Roleplaying
2004 Archive
2005 Archive
Seminars
| When: | 31 March 2005 |
| Who: | Damien, Noah, Sandra |
| What: | Noah dreams and Damien warns of the war. |
Uncle Pete's Pizzeria
Uncle Pete's Pizzeria is a small, family-run pizza joint. Uncle Pete himself can sometimes be seen behind the counter. The floors are cheap linoleum, the booths are garish formica, and the flickering fluorescent overheads clash horribly with the neon signs in the window, but the place is clean and the Chicago-style deep dish pizzas are pretty good, for the price. Uncle Pete's stays open and delivers 24-7, to catch the college crowd pulling all-nighters.
Sandra is sitting at a booth to herself near the door, a deck of cards in front of her. She appears to be constructing a pyramid house from them, and humming a cheerful little tune under her breath.
Noah walks in from the street. Noah starts to head towards the counter when he's distracted by the card construction. He stops at Sandra's table and soon realizes who it is who is doing the building. He smiles somewhat, "Hey there."
Sandra smiles back. She waves cheerfully at Noah, and gestures at the other side of the booth. "Would you like to sit with me, Noah? I have ordered a pizza. Unhealthy, perhaps, but surprisingly good."
Noah is all too familiar with surviving on pizza. He nods and then slides down across from Sandra "Thank you. I could use the company. How are you doing," he asks. He looks overworked again, or at least tired.
"Thoughtful," Sandra replies. "I am thinking of many things, of cabbages and kings." She takes in his tired expression. "Long shift, my friend?"
Noah shakes his head "Nah. I have to go in this evening. I guess I just didn't sleep that well after last night." He frowns a little still.
Sandra raises an eyebrow, and puts the cards aside for the moment. "Bad dreams?"
Noah shrugs "I guess. More like hallucinations...I just sorta faded in and out all night. It was...surreal. Sorry, I don't mean to be a downer." He stands from the table "I'll be right back. I'm going to get a drink."
Sandra nods, reaching up to finger the stone on her necklace. "Of course," she murmurs, but watches Noah with clear concern as he stands up.
Noah returns after a few moments with a soda. He slides back down into the seat.
Sandra waits until Noah is well-seated, before asking, "Hallucinations? What kind of hallucinations?"
Noah shrugs weakly and takes a sip of his soda "It's hard to explain."
Sandra picks up her cards again and starts picking out the next two to add. "Most important things are, Noah. I might be able to help, though. I've had some experience with sleep disorders."
Noah chews on his lip a little "Before I woke up...When I was in a coma, they said they lost me for a few minutes. And sometimes I remember things. Maybe remember isn't the right word. I feel things. But when I try and think about it, to remember it more clearly, it just gets confusing and I get terribly depressed. So I just try and put it out of my mind."
In light of Tyrr's revelation last night, Sandra's normal course of action has been disrupted. She swallows, searching for the right thing to say. "...and you've been thinking about these disturbing things, again?"
Noah nods. "I work at a hospital. It's not like I don't see death every day. Heck, most doctors and nurses develop a rather morose sense of humor about it to keep their sanity. I guess the Kurgan thing bothered me because I knew people who were touched by it. I don't know...and it got me thinking about. I guess I should know better than to think." He tries to smile at the statement.
Sandra sets up the final pyramid on the current tier, and starts on the next level of the house of cards. "Thinking is not a bad thing. It's possible that it's something that you need to remember, to think about. Sometimes the mind hides painful things from us, but that doesn't mean that they went away. They're still there, and no walls last forever."
Noah sighs. He plays with the straw in his glass of soda, rolling it around the edge of the glass with his finger "I guess. It's not like I haven't tried...or hoped I'd remember more. It's just...Well. You know how some people die and come back and they say they saw a tunnel of light and felt love and saw family and Jesus. That kind of thing?"
Sandra nods. "I've heard of it, yes." She builds another tier with quick, sure motions. Most of her attention seems to be on Noah, though. Her hands moving on autopilot through the motions.
