( o1 - AUDIO )

[halves]

[Deep breaths, Lou, deep breaths.

He's still practicing this exercise about a split second before the recording begins, shifting his focus to it immediately, superficially ready to laugh and quip at this silly challenge someone has proposed (forced) him to take part in.

It's nothing but pure nerves, he assures you.]

This is really fucked up. Just thought I should let you know.

[There's an exhale, not quite a laugh. See? Nothing but nerves.]

I guess I'm supposed to say hi now.

Hi. I'm the new guy.

I'd like to know what the fuck you've done to my cat.

Comments

[dignity_misery]

[ She inhales audibly, her eyes growing larger. In her own way, she would understand that dread, an unwanted name trying to overwrite what she's worked for... But she does know who she is, and it's unclear whether she's happy or not when she murmurs, ]

Lou.

[halves]

[It... takes him by surprise, just when he thought himself ready to correct whatever assumption she made next. That's when thoughts take him elsewhere, to the possibility that she knows him for much simpler reasons: they met one night and one of them left the next morning.

His shoulders drop.]

Guess you're right.

[dignity_misery]

[ It is that simple. Or it was, or it should be. Nothing about the interplay between then and now is simple for her, though. There are too many questions and doubts. For now, however, she has her answer, whatever it means.]

Welcome to the city.

[halves]

[His lips draw a contradictory line at that, voice softly shaken the same sentiment.]

That seals the deal, doesn't it.

[dignity_misery]

Yeah.

[She knows what he means. She hasn't forgotten that first day here, standing on a rooftop and looking out a city that she didn't know.]

Do you... [Everyone in this city is so fucking helpful.] want somewhere to stay?

[halves]

[Right again. People only say welcome when they expect you to stay for a while, whether they mean it or not.]

Maybe later.

I need a drink.

[dignity_misery]

I don't drink.

[If he doesn't remember her, and she doesn't find that all that strange considering his pills and his booze, then he wouldn't remember that. Even if she does.]

But there are plenty of bars around.

[halves]

I won't have to worry about buying you one, then.

[He isn't sure why these are the words coming out of his mouth. But it's better than dealing with the ones in his head.]

[dignity_misery]

I can come out to meet you. Did you manage to avoid the fountain?

[halves]

I - [A beat.] Yeah?

[dignity_misery]

A lot of people land in it.

[halves]

Guess I just wasn't drunk enough.

[He wasn't drunk at all.

Was he?]

Did that happen to you?

[dignity_misery]

No. I got a rooftop.

[halves]

With a nice view, I hope.

[Ugh. Keep it going, Lou, you might actually believe you're not going out of your mind.]

[dignity_misery]

If you go for that sort of thing.

[Being kidnapped. Losing your grasp on everything you've worked so hard to keep hold of.]

I can meet you at the fountain in about fifteen minutes

[halves]

[It takes him a beat to answer, nodding twice.]

Okay. Do that. [He can do that too. Sure.

Eventually he blurts out something that just doesn't quite roll out as naturally as he'd like.] Thanks, Carla.

[dignity_misery]

[Paaaause. And then she snorts. That was definitely weird, definitely not what she would have expected from him. She runs a hand back through her hair.]

Nothing better to do.

[halves]

[He couldn't smile at that if he wanted to. Lou's already distracted by the time he's ready to disconnect, trying not to sound too hopeless.]

Fifteen minutes.

[le action?]

[dignity_misery]

[She doesn't mind all the much, just turns off the feed and spends a few minutes getting ready. Possibly the blood-stained jeans are not the ones to wear. She doesn't look entirely feral when she heads down to the square, has had her wardrobe slowly improved by interested patrons. The warehouse isn't far, it takes her less than the allotted time to make her way over, sitting on the edge of the fountain and staring off at a guy with an ice cream cart like she's contemplating robbing him of it.]

[halves]

[There's restlessness in the way he paces back and forth, hands in his pockets, running his fingers through his hair, wondering why the fuck they couldn't just let him keep his cigarettes. Some people give him passing looks, most of them just carry on with their walk. Lou looks like someone they'd be better off avoiding.

He hesitates when he sees her, but there hasn't been anyone else waiting where they are for a while. The memory from the feed is recent, but seeing someone's face on a screen for the first time rarely ever means features get the chance to really stick.]

Carla.

[It sounds like it's two safe steps away from a question.]

[dignity_misery]

[It's a popular place to meet, everyone knows where it is and it's fairly equidistant from most locations above ground. That's what happens when you build a city around a clock. With her legs stretched out in front of her (probably hoping someone will trip) she looks up at Lou's voice. She feels hesitant herself. Maybe she should tell him she's just like she remembers, except her memory isn't all that clear. She lost a lot of it in the years since she last saw him, bit blown out by the bullet and other bits decaying away. She shifts a hand to the back of her neck, rolling one of the metal piercings there between her thumb and forefinger.]

You made it. What kind of bar do you want?

[halves]

[He drops his gaze, shaking his head softly at something he keeps to himself. He made it.

But first things first:] Don't tell me you don't smoke, either.

[dignity_misery]

[Her smile is wry, she still can't decide whether the deja vu is a comfort or not.]

I don't. I'm not in the habit of poisoning myself for recreation.

[halves]

[It irritates him when people say things like that, like they haven't just found some other kind of self-destructive hobby. But mild mannered Lewis Puckett keeps it to himself.]

Can't say I blame you.

[Mild mannered Lewis Puckett is also full of shit.]

I don't have any money.

[dignity_misery]

[She knows it's irritating. That's why she says it that way, and she tilts her head at him with the same mocking smile she'd given him in a night club when she was twenty-four and just wanted to see how far she could push him.]

No one does, when they get here. I'm paying today.