designedtoparty | 011 ∞ VIDEO

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011 ∞ VIDEO

[Grubby and cobwebby, Nathan is slouched on his bed, smoking a joint. He's definitely not feeling his usual self, looking a bit more withdrawn than he would normally.]

So, I think I died last night. Either that, or someone slipped me some really bad acid. [He stops and groans there, squeezing his eyes shut and dragging a hand down his face.] I don't know. I'm kind of fuzzy on the details.

On the plus side, immortal. So, I don't have to worry about that zombie shit the rest of you lot have going. Down side... actually, I don't think there is a down side to dying, in this case. I mean, it's that or I got raped by some big, beefy bloke while having the worst trip of my life. [Pauses, looking mildly disgusted as he pictures that.] Yeah... let's not go there.

[He waves a dismissive hand at the camera.]

Anyway, I have this letter... bill... thing. Just so you know, I didn't buy anything, so you can forget about me paying it. Thanks.

[He takes one last, long drag off the joint, then pushes himself forward to stub the end out and turn off the camera.]

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I'm very sure. Or nearly sure, anyway.

Somewhere in the Underground. I don't know. I was still pretty out of it.

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine. It's not like it hasn't happened before, or anything.

That doesn't mean you have to be okay.

It doesn't mean you have to be upset about it either. I mean, it's not like you didn't just come back to life, but the... well, being able to come back doesn't take away from the fact that someone did this to you. And that's not okay.

Edited 2011-04-17 18:45 (UTC)

It's fine. I just said it was, didn't I? If I find out who it was, I'll get them back. No big deal.

[Time for a subject change!]

Hey, weren't we going to meet up some time?

To be honest, I really hope you do.

[As someone who uses those same tactics... well played, Nathan.]

I think that was a working plan until the harpies got in the way, yeah. You up for it?

[ooc: askdjf sorry must run to work!]

Yeah, I'm up for it. When are you free?

[ooc: No worries! Have a good day.]

Well, I'm free today, if that works, but if it doesn't I've got a pretty flexible schedule. I can meet up whenever.

[A pause. He's not really in the mood for it, but he doesn't want to admit to that and it could take his mind off things.]

Yeahhhhhh, I'm sure I can work myself around that. Now, maybe?

[Meeting up now works on dual levels: she can satisfy her curiosity and check up on him all in the same breath.]

Sure. Anywhere in particular? I was thinking the beach.

Nah. Beach is fine. Just give me twenty minutes or so for a shower and I can head down there.

I'll see you down there, then.

[By the time Nathan gets down there, he is feeling a little better. Partly down to being free of cobwebs, but meeting up is also giving him something to think about apart from what he doesn't remember.

He's smoking a cigarette when he arrives, which he offers her.] Hey.

[It's a bit awkward, standing there with her hands in her pockets, watching the waves roll back and forth in an attempt to distract most of the anxieties riding in the back of her head. What, is she just going to climb a tree, jump out, and call it a day? Should she cut herself, what? It occurs to her, waiting, that there's very little actual point in meeting up, but not meeting up almost feels like a wasted opportunity.

Claire smells the cigarette smoke before she hears Nathan, so she turns once he's halfway across the sand.]

Hey. [She looks down, at the cigarette, then back up at him.] Those'll kill you, you know.

[Nathan snorts, shaking his head and continuing to smoke it himself.] I don't think that's much of an issue for me.

[Working in a bar, the smell doesn't exactly bother her, and in a way it's almost a comfort: Meredith smoked, not this brand, but the taste of it sticking in her throat is familiar.]

Haven't you ever thought about anything like that? [And she doesn't mean to be a Debbie Downer, and her tone is inquisitive as opposed to somber, but -] What about cancer? What would something like that do to you?

[Nathan shrugs, starting to feel a bit more defensive, despite her tone being more curious than anything.]

No. Why would I think about it? It's not like I started after I became immortal, or anything.

[She doesn't know him well enough to gauge whether defensiveness is just a tactic or whether it's genuine, so she tries to make up for it in tone alone, softening hers where his has become sharper, more understanding than curious. This is what this is about, after all, in a way. Trying to reach common ground, trying to see where they're similar and where they're different. Claire's never met anyone who is exactly like her and wasn't Peter, and Nathan is close enough that she's willing to put in an effort.]

