CHAPTER ONE

[perturbator]

[The video comes in rather unfocused at first, until some noisy fiddling brings a pair of 80s style Air Jordans into view.]

There's probably other things I should be asking first, but I only have two questions right now. One: How's the weather in California this time of year?

[If this place really is different, the forecast won't be nuclear fallout. People will be there again. America might be whole again.

Quickly, the camera shifts to a small coffee table with several different newspapers strewn all over it, but with a DVD copy of Terminator 2 on top.]

Two: How the fuck do you rewind this thing?

Comments

tw WAR NEVER CHANGES

[perturbator]

Yeah. Impossible odds. We made 'em work in our favor, most of the time. Killed more commies than most infantry units could on their own.

I mean. I get it. People called me a kid then, too.

[huntergames]

Oh.

[ It makes her wonder if it'll ever come to that in this world. ]

There was no other way to stop them?

[perturbator]

They invaded us. Kinda past negotiations at that point.

[huntergames]

I am very sorry to hear that.

[perturbator]

Not your fault. You know, different universes. Whatever the hell.

[Time to change the subject before he starts thinking too hard about any of that. He may have noticed her eying the pizza. Finally, he comes fully into frame as he pulls another slice out of the box.]

You know this place? I just hit the first one I could find.

[huntergames]

[ The subject change works. She's immediately preoccupied with thoughts of pizza. ]

Uh huh! I used to work at a pizza restaurant, actually. I still have coupons!

[ They're all expired... ]

they share a psychic pizza connection

[perturbator]

[And he's just as distracted as soon as she mentions coupons. Pizza Tuesdays were less of a thing in the 80s.]

No shit. [He's almost smiling sheepishly now.] Any way you could part with some of those?

[Expiration won't stop him from getting the pizza, either way.]

beautiful

[huntergames]

Yeah, that's okay! I have soo many. I guess they felt bad firing me.

[ She gets to her feet, needing to dig around the room for them. ]

Umm... where are you? I can bring them to you.

[perturbator]

You got fired? Hope you weren't the one making the pies.

[He freezes for a second. She seems friendly enough, but he doesn't want to let her know where he lives. Doesn't want anyone to know that, really.]

Maurtia Falls. If you're in another city, I won't make you.

[huntergames]

No... it was dumb.

Um, it's not a problem or anything. I can use the Porter and then I can just teleport to wherever you are. Kind of! I need to know where I'm going.

[perturbator]

[He gets up and goes off screen for a moment to look out his window. Somewhere close, but not here.]

Tell you what. You wanna meet at the place I went to? I could go for another one.

[huntergames]

[ Did he expect another answer. ]

Yes, I would love that very much!

[perturbator]

[He doesn't know how much she can eat yet SHOW HIM YOUR WAY SASHA]

Cool. I'll send you the address.

[Once he figures out... texting??

Either way he's soon back at the pizza place, not enjoying the stares from the employees, even if they are admiring ones. The light weight of the mask hidden in the lining of his jacket presses more heavily against him.]

ACTION

[huntergames]

[ Sasha actually changes her attire before heading over to the Porter. Though the weather in Maurtia Falls is unlike Heropa's at this time of the year, Sasha still puts on a light hoodie over her crop top and has stuck to jeans rather than shorts. She uses her power to get as close to the destination as she can, but having never been there, eventually she has to stop using up her power and walk the remainder of the way. Some locals point her in the right direction and after some time Sasha enters the pizza place, sniffing the air enthusiastically. Something smells good. ]

[perturbator]

[As if his nervous vibe had been infectious, the shop workers quickly got the pizza to his table, eager to empty out the dining area again. To their dismay, he doesn't start eating. As tempting as it is, he should wait. Instead, he drums his fingers anxiously on the side of his soda cup, carefully watching people pass outside. Despite people's comments about him being from the past, everything here looked like it came from a nuclear family catalogue. It didn't sit right with him; he preferred the honesty of grit.

Where was the graffiti? The broken condom wrappers and empty dimebags on the sidewalks? Did he have anything before that?

Before he can answer, he sees his new acquaintance finally arrive. From the look on her face, he knows he won't have to call her over. She'll sniff him out. Still, he should try and be personable.]

Hey.

[huntergames]

Ah, there you are.

[ Sasha zips toward the table without any hesitation, hands behind her back until she's slid into a seat across from him and laid her hands on the table. She's already eyeing the pizza, but she quickly remembers her priorities and focuses on the man's face now that she can see it properly in better lighting. ]

I'm so sorry, I didn't get your name before. I'm Sasha.

[perturbator]

[He sits up straight and squares his shoulders when Sasha joins him. An attempt at a welcoming smile results in only the barest quirk of his lips.

Sasha. He nods. She still doesn't look like a soldier, but then again, he sure as fuck doesn't anymore. Most of the veterans that congregated in the cesspool Miami had become didn't.

As for his name, he stops as he rips two slices away from the pie. Static buzzes in his head, and his old exit wounds burn. A name, he struggles to remember, the mask weighing heavily against him again. Richard.]

It's okay. I'm Rich.

[huntergames]

Rich... like short for Richard?

[ She reaches over for a slice, grabbing with both hands a little greedily and taking a massive bite without waiting for a response. She looks amused about something, giggling with a mouth full of food. Where are your manners, girly? ]

[perturbator]

[He doesn't bat an eyelid when Sasha takes her slice. Table manners are for people who can afford tables.]

Yeah. [His brow furrows when she laughs, then he just snorts.] Like Dick, yeah.

[His assumptions lean towards lowbrow. Either way, he starts his own piece, guaranteeing they'll both be talking around the food in their mouths.]

1/2

[huntergames]

[ She snorts, trying to mask her giggling to no avail. ]

Heh... Dick. That's so...

2/2

[huntergames]

[ She swallows her food, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand rather than using the napkin right in front of them. She takes another bite without a moment's hesitation. ]

I don't really get it. How does Richard become "Dick"? Rich makes more sense.

[perturbator]

[He fights with a particularly springy string of cheese, so it's not as if he has any sort of high ground. If he even sees the napkins, he hasn't touched them yet.]

Dunno. Same way they get Jack out of John, I guess.

[He pauses. Sasha. That's a nicer name, for sure.]

How long have you been here?

[huntergames]

Mmm...

[ As she pulls the pizza away, she winds up with a long string of cheese herself. She wraps it around her finger, not allowing a drop of it to go to waste. ]

Since last May, so over a year. I lost around nearly a month once so I don't know if that counts or doesn't.

[perturbator]

[Lost a month? That brings him back to his coma, the source of the visions that had been far too prescient. Even now his head throbs from time to time. With a mission, he hadn't noticed as much as he does now.]

You get hurt or something?

[huntergames]

[ She sets down her pizza a little so she can look at him properly. ]

This is going to sound weird, but it happens a lot here. Sometimes the Porter -- glitches is the word, I think -- and it sends you back home for a little bit before bringing you back here. I went home for a couple of weeks and when I came back most of July had passed.