Post-It: ETD 00:26am

[maced_eggs]

Right.

So supposing I've accidentally gone an' graduated myself. Gwenny's left already, an' I've...

...I've got things that need to be taken care of, back where I'm from. Can't let souls of the dead go wandering about, can you?

Ahh, but here; this place. I mean, I like it, but it's bloody inconvenient at times, isn't it? So I'll be holding off joining you in retirement jus' yet. Someone's got to go look after the other reapers.

Also, not much of a fan of sobriety this early in the morning. Nice to have me powers back in full, though. An' look; I haven't had one drink in weeks. I'd say I'm pretty much cured.

Johnny the rabbit goes to Tiff. Any of you come by the Seattle area, go hang aroun' near someone who's about to die. Chances are we'll meet.

Been nice knowing you, Barge. Now sod off.

Comments

[tucky]

[Tiffany is surprised - not at the graduation, but at the leaving. But she doesn’t feel the need to ask why he’s going, when he’d said himself that he has more going for him here than at home. It’s something that would have confused her before her own graduation, but she knows from experience now that being on the Barge as an inmate feels very different from being on the Barge as a warden.

Instead of replying to his post, she heads over to his room, wanting to say goodbye in person. Knock knock.]

[maced_eggs]

[Mason, walking around his room to gather his things and make Johnny's hutch all tidy, looks up at the knock. He frowns, crossing the room to open the door]

Hi, Tiffy.

[tucky]

Hey.

[Her feelings are very mixed right now, but she smiles, genuinely. She needs to let the part of her that’s happy for him be bigger than the part of her that’s sad for herself.]

You okay?

[She touches his wrist, noticing the frown.]

[maced_eggs]

[He nods, looking down at the hand touching him]

Yeah. Yes.

Gwenny's left. Feels a bit more empty without her, an' I don' think I ought to be hanging around here long.

[tucky]

I know. It's okay.

[She laces her fingers through his.]

You're gonna be safer there, you know? Back on your world.

[maced_eggs]

Well, I won't have to be in boat accidents every bloody six months, won't I?

[tucky]

Yeah. It'll be good.

[She can't hold back anymore. She launches herself forward, throwing her arms around him and giving him a big hug.]

But shit, I'm gonna miss you.

[maced_eggs]

[Mason catches Tiffany easily in his skinny, long arms, wrapping them around her tightly]

Mmph. Going to miss you too, love. But I can't stay here, any more so than you feel up to leaving.

[tucky]

I know. I really, really know; I do. And I am so proud of you for everything.

[She reaches into her pocket and pull something out, quickly slipping it into his. It's a set of two dogtag-style pendants on a metal linked chain, each with an image embedded into the front - one has the Barge flying through a sea of stars, and the other has an outline of the Eiffel Tower.]

You're gonna be great. You have a good life, okay? Undead life, I mean. And if anyone calls you a fuck-up again you tell ‘em that they’re wrong and you know it.

[maced_eggs]

[Mason blinks, glancing down at what's being pressed into his hand. He holds up the pendants, giving a bit of a grin as he sees what it is]

Here, did you make this? It's lovely, Tiff'.

Obvious answer is not to be a fuck up in the first place, but you know; baby steps, right?

[tucky]

I wished for it. Asked the Admiral, or the Barge, or whatever's making things for us now. I wanted you to have something to remember us by.

[Head still resting against his shoulder, she brings her fingers up and touches his cheek.]

You're never gonna be a fuck up, even if you fuck up sometimes. That ain't who you are.

[But she does worry about him falling back into old habits. As an addict herself, she knows it's not something that goes away so easily, and Mason is going to be dealing with a lot of temptation.]

[maced_eggs]

[Mason, smiling but a little sad at the same time, puts one of the necklaces on over his head. He leans into Tiffany's touch, looking down at her]

Best part about graduating is, I'm still me, deep down. Jus' a more sober me.

[tucky]

You know, I feel the exact same way. I changed some in, like, behavior and thinking and knowledge, but I ain't a different person.

You feel the same to me, too. And sober's a good look on you.

[maced_eggs]

Thanks, love.

I'll be back, you know. There's a time, I don't know if you've ever been aroun' long enough to experience it, when the network opens up an' I'm able to talk to you. I'll look for you then.

[tucky]

[She wants to say that that doesn't count as being back, but at the same time she doesn't want to harsh his buzz, so she just smiles and kisses his shoulder.]

Yeah. I'm gonna have lots of good stories for you. You'd better have some for me, too.

I'm gonna remember you. A girl always remembers the first guy who calls her beautiful.

[maced_eggs]

[Mason, in turn, kisses the top of Tiffany's head, holding her close]

I'm afraid they're mostly going to revolve aroun' horribly depressing things, Tiff.

An' there's likely to be many men doing that now.

