IC Contact (post return to game)

[pale_blue_arrow]

You've reached Brendan Frye. 'm out right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you soon as I can manage. Send a text if you wanna have words 'nd it's urgent. Thanks.

Comments

claims this twice over

[h2no]

hey i'm in nonah
are you free now?

<3

[pale_blue_arrow]

yeah. got nothing to do until my new job kicks in later this week anyway.

swing by whenever you want, arch

[h2no]

right

[AND SO: about half an hour later brendan's doorbell is rung. archie's standing there with mightyena sitting next to him and a small box of donut bites.

a peace offering. he hopes.]

[pale_blue_arrow]

eloquent as always.

[Brendan looks like Hell. The Porter has healed over the worst of the bruising thanks to giving him his healing power, but his hair is uncombed, his glasses are askew and he looks like he either had no sleep or at the very least, no peaceful sleep.]

...your dog is weird. C'n I pet it?

[h2no]

[mightyena borks a small hello, standing up as the door opens. its tail wags and it pads forward, going to press its face into brendan's hands. that's a yes on petting. archie just shrugs and nods, holding the bag of donut holes out for him.]

Yeah. [a bit late, but whatever. he sees how brendan looks and feels guilty-- he had some bad injuries last time, right? the only reason he hadn't sprinted over immediately is because the kid'd seemed alright in the video.] You hurt?

[he holds a hand up, a soft pastel rainbow glow clouding around it.]

I can heal. Includes shitty headaches from no sleep.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Good doggo. [He's always liked animals. Never got to have a pet, but maybe here, that could change. He'd like to think it could, anyway, given some time and cash. It's not like he's got much else to do, really.]

Hurt some. Not as bad as it could've been. And I wouldn't say no to havin' a hot guys' hands on me, normally, but - I've got maybe ten dollars to my name and I can't pay you back. An' I got a solid four hours, last night. [Which was pretty good, all things considered. He spent the rest of the time pacing, laying in bed and rethinking his fuck ups, repeatedly.] Not all in a row, but still.

[h2no]

[he rolls his eyes. no, definitely didn't miss the "flirting". ugh. he feels a little nauseated already-- give him a moment. he swallows it down, there it is. he's good.]

Keep that shite up and Mightyena's goin' home. [it glances over at him at that, but doesn't really respond otherwise. mightyena pads into the house, sniffing around.] Mmm, better than nothin'. Alright, where's the livin' room?

[pale_blue_arrow]

Force of habit. Arguably worth it, if it keeps you from hovering too much. I can manage fine, Arch. I had one drink, I laid in bed, I cooked a sane man's breakfast, I even started thinking about what to get for my room to make it less claustrophobic feeling. 'm fine. Fine as I get, anyway.

[Which isn't terribly fine, all things considered. But he likes knowing he has something he can use to verbally repulse Archie, to keep him at an arm's length. All these people claiming to know him, to care about him, these strangers who should know he's no good for them are making him anxious, on-edge in a way he can't deal with on top of the hideous, ugly truth that he's alive right now despite his best attempts not to survive back home.

He shrugs, nods vaguely in one direction, following after Mightyena.] Through here. Not much to it. I only got one roomie and I guess he's busy, 'cause he's been making himself scarce. Dunno why.

[h2no]

I don't intend to bother you more than I need to.

[it hurts, not having the same as what they had before, but archie knows he messed up a lot-- they'd left on a really poor note when brendan had been ported out (you failed) and he hadn't known what to do about it or how to respond to anything.

it's relatively easy for him to act like this is all well and good, but it'll crack eventually. he just hopes it doesn't happen in front of brendan. poor guy has enough to deal with.]

Probably busy. Know his name? I feel like I know the guy and I've been here before, actually... hooh, deja vu!

[or it might just be the similar government housing layout.......]

[pale_blue_arrow]

You're not botherin' me, I just need more than a night to get used to this shit.

[It's exhausting, not having a moment to catch his breath. New people claiming to be old friends with new stories of days and events he will, forever, be literally unable to recall. No down time, no time to curl up and process everything he lost and fucked up and will never get to go back to because he's technically dead. Just like back home in the middle of a murder investigation, he's gotta be on, at all times.

He's not sure how long he can pull it off, honestly.]

Don't know, don't care. You realize these houses are all cookie-cutter, right? Could be anybody's place, especially for all I know.

[h2no]

Yeah, I know. Sorry. I can leave it longer, if you want.

