@hardlydead

[outerfringe]

[One day David simply stops appearing by the fire with the rest of them, and Jeff does his very best to be relieved for him. There are only two real possible reasons for that, right? Either he'd actually died for real, or he'd managed to find a way back home- and either way, it meant that he was out of this place. Jeff tries to be happy for him, and for the most part, he is.

He doesn't think about David at all the first day after he wakes up on the cold floor of the Ormond resort, back stiff and jacket crusted with frost. Instead he's too busy finding his way back to town, organizing arrangements to make it home. His apartment key no longer works, he recognizes none of his neighbors, but his bank account was still somehow in alright standing.

Jeff finds a new place. He does not find a new dog.

He feels weird about creating a Facebook account just to check for David, but he does it anyway. When that comes up fruitless, he thinks a lot about the conversations the two of them had while tucked close together in the dark. Wonders if David would even want to be found by someone like him, to be faced with a reminder of the time they'd spent doing everything they could to simply survive.

Jeff tries to paint but can't seem to pull himself out of severe blacks and reds. Tries to catch up on the music he'd missed from the bands he'd loved but it fails to soothe him the way it had before. He considers a therapist, and then decides that he'd be locked away the second he was candid enough for someone to actually help him.

So he packs some things, books a flight. Finds himself at his fifth seedy pub in three days without much hope - except this time when he says he's looking for David King, the big guy by the bar makes a point of sizing him up. Jeff sets his shoulders, frowns and promises that he's an old friend, but it doesn't seem to affect much the scowl on the guy's face. He says something (that Jeff completely misses, he can barely understand a goddamn thing when people here are drunk and loud), but seems to indicate for him to wait.

Which he does. He parks on a stool with a drink, assumes his most unapproachable aura, and waits. He doesn't know who he's expecting to appear, but it's not David.

There's not a chance it would actually be that simple.]

Comments

<3

[outerfringe]

[Jeff went to art school; he's familiar with the concept of a Classics focus in passing, but he'd always been a lot more interested in ancient mythology than literature. He knows enough to make this lopsided joke, but he seems sincerely amused by the answer.]

How's he fuck it up?

[It's a genuine curiosity.]

Is it supposed to be - god, what are they fuckin' called. A fable.

you're good aside from Travel Hell tho?

[hardlydead]

Closer to a satire or a black comedy really.

[ he narrows his eyes in thought, trying to decide if that's accurate, but it'll do. it's kinda hard to explain ancient genres by modern definitions sometimes. ]

Bloke's a noble but he turns himself into a donkey — an ass — and 'cause of it he gets made into a workin' animal. Sees what all the slaves and the lower classes are going through.

yep! you too i hope :)

[outerfringe]

[Jeff takes a measured bite, chewing slowly more out of thought than a desire to savor the taste. He's enjoying it, but he's considering something else, and he furrows his brow just slightly as he tips his head at David.

Finally, with gravity, he'll ask:]

You rather be a donkey or an elephant?

yeah good enough, could be worse etc.

[hardlydead]

[ well that surprises david enough that he starts to laugh but chokes on his food instead, coughing a couple times before he asks ]

--What?

#holidays........

[outerfringe]

[Jeff's look only grows more seriously.]

Elephants, you know? Gray. Big ears. Big all around, actually.

one day we'll get to rest

[hardlydead]

I know what elephants are.

[ cough cough. he does actually give it some thought, he's probably more like a donkey than an elephant he thinks, but if he had to choose. ]

Elephant I guess, why?

sounds like a lie

[outerfringe]

Dunno. That's the kind of shit people ask on dates, isn't it?

[He just kind of awkwardly indicates their dinner.]

You want me to google some better questions? I've got some data left.

gently shushes u

[hardlydead]

An elephant or a donkey though?

[ he laughs softly again ]

No-- go on. Which would you pick?

[outerfringe]

[The defensiveness is all for show.]

