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[kingoftherats]

AUDIO / TEXT (WHY) / VIDEO / ACTION. 

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Voice; un: ...

[opress]

[This was random. He would be horrified to know he was the first here, but thankfully, he was so out of it because of severe sleep deprivation, everything both seemed like a great idea and a terrible one all at the same time.]

Teach me the ukulele.

Voice;

[kingoftherats]

[The record skipping noise in Charlie's head is, for once, warranted.]

Excuse me?

[... He's currently scrubbing blood off the outside of Paddy's window.]

Voice;

[opress]

[He made a growling impatient noise.]

You heard me!

Saw this string instrument called ukulele. You know instruments. You teach me.

[Logic wasn't his strong suit right now. He had been looking up anything and everything to stay awake for the last six days.]

Voice;

[kingoftherats]

Okay, firstly? You gotta ask nicely, because that's just how a society works.

I'll teach you, but seriously. Aretha Franklin, dude.

R-E-S-P-C-T-E.

Voice;

[opress]

Who?

[Wait a second. No, no that's probably how respect was spelled. Right? By the Fanged God he was tired.]

Does it make abrasive sounds? Its name sounds abrasive.

Voice;

[kingoftherats]

Aretha Franklin, one of the best old people singers ever. Keep up, man.

And for the record, nah. Ukuleles sound pretty nice, actually. You ever hear 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'? I know a crazy awesome ukulele cover of it.

Voice;

[opress]

Never heard of them. Don't want to.

[He was losing focus rapidly.]

No. Why would someone go over a rainbow? It's just light reflecting in air particles.

Voice;

[kingoftherats]

Yeah, well, we don't always get what we want.

And uh, have you ever been over a rainbow?

Not only is there a land full of cute midget tribes that love candy, but there's hot air balloons and hot witches in princess dresses. Also, pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. You practically get paid to go over it.

Voice;

[opress]

I don't ever get what I want. And if I do, it's short-lived.

[Uhhhhhhh, he had to think about that. He'd been through a rainbow, and he'd seen plenty before. Was there a difference in going through and over?

Also, Charlie was talking such nonsense, but in his current state, it sounded like logical ravings.]

That doesn't sound right... we should find a rainbow and determine if this truth holds weight here.

voice call; un impala67

[venatoris]

[ dean doesn't...particularly really want to do this, but he feels obligated to at least check in. ]

You surviving?

voice;

[kingoftherats]

[Man, people checking in on him is kind of nice. His gang worried about him plenty (or their version of worrying, anyway), but seeing outside people do it is a whole new world.]

Who, me? Oh, yeahyeah, I'm surviving pretty good! Thanks. Been roasting some monster legs like drumsticks. You ever have roasted monster leg? It's actually kind of delicious.

[you better not have expected anything less, dean]

Re: voice;

[venatoris]

[ Yeah, he regrets doing this. ]

No, I can't say that I have. I doubt it's a good idea though, man.

[ gross. GROSS.

a n y w a y-- ]

Listen, you got somewhere safe to stay?

voice;

[kingoftherats]

Mmmmm... I mean... safe's a relative thing, right?

I got people who keep saying I can hang out with them, though. I usually just crawl up into someone's attic when I'm getting chased down by monsters, but having places I'm actually invited to is pretty sweet. That almost never happens.

[... Dean, think really carefully about whatever you're doing here.

Are you really gonna invite the trash gremlin to come over.]

Re: voice;

[venatoris]

Yeah, safe is pretty relative.

[ No. No he is absolutely not, not now that Charlie's said that, anyway - I got people who keep saying I can hang out with them.

Thank God. ]

People have invited you over? Good. You should take them up on that.

voice;

[kingoftherats]

... You think so?

I mean, I guess.

[He gives pause, and for once actually seems his age, a bit more sober, a bit more serious.]

It's good to not be alone, right? People like us, we suck at being alone.

Re: voice;

[venatoris]

...Yeah, Charlie. Yeah, we do. So don't be alone if you don't have to be.

[ Isolation is no joke. ]

voice;

[kingoftherats]

Totally, man.

I'll see you on the other side of this mess.





And maybe come dig around in your fridge in exchange for some moonshine again.

Admit it, I totally saved your ass there.

action; {backdated to june end chapter event}

[halfdecay]

[The end is nearly approaching.

Owen doesn’t have a clue what to do with himself, both physically and mentally. He has yet to move one inch from where he is sitting on the beach. All their lighthouses were erected and perfectly lined up for them to go back home.

But there is no going back home for Owen Harper.

Torn between meeting his fate or entrusting his fate beyond the Flesh Door, he is at a loss. His eyes are red and puffy. No one is there to hear him yell and cry out loud.

He sits there with his heading hanging low between his legs, elbows perched on top of his knees. Where does he go from here? He is none too sure.]

[kingoftherats]

[Would you believe that Charlie's already left and come back? Really, it didn't take any time whatsoever — he went back, happy to see his friends, and then they started one of their schemes while totally calling bullshit on everything he told them about another world. And then he said, and I quote: "Okay, yeah, well, fuck you guys; I'll prove it!" and proceeded to wink out of existence in their general view."

It was very satisfying, but also, he's back in Deerington again. And he's not sure what he's gonna do next. Should he go back again, then point and laugh and go 'ha ha, see? get wrecked'? Some part of him wonders if maybe he came back 'cus he actually really liked it here. Like, yeah, he loves his gang; he'd do all kinds of shit for them, even if he doesn't always follow through. But... something about this place, it calls to him in a way that Philadelphia usually calls to him when he leaves the state.

