Considering Fractured Reality

[imjustpretty]

Here we go again, eh? Moment you dropped me, I'm on the shelf, but now you wanna relive your glory days, I'm being dragged out again. Classy, lady, very classy.

Oh, come on. Don't gimme that about me being a "game character" or some bullshit. You're fine playing all the other guys and gals without putting them in a game. Why's it different for me?

That's clever. That's very clever. I need a structure, do I? I'll show you structure. I swear, if you put me on another boat with a bunch of criminal maniacs, I'm going on a hunger strike. I mean it. You just watch me.

Comments

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I doubt that's likely, Ray. Even so, no hunger striking. Please.

[imjustpretty]

Howie. [Right. Yes. Whoa. Blast from the past.] How's—things?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

They're fine, Ray. Don't worry about that.

How're you? And... I'm sorry for whatever you end up having inflicted on you.

[imjustpretty]

I— yeah, I'm— [No. This is too weird.] Wait. I will—you're not still on that ship, are you?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

No. Thank God.

[imjustpretty]

Right. Right. Hey. [A grin.] That's good, right? D'you get to go back to, y'know. [A gesture. Wherever it was you came from. Sheepland. He may not remember your story all that well, Howie. Sorry.]

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

Not quite, but I'm happy.

Where did you end up? Chicago? Canada?

[imjustpretty]

Happy. [Smile, but a bit less broad that earlier. That's ominous. But okay.] Right. Good. That's good.

Oh, I went back to Chicago. 'n then I caught the first flight up to Yellowknife. [He laughs.] Couldn't find my passport, at first. Tore my apartment apart looking for it, and I'd left it in my coat. It was still in my coat. From—before. [Before he went to the Barge, that is. He's sort of awkward, now. He's not sure why.]

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

[It is ominous.]

At least you did find it in the end. Did you meet your friend in Yellowknife?

[imjustpretty]

Hah, no. [Good joke, that.] Are you kidding, Fraser'd just spent four years in Chicago, he'd had enough of the city. Not that Yelloknife's a city, but the man's got weird standards.

No, I had to track him. The whole deal, dogsled 'n finding abandoned campsites 'n stuff. Frobisher helped me, he's a friend of Fraser's dad. Was a friend of Fraser's dad. Spent three weeks sleeping in a tent with the guy; believe me, I don't ever wanna do that again. [Frobisher's . . . there's no good way to say this. He's gassy.]

So . . . how long've you been off the boat?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I... I'm not sure I can imagine you as the adventuring in the wilderness type, Ray. But well done on finding him - and putting up with sharing a tent.

A long while, it seems. Elle graduated, in the end.

[imjustpretty]

[A shrug. He's just that awesome, Howie.]

Hey. Well done, you. [Smile.] 'n then you got to leave?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

Aye, aye, I did.

And... don't congratulate me, it was her work really.

[imjustpretty]

[Nodding.] Sure.

[He doesn't really care so much about that. What he does care about is what he's going to ask next.] And where'd you go?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

Home, sort of. [AWKWARD. REALLY AWKWARD.]

[imjustpretty]

Sort of. [YES HE'S PICKING UP ON THAT. What is up, Howie?]

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

It's more than a little bit complicated.

[imjustpretty]

Okay, so explain it. [Preferably without making him ask again.]

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I can. Just believe me, I'm happy. Even saved from being bothered by this one.

[imjustpretty]

I believe you. But I'd like you to try, just 'cos— [Wait. Wait wait wait. He just remembered something.]

You were dead. In the real world. In the real world, you were dead. [Weren't you?]

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

... Never try and be vague to a police officer, hm?

I am, yes.

[imjustpretty]

You're dead. [What. He means. What?] How's that— [Man. This is giving him a headache.] How's that work?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure how I'm talking to you, but it's... I don't like thinking on it for long. [it gives him a headache too]

I'm certainly not going to turn the opportunity down, though.

[imjustpretty]

[. . .] Shit. [. . . yeah, he's got nothing.] I'm sorry, man.

[:( You're his friend, Howie. Or you were on the Barge. It kind of sucks that you're dead.]

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

Don't, Ray. It's alright. I was... I'd already come to terms with it.

[he's sorry. :(]