004 - Mincemeat

[deadly_ned]

Hello, Barge. My name is Ned, and I have a completely arbitrary and unrelated question to ask.

If you had a minute - 60 seconds - with any person currently dead and could talk and interact with them as normal, alive people would...

What would you say or ask them?

I suppose this question goes to the people who are currently...dead....and have alive people back home they're separated from as well.

It's an odd question, I know. But I've been...curious, lately.



Also, would the elf who took my wallet please give it back now? I hope you remember me; I was the piemaker dressed as a Franciscan monk. I hate to treat the network as my own personal Lost Connections newsletter but I really didn't know what other way to get in touch with you.

And if you're not actually an elf, I'm sorry for calling you one.

Comments

[secretasshole]

I'm sorry.

[deadly_ned]

I've no one to blame but myself.

But..thank you...?

[secretasshole]

You're welcome.

What made you ask?

[deadly_ned]

My partner is a private investigator who deals in homicides. And yarn. But the yarn's not related to the homicides.

So I see a lot of.

Death.

And it's just sort of been something on my mind. What wouldn't you give for another minute of information, or sentimentality, or feeling?

[secretasshole]

I wouldn't know.

[deadly_ned]

Why wouldn't you know? Is this to do with your technically-neither-alive-nor-dead...issue?

[secretasshole]

Yes.

[deadly_ned]

Who are you?

[secretasshole]

My name is David.

[deadly_ned]

I'm Ned.

What do you do, David?

[secretasshole]

I can do almost anything. On the Barge, I work in the library.

[deadly_ned]

On the Barge, I work in the kitchen. I can't do almost anything, but I can do a few things very well.

Can I ask a personal question?

[secretasshole]

Yes.

[deadly_ned]

Why are you here?

[secretasshole]

Unfortunately, it's never been adequately explained to me.

[deadly_ned]

You don't know why you're here?

[secretasshole]

I suppose I might have some idea.

[deadly_ned]

Just some? Some isn't a basis on which to establish your rebirth.

[secretasshole]

I suppose that's why I'm still an inmate.

[deadly_ned]

I'd like to try to help find out why.


If. Ah.

If that's all right with you. Investigations are sort of a..hobby, of mine. Or a job. A hobby-job.

Maybe if we find out why you're here, it'll be an easier road to graduation.

[secretasshole]

I'm not in any particular rush.

[deadly_ned]

You don't mind it here? 'Interesting' is good?

[secretasshole]

I don't mind it here at all.

[deadly_ned]

I'm oddly jealous at your ability to be comfortable anywhere.

[secretasshole]

I was designed to be.