tushanshu | audio; backdated to the 30th

[The voice is most assuredly Jaime's, save for the fact that his voice is higher, younger. On the other end of the transmission, he's four years old and adorable, but he really, really isn't in the mood for being cooed and fussed over by half the turtle at the moment. He'd only just managed to convince himself to actually make this post.]

If you didn't catch the post about it just a second ago, Traci Thirteen's gone home. [And he's completely certain of this fact. The moment he suspected it, the Scarab tried to track her: if the Scarab couldn't find her either, she must've definitely been gone.] All her stuff's already gone, so it's not like I can give away anything of hers to her friends, but...

[Jaime inhales, a little shakily.]

I just wanna thank those of you who were good to her when she was here. She talked about you guys a lot, and I'm sure she'd want-- [why the past tense? she's not dead. Jaime hastily amends his words.]-- she wants to thank you for it herself, but can't do it, um, cross-dimension.

[He sniffs.]

That's about it, I guess. If there's anything she's left here that needs to get taken care of, let me know.

[Jaime quickly cuts the feed.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Knocks on Jaime's window after seeing his post. What's a front door? ~~Must be a flier thing.~~] Jaime? It's Mark.

Do you want to talk?

[Luckily, he's not as surprised as he was when Superman showed up to knock on his window: instead, he shuffles back over and opens the window again to let him in.]

Thanks for coming all the way out here. [He's not that easy to crack, though.] I'm okay though. I... I guess I just need time to think about all of it.

[Sits on the windowsill... or rather, floats just above it. ~~He likes flying, okay?~~] Trust me, I understand. [Pulls his mask off and tugs at it.] I really, really understand. And to be honest, the reason I flew over here was because I know the dangers of being left alone in your thoughts.

[Small smile as he attempts to lighten the mood.] At least you haven't tried flying into the barrier yet.

Someone you know left too?

[He gazes, a little sullenly, at the mask, before the mood-lightening registers.]

...Tell me you didn't.

My girlfriend, Eve. That was the reason I was a wreck when your mom dragged me home.

[Stares hard at his mask, which suddenly looks very interesting.] ...Twice. Only the once when Eve left... though the first time was an accident too.

[Jaime smiles sadly.] That makes way too much sense. I promise I won't fly into things?

Does it-- y'know, does it get easier? I'm sure you still miss Eve.

Good.

[Mark shakes his head.] No. I'm not even going to lie to you. But it's not like they died. It's the opposite--they got to go home. They got to go back to living their lives and I don't know about your girlfriend, but I know mine would be so mad at me if I stopped functioning just because she was gone.

...Well, she'd be mad at me because I totally did.

[All of that... makes a lot of sense. He nods quietly, before asking--]

Well, how'd it click? To stop being upset about it.

I started thinking about her. But not like the psycho way I was before, about how she was gone and all the things we did together and how I'd never be able to do them again like I was. I started thinking about how she'd react to what an idiot I was being, or the dates we went on back home, or trying to figure out what she'd be doing now back home... And it made me smile.

But it takes time to get there. It's totally cool to be an idiot right now. I mean, you miss her. That's totally natural. It's okay to miss her, and to be sad that she's gone. Just... don't do anything stupid, like fly into the barrier. [Or punch spider cracks into a brick wall.]

[A small smile.]

No flying into anything. I promise, really.

[He takes a moment to do just as Mark says-- he imagines Traci, joyful, flippant, and he remembers that she'd probably be telling him to lighten up and keep doing his best.]

I'll keep trying that-- it seems like it's working a little.

Like I said, it's just a start. It's going to take time, and it won't be easy.

But... if you ever need to talk, I'm here. I'm only a second away--literally.

Wait, can you really fly that fast? What if I'm, like, underwater?

No joke, though. Thanks, Mark.

I can totally fly that fast. And if I have enough of a flying start, I could totally cut through water like it's nothing.

Anytime. And I mean that.

audio; backdated to the 30th

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