((Ximena Rodriguez continued from Alone Infection ))
Ximena and Alan were posted at the top of the stairs to the recesses. Ximena was laying on the ground with her bag as a pillow and Raja's jacket over her as a sort of blanket. In her hands, she had the pad of paper she'd taken from a desk at the start of their kidnapping. She was scribbling on it at a deliberate, but unhurried pace, making sure that no cameras could see what she was writing.
There was one camera nearby, but it was pointed at her rather than from behind. In any case, she kept the pad of paper close to her chest as she wrote.
"So..." she said, continuing to scribble.
Ximena had slept a long time, recovering from the events of the previous day. Now, they had some time, and they were waiting for sunset.
"...Alan. Alan. Lanny?" She shook her head on that last one and scrunched up her nose. "What's your deal? How come you weren't with your boys? Haven't mentioned your posse, either. I mean, you know, neither your boys nor --" she trilled, imitating the Grindr notification sound "-- your boys."
A Protest Against Despair
I wouldn't come here if I were you
Moderator: SOTF Supers Staff
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Carrion Queen
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Catche Jagger
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((Alan Melnyk continued from Alone Infection))
The announcements that came with the morning had revealed that Crispin managed to avoid death for another day, but his new path had resulted in the death of another, one who, from Alan’s perspective, probably just got in over his head.
Andrew Martin wasn’t somebody that Alan knew too well, but he’d never seemed like the kinda guy that’d have the desire or ability to try to step to Crispin on his own. So, it probably meant that Crispin was either making more enemies, or had become even more unhinged without Alan there to hold him back.
He’d come back to thinking on it throughout the day, an unhealthy habit, he knew. Still, he could not help but wonder what had become of his former best friend.
It was Ximena’s words that had pulled him out of one of these bouts of deep thought, which he’d gotten into while resting his head against a wall.
“Aw, that’s real cute.” Alan sighed, but still grinned as he adjusted the gloves on his hands.
“I ain’t got no boys right now. And if I did, I still wouldn’t have any from this school.” He explained, his tone casual, not particularly uncomfortable with sharing if Ximena really was curious.
“I’ve got a real bad habit of picking up guys that turn out to be emotionally stunted little shits. It’s a pattern I’ve gotta get out of at some point.”
Alan gave a pause before moving onto the other topic, looking Ximena over once again.
“Now, with the other boys, I feel like you should remember that one of those is a girl. Let’s not go erasing the contributions women’ve made to juvenile inadequacy.” He continued, maintaining a playful tone, but the grin soon fell from his face as the line of thought continued.
“But yeah, I’m alone now. Jenelle got manipulated against the rest of us then ended up killing herself. Moose made some stupid moves and then Mercy ended up burning him alive. Then, after all that shit, Crispin went fucking crazy and wanted to go hunting people down for revenge. I wasn’t gonna help get us both killed for some pride bullshit.
“And that’s why I ain’t got any more boys.” Alan concluded, a bit surprised at how soft his voice had become in the course of explaining himself. He quickly cleared his throat.
“And what about you? You got any boys out there? Or, you know, girls, or weird blobs or monsters or furry people?” He asked, trying to move the conversation back away from his friends.
The announcements that came with the morning had revealed that Crispin managed to avoid death for another day, but his new path had resulted in the death of another, one who, from Alan’s perspective, probably just got in over his head.
Andrew Martin wasn’t somebody that Alan knew too well, but he’d never seemed like the kinda guy that’d have the desire or ability to try to step to Crispin on his own. So, it probably meant that Crispin was either making more enemies, or had become even more unhinged without Alan there to hold him back.
He’d come back to thinking on it throughout the day, an unhealthy habit, he knew. Still, he could not help but wonder what had become of his former best friend.
It was Ximena’s words that had pulled him out of one of these bouts of deep thought, which he’d gotten into while resting his head against a wall.
“Aw, that’s real cute.” Alan sighed, but still grinned as he adjusted the gloves on his hands.