I was trying to figure out what'd be the opposite of a donkey, but still inconvenient? Can't just say 'donkey or a cheetah,' that's a no-brainer. And elephant, for sure. They paint, too.

[hardlydead]

[ david can't help but think of an elephant patiently teaching another to paint and it makes him smile a little to himself. he has no idea what elephants do socially, but the idea of two just grazing together, wandering about, laying side-by-side. it's almost painfully sweet. ]

[ other, less positive images slip in-- bear traps large enough for an elephant's foot, deathslinger with a hinting rifle. he shakes his head, trying to shake it off and looks at jeff again. quietly thankful for his presence before he remembers words. ]

Think I'm probably more like a donkey than an elephant myself. Noisy and running on anger and violence. Just smart enough to be stubborn little shits.

[outerfringe]

[Thankfully, Jeff's mind isn't anywhere near traps, rifles. He's looking vaguely distressed about something else entirely.]

Donkeys are assholes?

[hardlydead]

Oh, they'll fuck you up.

[ david clearly thinks this is very cool and charming of them. ]

Used to know a bloke who worked a ranch somewhere in, uh... Fuckin' America somewhere, I dunno. Owner kept donkeys to guard the animals, said they were better than any dog for it.

[outerfringe]

Guess I always thought they were sweet. [Is Jeff conflating them with ponies? Maybe. Not like he ran into an abundance of either growing up in Ormond. He shakes the thought away dismissively as he wakes his phone and taps something on the screen, before he seems to read out loud:]

"Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?"

[His eyes flick up to David's face. There's enough subtle playfulness in his own that he hopes it's obvious he won't mind if David dismisses the questioning as silly -he knows it is.]

Better than the donkey question.

[hardlydead]

[ to be fair, donkey's a more fitting animal for david than he knows. they can be sweet and loving animals, deeply protective (kind of,) and are no holds barred fighters. also they're very loud. david really only knows the latter two things about them though. ]

[ to the question he snorts and shakes his head a little, and then reflects that playful expression back at jeff as he gestures to their plates as if to say he's already got the guest he wants. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff just wrinkles his nose at David and takes a large bite, indicating dissatisfaction with that answer.]

Mm. Number two, then.

[hardlydead]

Wow. [ damn not even the least bit charmed, david laughs to himself and tries to think of another person. ]

Maybe the ref who tanked my career. [ he pushes some food around the plate and takes a bite. ] Break his fuckin' nose again.

[outerfringe]

[Sorry, David, you're already at ten hearts with Jeff. the unique dialogue tree has been exhausted.

But that answer gets a surprised laugh out of him. Jeff had been prepared to name some long-dead artist he admired, but David's answer can't really be topped. He seems to think for a moment, and then offers with a seriousness so sincere it has to be fake:]

I could probably Google his address.

[hardlydead]

[ he makes a bit of a face like he's giving that genuine thought and then shakes his head. ]

Best not. Can't afford the court fees.

[outerfringe]

[This, apparently, reminds Jeff of something, and he snorts a sound of surprised laughter.]

Fuck. I got a ticket less than a week after I got back. My licence expired while I was gone.

[hardlydead]

Oh christ. [ g r o a n ] Renewing all my shit was such a fuckin' pain in the ass.

[outerfringe]

Yeah, same. Had to get a new place to live, too. [jeff pauses awkwardly, cringing.] My coworkers, uh. Figured I just couldn't it after my dad died.

[hardlydead]

[ david exhales through his nose, a little annoyed on jeff's behalf. ]

Most figured I was dead 'til I turned back up.

[outerfringe]

Probably should've leaned into it. Hell of a prank opportunity.

[he's folding his little takeout container closed.]

[hardlydead]

[ david breathes out an amused little noise ]

Shoulda turned up at my dad's birthday do like an angry ghost.

[outerfringe]

Could always tell 'im you ran away. Joined the circus.

[the - well, everything of the day is starting to settle heavy on him now that he's eaten.]