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 Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 4:52 pm
The pod chamber was nice. It was dark and no one ever came there unless they had pod duty. Melvin claimed said duty to be alone and was now sitting on the floor, back against a pod readout machine, and staring at the glowing runics at the pod across. A nearly had the bottle of whiskey be brought with him finished, and was wondering if he should get the other in his room.
Slowly, he pointed behind him and mouthed the word "Beep" as the machine gave a beep shortly after. He'd been keeping with the beeps for the past 10 minutes and it was now a game. The Beep game. A simple game. He liked simple games. He wished life was full of simple beep games.
He continued to look up at the floating runics glowing blue and took another sip, waiting for the next beep.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:08 pm
Rep was just out for, he'd been in the room way too long that day and without the internet there was only so much someone could do on a laptop without getting bored. The guys had been on duty and bored out of his mind, with nothing else to distract him he'd gone looking for some unfortunate person to harass. The facility for the most part seemed busy with other things, even the cafeteria was devoid of its usual loiterers.
Eventually he'd ended up in one of his least favourite places on the entire island. The pod room was not a fun place to be when you didn't need to be there for duty and he expected it to be empty, seeing someone sitting on the floor made him freeze in his tracks, imagining a sleeper awakened only to die amongst the pods of their peers.
He almost turned and left, not able to be caught in relation to another corpse when he spotted the shock of blonde hair and overall familiarity of the figure. "Melvin?" he said, raising a brow. "You awright?" The illusion of death dispelled he moved closer, crossing his arms as the strong smell of whiskey drifted up to him. "Or just completely pished?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:14 pm
Usually Melvin was more aware when someone came into a empty room, but he was currently timing the next beat. There was no score, but he would fail the game if he didn't time it right. When he heard his name, he looked up and then at the pod in front of him. Did the pod talk? Did someone wake up. Crap. He didn't even have a clipboard to say hello. At least the floor was clean.
When he saw a furnace of red hair, he shielded his eyes and squinted, looking up at the ginger who showed up. "Rep?" Wait, was his fake pod duty up? Damn. He should have volunteered for more time.
At the question, he just thought about his current state and then looked at the bottle in his hand. Oh right. Rep could see it. "Uh...." Was he drunk.
"Not yet. Care to fetch me some, ginger snaps?" He said with a smile before the machine behind him beeped. "Damn. Missed it." Rep just ruined his game.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:24 pm
"This is a really shitey place to be drinking man." Rep volunteered, wrinkling his nose. "All these ******** stiffs all around." he gave the beeping machine a very unimpressed look. "And that wee ******** machine isnae a game."
He shook his head "Nah man. This is s**t. Get up. We are going off island to the pub. Get drunk properly."
He offered a hand just in case he was incapable of actually standing on his own. "And don't ******** call me ginger snaps or I'll clock you one. That's what ******** Dwight calls me."
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:34 pm
"Aww. Everyone has their little name for you, Pippi." He checked his hands to which one he could offer Rep, finished the bottle, set it down, and took his arm. Bracing himself on the pod behind him, he rose up and noticed he still had some balance in him. A-ha! Take that tolerance.
"They're not stiff. They're slepin." He stated, not considering any of these people dead. "Like Ripley. Stasis." He then considered what Rep said. "Where are we going?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:45 pm
"Don't ******** call me that either." he snapped gruffly, finding himself tempted to drop the Life hunter for his comments. He resisted the urge to be a complete p***k for once in his life, and instead opted to waive the comments under the "tipsy as ********" clause. When Melvin was up on his feet, he got a nonplussed look.
"I dunno so much man, its no like stasis, I've watched some of them and they look ******** dead. Some of them have like no life signs. I always thought stasis was like. Time freeze or something." he shivered slightly, it was always ******** cold in here, like a big ******** morgue. "Whatever though, its still creepy as ********. A lot of them will like, never wake up again I bet, they are good as dead."