Is he gonna think long and hard about this?

... Pffft. Nah. He spends maybe ten minutes on deep reflection, and then he just casually walks along. Owen's a little too busy losing his shit to notice Charlie approaching, but once he's expended his energy and is sitting sadly, Charlie makes himself known by throwing a wad of candy wrapper at the back of Owen's head.]

Hey man. You having a shitty day?

We could go break bottles, if you want. It always cheers me up.

[Didn't he leave to home????

yes he sure did, what of it]

cw: allusions to asphyxiation

[halfdecay]

[Owen’s head barely turns to notice Charlie in his periphery. Hearing Charlie’s voice is both a relief and a punch in the gut. The last thing he needs is one of his closest mates in Deerington to swing by for a visit. He didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. There is far too much pent up resentment lumped in the back of his throat, enough to feel like he’s suffocating.

Goodbyes are hard. He’s had to do it far too many times. And now, here he sits by the beachside with the weight of mortality overwhelming every sense in his body.

He tries to fight back the sobs. No matter how many ways he tries to hide it; the suave, bravado-filled medic looks small. Small and afraid.]

No. Just go already…

[Biting hard at his bottom lip.]

Go back to your stupid gang.

[kingoftherats]

[Charlie frowns more deeply where he stands, fidgeting.]

Hey, man. Uncool. There's no reason to be an asshole.

... And for your info, I did go back already.

[But he seems to not particularly focus on an explanation. Instead, he steps closer (against what Owen would prefer, maybe — in that way that you push away the things you want, of course, which Charlie has lots of skill in); he's feeling a little unsure — and then maybe a touch concerned, which he's actually capable of, believe it or not. The dude's cool with snuggling with him in a bed; why wouldn't he care?]

You seem real upset, or — uh. Something. What happened?

[His voice is a fraction quieter and more empathetic. It happens.]

[halfdecay]

[For most of his life, it’s been difficult for Owen to find people to confide in. To trust. He thought he had it all figured out when he first proposed to Katie. And then she was gone. Then Torchwood came along. He had Gwen, Tosh, Ianto (even Suzie Costello at some point). The team wasn’t perfect, by any means. He isn't perfect. But those were the people he can count on whenever he found himself in a tight spot. And now, even with Jack here, the defensive gap Owen had created only grew bigger and bigger with each waking moment.

That’s all Owen Harper knows: Push people away when he’s at his most vulnerable.

His right-hand grabs hold of the upper shirt sleeve of his left arm. All of his instincts are telling him to push Charlie away in hopes to never see him again. To make Owen forget that all this never happened. His brows knit as his lashes fluttered.]

When I first got here, I thought — [He swallows.] I thought that I might have a shot at a second chance. All I had to do was run the course, and that’d be it. Find myself back home, have a celebratory shag, and be done with it.

And now — [He sighs.] here I am. The door’s right behind me and I can’t get in.

[His eyes look off into deep shoreline.]

No one wants a dead man on the other side.

[kingoftherats]

[Charlie furrows his brow, staring at Owen for a moment. The problem is, Charlie, well — he's a simple creature molded by complex issues. While there's a hell of a lot of layers to him and his trauma-molded, strange existence, he's also someone who has learned how to simply a lot of things in his life to cope with it all. So when he plops down next to Owen, shoulder inches from the other's, he doesn't seem to have quite the same complicated whirl of thought as Owen has about all of this.]

Then don't go in. If you're alive here, just keep being alive here, dude.

It doesn't have to be super deep or anything. You just keep living how you can. 'Cus if you don't, you're just fucked. [A pause, and he motions to everything.] Besides, I bet you can find someone to have lots of party sex with here, too.

Like, this is a second chance.

[Duh.]

cw: nsfw/mentions of sexual content, child neglect

[halfdecay]

[Simple. To the point. This is a no brainer for Owen on what the next move should be, but he can’t seem to make the conclusion on his own. He sits there like the lost child he is, waiting for his mother to come home from “work”.

For all his life, the little problem child from east London knew nothing else but to run. Run and never look back at his past for a moment. Now that choice is made for him. One door is shut behind him but there is one more right in front of him.

His second chance.

He wipes away the tears rolling down his face and chokes out a laugh at the party sex comment. 'Fucking hell, Charlie, why do you have to be here now of all times?']

Why do you think I want to go home? It’s been a bloody dry spell since the day I’ve arrived. [He sniffles as he wipes his nose with the cuff of his sleeve.] I reckon I’ve wanked more times here than when I was younger.

[His voice wobbles.]

Might as well tell me I’m in hell.

[kingoftherats]

Is hell really a place where you can't bone down? I can think of way worse places to be, dude. You ever been to Nicetown, in Philly? They just got voted the most dangerous neighborhood. I've been stabbed there at least once — that I can remember.

[No comment on the times he can't.

Charlie looks unsure what to do for a second, though, fidgeting with the big hole in his jeans, where his pale knee is jutting free. Should he give him something to wipe his face with? Slipping off his backpack, he yanks out his sleeping shirt — the one with the black stallion, a classic — and offers it to Owen to use as a snotrag.]

Here — Just don't rip that, that's one of my best shirts.

[It's full of holes.]

But, like. I don't know. Seems like your problem's way bigger than blowies.