005: AUDIO

[intheblanks]

[This evening the city might want to be grateful that Robert Chase has what might be described as a decent singing voice, even when, as now, it's coming out faintly slurred through the wires.]I ain't laughing

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[byweavinglives]

Oh.

You're singing.

[byweavinglives]

You haven't.

[intheblanks]

[There's just a small, dismissive noise to answer that. Better grunting than getting mawkish.]

If I do this right, I'll have forgotten it happened by tomorrow.

[byweavinglives]

Probably.

[intheblanks]

Company means someone will remember.

I really like Christmas.
It's sentimental I know, but I just really like it.

[byweavinglives]

Maybe.

It's up to you. I won't force you either way.

[intheblanks]

I'll go carol singing with you later. Make it up.

[This is a joke, so we're clear.]

And if, my baby girl
When you're twenty-one or thirty-one
And Christmas comes around
And you find yourself nine thousand miles from home
You'll know what ever comes
Your brother and sisters and me and your Mum
Will be waiting for you in the sun
Whenever you come
Your brothers and sisters, your aunts and your uncles
Your grandparents, cousins and me and your mum
We'll be waiting for you in the sun
Drinking white wine in the sun
Darling, when Christmas comes
We'll be waiting for you in the sun
Drinking white wine in the sun
Waiting for you in the sun
Waiting for you...
Waiting...

[byweavinglives]

[Saya thinks about this for a moment, then opens her mouth. What comes out is technically lovely - Saya has a very nice voice, actually, but it's oddly...odd. A little flat.]

The snow's coming down,
I'm watching it fall,
Watching the people come round,
Baby please come home.

[intheblanks]

[He's used to that odd, almost disconnected tone from her. But not the singing.]

...Cursed?

[He knows the answer. It's the same as asking 'why?']

[byweavinglives]

It's the only Christmas song I like.

[intheblanks]

Hope you don't think I'm picking these based on personal taste.

They're singing Deck the Halls,
But it's not like Christmas at all.

[byweavinglives]

No. I'm not.

[intheblanks]

[There's a long delay between the last reply and this one. The line has been dead for some time. He doesn't expect anyone to be listening now.]

Are you worried about me?

[byweavinglives]

[There's a pause, but then Saya replies.]

I don't worry very much.

[She knows that's not a very personable answer.]

I think you're on a self-destructive path, and I like you. I would rather you not go down that road.

Is that worry?

[intheblanks]

Something like it. [And here's a vote of confidence in his faculties, the feed switches to private.] It's not self-destructive. It's high-functioning.

Private;

[byweavinglives]

Is that what you want to be?

High-functioning?

That sounds like a form of disease. A high-functioning alcoholic.