"As for where we are going. A good pub. I know some good pubs. I never got to go to them when I lived in Glesga, I never went to Edinburgh much so we can check them out now. Get drunk with good company on some good strong booze. Do you have leave days left?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:58 pm
He looked at the nearby pod and frowned. Wow. Depressing. Way to help out a mood, Rep. He liked it here and the Sun was changing his impression of the place fast. "That...sucks." What else could he say? He could ask if Rep ever saw a dead person being taken from a pod, but he felt that wasn't a question he wanted answered right about now when he was already getting drunk.
Having no idea of the places that Rep was mentioning and wishing he paid more attention in geography than science just a bit, he gestured for Rep to lead the way. "I have leave I haven't used. Was going to buy some things but.." He shrugged. Forget that idea. Random shopping could wait. Drinking sounded A+ right now, especially if Rep knew a good place. He hadn't been drinking with people other than on the island, and he'd like to just get away from the crowd here.
"If your going to show, I can meet you there." He had to grab his wallet and leave his jacket in his room after all.
With that, Melvin left with Rep and they arrived at the portals once both were ready. Melvin was still buzzing, but he was fine to head out and go to whatever bar that Rep had in mind. A night of drinking made him feel like he was back in college with his NORMAL friends doing NORMAL things. He missed his normal friends a lot. Rep was okay though.
When they went through the portal, they were set on the other side. Confused, Melvin just looked around. "I hope you know where the hell we're going?" Because he sure as hell didn't.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 6:13 pm
Rep hadn't taken long to arrive either, leaving a scrawled note for the guy to inform them about where the ******** he'd vanished off to now, telling them to call or text him if they wanted him. It always felt good to get back into civilian gear, and he donned his tracksuit like an old uniform that somehow felt small now in comparison to the things he'd done and the places he'd been. He felt almost naked without the reassuring fur of his hood and the imposing grandness of the Deus uniform in general. No coat tails flapped dramatically at his heels when he walked. He felt like a human.
The night air on the other side of the portal was brisk and cold, spring in Scotland simply meant it was drier rather than warmer, and at least it wasn't raining. They could fit in in Edinburgh, tourist capital of the country it was always abuzz with accents from all across the world, come to bask in the quintessential Scottish stereotypes that sold like tartan wrapped shortcake. No one would bat an eye at Melvin here or know him and that was how it had to be.
The portal opened from a cobble paved side street not far from the royal mile, the path up through the city to the castle on the hill, and in the newly fallen night the streets were well lit and abuzz with life. The pubs and inns had not long since stopped serving dinners to their patrons and the night was gearing up for some serious drinking. Expensive street lighting cast rich blue and white light across ancient brickwork and cobbles and the atmosphere was an eclectic mix of the truly ancient and modern. Rep took a deep breath of the fresh air, free of fog, free of clammy humidity.
"Aye. I know where we are gaun man." he reassured the other man "You'd need to be daft to get lost here. We just need to find a nice bar to chill in." He led the way along the streets at an easy pace, passing up bars with families and hipster students drinking real ale. His idea of a nice bar was quite other. "It's no far. Don't be sobering up on me."
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 6:26 pm
Melvin actually never been overseas in his entire life. It was one of those things he said he was going to get to in college, and he did have plans with a few friends to go to Europe to check out of few key, iconic places that everyone stated you just HAD to see if you were anyone before you died. The only far off place he went to was Washington DC with his family, and even then it hadn't been really an eye opening. It was a big place, warmer than home, but it was still in the states.
Stepping out onto old cobblestone, he remembered the past him who had dreams of getting a good job and going on vacation to strange new places. Places he could brag about to other people. Now he could go there whenever he had leave without the hassle of a plane ride.
Amazed and a bit awestruck, he also forgot that Rep was in his element here. Despite the accent, on the island you tended to forget who wasn't just from America. You sort of all felt you all came from the same place, lived in the same realm of the world, and that before didn't matter. In fact, Rep probably had been to more places than Melvin ever had, and he felt not only a bit of envy, but a strange sort of respect for someone who was a bit more worldly - even if Rep didn't exactly come off as that.