You've never been curious or anything like that? [She sticks her hands into her pockets and takes a careful step toward the edge where sand starts to turn into grass, not sure if he'll follow.] You never wondered what, like... the extent of your power is? How far you can push it? Stuff like that.

[Nathan loves his power, if not the whole dying side of it. He likes Claire, but not sure whether to see her power as positive thing or a threat. Especially since her immortality seems to one-up him on his, which does kind of take away from the specialness he feels for having got that power.

He follows after her, trying to keep his tone non-committal.] I guess. I think I was more curious before I found out what my power was, to be honest with you. But so far as I can tell, I die then I come back. I think that's pretty much all there is to it. It's not like I go out of my way to get killed, or anything.

[A beat.] Oh! And I see dead people. Do you see dead people?

[If he's worried about being one-upped, Claire's expression should at least tip the scales back in his favor somewhat. Over her shoulder, her eyebrows knit together and her jaw drops open a little bit, the O bobbing somewhat with each step she takes up the little winding hill they're walking.]

You see dead people? What, like The Sixth Sense sort of thing?

[Her questioning in and of itself should be answer enough that she doesn't have to confirm. She has her own questions, but those can wait.]

Sixth Sense, only without all that vomiting and bleeding out and shit. I saw this one feller get shot in the head and he seemed pretty all right after.

[He pauses for a drag on his cigarette, pulling as face as he exhales the smoke from his lungs.] Apart from the whole being dead thing. He didn't seem too happy about that part.

And Bruce Willis. [Though adding that seems a little inappropriate given what he continues on with.] Unless they're expecting it, I don't think most people are ever really all that happy to find out that they're dead. Even when they are expecting it, I doubt they're actually happy about it.

[She's not sure how Nathan completely feels about it, but even the relief of coming back to life is always tainted a little but with the realization that she's been dead, and it's only happened twice. Claire falls back a step, so they're walking side by side, and eyes his cigarette.]

Why would you be able to see dead people? I've never heard of immorality turning you into Haley Joel.

[Nathan's never been one to care much for appropriateness, so he grins at the joke anyway.] Maybe not, but I still say it was in his best interests. He was a smarmy little bastard. I'm surprised no one shot him sooner.

[It's the dying part that Nathan really hates. Coming back is disorientating and not exactly pleasant, but his most recent death is the only time he's ever really felt tainted by it. It shouldn't bother him as much as it does, but there's something very frightening about not knowing what's happened. He's distracted from it for now, though, and more than happy to keep it that way.]

How the fuck would I know? Anyway, I'm nothing like Haley Joel. For starters, I don't have a girl's name. And I'm much better looking. [Motioning a hand down himself and flicking out his tongue. The very picture of sexiness, clearly.]

[Claire can understand that much, even if he's not saying it, and it's what, really, brought her attention to his post more than anything else within in. He threw me down and I hit my head and woke up someplace else. Nathan's circumstances might not be the same as Claire's, and she's not asking him to detail what he does remember, but there's enough similarity between what Brody did to her, that first time she died, and the little bit that Nathan has let out to give Claire clues. In a way, they are more alike than she's so far managed to realize: brushing things off and falling to distraction is easier than meeting the problem head-on, focusing on it, trying to figure it out.

Back in reality and in spite of herself and the topic of conversation, Claire exhales in a hard burst, trying to fight off the laugh that's swelling, but it doesn't quite work, and when that breath escapes her, it's got the hint of a grin in it. He's revolting, but it's still ridiculous enough that she doesn't have to take it seriously.]

You also aren't eleven, so you've got that working in your favor, but I don't know how many points that gets you, trying to compete in looks with someone who's voice hasn't even changed yet. [The path winds, and they're overlooking the beach not long after, the little clearing dotted with tall and naked trees.] Did that guy, the one who got shot in the head, did he tell you who did it?

[Nathan doesn't miss the not quite laughter, flicking the remains of his cigarette off to one side with a pleased grin. It's a point in Claire's favour, if nothing else.] Hey, he's famous. Even if he was still a little kid, I bet he'd get people perving over him.

Nah. The only thing he did was give me the finger. Twat. Anyway, I know who did it. I was there. It was one of those psychos who spends too much time in front of a computer. Bastard almost went Chainsaw Massacre on me before anyone bothered arresting him. [Considering the clearing in front of him, Nathan waves out an arm.] This where we're headed?

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[Action!] also hi i'm not getting notifs ffft

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