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Jeremiah reacts but it's too late.

He's sinking and nothing works.

There's no words or singing or humming, just Jeremiah trying to use every bit of magic to freeze this goddamn thing and take it with him. The detective knows he's ******** because the bits that have already touched his skin are burning and -

- whatever panic never really settles, it's pushed aside. Jeremiah's mind rapidly going any direction. He looks towards Zac and shakes his head, tries to say something, but then the tar, the ink, the ooze, is already in his mouth and he is choking on it.

The fire is at odds with the ice that's inside him and it's such a conflicting level of pain it adds another layer of torture.

It burns, no air, nothing in his lungs but fire and failure and Algie I'm sorry and -

Nothing.

Nothing turns to cold and the searing pain in his back and -

Jeremiah blinks. He's standing and this pain is familiar and welcome and cold. His first thought -

Blue-green eyes go pointedly to the whistling noise and the woman. Jeremiah doesn't miss a beat and flips off a two-fingered salute. His heart flutters in his chest, hope burns. This isn't the afterlife and that must mean ...

"If the judges would allow for consideration," he replies, "that I did just watch my husband be flayed alive, then they may understand my melodramatic behavior and be a little more giving with their score."

Then he was stepping towards her, shoulders rolling as he did so (******** the goddamn chill and pain he had going on now). He was quick, this one, adjusting and adapting and even if he would have nightmares about this. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Closer he can see it. "... and where is Alg?"

Jeremiah stares at her - at the popcorn - and at the mention of Algie being sent back something in him visibly relaxes. "Since when have I been straight? You should know this." He huffs and, of all things, takes a damn seat because for a moment he would like a breath and maybe his back to stop aching.

Maybe some of the popcorn too.

He arches an eyebrow in question of whether or not he is allowed to try some of this possibly popcorn because at this point anything going down is better than the sensation of fire in his mouth. "Oh, you know ..." Jeremiah replied conversationally, completely sardonic at this point. "Painful death, mind ********, the usual trip to other ashdown." His hand flicked in the air. "How have you been?"

Jeremiah just leans back and catches the popcorn in his mouth, though he lets out a hiss of breath because ******** does that hurt. "Wait - what?" It takes a moment to realize that the popcorn isn't really popcorn, it's some kind of beetle, but he really does not care. So much better going down than fire tar.

His fingers just flick for her to toss another one.

"I'm not even going to ask for you to explain that but it's been awhile. Also we're not discussing who I ******** but w-" The detective smooths a hand across his face because this conversation is so seriously like he's talking to ... "Just never mind."

Hearing Alg was a d**k, however, warmed his heart. "Alg being a d**k means that he's alright and I love him that much more." Especially if he managed it after what he had gone through. "I need a breather, to be honest, after all this bullshit."

The only reason it was alright to not immediately go was because he knew Algie was fine. Never mind there was another layer of ******** going on besides the entire murder house that had Autumn in it.

"Again, you'll have to forgive me, I was just -" his hand flipped a few times in the air trying to find the word for what happened to him. "I died. My filter is a bit broken." Jeremiah gave her a look. "Lyoshka," his accent is so much better now, "is treated well. Taking over my title any day now."

He was lifting up some this time to catch the pop beetle in his mouth and took some kind of relish in the way it clicked in his mouth as he ate it. Still better going down. What was his life coming too? "When was the last time you -" Jeremiah stopped himself. "Everyone gets old eventually." His head tilted towards her, silver hair pointedly being shown. "... and I seem to remember you calling me old all the time anyway."

That look and that tone, Jeremiah gets a familiar smile on his face but it faltered the moment hers does.

"Krasnya," it was spoken easily and softly and he was sitting up properly, "are you part of all of this?"

"Everything. other ashdown, Sunny, the burning man, the crown, the sword, the stars ..." He pushes himself up and stands with a hiss of breath. Sitting was so much better and he feels so goddamn winded.

"I don't -" understand but that's normal "- how do we get back to you? This can't -" partial sentences again, goddamnit, "I mean, I know you two don't always see eye to eye but I can't leave you here. Lyoshka will break my shins."