InsaneJournal

Tweak says, ""Put down the ducky!""

Simon Tam (can_swear) wrote in silverage,
@ 2011-09-05 00:59:00

Entry tags:

!log, joshua, simon tam

Out for a walk
Who: Simon, Joshua
What: strolling
When: Monday afternoon
Where: on a street pick a street any street
Rating: Low, probably
Status: Complete

Simon had the day off, and was glad of it. He was doing ... all right at the hospital. Not great, and he was biting his tongue more than he cared to, but he was making progress. There were at least a couple of doctors that seemed amenable to the idea of change and he'd worked himself into their company.

It was difficult at times to try to prescribe patients the right remedies when he was being fought both by the doctors who did not approve, and the patients who came in looking for their tried-and-true methods and remedies. Sometimes he had to wonder how the human race had evolved when so many people were so resistant to change. He guessed he couldn't judge, and he really did try to put himself in their shoes, especially when he was on the verge of snapping with frustration. He knew his way was better than the standard way because it had five hundred years of research and use behind it. They didn't know that. They just saw new and different.

Still, he did his best. He did what he could.

With his hands in his pockets, Simon strolled along the city streets nearer Central Park. He could go visit the place where the shuttle had crashed, but he wasn't inclined to. Kaylee was here, and safe, and that was good -- and bad. She should be home, on Serenity, where she should be. Not trapped here. He was still both glad and disappointed that River hadn't shown up, for the same reasons. River should be home, not here, but he missed her.

Simon paused his steps to study the front of a shop, and while he was tempted to go in and browse, he was really more interested in enjoying the weather while they had weather to enjoy. According to the calendar of this world, winter weather would be here in a couple of months so it was best to enjoy the sun while it was here.

Moving on past the shop, he continued his amble along the sidewalk.

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can_swear
2011-09-07 02:49 am UTC (link)

Simon shook his head. "It's not ... a very exciting story." He frowned a little. "I've been here just ... a few weeks. Going on three, I guess," he said, unsure if that was completely accurate. It might have been a bit longer, but three weeks sounded about right.

"I ... was walking out of the infirmary on my own ... in my own reality and then I was ... here." Simon shook his head. "I started out at the Welcome Center, and then found a job at one of the hospitals. So I rented a place and ..."

Simon trailed off before a slightly sheepish grin crossed his lips. "Just doing my best to survive here, and get by until someone can get this turned around and send us back where we belong." Since he really didn't have anything else to do or anywhere to be immediately, he saw no problem with helping out Josh.

"Not that ... anyone actually has any idea how to do that. Not as far as I'm aware," Simon said.

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composedby
2011-09-07 05:02 am UTC (link)

"So how many are you?" The way Joshua phrased his question made it seem like he was really interested and he was! Being stranded in one plane for a week was supposedly bad enough, three weeks was damn special and rare but months? Now that's something. "Or, I'm sorry, how many of us are here? Twenty? Forty? All from...different realities?" If he was to pick that up from Simon's own words...

"I'm really enjoying this conversation, Simon," Joshua said, the tug of a smile at the corner of his lips as he brushed his hair off his face with the back of his fingers. "You should tell me about your reality, too, while you're at it."

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can_swear
2011-09-07 02:03 pm UTC (link)

"I don't ... know," he admitted. "I don't know if anyone's keeping track. I'd say you could look at the different handwritings on the board, but I don't think everyone here uses it, or keeps their notes up when they're done so I'm sure that's not ... accurate. And since people apparently can only stay in the welcome center for month, you can't even do a head-count in there to see.

"As far as I know, a lot of people are from different realities, yes, but there appear to be some from the same reality, just ... different points in time." He was experiencing a bit of that himself ...

Simon regarded Joshua when he made a point of saying he was enjoying the conversation, though he merely nodded in response to that. "My ... reality is five hundred years and then some into the future. It was ... 2518 when I ... was, and I lived on a space ship. With my sister, and the ship's crew. We ... flew around to different planets, taking what jobs we could find and I patched up the crew usually after each one," he reflected before he shook his head slightly.

"I don't ... really know what you'd want to know. I mean, getting into the society structure and core planets versus border moons, and the Unification War ... could take days."

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composedby
2011-09-07 03:52 pm UTC (link)

And Joshua was pretty sure he didn't have all day for that, regardless of his nature or whatnot. His arms were crossed as he listened and walked, and he made a sound of interest when Simon had divulged that he came from a future far, far away. "So people start living in space ships by then, eh?" That's boring. "I guess we ended up killing dear Mother Earth, eventually. Surprised to find you're fit and capable and not fat and bouncy, though," he giggled.

"Well I came from...507 years before your time, 47 years after now," he shared as he paused to let a car pass. "The world's just about crumbling and everyone decides that it's ending the next year: tsunamis and earthquakes, war and all that." He leaned a little to Simon as he uttered, "The kinds humans tend to get themselves into," he straightened up, again. "But you probably don't remember all that, that's like ancient history to you," he chuckled.

"So what's your opinion as a spaceman on a place like this?" he turned to the taller man, again. "Quite an antique, isn't it?"

