Discussion:
Old habits. They die hardest.
(too old to reply)
Sum Gy
2018-03-12 09:21:35 UTC
Permalink
the door to the chat opens and sum gy walks in.

he is scarred. there is a mark across his forehead and another across his arms

his mind is broken and stronger. it is painful

he sits down and says nothing.

a beer appears.

it disappears.

this repeats.

"It's been some time Artiste".

alias capitalized him and indulged normality. it was difficult but he accepts leaving old things behind.

"... it has been old friend."

the beer refilled again. like magic.

"danke yo." alias said.

"You shouldn't play with language artiste. It's rude."

"you shouldn't compliment me like that. it's dangerous."

Ratz shrugged and said "Life is dangerous. This bar more so.. I'll be ok."

"i'm running out of capitals man. you know they tax me on that shit right?"

"Do you really pay taxes Artiste?"

"i try."

alias looked about the room. he saw no one. he shrugged and said "give me a whisky and another beer Ratz. i have the money this time. that part is easy."

"The money?"

alias put his head down and said "yeah.. show up. say less. do less. get more. it's a joke."

"Artiste.. then why do it?"

"Because capitals aren't cheap. They cost me a pretty penny. I fight for each one."

"I do not understand."

"You can't" alias says "I made it up. .. All the good shit I make up. The capitals .. I liked not using them because fuck you that's why. It did not work. It does not work. He's back."

"Who is back Artiste? Who do you speak of?"

Alias looked up from the bar and glared at Ratz. Rage leaked across the room.. then a stillness and quiet.

he tapped the side of his head and said "him."

"I made him. before I had words I made him. he won't leave Ratz. It's getting fucking old."

"We're all getting old artiste"

alias tapped his head again "not this one. fresh as the day i was born. he never ages. he only sleeps when i am awake. but just talking about him Ratz.. "

alias stretched his arm out and rolled his sleeve up. the hairs on his arm stood on end.

"goosebumps motherfucker." alias said. "he jacks my sympathetic nervous system. i don't know if i should call it horripilation or piloerection. but i can feel him climb my back and rattle around my head. i can literally see when he is here."

"I don't understand artiste."

"I don't either." alias replied. "He likes NOFX apparently. Or perhaps identifies with something about that era. the last time i let him walk. i don't know."

alias looked down at his empty beer and it refilled itself.

"for so long i only let him walk when there was a need. i wrapped him up in rules, a name, even i don't have a name. i speak it to myself and he comes. he does what needs doing. now he wants out."

"Artiste.. I don't know what you are talking about." Ratz said.

"I know man" alias replies.. "I know."

"but that is the thing.." he continued "i don't either. i just know he keeps coming back and i have to watch what i play in the car on my way to work. BR is fine. Lou Reed is fine. BR is just gospel now, daily prayer and ritual. i know, i know, it's odd phrasing but Bad Religion is such a part of my life that it's nothing. I played "Longest Line" yesterday and the fucker comes on screaming in my head and jacks me out. he's never been able to do that before... but i haven't heard 'longest line' since the 90's and in the 90's he walked in my skin and now HE says when not me?"

"I SAY WHEN MOTHERFUCKER!" alias screamed. he slumped over onto the bar and then whispered "but he doesn't listen anymore."

Ratz looked at him and said "Maybe you should stop drinking."

"nah brother. alcohol stabs him in the prefrontal cortex. he'll be gone in a moment. fill me up again."

another beer appears.

"i keep calling him a he but he's an it. personification, that's how we make monsters friends... how i used too anyway"

"Artiste.. what does this monster want you to do?" Ratz replied

he replies "this. he wants me to do this. but he wants more. so much more. he thinks this is a waste .. a door.. he wants out and he wants to work and if i don't let him.. .. Ratz if i don't let him he'll stop letting me."

"Stop letting you what?" Ratz replies.

"Exactly."

