Hallo.

[singulartragedy]

Hello. M'name's Adrian Singleton, and . . . and I think I know some people here, but I don't know if they want to know me here, so I won't say who they are. Wouldn't want to cause trouble for them, you know. Friends of mine, always took good care of me, and . . . and I've needed a fair bit of taking care of, so that's something

Comments

[whethervane]

Oh, you poor thing... Hello, sir. We've never met, but we have a - an acquaintence in common, Mr. Gray. Unluckily.

[singulartragedy]

Hello, miss. How d'you know Dorian.

Your name sounds familiar. Think I knew someone else who knew you. He was a . . . a sailor, I think. Um. I'm probably just mixed up. Sorry.

[whethervane]

I loved him. I was engaged to him briefly, and I died for him. Which I suppose makes us pretty well acquainted.

A sailor? *eyes light up* A sailor named Vane? My brother was a sailor, he went to Australia - I never did see him again...

[singulartragedy]

Oh. Funny, he never mentioned you. I don't think. Um. Strange. You're very pretty, and he always liked pretty things. Not that you're a thing, I mean, because obviously you're a girl. Nice one, too.

Could've been. Yeah. Vane. Jim Vane. Saw him around sometimes. Your brother, you say? Oh, miss, I'm sorry. I shouldn't've brought it up, not with where I saw him.

[whethervane]

He wouldn't, no... but - thank you. *bites her lip* I think.

Jim, yes, that's him! My brother! Where did you say you saw him?

[singulartragedy]

Oh, miss, I oughtn't tell you. You won't like to hear.

[whethervane]

I may not like it, but I do wish you'd tell me anyway, Mr. Singleton... He is my brother, I need to know.

[singulartragedy]

Please, don't be upset, miss. It was. Um. A place I go, sometimes.

...anopiumden.

*wibble*

[whethervane]

....

*softly* Sailors, hardened men, can be a bad influence on a young man... *looks at the ground*

[singulartragedy]

Yeah. 's easy to get mixed up with rough types like that. Wasn't his fault.

He was better off than some of 'em, though. Still knew what was going on around him. Um. Knew there wasn't anything funny crawling on him and suchlike. Still had a life outside, you know. More'n I can say for myself.

[whethervane]

It wasn't his fault. It couldn't be. Not Jim.

*timidly* Are you... do you... are you very badly off? With this - the opium? I don't know very much about it, but you...you seem like a nice man, and I shouldn't like to think that you couldn't be helped...

[singulartragedy]

Well, at the moment, I'm badly off without it. Tryin' to stop, see.

. . . I don't think 's working.

[whethervane]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...

[singulartragedy]

's all right, miss. You didn't know.

[whethervane]

I'm sorry that your life has come to this...

[singulartragedy]

Don't be. Brought it on myself, after all.