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can_swear
2011-09-08 02:00 pm UTC (link)

"Well, no," Simon hurried to correct him. "Most people live on planets or moons that have been terraformed. Made to be like Earth. The same sort of terrain and atmosphere, and then people are moved to the new planet. Usually voluntary ... there are calls put out for that when they start the process. But I was ... my sister and I ... it's complicated," he finally decided. He didn't want to get into his status as a fugitive and explain why they'd wanted River, because that would get into Miranda and reavers, and he just really didn't want to visit that right now.

"But yes, Earth was ... eventually depleted. Highly over-populated, and the resources used up, so they had no recourse but to look for other places to live."

He smiled slightly before he shrugged. "We did have classes on Earth-that-Was history," Simon assured him. "I can't speak for how accurate it all was, but ... it wasn't a great picture that it painted."

He shrugged again to the last set of questions. "I'd rather be home. It's nice enough here, but I ... River -- my sister -- is home. I would like to get back there to her." Having Kaylee here was nice, he wasn't going to argue against that, but River needed him.

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composedby
2011-09-08 03:02 pm UTC (link)

"You would," Joshua said to agree, and he had no doubts. There were a lot of siblings out there in the world, brothers and sisters alike, but he understood how different, even special, siblings like Simon and River were -- special enough to overturn a decision that would have broken an entire world. He knew this from experience.

"But," he sighed a little as he slipped his hands in his pockets and gazed around the foreign buildings, old and fashionable, as he and Simon drew closer to another corner that led to a wider road to the right, "don't you think it would be fun if she ended up here in the UG, too? I mean," he waved a little to Simon's direction, "New York '64. It's always better if siblings stuck together -- or get stuck. And as they say, two heads are better than one! Maybe she can help you figure a way out of here." He looked at Simon, "More useful than wandering around aimlessly if you ask me."

He gazed at his palms after he said that.

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can_swear
2011-09-09 12:57 am UTC (link)

Simon had to smile a little at his statement about finding a way out. If anyone would know how -- or when -- they were getting out of here, it would be River. "She wouldn't have ... her medications. She's ... we're still trying to find something that works. She's getting better, but ..." Simon shook his head, and waved one hand in an attempt to fend up any follow-up questions. He didn't really want to talk about River, or answer any questions about why she was on medication.

"I wouldn't know where to begin, looking for a way out. I don't have any sort of magic or technology that could find a way out." He didn't think he had a big enough imagination, either, to work out any secret patterns or decipher any clues. River could though. River with her war strategies that involved dinosaurs. He smiled fondly, if a little sadly, and he shook his head.

"I ... if there was a way out, I think it would have been found by now. Or at least some idea of where to start."

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composedby
2011-09-09 02:35 am UTC (link)

And then, Joshua began laughing.

Given, it was a short one, and the laughter really was just the first breath of a giggle that followed it. But on Joshua's face was a really happy smile as he sighed and looked...almost pleasantly at Simon.

"Now I know what's been going on in your head all three weeks. I'd never know how it feels, though, I never had a sibling. But word of advice, Simon? Just chill. It's not as if worrying your bum off would send you home faster than a bullet train," he chuckled.

"And really, stop..." he paused for effect... "...trailing off." He was still smiling insolently as he flicked his hair back. "It's starting to be a habit..."

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can_swear
2011-09-09 02:43 am UTC (link)

Simon was kind of getting tired of meeting people on the street who had all the advice in the world to give. Do this, do that, don't do that. He rolled his eyes slightly and reminded himself he had no obligation to any of these people that he met.

"I can just stop talking if it bothers you," he replied a little testily. "In fact, maybe we should just part ways and you can find your own way." It wasn't generally in his personality to be rude -- he was generally the epitome of politeness. However, being laughed at and then told to talk a certain way?

Well, there was no reason to put up with it. It wasn't like he could stop worrying about River any more than he could stop breathing, and his way of talking was just his way of talking. "Welcome to New York," he said with a glance to Joshua before he turned away.

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composedby
2011-09-09 02:49 am UTC (link)

Oh dear. First day in, and Joshua had just lost what could have been his first friend. He really should start working on his interpersonal skills...

But his features hadn't even shifted a slight as he stood in his spot, hands in his pockets, and said, "What if I told you I can help you out? What if I told you I know how these things work?" He waved at the jewelry store beside him to indicate New York.

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can_swear
2011-09-09 02:56 am UTC (link)

"I don't think you can," Simon said. "You just got here, and what could you possibly know about this city, this reality? And what help can you provide that I would need? I need to get home. Unless you can get me home ..." he trailed off, fixing his bright blue eyes on Joshua.

He was irritated and while part of him knew it wasn't completely fair to judge someone who'd just arrived, he didn't like being trapped here. Kaylee or no Kaylee, this wasn't home and River wasn't here.

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composedby
2011-09-09 03:15 am UTC (link)

Joshua just sighed and raised his hands up for a dramatic shrug. "Well then, suit yourself. Anyway, who's to say Little River won't get here soon, right? Then it'll be like home."

But if people didn't want company, then it was okay. Joshua wasn't going to force it. The corner was within a few steps' reach so patting Simon twice on his shoulder, he started towards it, still determined to find his World Trade Center. "I guess I'll see you around, Doc. Good luck."

He turned back to Simon, "And thanks for the warm welcome." What was New York, after all, without the warm welcomes? Then turning back to his path, he began to hum to Frank Sinatra's New York, New York...

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