[tucky]

They'd better not, 'cause you'd better have a good, real life outside of being a reaper. Have fun. Do great things. Okay?

[maced_eggs]

I'll do my best, my darling.

[tucky]

Okay. C'mere.

[She tugs him down and kisses him lightly on the lips, then taps their foreheads together, then kisses him again.]

When do you gotta go? Can you stay for like-- like half an hour?

[maced_eggs]

[happy to go along with it, Mason snuggles close to the girl in his arms, smiling with his eyes]

Sure, love. I can do that.

[no_tell_belle]

I wish you all the best, darling. Come back and visit us sometime.

[maced_eggs]

I plan to. Nowhere else do I get free food an' board. You know how rare that is, outside of a homeless shelter?

[no_tell_belle]

[Not to mention the free booze]

I have some idea, yes, but I'm sure you'll do fine.

[maced_eggs]

'Course I will. Always land on my feet, me.

An' in the case I don't, it don't matter; I'm already dead, see?

[brbculling]

I've found that letting them wander can be very entertaining.

[maced_eggs]

Which is why the fuck I'm leaving an' you're staying here, mate.

[theresalwayshope]

I knew you could do it, Mace.

...I'm gonna miss you. Promise you'll come back and visit?

[maced_eggs]

Won't miss the barge, but I'll miss you, Allison. Miss you an' your darling Duchess.

'Course I will. I'll look for that day when everyone's phone goes fuzzy, 'cept this time I'll be on the correct side of it.

[theresalwayshope]

And I'll be waiting to tell you all about what me and the little diva bunny have been up to.

And, uhm...I'll look after Tiffany for you. Make sure she knows how best to take care of Johnny.

[maced_eggs]

That sounds lovely, really. It does.

I'd love it if you, did, my darling. She's good, Tiff, but she doesn't know much from rabbits.

[theresalwayshope]

I will, I promise. We'll let Duchess and Johnny play, and I'll make sure she knows all about what kind of food is best for his little tummy...I'll even ask the Admiral to get some more toys for her to give him. Or...y'know, one of the people walking around with Admiral powers.

[Her eyes are getting bright, but she ignores it. She's getting sick and tired of losing people, but this is just a little different: at least this time, she's getting a chance to say goodbye.

It still sucks, and it still hurts on top of everything else she's lost lately...but she's been trying very hard to disconnect from everything, and it's given her a clear enough head to realize there's a gift in this.]

[maced_eggs]

[Mason is smiling in his sad, distant way; the sort of way when he knows a job's been done well, even though it's a grim one]

I'd like that very much, my darling.

I'm not far away, if you're ever aroun'. You take lots of pictures, have them ready for me when I come back to visit.

[theresalwayshope]

That might be hard, given my situation back home, but...well...

[She makes a strange face, then switches the feed to private.]

Would you be willing to do something for me? If I can't get my deal, I mean.

[Private]

[maced_eggs]

An' what's that?

[Private]

[theresalwayshope]

Do you think, maybe...do you know if Reapers like you can visit other worlds on their own? Because...

If I leave this ship against my will, without getting my deal, I'm dead. I'm going to die in my world, and...well, if that happens, it would be less difficult for me, I think...if you were the one that took my soul. I trust you with it.

[Private]

[maced_eggs]

...Love, I don't think I've the power to do that. An' I've got to stay where I'm assigned, in Seattle.

But here - most reapers I know are very nice, very responsible people. They're not like how I am. You'll be well taken care of, an' it's only for half a second before you go off to your reward.

[Private]

[theresalwayshope]

...what's that like? Sending people where they belong? Is it always their...reward?

[Because yes, Allison is well aware that she might not be allowed a place behind the pearly gates for everything she's done.]

[Private]

[maced_eggs]

It's...rewarding.

An' mostly. Good blokes, bad ones. All sorts go off to their reward. There's only one I've not seen it in, an' he was a...

He was special circumstances.

Couldn't tell you what was up there, though. Reapers aren't allowed.

[Private]

[theresalwayshope]

...you're not allowed to go to your own reward? Like...not allowed to rest? At all?

How is that fair?

[imfollowinghim]

Congratulations.

[maced_eggs]

Thanks, Buck'.

Here, how're you doing? You remembering everything?

[imfollowinghim]

For better or worse. You gonna stick to Seattle?

[maced_eggs]

Have to, don't I? We go where we're told to go.

'Sides, Georgie an' Daisy are there.

[imfollowinghim]

[He gets that. It's good to know he'll probably be more or less okay.]

Good luck.

[bodilesswarrior]

[Thank god, something to smile about. It's far from her brightest, but it's sincerely proud.]

They'll be lucky to have you, Mason.

[maced_eggs]

Hope so, Barbara.

[But he looks concerned. He is really, really hoping he won't backslide into past behavior]

Got quite a lot to answer for, back home.