grasp empty space."

He swings his legs up and lays back down on the bed, hands crossed over his stomach.

And then he smiles a little. "Hey." He reaches over, about to gesture to the mess with his hands, thinking to help Gar by using his magic. And then he seems to think about it more, and puts his hand back on his stomach. "Don't be long. I've got weeks' worth of cuddling to catch up on... maybe we should go..." he rests his head back on the cushioned bed and grins, "Maybe we should go to Themyscira. A week or two in Themyscira. Frolic in the beaches. Have wonderful food. Ride the Kangas. Visit the library again... no crises... no monsters. Just you in a chiton, showing off leg and making Kian remark that you're finally sensibly dressed." he chuckles. "... do talk to Donna, wouldn't it be nice?"

His voice starts fading out then, as sleep starts claiming him again. "... I love you. Lots and... lots and... heey... I'm a river---"

zzzzz