“I ain’t got no boys right now. And if I did, I still wouldn’t have any from this school.” He explained, his tone casual, not particularly uncomfortable with sharing if Ximena really was curious.
“I’ve got a real bad habit of picking up guys that turn out to be emotionally stunted little shits. It’s a pattern I’ve gotta get out of at some point.”
Alan gave a pause before moving onto the other topic, looking Ximena over once again.
“Now, with the other boys, I feel like you should remember that one of those is a girl. Let’s not go erasing the contributions women’ve made to juvenile inadequacy.” He continued, maintaining a playful tone, but the grin soon fell from his face as the line of thought continued.
“But yeah, I’m alone now. Jenelle got manipulated against the rest of us then ended up killing herself. Moose made some stupid moves and then Mercy ended up burning him alive. Then, after all that shit, Crispin went fucking crazy and wanted to go hunting people down for revenge. I wasn’t gonna help get us both killed for some pride bullshit.
“And that’s why I ain’t got any more boys.” Alan concluded, a bit surprised at how soft his voice had become in the course of explaining himself. He quickly cleared his throat.
“And what about you? You got any boys out there? Or, you know, girls, or weird blobs or monsters or furry people?” He asked, trying to move the conversation back away from his friends.
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Carrion Queen
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"Hmm," Ximena said, nodding along through most of it. She tore the sheet off the note pad she had been writing on and folded it up carefully into a secure square.
"You could get a good boy if you wanted, I think," she said, appraising Alan very conspicuously and nodding at the end as if she was car shopping and found a particular car to be satisfactory. This bad boy could fit so many twinks, slaps roof of Alan.
Ximena began scribbling on the new, blank page of the note pad, hiding it somewhat from Alan, but continued nodding and making small noises of acknowledgement to show that she was listening and taking in the information.
At the end of his discussion of his crew she turned around her note pad to reveal she'd drawn a cartoon squirrel boy with a big mouth and fists in the air yelling "Aw nuts! My nut!!!" She sat up and passed him the note pad with the drawing, also slipping in the folded message into the pages immediately after the cartoon. Ximena smiled kindly and purposefully looked away while Alan cleared his throat.
"Ah..." she sighed wistfully to Alan's question.
"Girls, no. I can't. Not if I want to keep living at home and at this point, I have to for financial reasons. So no girls. Too risky," she said brusquely. Ximena figured that he got the gist and that it was not worth going into further.
She then looked as if she was debating her next words. "I also have bad luck. At the start of high school I thought I had a boyfriend. It was like a year of going out. But his Gift was basically being a love potion. So then it turns out that I wasn't the only one, and we were all getting scammed," she said, also quietly now. "I had a crush on a guy this past year but I think maybe he heard some bad stuff about me," she explained while fiddling with her fingers. "So one day he stopped talking to me and never talked to me again. Not even an explanation. Like I wasn't even a person. Like I didn't have feelings. We don't talk. And now, we never will." At this, her ears went very red.
She also cleared her throat. She'd never told anyone this much other than Raja.
"Thanks... for, like, sticking around and stuff."
Ximena waited for him to read the note.
"You could get a good boy if you wanted, I think," she said, appraising Alan very conspicuously and nodding at the end as if she was car shopping and found a particular car to be satisfactory. This bad boy could fit so many twinks, slaps roof of Alan.
Ximena began scribbling on the new, blank page of the note pad, hiding it somewhat from Alan, but continued nodding and making small noises of acknowledgement to show that she was listening and taking in the information.
At the end of his discussion of his crew she turned around her note pad to reveal she'd drawn a cartoon squirrel boy with a big mouth and fists in the air yelling "Aw nuts! My nut!!!" She sat up and passed him the note pad with the drawing, also slipping in the folded message into the pages immediately after the cartoon. Ximena smiled kindly and purposefully looked away while Alan cleared his throat.
"Ah..." she sighed wistfully to Alan's question.
"Girls, no. I can't. Not if I want to keep living at home and at this point, I have to for financial reasons. So no girls. Too risky," she said brusquely. Ximena figured that he got the gist and that it was not worth going into further.
