A Lazy Sunday Day in the Life

[expectremorse]

Who?: Mark Hoffman
What?: If you count that on Friday we had Fourth Wall Day, Hoffman's sister was here. And he's been in his room since then. So at some point, he had to eat. And go to the bathroom. He might fail abysmally, but you know. He's also venturing out in search of more liquor. So we could work with that.
why?: I've been hit by a case

Comments

In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

someone's using his sketchbook that he got from Stildyne and drawing pictures of flowers.

It's an easy distraction. He's really trying to take his mind off of everything that's happened. Trying to let things go. So he's doodling pictures of flowers.

Re: In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

Mention the big ugly bastard and he appears.

It hadn't been hard to notice that Hoffman had taken a serious blow, and Angelina-on-the-network had said she'd speak to him. So.

"How's your hand?" Stildyne sits next to him, with a wary glance at the vegetable life that surrounds them. ...if Hoffman weren't his friend, he really would happily avoid the place.

Re: In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

Hoffman's eyes are wide. He's been drawing the same violet for the past couple of hours. It's dark and kind of gothic looking.

By way of response, he holds up his bandaged hand without a word.

He should really go to the infirmary to get a check-up, but he's been...preoccupied.

"...It's okay."

His voice sounds rough, "Look."

He flips up to a page in his sketchbook. It's a collection of drawings. One of them is Stildyne's friend-and the other is a slightly grizzled version of Stildyne himself.

It is joined by a picture of an attractive woman with frizzy hair and another couple of flowers-and a cat.

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

"...nice one of Wheatfields. Got the Chigan neck to rights. Hope he didn't give you too much of a hassle." Hearing a familiar voice wasn't something he'd ever thought to do on the barge. Not the least the news Serge had had. Scylla's kidnapped Koscuisko. But he'd sort that out in his own time.

"Interesting cat, it is."

Re: In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

"I do feel bad I yelled at him."

Hoffman's affect is strangely flat, "...You've gotta understand, when he was talking about you like that..."

"Still got to get used to your humor."

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

Stildyne laid a hand flat and heavy on his shoulder. "It's kind of you, Hoffman. Most people wouldn't have bothered. But Serge has the right. I've worked with him that long. I know a few names for him myself."

Re: In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

"Gotta earn the right to lay into another guy." Hoffman stares at his feet, setting the paper and pencils aside.

His chest is tight, "...Might not have been in the best place after everything that happened that day."

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

"No. I imagine." Stildyne frowned. "I'll want to know what she said to you. Though not today. Leave it for a while. Tell me about what you're drawing instead."

Re: In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

Hoffman stares, "...She talked to you?"

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

Stildyne nodded. "Said she'd speak to you last. Saw your face today and knew she had."

Re: In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

Hoffman laughs, "...She's..."

He snorts, "Little sisters are always going to get their nose in places where they don't belong."

It's halfhearted. Incredibly halfhearted.

"But she does belong. I'm glad she got to meet people here. I'm..."

He sobs, holding his hand , "...I'm glad I got to say I love her but oh god I wish she was here."

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

"No you don't. Not as nasty as this place gets." Stildyne thumped his shoulder with measured strength. "Know you miss her. But if she's on comm somehow, then there's a chance you'll see her after you're out of here."

In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

Hoffman is about to respond-but instead he grabs his sketchbook and shows off the picture of the cat again.

"This was hers. She had a cat. Her co-worker took it after she died. She.."

Hoffman folded his hands over the drawing.

Several moments pass. Then he looks at the other man. He's trying-trying-trying to be strong.

"...Hope she didn't tell you any stories about me."

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

Stildyne didn't try to be strong. He just generally was, didn't have the hang of being otherwise. "She didn't, not really. Nothing you haven't told me. I told her you weren't what she was afraid you were. Not anymore. That you were clawing back from it." He reached out for the sketchbook, to inspect the picture if he'd be allowed.

Re: In the gardens ~

[expectremorse]

Hoffman passed the picture over. It's a large cat, great big eyes and chubby paws. A very good representation of Angelina is beside it, followed by a few other people and a badge-it says "NYPD" on it. Hoffman is too engrossed in everything else to notice.

"I got to say I love you, but it's not the same. Because she's not here. Not anymore...she-I wanted to tell her all kinds of things that we'd been doing and..."

He sniffed.

In the gardens ~

[der_umgekehrte]

"But she's there." Stildyne didn't have a complicated grasp of religion or metaphysics. He wasn't sure what to take of dead people overtly talking to you. That kind of thing was for the better educated and more historically significant. "Somewhere. And you won't be here forever. So you'll tell her then."

And if that didn't make sense it was largely because he wasn't sure what did.

He glanced around for witnesses and looped an arm over the other man's shoulder. Hoffman was touch-hungry at times, and Stildyne understood that very well, enough that he'd sacrifice a little of his offputting reputation, privately, to give the other man the affection that their rough upbringings had denied the both of them.