[he sighs, knowing the answer will probably be no and dumps the box of donut holes on the coffee table. mightyena whines a little sympathetically and hops up on the couch, giving brendan a look that just screams come and sit next to me.]

Well, whatever. Uh-- how're you doin'?

[pale_blue_arrow]

It'd be nice to have some time to take it all in. Was I this fast on the uptake before? 'Cause I dunno if I can pull that off twice.

[D'aw, doggo. Brendan smiles, a small, shaky expression, and sits down next to the dog, giving the floof head scritches.] Drama queen. Were we not giving you our undivided attention? [He sighs, rubbing behind Mightyena's ears.]

I'm - I don't know. I'm holding it together. Resisting the urge to do anythin' drastic and fillin' in my time with trying to figure out who knows what about me. Status quo, I guess.

[h2no]

Yeah, I get ya. I just wanted to see how you were doin', really, we don't gotta talk the heavy shit.

[mightyena whines again at the scritches and what he says, pawing at brendan lightly with his front paw. no, there was not enough attention towards him!! he also knows he is a calming presence.]

As long as ya keep resistin'. Get through the first week and you can probably take on any bullshit, honestly. No-one's given you any trouble?

[pale_blue_arrow]

If I ever figure out how I'm doing, I'll let you know.

[Oh, pupper. Why you so cute? Brendan fiddles with the dog's fluff, smiling weakly for a moment. It's kind of nice, getting to borrow someone's pet.]

No one's been anything but nice to me. It's crazy. 'm starting to wonder if there's anybody here I didn't know before.

[h2no]

You don't have to. You don't owe me anything.

[he curls his hand under his chin, watching mightyena lap up all the attention that's given to him.]

I wouldn't know, but imPorts tend to try and support each other. Especially with the recent political climate.

[and yet... it's possibly still better than what he knows brendan is going back to.]

[pale_blue_arrow]

You say that, but... the way you're checking in on me, I get this sense we used to be close. Not sure how, admittedly, 'cause I'm nobody's first choice for a friend, but - we were friends, right?

[The thought is odd, still, something that's taking a while to set in. For Archie to be this worried about him, they had to have gotten to know each other, but what Brendan can't figure is who'd get to know him and not back away immediately from that giant pile of issues, pain and moodswings. His hands still on Mightyena's fur as he looks over at Archie.]

Recent political climate? [Ah, there it is. He'd been waiting for that other shoe to drop.]

[h2no]

Well, like I said. We knew each other for quite a long time. [he shrugs.] But if you want me to go away and leave you alone, I will. If it's too much.

[he might be projecting a bit-- starting again after what he feels like was something he'd messed up really badly doesn't sit right. like he's just been forgiven for failing brendan so badly before. at the same time, he doesn't want to add to the poor guy's mental burden by confessing his failures to him. how could he tell him? hey, you lost your boyfriend to the porter and ended up in hospital because i couldn't do anything for you?

fuck.]

imPorts ain't been very popular, recently. I don't think it's anything you'll need to worry about as a new guy, though... [he rubs the back of his head.] So, uh, there's like two extremes? People either love us and treat us like celebrities or hate us and want us gone. The former-- they're like.

[how to put this delicately...]

They sorta see imPorts as objects for fanfiction and fanart. Like people would for their favourite characters in a TV show? So, uh, be careful. On the internet.

[his expression crimps.]

This is the weirdest fucking thing I've had to warn anyone about, I'm gonna be honest.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Dial it back on the barely-concealed self-contempt and we'll be fine. That's my shtick, Arch.

[Brendan doesn't have delusions that he's not a wreck. He still has delusions about how if Emily hadn't died he'd have pulled himself together and everything would've been fine - he has to think that, needs to believe that just to deal with the current level of pain that's whipped itself up from whispers into a dull roar in his head - but he can figure he probably played a hand in fucking something or other up around here. That's usually how it works, with him.]

...that is the weirdest thing I've heard so far. But if I keep my head down and ignore it, I can probably manage fine. Probably better to let people have their skewed perceptions than it is to try to correct them; anything I say might just add fuel to the fire.

[h2no]

[his nose wrinkles. fuck. didn't mean to make it that obvious. or clear at all, actually. fuck!!!! he forgot how good at reading people this asshole is!!]

Yeah, well, it's sound advice. Shit gets really weird and it's widely accepted as well. It's easy to ignore if you don't go looking for it, but if you're here for another few months people are likely to recognise you on the streets. Like true celebrities, we end up with no privacy.