She then looked as if she was debating her next words. "I also have bad luck. At the start of high school I thought I had a boyfriend. It was like a year of going out. But his Gift was basically being a love potion. So then it turns out that I wasn't the only one, and we were all getting scammed," she said, also quietly now. "I had a crush on a guy this past year but I think maybe he heard some bad stuff about me," she explained while fiddling with her fingers. "So one day he stopped talking to me and never talked to me again. Not even an explanation. Like I wasn't even a person. Like I didn't have feelings. We don't talk. And now, we never will." At this, her ears went very red.
She also cleared her throat. She'd never told anyone this much other than Raja.
"Thanks... for, like, sticking around and stuff."
Ximena waited for him to read the note.
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Catche Jagger
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Alan gave a small laugh as he looked over Ximena’s doodle of Crispin. He would’ve said it that he almost mistook it for the real deal, but she’d passed a note along with that, which Alan thought it better to focus on while Ximena talked about her stuff. Most of what she said was sad girl shit that he would have expected from somebody that introduced herself as “a stripper with daddy issues” but he listened all the same, as she’d done for him, and some bits did manage to stick out.
For whatever else could be said about Alan’s family, the ones that had bothered to stick around were too busy or absorbed in their own shit to worry about what he was doing unless he was going to wind up dead, in prison, in the hospital, or in the way. There was freedom in that, freedom to be Alan, even if it was something that felt forfeited rather than actively given or taken.
Mr. Love Potion sounded like a real motherfucker, though, and the way Ximena laid things out seemed like it was probably being far too generous to him. Before the world went to shit, if that shit had happened to one of Alan’s people, him and Crispin probably would’ve tracked the guy down and broken his fucking nose. Not that he’d tell Ximena any of this.
Finishing his reading, Alan tapped the note and nodded.
“Nah, that ain’t bad luck. Insecure or, like, sociopath motherfuckers always find ways to worm their way into people's lives. Look, I ain’t known you that long, but you seem pretty alright to me. What you’ve gotta do is say ‘fuck em’ and keep doing you.” Alan wasn’t sure how much he bought the things he was saying, but it seemed appropriate.
“If I can find a good guy, then you can find a good somebody, if that’s what you want.”
For whatever else could be said about Alan’s family, the ones that had bothered to stick around were too busy or absorbed in their own shit to worry about what he was doing unless he was going to wind up dead, in prison, in the hospital, or in the way. There was freedom in that, freedom to be Alan, even if it was something that felt forfeited rather than actively given or taken.
Mr. Love Potion sounded like a real motherfucker, though, and the way Ximena laid things out seemed like it was probably being far too generous to him. Before the world went to shit, if that shit had happened to one of Alan’s people, him and Crispin probably would’ve tracked the guy down and broken his fucking nose. Not that he’d tell Ximena any of this.
Finishing his reading, Alan tapped the note and nodded.
“Nah, that ain’t bad luck. Insecure or, like, sociopath motherfuckers always find ways to worm their way into people's lives. Look, I ain’t known you that long, but you seem pretty alright to me. What you’ve gotta do is say ‘fuck em’ and keep doing you.” Alan wasn’t sure how much he bought the things he was saying, but it seemed appropriate.
“If I can find a good guy, then you can find a good somebody, if that’s what you want.”
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almostinhuman
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((Austin Greene continued from DELICIOUS APE))
Austin felt numb.
He'd expected his rage, his venom, his only fuel, to keep going after he left Crispin. Vestiges of it remained, but Crispin himself, the way his body felt, had been far more of a bulwark for it than he'd realized. Without Crispin's anger to prop up Austin's own, the space it occupied was empty, and nothing else rushed to replace it. Just a tumult of emotions lapping at the sides of an otherwise-empty vessel.
He knew he had to warn Noah; he didn't trust that Crispin would spare him even if Noah didn't fight back. But the urgency in him had evaporated, and suddenly he couldn't find the will for it anymore.