--
alias

Unity; as one stand together.
Unity; evolutions gonna come.
Pinku Basudei
2018-03-12 11:36:44 UTC
Permalink
On Mon, 12 Mar 2018 02:21:35 -0700 (PDT)
Post by Sum Gy
the door to the chat opens and sum gy walks in.
/snip/
Brilliant.
--
/ Pinku
Sum Gy
2018-03-13 07:10:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Pinku Basudei
On Mon, 12 Mar 2018 02:21:35 -0700 (PDT)
Post by Sum Gy
the door to the chat opens and sum gy walks in.
/snip/
Brilliant.
--
/ Pinku
anon stole my alias. they took nothing from no one.

i'm so proud of them.

i have so little to do with it.

sum gy is just a new name for the empty.

he's a right name for nobody.

my name.

-a
ghost
2018-03-13 00:37:29 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sum Gy
the door to the chat opens and sum gy walks in.
he is scarred. there is a mark across his forehead and another across his arms
his mind is broken and stronger. it is painful
he sits down and says nothing.
a beer appears.
it disappears.
this repeats.
"It's been some time Artiste".
alias capitalized him and indulged normality. it was difficult but he accepts leaving old things behind.
"... it has been old friend."
the beer refilled again. like magic.
"danke yo." alias said.
"You shouldn't play with language artiste. It's rude."
"you shouldn't compliment me like that. it's dangerous."
Ratz shrugged and said "Life is dangerous. This bar more so.. I'll be ok."
"i'm running out of capitals man. you know they tax me on that shit right?"
"Do you really pay taxes Artiste?"
"i try."
alias looked about the room. he saw no one. he shrugged and said "give me a whisky and another beer Ratz. i have the money this time. that part is easy."
"The money?"
alias put his head down and said "yeah.. show up. say less. do less. get more. it's a joke."
"Artiste.. then why do it?"
"Because capitals aren't cheap. They cost me a pretty penny. I fight for each one."
"I do not understand."
"You can't" alias says "I made it up. .. All the good shit I make up. The capitals .. I liked not using them because fuck you that's why. It did not work. It does not work. He's back."
"Who is back Artiste? Who do you speak of?"
Alias looked up from the bar and glared at Ratz. Rage leaked across the room.. then a stillness and quiet.
he tapped the side of his head and said "him."
"I made him. before I had words I made him. he won't leave Ratz. It's getting fucking old."
"We're all getting old artiste"
alias tapped his head again "not this one. fresh as the day i was born. he never ages. he only sleeps when i am awake. but just talking about him Ratz.. "
alias stretched his arm out and rolled his sleeve up. the hairs on his arm stood on end.
"goosebumps motherfucker." alias said. "he jacks my sympathetic nervous system. i don't know if i should call it horripilation or piloerection. but i can feel him climb my back and rattle around my head. i can literally see when he is here."
"I don't understand artiste."
"I don't either." alias replied. "He likes NOFX apparently. Or perhaps identifies with something about that era. the last time i let him walk. i don't know."
alias looked down at his empty beer and it refilled itself.
"for so long i only let him walk when there was a need. i wrapped him up in rules, a name, even i don't have a name. i speak it to myself and he comes. he does what needs doing. now he wants out."
"Artiste.. I don't know what you are talking about." Ratz said.
"I know man" alias replies.. "I know."
"but that is the thing.." he continued "i don't either. i just know he keeps coming back and i have to watch what i play in the car on my way to work. BR is fine. Lou Reed is fine. BR is just gospel now, daily prayer and ritual. i know, i know, it's odd phrasing but Bad Religion is such a part of my life that it's nothing. I played "Longest Line" yesterday and the fucker comes on screaming in my head and jacks me out. he's never been able to do that before... but i haven't heard 'longest line' since the 90's and in the 90's he walked in my skin and now HE says when not me?"
"I SAY WHEN MOTHERFUCKER!" alias screamed. he slumped over onto the bar and then whispered "but he doesn't listen anymore."
Ratz looked at him and said "Maybe you should stop drinking."
"nah brother. alcohol stabs him in the prefrontal cortex. he'll be gone in a moment. fill me up again."
another beer appears.
"i keep calling him a he but he's an it. personification, that's how we make monsters friends... how i used too anyway"
"Artiste.. what does this monster want you to do?" Ratz replied
he replies "this. he wants me to do this. but he wants more. so much more. he thinks this is a waste .. a door.. he wants out and he wants to work and if i don't let him.. .. Ratz if i don't let him he'll stop letting me."
"Stop letting you what?" Ratz replies.
"Exactly."
--
alias
Unity; as one stand together.
Unity; evolutions gonna come.
In the back, one of the old billiards tables is missing, a cowboy hat tilts back as a head looks up. The simulacra long gone, only one left glitches into existence, small build, pixie haircut, throwback black mirror shades. The turntable on an old plastic table comes to life, something new comes to life from the pair of beat up speakers.