[...]

Unleeeess you see about moving to the government housing that's a little further into the suburbs. But-- that's up to you, of course. It's just the advice I've learnt from bein' here myself.

[pale_blue_arrow]

[Reading people is vital for the survival of any detective. Even an amateur one like Brendan needs the basics down, and over the years he's honed that to a blunted edge.]

Guess I'll have to keep a low profile. I dunno if I want to move, though. The quiet here is peaceful and I need that right now, Arch. It's space to breathe, finally try to lay my head down and get some rest. Maybe later I'll consider it.

[h2no]

You don't gotta do anythin', there's no harm in stayin' here. It's a solid place and the government gives you more than enough to cover the rent and food. It's pretty good for a break from home.

You don't even gotta do your job, if you don't want to. What did you get assigned?

[pale_blue_arrow]

Yeah... assuming I play nice and get Registered, then I'm in solid with the government. But I'm not seeing a lot of reasons to want to get under their thumb. The last time I was part of an organization I got dead. Would rather not do a repeat an' I haven't heard good things about the government here outta even one person's mouth.

'm flipping burgers. Decent pay, can't complain. It's not so bad. If it were bad I'd've already ditched the idea without telling anyone.

[h2no]

You'll be fine. You'd be amazed what you could get away with while remaining Registered. Most people only do it for the benefits, anyway. S'not like we'll be called on.

[he... thinks.]

That's fair. Just remember you can if you need to.

[pale_blue_arrow]

I dunno, I'm not sold on the idea yet an' I haven't had the time to dig through it properly. I wanna know all the details before I get myself in too deep to get back out.

Fine, but without school occupying me at the moment it's not as if I've got a lot else to do. A little routine can be really grounding. Especially when a guy's just been dropkicked into another world.

[h2no]

Don't overwhelm yourself. Tell the people who know you to back off, if you gotta.

[he's aware he's probably one of them.]

Do what helps.

[pale_blue_arrow]

[He sighs, slightly annoyed.] Stop takin' shots at yourself, it's making me feel all paternal and you're what, thirty?

What'd've helped is if the government agent who dropped me had warned me. About the fucked up gang-esque politics here or the being here before thing or - any of it.

[h2no]

I'm not taking shots at myself-- I'm stating a simple fact.

[he cocks his head, tone and expression completely neutral; he means it.]

They're no good at that. There's some notes complied by imPorts that've been here for a while about it all. Do you want that file? It's pretty good.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Said ever guy devoid of a spine, ever. [He yawns, involuntarily. After the beating he took back home, he still feels like shit.]

That'd be great. Notes, information, anything that gives me some clarity. I may not know why I'm here but I'd appreciate not feeling in the dark about everything.

[h2no]

[he ignores the poke, instead just pulls out his comm with a sniff and pings brendan the notes and faq.]

Kaneki upkeeps them both more than anyone. Have you spoken with him at all?

[pale_blue_arrow]

Nah, not yet, but somebody else recommended I get ahold of him. He somebody else I knew that I don't know now?

[h2no]

Not that I know of, no. I didn't know everyone you knew, only the ones that you spoke of to me.

[manabu, again, comes to the forefront of his mind, but archie doesn't mention him.]

Kaneki's just... the guy everyone knows. He's been here a long time-- not the longest, but a long time.

[pale_blue_arrow]

This is gonna be a chore, figuring out who I did and didn't know and how close we were and all that. At least it's summer, so I've got the free time to do it without cutting class.

'm almost afraid to ask, but who's been here the longest and how long've they been here?

[h2no]

Ah...

[he frowns.]

Tony Stark, at about a decade. He's an outlier, though. Lotta people I know at a few years, I'm almost at two. Along with intermittently being Ported in and out.

[pale_blue_arrow]

...ten years. Well, damn. Never thought I'd be sayin' this, but considering what'll happen if I go back home, another ten years to live sounds like a Godsend. Probably not gonna happen, though. I know how my luck runs.

Does everybody lose their memory when they glitch in an' out, or is that a one-off?

[h2no]

He seems to be an outlier. Most people range from a month to a year to more. There's no pattern to it unfortunately.

[he closes his eyes briefly. there's a lot in that statement that's upsetting, for a bunch of reasons.]

Any amount of time you get to be here, away from there, is... [he trails off.] It happens fairly often. I don't know whether to say that's fortunate or unfortunate...