Noah takes another sip of his soda before continuing "I never had that. I...I remember a beautiful place. But I don't so much remember it in images so much as a feeling. And If I think *really hard*," he says, closing his eyes and squinting "I have this sensation of being part of that. But not like a cog in a machine or an ant in an anthill kinda way." He relaxes his tense expression and opens his eyes "But as something special and loveable and aware of something so vast....And then it's gone and I feel small and heavy and sad." Sad Noah brings the soda to his lips again and takes a long sip.
"I see." Sandra closes her eyes for a brief moment, accepting that Tyrr was probably right. "Noah...I can't say that I understand how you feel, although there's a part of it that I do see. But I can say that I'm your friend, and if there's anything I can do to help you...anything at all...then I will do it."
Noah nods, looking down. When he looks up, his face is red with emotion "I know...And I appreciate that. I guess that's why I don't dwell on it. Everything I think things feel hopeless I remember that I've been blessed with people who care about me and I've had a lot of wonderful opportunities considering I don't even know who I was...So I just try and remember that I'm blessed and keep busy with work."
Sandra smiles. "I'm certain that whoever you are, you were wonderful. And you remain so, today. Some things do remain, through it all." She pauses in the building. "If you remember anything else, talk to a friend, okay? Me, or someone else if I'm not around. There's no good reason for you to have to hurt alone, when we're here to help you."
Noah shrugs. He chuckles a little at the word...Powerful and then slides back into his seat "Thank you for being kind. I do appreciate it." As quicky as he slumped down into his seat he snaps back up to a sitting position "I don't mean to be a downer...So," he says, rubbing at the edges of his eyes with his thumb "How are you and Damien doing?"
Sandra shrugs. "Damien seems to be doing well, although I have not been able to spend as much time with him as I would like. I am doing well, and busy. I imagine you would have to speak to him to get a more complete picture." She flashes a grin. "I have high hopes, at least."
Noah smiles for the first time since the two sat down "I always have hope...He seems like he's having trouble believing that he deserves you. Or maybe even that he's loveable, I guess. I think its his work. Politics messes with people," he suggests with a shrug.
Sandra makes a grimace. "I know. Politics is just...strange. And very inefficient. But he seems to enjoy it. And I hope that he will come to believe that he deserves a great many good things, for I believe it." Now it's her turn to look pensieve and glum. "And my lunch hour is nearly at an end."
Damien spots Noah in the window as he passes the Pizza place. He's just wearing t-shirt and jeans today. He contemplates, and then opens the door, walks right through the place and slides across from Noah with a bright, "Hiya, Noah!"
Noah looks up from his soda and waves "Hey Damien. How are you? I was just talking to Sandra a few moments ago."
Damien lifts his eyebrows. "Oh? I just missed her? That's... that kind of sucks."
Noah shrugs "I'm sorry, buddy...She had to go to work. Would you like to sit a little? It'd be nice to have the company."
Damien is, of course, already sitting, since he rarely waits for invitations. He peers at Noah. "Are you okay, Noah? Is something wrong?"
Noah shrugs "Well enough I guess...Just a weird evening last night."
Damien sits up a little straighter. "Weird evening? Where? What happened?"
Noah nods to the window "At Fado's...Long story short: Kacela found a sword that belong to Kurgan. Maybe even where he was killed, I'm not sure. Anyway she didn't feel safe returning it so I volunteered. So I went to Fado's yesterday to find the guy who works there, Tyrr, and give it to him."
Damien furrows his brow. "Alright..." he prompts. "Then what? You didn't get attacked, did you? Because if you got jumped, we have issues."
Noah looks a little surprised "Oh no! No no not at all. He thanked me for being courageous and then Sandra asked him to dance. Kinda confusing, really."
Damien looks confused. "Then what's wrong, Noah? It sounds like you did an okay thing. I wouldn't hang around that Kacela person if I was you, because she's bad news, but otherwise, you seem okay."
Noah chews on his lip as Damien talks, "I know...I'm glad I did it. I just get the distinct impression that there's a lot more going on than meets the eye and it worries me. And, yeah, I know about Kacela and Lyman somewhat. I just...I sometimes wonder that maybe if they were shown a little more compassion they wouldn't be as dangerous as people claim they are. You know?"