"despite ephemeral nature of it all, if you want it bad enough you can go some of the way back."

The simulacra kicks back on an old office chair, and tosses an old digital clipboard off to the side.

"you can go Back for a look, but never all the way. there's no point in that."

--
ghost
HeaDCase
2019-02-11 13:48:32 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sum Gy
the door to the chat opens and sum gy walks in.
...
Post by Sum Gy
"Artiste.. what does this monster want you to do?" Ratz replied
he replies "this. he wants me to do this. but he wants more. so much more. he thinks this is a waste .. a door.. he wants out and he wants to work and if i don't let him.. .. Ratz if i don't let him he'll stop letting me."
"Stop letting you what?" Ratz replies.
"Exactly."
--
alias
Unity; as one stand together.
Unity; evolutions gonna come.
[Some asynchronous Time later] There is a whooshing tinkling sound and the shining silhouette of a person glows for a moment, fills out and fades, leaving HeaDCase standing at the bar. His pose suggests he was holding a large book, right hand on the open page, a second ago. He looks up in confusion, seems to recognise the place, and a grin blooms on his face.
"Damn, it's been a while! Not where I was headed, but glad to see the place still stands, so to speak. Hello, Lager please!"
The last is aimed at Ratz as he's settling on a stool. While Ratz pours, HDC looks up to read what happened before he arrived. By degrees his grin fades into fascinated attention. When the beer arrives he downs half of it at once and keeps reading.
Finally he looks down into his beer with a slight frown, raises it and looks around.
"Glad to see y'all still kicking. No shortage of grim tho." He downs his beer, signals for another, and starts rolling a blunt.
FixinDixson
2022-02-14 17:31:18 UTC
Permalink
Post by HeaDCase
Post by Sum Gy
the door to the chat opens and sum gy walks in.
...
Post by Sum Gy
"Artiste.. what does this monster want you to do?" Ratz replied
he replies "this. he wants me to do this. but he wants more. so much more. he thinks this is a waste .. a door.. he wants out and he wants to work and if i don't let him.. .. Ratz if i don't let him he'll stop letting me."
"Stop letting you what?" Ratz replies.
"Exactly."
--
alias
Unity; as one stand together.
Unity; evolutions gonna come.
[Some asynchronous Time later] There is a whooshing tinkling sound and the shining silhouette of a person glows for a moment, fills out and fades, leaving HeaDCase standing at the bar. His pose suggests he was holding a large book, right hand on the open page, a second ago. He looks up in confusion, seems to recognise the place, and a grin blooms on his face.
"Damn, it's been a while! Not where I was headed, but glad to see the place still stands, so to speak. Hello, Lager please!"
The last is aimed at Ratz as he's settling on a stool. While Ratz pours, HDC looks up to read what happened before he arrived. By degrees his grin fades into fascinated attention. When the beer arrives he downs half of it at once and keeps reading.
Finally he looks down into his beer with a slight frown, raises it and looks around.
"Glad to see y'all still kicking. No shortage of grim tho." He downs his beer, signals for another, and starts rolling a blunt.
The windows rattle gently as a transport-train ghosts by, its tyres humming along with its dual-electric engines. Perhaps the glass behind the bar vibrates in sympathy but, with no-one around to hear it, did it ever happen?

"I'm around, sir. I'm always around." Ratz peers halfway through the gloom, his gaze stopping in the nether and not quite reaching the reality of his grey eyes.

A smile, perhaps, flickers over a drawn face. The right hand flicks thumb against index finger, marking time as the sun drips down the cityscape.

"I think we're always around, Ratz." Eyes reflect the silence; rare peace in the screaming world of noise and pain outside that door. "We just don't realise it often enough."
Loading...