He just sat still, barely aware, within an unfamiliar body. There wasn't much else in him anymore.
Austin felt numb.
He'd expected his rage, his venom, his only fuel, to keep going after he left Crispin. Vestiges of it remained, but Crispin himself, the way his body felt, had been far more of a bulwark for it than he'd realized. Without Crispin's anger to prop up Austin's own, the space it occupied was empty, and nothing else rushed to replace it. Just a tumult of emotions lapping at the sides of an otherwise-empty vessel.
He knew he had to warn Noah; he didn't trust that Crispin would spare him even if Noah didn't fight back. But the urgency in him had evaporated, and suddenly he couldn't find the will for it anymore.
He just sat still, barely aware, within an unfamiliar body. There wasn't much else in him anymore.
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Carrion Queen
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Ximena smiled and looked down at her own hands which were folded on Raja's jacket, still draped over her legs.
"Yeah," she said, appreciative. "If we ever get outta here, definitely." She noted the tap and the nod.
Suddenly, she felt something strange. Ximena blinked and looked at the jacket in her lap, but it felt like she was looking with two sets of eyes, somehow. The feeling was a bit unusual, but it wasn't altogether foreign. Her face changed from the smile, to confusion with furrowed eyebrows. Ximena tilted her head and stretched the muscles in her neck, acclimating to the feeling until she settled.
Sometimes she dreamed of the same boy. They didn't know who the other was in the waking world, but they enjoyed a friendship of dreams, having mimosas with mermaids and talking on cotton candy clouds.
"Honey?" she asked out loud, eyes wide. Her voice was warm, but confused. "Are you here? Is someone here?"
"Yeah," she said, appreciative. "If we ever get outta here, definitely." She noted the tap and the nod.
Suddenly, she felt something strange. Ximena blinked and looked at the jacket in her lap, but it felt like she was looking with two sets of eyes, somehow. The feeling was a bit unusual, but it wasn't altogether foreign. Her face changed from the smile, to confusion with furrowed eyebrows. Ximena tilted her head and stretched the muscles in her neck, acclimating to the feeling until she settled.
Sometimes she dreamed of the same boy. They didn't know who the other was in the waking world, but they enjoyed a friendship of dreams, having mimosas with mermaids and talking on cotton candy clouds.
"Honey?" she asked out loud, eyes wide. Her voice was warm, but confused. "Are you here? Is someone here?"
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Catche Jagger
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Alan looked over Ximena as she began to speak to… something. His eyes narrowed, before he began looking around the hall, wondering if he was missing something.
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almostinhuman
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The girl's voice sparked a flicker of recognition in Austin. It couldn't be...
...
These people really had taken nearly everyone Austin cared about, huh? Was he gonna find what was left of his family out here before too long?
Still, her voice was unmistakable. It was one of the few things Austin clearly remembered about her, actually; his visits into her dreams were blurs, if pleasant, enjoyable blurs. This was the first time he'd visited her while she was awake. He was surprised by how... okay she seemed. Hopeful, even. It wasn't something he expected to feel, nor something he could really muster for himself anymore.
He contemplated leaving her, but he didn't. He needed this, he needed her, even if only for a bit. He'd take whatever comfort he could, no matter how little he deserved it.
"Hi."
He'd never heard himself sound so exhausted before. Especially not when visiting her. It was usually a happy occasion.
"It's... me, yeah."
...
These people really had taken nearly everyone Austin cared about, huh? Was he gonna find what was left of his family out here before too long?
Still, her voice was unmistakable. It was one of the few things Austin clearly remembered about her, actually; his visits into her dreams were blurs, if pleasant, enjoyable blurs. This was the first time he'd visited her while she was awake. He was surprised by how... okay she seemed. Hopeful, even. It wasn't something he expected to feel, nor something he could really muster for himself anymore.
He contemplated leaving her, but he didn't. He needed this, he needed her, even if only for a bit. He'd take whatever comfort he could, no matter how little he deserved it.
"Hi."
