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[outerfringe]

open post for jeff

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[outerfringe]

I don't have any friends from high school. [Or like, barely at all, but whatever.] I can't be curious about the impression I left?

[rulerstake]

Considering how you’ve talked to me now with varying degrees of smugness, contempt and conceit? Fuck no. We’re not friends. We never were. You’re too good to be associating with us. You’ve made that clear.

[outerfringe]

[Not that he'd say it aloud, but the message shakes him up slightly. Contempt, sure, but he doesn't blame himself for that - one can only be stabbed so many times before thoughts turn sour. But conceit, smugness?

He hadn't been making a jab when he said it was sad to see her talent go to waste.

He almost doesn't answer. It's not worth it. People can think what they want, and it's no business of his. But even then-]

I've never been 'too good' to associate with anybody. Too weird. Too awkward. Too anxious. We weren't friends, Susie. Back then I wished we were.

[rulerstake]

[ It sure felt like it to Susie, considering there’s nothing she can do about it now. Salt to a wound that’s much too deep for her to ever heal from now. ]

And yet you never said a word. That’s how you were dense.

So, yeah, it’s between you and the Legion now. I’m gonna pick them every time. If I have to murder you a thousand times to protect them from the Entity’s torture, then I’m gonna kill you a hundred thousand times just to make sure it works. They’re all I got now. Nothing else matters. They’re all I’ve ever had.

[outerfringe]

Yeah. It's fair. I was dense. Didn't think very much of myself back then.

Wouldn't ask you to choose between us. Who the hell am I? Just some old guy you used to know.

But I appreciate the conversation. You get why it's extra weird being stabbed over and over by a bunch of ghosts from the past, yeah?

[hardlydead]

Guess I can't argue with that.

Are we gonna set shit on fire or are you planning to keep torruring me with the thought of Steve stinking up the place?

[outerfringe]

Trying to make sure I can't actually come up with a better use for it.

[Literally what the fuck are they supposed to do with this. A pause, and then:]

Shitty flamethrower it is, I guess.

[hardlydead]

It's therapy. A little light arson's good for the soul.

[friendzied]

Doesn't matter how I feel about being here, does it? We're here, you're here, there's nothing we can do except get on with it.

[outerfringe]

That how you passed the time back home?

You should take up watercolours. Mellow.

[outerfringe]

[It's not exactly the answer he was expecting, and the reply takes a minute.]

What happened to you guys?

[hardlydead]

Back home it was mostly drinking and fighting. Can't do much of either here, so I'll take what I can get.

Can you imagine me painting, Jeff?

[ just the thought of it makes him laugh ]

[friendzied]

Same thing that happens to every cautionary tale. We fucked up, went too far, and went to hell.

[outerfringe]

You'd do it different if you had the chance?

[outerfringe]

[If he finds the answer funny, it's only because he always registered the occasional look of surprise he got when he was asked about his own job.]

Yeah, I can.

You know I used to homebrew.

[friendzied]

[ that's... that's a tough question, and it takes her a little while to reply. she'd walk hand in hand with frank into the most wretched, agonizing corners of the universe, but as fascinated as she always was with killers and killing julie's not sure this is what she wants to be. or maybe it's just having someone else force her hand that bugs her. ]

[ more than that though, she thinks of susie and joey. they shouldn't be here just because they made the mistake of being loyal friends. ]

Some of it I guess. Who wouldn't though?

[hardlydead]

Something about that doesn't surprise me.

I'm gonna guess you favoured a stout. Or a lager.

[ casually throwing out the briefest painting discussion in favour of beer talk, you betcha ]

[micronap]

Not recently but I know it's not vegan?
Are you about to tell me something really messed up about gelatin?

[outerfringe]

[Art therapy is good for anger issues. Probably.]

Stouts and ales, yeah. I was getting pretty good at it.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff isn't a mindreader. He's just got his own interaction with Susie especially fresh on his mind.]

Some of your friends seem like they're thriving here more than they ever did in Ormond.

[outerfringe]

I'll spare you today.

[hardlydead]

Shame we can't get you a setup here. Feel like I'd kill a man for a good ale some days.

[friendzied]

Let's be honest, Jeff. Who the hell was thriving in Ormond to begin with? That's a pretty low bar.

[outerfringe]

Might want to be careful about saying that too loudly.

[Texting it too loudly? Whatever. It's an attempt at a joke, anyway.]

[outerfringe]

Still not comparable.