(Untitled)

[piemaker_ned]

"I still don't understand what would possess a woman to build a replica of 'The Pieta' out of bottlecaps," said Ned, fishing for his apartment keys, "much less use it as a murder weapon. It seems an inefficient use of resources

Comments

[fallen_april]

"Oh, it's not!" Comes a cheerful response.

It must be noted that the girl who responded looks very much like Chuck. So much so that they really could be related. However, she's much more patchworky in style than Chuck. And she has a smudge of charcoal on her nose.

That would be because she's drawing with charcoal.

"Hi, this your first time here? It's okay, everybody gets a little weirded out. This is the Outside Inn."

[piemaker_ned]

Ned jumped at their greeter's sudden appearance. New people. New, unexpected people in new, unexpected places. Places that should be his apartment. "Um. I suppose," he replied. "I mean, this is the first time I've gone through my apartment door and ended up someplace that wasn't my apartment. What have you done with my furniture? I liked that furniture."

[pies_and_honey]

Though understandably rather shocked, Chuck is taking the experience much better than Ned is. Being formerly dead apparently gives one a much more considered outlook on unexpected surprises.

"This isn't one of those surprise interior design shows, is it? Because if it is I'm impressed, but I really don't think this is his style."

[fallen_april]

"Oh, it's not. This isn't his apartment. This is... it's an interdimensional hotel outside of space and time and you can think things into existence and I know that sounds crazy but look!"

April cheerfully holds her hand out. A strawberry appears on her palm. "See?"

[piemaker_ned]

Ned looks around suspiciously. "So it's a combination surprise interior design hidden camera prank show. I have to admit, I'm actually rather impressed. You must have had to take out half the apartments in the complex for this room! And in two hours! Your budget and production values are extraordinary."

[pies_and_honey]

She startles at the appearance of the strawberry. Even in her surprise, she's careful not to get too close to Ned. She does, however, give him a rather significant look.

"Yeah. It's not as if anything that crazy ever happens, is it?"

[fallen_april]

April raises her hand. "Um... I'm dead?" She grins, sheepishly. "I know it sounds weird, especially since I'm, y'know, talking and stuff, but I died. There was a funeral and everything. Um, so I hear. But I came here instead of... I dunno, heaven or whatever."

Yes, April, because that's believable.

[piemaker_ned]

Ned takes a small step away from April. There was no telling what would happen if he touched an alive again person that hadn't been made alive again by him.

"Dead people coming back to life is one thing. But interdimensional hotels aren't real," said Ned. "Even the ghost horseman ended up being just a vengeful, tactless old woman with a gift for pyrotechnics."

[pies_and_honey]

"You know, you really should be more open-minded. Just because you haven't seen something happen doesn't necessarily mean that it can't."

[fallen_april]

"Exactly!" April beams at Chuck, and offers her hand (after wiping it on her skirt, carefully avoiding getting charcoal on her pretty green frock coat). "I'm April. April Cornwell. Nice to meet you!"

[piemaker_ned]

"Pleased to meet you, April. I'm Ned," says Ned, though he keeps his hands steadfastly clasped behind his back. He eyes her proffered hand skeptically, then adds "I don't touch."

At that, Ned turns back to Chuck and gives her a pleading look. "And I like my brain the way it is. You can't open your mind to things willy-nilly. Who knows what sort of things you'll start believing in? One day it's ghost horsemen and interdimensional hotels, and the next day it's El Chupacabra and Bat Boy and some guy in California named Steve that claims to be the second coming of the Messiah."

[pies_and_honey]

"El Whatawhat? Look, I'm just saying that for someone who has no problem with dead people walking and talking, you're pretty skeptical."

She gives April an exasperated look and shakes her hand warmly. "And I'm Chuck. Well, actually I'm Charlotte, but nobody calls me that anymore."

[fallen_april]

April shakes Chuck's hand, giving Ned a little odd look. "You don't... touch? What, not even your girlfriend?" She looks back to Chuck. "He doesn't touch you?"

[piemaker_ned]

"It's complicated," says Ned. "But long story short, if I touch her, she dies. Permanently. And I suspect the case may be the same for you and any other formerly dead people that happen to be here with you. So... I don't touch."

[pies_and_honey]

"It's not so bad, really."

Even so, she can't help looking just a little bit wistful.

[fallen_april]

April sighs, deeply. "That is so tragically romantic."

And she doesn't even know the whole story.

"I can't imagine not being able to touch JD. I mean... I really really can't. It'd be like... missing a part of myself."