He'd never heard himself sound so exhausted before. Especially not when visiting her. It was usually a happy occasion.
"It's... me, yeah."
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Carrion Queen
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Ximena's smile grew wider when she heard the voice again.
"Nice to see you! Well, you know... You don't sound so good," her voice faltered a bit. "I mean, you're always tired but this is beyond."
Of course he sounded like shit. Everyone did if they were here. That meant he must be some place nearby? She wasn't sure how his thing worked. Ximena hadn't even been totally certain he was real before now. But he had been too fully formed to be her imagination.
"Where are you? We'll come find you. Are you OK?"
She turned towards Alan now, her eyes still wider than usual. The two knew each other somehow, but she didn't know the specifics. She also couldn't ask and couldn't really elaborate on her role in all this given that time was probably at a premium.
"I think my friend's in trouble." She grabbed her note pad back, accidentally bumping Alan's hand.
"Nice to see you! Well, you know... You don't sound so good," her voice faltered a bit. "I mean, you're always tired but this is beyond."
Of course he sounded like shit. Everyone did if they were here. That meant he must be some place nearby? She wasn't sure how his thing worked. Ximena hadn't even been totally certain he was real before now. But he had been too fully formed to be her imagination.
"Where are you? We'll come find you. Are you OK?"
She turned towards Alan now, her eyes still wider than usual. The two knew each other somehow, but she didn't know the specifics. She also couldn't ask and couldn't really elaborate on her role in all this given that time was probably at a premium.
"I think my friend's in trouble." She grabbed her note pad back, accidentally bumping Alan's hand.
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Catche Jagger
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Ximena finally spoke directly to Alan, this time about a friend in trouble, someone that she needed to find. This friend was, of course, someone that Alan could neither see nor hear, and yet Ximena kept carrying on a conversation.
“Look, Ximena, I’ve gotta be real with you. This would be a real shit time to have a fucking schizophrenic break or something and if it’s a joke I think you might be a little too high level for-“ Alan shut himself up as the pieces clicked into place. He knew exactly who Ximena was talking to.
“No.” He quickly pulled his hand away from hers.
“No, nonononono…” He slowly started to rise to his feet shaking his head and raising his hands up, palms facing out.
“I know him. I am not dealing with him. I am not talking to him. No. You gotta drop this, please.” His words grew quicker and more frenzied as he continued. He desperately wanted to keep out of this.
“Look, Ximena, I’ve gotta be real with you. This would be a real shit time to have a fucking schizophrenic break or something and if it’s a joke I think you might be a little too high level for-“ Alan shut himself up as the pieces clicked into place. He knew exactly who Ximena was talking to.
“No.” He quickly pulled his hand away from hers.
“No, nonononono…” He slowly started to rise to his feet shaking his head and raising his hands up, palms facing out.
“I know him. I am not dealing with him. I am not talking to him. No. You gotta drop this, please.” His words grew quicker and more frenzied as he continued. He desperately wanted to keep out of this.
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almostinhuman
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... he just didn't get to have fucking shit, huh?
A whirl of guilt and anger and hurt clouded his vision as he saw Alan, as Alan put together who she'd been talking to, as Alan had a not-unjustified freak out over it. Of course he'd happen upon him again. He'd been stupid to think the last time they met would be the last time they met. Equally stupid was the notion of talking to Ximena (how awful it felt, learning her name like this), of spending what little time he probably had left in her presence, of taking just a smidge of comfort from her one final time. He didn't get that. He didn't deserve it.
"... I'm sorry, Ximena." He said, the first and last time he'd get to say her name. "I... I have to go. Don't try to find me."
It was only partially because of how things had collapsed here; he did, in fact, actually have to leave. Noah was still in danger. Ana too, if she was on her way or already there. Even two on one, he didn't trust their chances. They might kill Crispin, but he'd mangle them in the process, and he couldn't bear letting that happen on his account. Not again.
He just needed Alan to know he was leaving. Didn't want to potentially ruin this for her. Maybe one of them would make it.
"I'm leaving," he said, deflated. "Didn't realize she was with... you."
