♕ |[98]| show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive

[had_not_lived]

This is always my favorite curse to wake up to. These aren't as regular as the other weekends, but I guess it's about time you all came calling. I hadn't realized it'd been so long since the last.

If we haven't met yet, I'm Neil. Welcome to the City. It's kind of a strange place, but don't worry, most of you are probably only going to be visiting for a few days.

If we have met, I'm glad you've dropped by! I'll be at the bookstore most of the day, if you'd like to visit.


[ooc; please no duplicate neils (tho facedoubles are welcome), and no outright telling him he doesn't exist. Otherwise, anything goes! <3 BACKDATING WELCOME FOREVER, I will be out much of today so expect some delays, darlings.]

Comments

[watsonyourmind]

[ Network, internet. Same thing, right? She nods. But four years... wow. Her eyes widen. ]

Four years, wow. How do you know that's not going to happen to the new people here now?

[ Four years is much too long. She'll never finish college at this rate. ]

[had_not_lived]

Oh, well. Usually people who come on Visitors' Days don't stay-- every once in a while, but it's rare. And even if people stay, not everyone stays that long.

[watsonyourmind]

So there are rules. [ She seems a bit relieved by that. ] If I'm hallucinating this whole thing, my brain is at least being organized about it. [ She doesn't really think that she's hallucinating, though. This feels too real. ]

[had_not_lived]

We're pretty used to it, here. [He smiles, a little apologetically.] I'd tell you you're not hallucinating, but if you were, you'd probably hallucinate me doing that, too.

[watsonyourmind]

[ She laughs. ] There's no winning there. I'll just go with it. I'm Jane, by the way. I don't suppose you've met a strange girl called Shirley, have you? She'd probably have wanted books about gruesome murders.

[ If she's going to be stuck on another world, however briefly, she'd feel better knowing Shirley was around. ]

[had_not_lived]

Neil.

[Gruesome murders are really, really, really not Neil's thing, forgive him if he blanches a little bit at the thought.]

I'm sorry, I don't think I've seen her.

[watsonyourmind]

Sorry. [ She winces. ] Didn't mean to, um. It's just her thing. She thinks she's a detective. I'm normal, promise.

[had_not_lived]

She thinks she's a detective? That sounds like it could... be dangerous.

[watsonyourmind]

She's actually pretty good at it, but no one's going to hire a college student to solve crimes, you know? [ She shrugs. ] So she calls herself a consulting detective and drags me around to look at footprints and clothing fibers, mostly. College, you know. [ He's got to be 18, right? Surely? She doesn't think most high schoolers would work at a bookstore. ]

[had_not_lived]

[He looks a bit embarrassed, since... he doesn't know, though really he ought to.]

They don't have one here. A college, I mean. But I think I get the idea.

[Sort of.]

[watsonyourmind]

Really? [ She furrows her brow. Ugh, she'd better not stay here and not be able to continue her education. ] That's not fair. Kidnapped and unable to finish your education.

[had_not_lived]

[That gets a funny little smile, not embarrassed now but a little bittersweet.]

It's all right, you can learn a lot on your own. I like it here, actually, though most people don't. But chances are it won't be long for you.