Damien heaves a sigh and mutters quietly to himself, "Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?" He peers at Noah. "No, Noah. You can show them infinite compassion, and they will soak it like a sponge and then use it to destroy you. They are dangerous people. They are..." He sighs again. "They are not your friends."
Noah looks up from staring into the depths of his cola. He looks sad somewhat, still. Noah speaks in soft tones "No, Damien. I believe that God is love. Maybe they soak it up because they crave it more than most. Maybe it's because it's a need that needs fulfilling. Who am I to say I will not love them because it doesn't benefit me."
Damien sits there, looking like he's been slapped. He just sits there staring at Noah, like his brain stopped and he doesn't know what to say. Finally, he just looks away out the window, without saying anything.
Noah manages a weak smile "I'm sorry, Damien. I know you're only trying to warn me so that I don't involve myself any deeper with people who could very well be dangerous. I hope you're not mad at me."
Damien says quietly, "If you're going to be spending alot of time with Tyrr in Fado's, you should probably treat me like you should treat them, because we're not all that different, Lyman and his friends and me."
Noah smiles more brightly and reaches out to put his hand on Damien's forearm "You're a good friend, Damien. And I think you're quite different. Even if you don't see it that way. I wouldn't treat you any differently than I do."
Damien turns from the window and looks Noah in the eye and asks him, "Have they explained anything to you? What precisely did they tell you last night? Anything? Did they tell you about a Secret War?"
Noah shakes his head "They didn't tell me anything. Tyrr thanked me and then he and Sandra seemed to talk a little while dancing. I didn't hear anything though. Tyrr seemed...sad, but I guess that's to be expected when your friend dies. It's funny you say that though." He frowns a little "I tried not to look at the note Kacela gave me to give to Tyrr but I did accidentally see the word 'War' in the note. I didn't mean to." He seems genuinely disappointed with himself for snooping, even accidentally.
Damien sags back and considers Noah very slowly and carefully. "In this city, there are two camps of people, Noah, and they are at war with each other. There is a good side and there is a bad side. One side cares about you and one side doesn't. You should stay with Sandra and Andrew and Tyrr, and away from Kacela and Mr. Lyman. Okay?"
Noah's smile widens and he begins to laugh "But not you! You didn't lump yourself in with them this time. That's awesome." His laugh dies down after a few seconds and he tries to sound a bit more serious "Just remember that you get to choose your friends. I hope you choose us," he says in a warm tone.
"No, I'm not them," Damien says, "I am not Mr. Lyman and Kacela. What I am is a guy who is spending an awful lot of time walking around smoking cigarettes."
Noah smiles still "I'm a nurse. You don't need me to tell you that's not good for you...Eh, then again there's a surprising number of nurses that chain smoke. Go figure. Must be the stress." He chuckles again, softly. "I think you're a good guy, D. I just think your job is enough to make any man bad."
Damien drops his eyes and then stares out the window again. He says softly, "I wish I could tell you what is wrong, Noah. I really wish I could. It's so hard to explain, and now things are changing fast and I don't really know how to deal with it."
Noah nods, his laughter fading, his smile diminishing a little "Well...Even if you can't, just know that I'm here for you. Even if its just to sit and watch you smoke. That's what friends are for."
Damien looks back at Noah and says, "Just please promise me that you'll stick with the Fado's crowd. Please?"
Noah chews on his lip then nods "Okay. I'll do it because you asked."
Damien sags and says, "Thank you, Noah. Thank you for that bit of goodness."
Noah smiles again "You're welcome. Don't look so glum. Everything will be all right."
"I think," Damien says, "that I need to go have a smoke. I'm sorry; I came in to see what was up with you and hoping to cheer you up and this has gotten all depressing."
Noah doesn't seem all that depressed all of a sudden. He smiles still at Damien "Okay. It's good to see you again, D. And thank you for caring. It means a lot to me."
Damien slides out of the booth very suddenly to stand right outside of Noah's booth on the other side of the glass of Uncle Pete's Pizza and smoke like a man dying who can live only by cigarettes alone.
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