Walking along, he felt more like a foreigner being watched over, and if the Lifer could make his head turn like a owl to see everything around him, he would have. Instead, he sometimes felt his pace falling behind before he had to catch up (thankfully his long legs meant he didn't have to run to keep up), and had to snap to attention when he was addressed.
"Well better get a drink in my hand or I will." He responded back, trying to joke but more distracted and feeling a bit out of place as he followed the Sun. On the streets, he also noticed that Rep's thicker accent kicked in. "Did you come here often?" He asked, not sure if this was a city that Rep used to live at or not.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 6:48 pm
Rep was at ease here and it showed, the anxiousness and tension he seemed to carry around with him always seeming to slough off and leave only swagger and confidence in its wake. It was like watching a slightly neurotic alley cat transform into a hunting tiger. Even the streets felt familiar, you only realised how much you missed cobblestones and streets when you lost it all. The island didn't have the pulse of night-life, the distant heartbeat of a city. This was his ******** jungle and the tourists to his eyes were still all scampering prey with ample pockets.
"No ******** worries man, we'll get you some good strong ******** whiskey in your hand in a minute. Just need to get clear of all these ******** yuppie bars with their ******** art students and other assorted wankers. We need a real pub." He crossed the road, leading the way down some winding dimly lit and narrow steps, where strange low windowed houses were carved into the hill. Here several bars spilled light onto the stairs and a hearty smell like spilled ale drifted out into the street.
The bar Rep decided to stop by was called Dirty d**k's, and the name appeared somewhat apt, the grubby door looking as if it had been wiped down one too many times. There were many gruff voices within and it seemed at least like this less than friendly looking place was popular with the locals. "I used to come here during the fringe festival to mug the rich wankers who came here to watch shite plays and whatever. We sometimes came through and did a bit of fake busking too. But I didnae live here. I lived in Glasgow, its like, about an hour from here if you drive. About that too if you get a train. This is the touristy city, lots of foreigners and s**t. Just keep an eye out cause like, your accent'll make you stick out a bit."
When they entered no one paid them any heed except the bartender, an overweight tired looking woman who asked them what they fancied. Rep, predictably, ordered himself some straight whiskey.
A few of the patrons though, seemed to spot them, and seemed to linger just a bit on their long hair and Rep's Glasgow accent.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:06 pm
"Doesn't being that close worry you a bit? Since you could get spotted by people you know. Don't they think you're dead?" Melvin only wished he could hang around the town over from where he lived. He missed Rhode Island. It didn't have the rich scenery and tourist travel as this place, but it was home. Even the cold weather here had him aching in familiarity to his own home, and he felt even lower than before thinking once again about his family. His sister..
Walking, he tried to make out Rep a bit more, but he was going deep with the accent that he was realizing that Rep's previous speech was a polite way to get people to understand him and that THIS was how he actually spoke. Everything about his demeanor was different, and he wondered if, based on the journal he made Rep write, if this was how un-caged looked like for the Sun. It was actually really sad.
He was getting more and more depressed. Everything was depressing him it seemed, and being naturally pessimistic, he wasn't helping himself.
"Busking?" He asked, not knowing what the hell that word was supposed to be or was? Whatever unground, bad-boy activities Rep had been into was lost on the once-had-been-science-major.
The Dirty d**k, as Melvin read the name, seemed just like that. It looked like mainly men came here, and not the type that seemed up for a good time to just party and have fun. No. These guys gave him the stink eye the moment passed the grungy door as if he was some foreigner coming to tell them about the evils of their country. A bit more sober just on the looks he got, he scooted a bit closer to Rep and followed him to before taking a seat. To the woman, he just said "Same" and sat tense and looking around. Again, a lot of attention.
"Uh...do you think it's right we're here?" He could feel the eyes on his back and just wanted to hit Rep for not picking one of the douchey hipster places that probably would have been more up the Lifer's alley anyways. Somewhere where he wasn't considered as having an accent. It also didn't help that he didn't even dress the same and he was the only blonde in the entire place.
