Re: Log: Ashleigh/Louis
Louis was in the basement. Where else would he be? There was no option for escape, no convenient hatch to drop into. This was his life now, these four walls and worrying about the people beyond them.
The house was beautifully appointed, and the basement was no exception. Rich woods, comfortable couches, and a corner which Louis had set up for himself as a defacto bedroom, blankets and pillows clustered on a settee. He hadn't been outside or seen sunlight since he had gone after Micah, and that was weeks ago now. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of time, and while his sleep was no longer artificially interrupted, without a regular schedule to follow, he often slept only for a few hours at a time.
Still, there was much to read. He had resolved early to learn what he could about his own condition, to do as much research as possible in his current state. That included raiding the bookshelves. Several large tomes were piled up next to the couch, and there were stacks of various others scattered around the room.
He looked tired, yes, but he was clean, and so were his clothes. Zatanna had apparently arranged to have his needs met - a bath with steaming hot water appeared when he wanted it, and his clothes seemed to keep mysteriously cleaning themselves while he was asleep. Her kindness did not go unmarked. It was good of her to donate her time and her home to keeping him, and her energy to treating him well. None of this was her responsibility, nor was he.
He didn't know how he was going to explain anything to Ash, but seeing her come down the stairs with the box in hand relaxed him visibly. He hadn't slept at all the night before, worrying about Sam, trapped in Bellevue, worrying about Joey's heart, lost somewhere and moldering, like his body, unclaimed. It was all they had of him now, and he deserved some kind of burial. They would have to put the heart to rest, and soon, but for now they needed to keep it safe.
The ring of salt, water, and dried brown splotches (blood?) surrounded the center of the vast basement room. It was thick enough to be noticeable, and, though it appeared harmless enough, Louis came only to the edge of its confines.
"Hello, Ash" he said, managing not to forget his manners. It was good to see Ash, everything else aside. So much of his family had gone that he felt he had to cling even harder to the little that remained. There had been that whole mess with Alexander, but it felt like such ancient history now. What family he had still, he intended to keep. "I have ice, if you didn't have time to get any." A small bucket of ice cubes sat beside the edge of the circle, and he gestured to it. It was obvious that she would need to come to him, for whatever reason.
He did look worn. He was barefoot, dressed in a pair of comfortable, loose trousers and a linen button-down that was clean but wrinkled. "I am sorry about this," he said. He was tired of asking other people to take care of the things he should be tending to himself, but what other option did he have?