Sideways Reality, Tuesday sometime

[mparkerceo]

Parker's head hurt. She was trying not to look around too much because this stop was giving her vertigo.

Time to check in with some people.

[calling one, but open for others.]

Comments

[swerval_zero]

Zero was sitting on the couch at her parents' house when her phone started ringing. She'd arrived for Thanksgiving and then not left again, not after everyone stared blankly at her when she asked where the Shis were...and then Arsenal disappeared. Followed by Twitch.

She answered the phone with, "Something is really really squalling wrong. Hi."

[mparkerceo]

"Hi. Yes, yes it is. People are disappearing? No one remembers them?" Parker checked. "I'm on my way to Fandom. You should be too."

[swerval_zero]

"No," Zero told her, "I can't leave. What's the point? Half my family's gone already, and it's just...I tried calling Peter yesterday, an' his number don't work. An' Arsenal an' Twitch an'...squall. The worst part is they don't even remember. So. I hafta stay. To remember for them." It made sense in her head.

[mparkerceo]

Parker stared at a staircase going up to a ceiling. "Then who's going to remember you?" Denial. Huge, huge amounts of denial.

[swerval_zero]

"Squall, Parker, I dunno," Zero said, rubbing at her eye with one thumb. "You?"

[mparkerceo]

"Shit," Parker cursed. She got everything Zero was saying, but it was -- just refusing to process. Things did not happen to Zero. They just didn't. "I'm ... I'm sorry about Peter, and your family, I just..."

[swerval_zero]

"'M tryin' not to freak out," Zero confided, "because it won't do any good, no one else remembers so it'll just make 'em think I've lost my marbles. That's probably the worst part." She paused. "I'm not crazy, right?"

[mparkerceo]

"No. You're not. Well, not delusional-crazy." Right. Not dealing. Not dealing was good. "So don't freak out. This is just a thing. That'll... get dealt with."

[swerval_zero]

"It better," Zero told her. "At this rate I'll be an only child."

[mparkerceo]

Parker didn't want to ask about B.B. and Bru. No way in hell. Or to say at this rate there won't be a you.

"I am now," she said, voice grim. "No Angelo. Jarod's supposed to join me in Fandom."

[swerval_zero]

"I hope everything goes smooth," Zero told her.

[mparkerceo]

"Thanks." God, this was awkward. Awkward. Parker glared at a ticket counter guy, felt only marginally better when he flinched. "I'll kick whoever's responsible for this on your behalf. Since... Yeah."

[swerval_zero]

"Wear some good kicking boots," Zero advised her. "I never got to show you my new boots," she said sadly. That was...probably for the best.

[mparkerceo]

"Send me a photo?" Parker's voice might have sounded far too wistful to be talking about shoes. "You know I love seeing what you buy. Even though I'd never wear it." A tiny curl of fear was trying to grow. Parker ruthlessly stomped on it. "I'll take pix for you. Can't believe... you're missing this one."

[swerval_zero]

Parker was going to regret that request in a minute here. "Hang on...okay, I'm sendin' it." Which she did. "They're swerval, no?"

[mparkerceo]

Parker cracked up. Because those were so. Freaking. Zero.

"Or something!"