Maybe he should have ordered 2 whiskeys.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:21 pm
Rep shook his head. "Naw. I'm no worried, honestly. Like, the guys who knew me were all back in Glasga right. Like, its ******** huge. ******** massive and sprawling. It'd be like being paranoid you'd meet someone who remembered you like, on the other side of New York city or some s**t. Nah. And I'm no the same guy I used to be either." Which was true, he used to have short hair for a start, and so much about him had been younger, more childish despite his age. Now he'd turned into a lean battle hardened monster of a man and even the rough locals seemed apt to give him a bit of a wide berth. Not all of them were quite sober enough though for self preservation though, and a few still seemed to be thinking about it.
Oddly, the barmaid didn't seem to be the only woman in the pub and there were actually one or two women seated around the place drinking in much the same way as the men, some of them even quite pretty. Too pretty Rep thought. Every bar had a mix of people though and this one seemed to even have picked up some of the studenty types spotted along the mile, clearly a group of friends wanting to absorb some "local colour". They had English accents, London most likely. Rep didn't rate them surviving the night without someone punching their smug faces in.
"Aye, busking, pretending to be able to play an instrument even though you are shite at it and people give you money for it."
He took a swig of his whiskey and promptly ordered more. "Aye man. Relax. It's fine. Your hair's a wee bit faggy but that's fine like, they'll get over it. They probably get their fair share of complete fanny's in here." he gave Melvin a playful grin, clearly not meaning his insults as actual insults.
"So. Now we are out here. Any reason why you were like, drowning your sorrows in the vegetable room?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:17 pm
Melvin had noticed the girls too. It made him feel guilty, considering the reason why he was drinking, but this was how it was. A rule he adopted. Date people who you could convince for the night to do it your way, who were easy, ready, and willing, and who didn't expect to make anything of their time together aside from that one night. It was nice that way. No strings. No worries. No questions about the requests made while getting close. Ask someone to get romantic in the shower and it was considered spontaneous and fun. Ask the same person three times in a row and they started to ask questions.
The accents were also very hypnotic, and he too wanted to experience the "world" a little bit by tasting the local or not-so-local fair.
When the whiskey came, he drank deep, and listened to what sort of shenanigans Rep used to be up to. "Instruments, huh? Bet Jerry loves you, s**t or not." Melvin had only been forced to play the tambourine, and he'd been nervous just doing that.
When asked, he just shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, not a bit self-conscious it was considered out of place or in some way "faggish". "Place is getting to me. Needed a breather and didn't want someone thinking I was hosting a party." Seeing as Rep was Rin's friend, he didn't feel it was wise for the guy he was depending on as a tour guide and taking him out for drinks to say he might have ******** up royally for reasons he couldn't discuss.
"Thought not one would be in there." He said, taking another sip and glancing over with a pair of girls further off laughed. He wondered if they were from a college on vacation. A colder spring break maybe.
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Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:47 am
"I hope no. I try and keep any idea about musicality far far away from Jerry, he goes on about it enough man without me talking about fleecing tourists. We had one guy who had an accordion, he played it shitely and retards gave him money, that was about it."
Rep gave Melvin a suspicious look, the warmth of alcohol already starting to seep through his system. He still wasn't sure he bought it that he'd creep down to the arse end of Deus simply for a drink. But Rep didn't particularly enjoy asking questions, and even with the knowledge there was probably more Melvin wasn't saying, he simply frowned subtly and let it slide, ordering another drink.
"When I want to drink alone, I usually lock myself in my room." he said, loathe to admit he ever wanted to drink alone or had to. He didn't even notice the other people in the bar, too focused on downing as much alcohol as he could while he had time to.
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Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 3:11 pm
Working past a buzz to getting drunk, Melvin just listened, eyes looking past the angry people at the bar annoyed by them being here and instead of the few "foreigners" that actually might be someone Melvin could talk to without getting confused by his supposed accent.
"I don't drink alone much. Used to be able to have my friends in college take me to the bars. I like drinking around people." He said distantly as he kept looking at a pretty brunette that reminded him of someone he used to know.
"Even if they are vegetables." Which was why he was in the pod room by himself.
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