(Untitled)

Aug 10, 2008 23:24

He's not sure he's ever had so much happen in one week. Neil, the twins, this, and he's been here for two years. Two fucking years. And there's still more to say than he can even get his brain around ( Read more... )

florence

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 03:54:19 UTC
As Mike approaches, Florence gently prods the fire with a stick she's found and it sparks brighter and higher before she looks up to see him. When he sits, she isn't surprised and when she asks his question, she huffs out a soft laugh.

Is she settling in okay? It's a strange question, all things considered, one she doesn't completely understand, because she isn't sure what it means to 'settle in' here. She shrugs, though, then nods as she glances over at him.

There are still things left for him to explain. She can feel that much.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 04:18:27 UTC
"Yeah, I know that's a stupid fucking question," he says, and rubs the back of his neck, laughing slightly. "My first week here... I freaked out, ran off to the other side of the island. There's dinosaurs there," he adds as an aside, conversationally. "Was gone for days. Almost died. You'd've killed me." He's still got the scar from those days on his stomach, a long, thin, white line. Not much, considering that the thing had tried to spill his guts out.

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 13:52:11 UTC
As he speaks, her eyes roll slightly and she looks over at Mike, giving him a look she's sure he's expecting to see when he admits all this to her. At least he knows she would have killed him herself and her eyebrows lift as she nods.

Dinosaurs, though. That's both impossible and fascinating.

It's still difficult for her to accept that he's been here for two years, especially when she's only just seen him. She isn't sure how to tell him that, though, she wonders if he even knows about that, about losing his leg a second time.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 14:43:32 UTC
"I didn't die," he says, not quite by way of defense. "Anyway, you handle shit better than me. You'll be fine. It's just... an adjustment." He pauses, looking into the fire with his hands clasped in front of him, wondering exactly what this is going to do to how she thinks of him.

She knows he's queer. She knows, he's pretty sure, how he feels about Tom, or how he felt back in the bad old days. But that's nothing to the tangled, wonderful thing he's gotten himself into now.

"I gotta explain some stuff," he says slowly.

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 15:05:07 UTC
Prodding the fire gently once more, she nods again, because she's expected as much, but she doesn't look at him while she waits. There's a time for her to stare Mike down, to make him tell her something that she needs or wants to hear, but this isn't it. This is something he'll tell her because he needs to, whatever it is, and she'll let him tell her in his time.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 15:12:29 UTC
"Okay," he says, sighing, wishing that this was less complicated. He feels like he needs a fucking flow chart to explain it all at this point. It's funny, when you think about it. Or more than a little disturbing.

It'll be interesting to see which side Florence lands on.

"You know how I said Hobbes could bunk with me till we got you a place built? Well, that's really not a problem because... we've been doing that a lot anyway."

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 15:17:12 UTC
It doesn't come as much of a surprise and Florence nods, tilting her head slightly to look at Mike. In the flickering firelight, she looks faintly amused and there's something on her face that says, Yeah? So?

Between the time they'd spent together in Harsh Realm and the way Tom had talked about the twins, she expects it's been going on for some time now. It certainly isn't new, she can tell that much.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 15:25:27 UTC
He's not sure if he'd actually expected her to be surprised or not, but she's clearly not, and he feels at once relieved and a little annoyed that it's that obvious.

Though, not having to hide it for a year will do that, he supposes.

"Okay, well, Eostre knows about it," he says. "Tom's sorta... with her too. And there's this third person now, that happened like a day or so ago..." He pauses and laughs suddenly. "God, this sounds fucking ridiculous to try to describe out loud. We're a soap opera, aren't we?"

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 15:38:39 UTC
That does surprise her, though, not because it's unexpected from Mike, but she thinks it's unexpected from Tom. After hearing so much about Sophie, she's always imagined him as having a rather traditional view on relationships.

Apparently that isn't the case. Perhaps things have changed on the island, or maybe it's part of him that's always been there.

Still, she looks over at Mike, eyebrows raised and then holds up four fingers in a questioning gesture.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 15:42:34 UTC
"There's..." He shakes his head, still chuckling. "Okay, see if you can follow this. Me and Hobbes are together, and we're both sleeping with Eostre. And we're both also sleeping with this kid named Neil. That... by the way, that kinda came outta left field, but here we are."

He stops, looking up at her to see if he actually does need to draw a diagram. "This place is really tolerant of... non-traditional... arrangements."

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 16:02:16 UTC
Her eyebrows lift again. Apparently, her expression says, but there's no judgment in it. Briefly, she wonders just how old this Neil is, especially since Mike's just called him a kid. She doubts either of them would do something with an actual child and she expects he's in his early-twenties. Considering all they've been through, that's enough to make anyone a kid.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 16:18:33 UTC
Oh, thank God. He's not sure how he would have gone about drawing something to explain this, anyway. Very possibly, it would have just made things more confusing.

"I just figured I should tell you," he says, still feeling intensely silly. "Hobbes was... well, I don't think he ever would've said anything to you." He rolls his eyes expansively. "You know how he is."

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doesnt_speak August 11 2008, 16:39:55 UTC
She does know how Tom is and she gives a soft snort of agreement. If it had been left up to him, she imagines she only would have found out by accident and this way is better. She's sure Mike agrees with her there.

Reaching over, Florence pats Mike's knee, letting him know it's okay. She may not understand it, but she will love Mike no matter what.

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m_pinocchio August 11 2008, 16:48:40 UTC
He gives her a faint smile. He'd figured she wouldn't really have much of an issue with any of it, but telling her, saying it out loud... it had still been intimidating.

Though, not as intimidating as what's left.

"I know it's crazy," he says quietly. "It's been non-stop fucking crazy since I got here. But... I'm happy. Honest to God. I really am. So I figure... whatever works."

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doesnt_speak August 12 2008, 03:21:33 UTC
Shrugging, Florence looks back at the fire and although she isn't looking straight at Mike, she's still trying to tell him something. It isn't crazy. Not as crazy as what we came from.

Crazy or not, Harsh Realm is her world, her home. She still isn't sure how she's going to exist outside of it. Mike and Tom were always meant to, but she's only supposed to be part of the virtual world.

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m_pinocchio August 12 2008, 03:36:38 UTC
He catches the shrug and something else about her. Earlier, he'd been too happy to notice, and now he feels a little bad for it. Minutes ago, he'd brushed it off like it was nothing. But it's not nothing. To be so suddenly out of your element... it leaves you gasping. Even with familiar faces around you, it can't be easy.

He leans over and places a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I know this is a lot. I know you're... we were never supposed to get out." Tom, yes. But not either of them.

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