A whirl of guilt and anger and hurt clouded his vision as he saw Alan, as Alan put together who she'd been talking to, as Alan had a not-unjustified freak out over it. Of course he'd happen upon him again. He'd been stupid to think the last time they met would be the last time they met. Equally stupid was the notion of talking to Ximena (how awful it felt, learning her name like this), of spending what little time he probably had left in her presence, of taking just a smidge of comfort from her one final time. He didn't get that. He didn't deserve it.
"... I'm sorry, Ximena." He said, the first and last time he'd get to say her name. "I... I have to go. Don't try to find me."
It was only partially because of how things had collapsed here; he did, in fact, actually have to leave. Noah was still in danger. Ana too, if she was on her way or already there. Even two on one, he didn't trust their chances. They might kill Crispin, but he'd mangle them in the process, and he couldn't bear letting that happen on his account. Not again.
He just needed Alan to know he was leaving. Didn't want to potentially ruin this for her. Maybe one of them would make it.
"I'm leaving," he said, deflated. "Didn't realize she was with... you."
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Catche Jagger
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Alan’s hands balled into fists as he experienced a sensation he’d hoped he might never have to deal with again. That’s what too much wishful thinking got you.
“Then why the fuck are you in my head, Austin? If you’re leaving it’s-! Just fucking leave if that’s what you’re doing.” It took a fair bit of restraint on Alan’s part to avoid yelling when Austin tried to show up and act like he was being considerate about his latest invasion.
“Then why the fuck are you in my head, Austin? If you’re leaving it’s-! Just fucking leave if that’s what you’re doing.” It took a fair bit of restraint on Alan’s part to avoid yelling when Austin tried to show up and act like he was being considerate about his latest invasion.
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almostinhuman
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Alan's dramatics were expected, but Austin bristled at them regardless. He was just trying to explain himself, and he didn't appreciate being treated like even that was some deliberate affront to Alan.
"I'm telling you directly so you don't fucking yell at her like a paranoid lunatic. Christ."
"I'm telling you directly so you don't fucking yell at her like a paranoid lunatic. Christ."
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Catche Jagger
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“Okay! Fine! I don’t give a shit!” Alan did shout at that, as Austin decided it was best to explain exactly why he hadn’t left yet rather than just doing it.
Taking a breath, he swallowed and felt his throat already getting a bit raw. He quickly tried to collect himself again.
“What the fuck do you want? Why are you here? You need to talk to Ximena? Fine, whatever. Just leave me out of it and don’t drag her into another shitstorm that you fucking started.” He kept his voice low, reminding himself of Ximena’s presence.
Taking a breath, he swallowed and felt his throat already getting a bit raw. He quickly tried to collect himself again.
“What the fuck do you want? Why are you here? You need to talk to Ximena? Fine, whatever. Just leave me out of it and don’t drag her into another shitstorm that you fucking started.” He kept his voice low, reminding himself of Ximena’s presence.
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almostinhuman
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...
What the fuck ever. The situation was explained, and Austin's patience and sympathy was rapidly waning for Alan. There wasn't much to be gained from talking to a brick wall.
He knew it was best to go, but he wanted just a little more time first. Time was a luxury he couldn't afford to waste, but even so...
It mattered. She mattered.
"I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry."
He wished she'd been alone, so that he could stay. It would've helped, he felt. Would've made what comes next a little easier to swallow.
"It was nice meeting you. I mean, like, for real. Or, uh, kinda real... you know what I mean."
What the fuck ever. The situation was explained, and Austin's patience and sympathy was rapidly waning for Alan. There wasn't much to be gained from talking to a brick wall.
He knew it was best to go, but he wanted just a little more time first. Time was a luxury he couldn't afford to waste, but even so...
It mattered. She mattered.
"I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry."
He wished she'd been alone, so that he could stay. It would've helped, he felt. Would've made what comes next a little easier to swallow.
"It was nice meeting you. I mean, like, for real. Or, uh, kinda real... you know what I mean."