18th Throw - [ voice ]

[shenevermisses]

I think the weirdest part about being here -- the part I'm never really going to get used to -- is having time.

[There's no Career act today, so Clove doesn't bother with the video. She doesn't want to have to smile when she feels... weird.

Not good, not bad. Just weird.

It's what happens, she's pretty sure, when she thinks too much.]

I didn't get that where I was from. In the Academy, the days were scheduled. Even when we didn't have classes -- like when we'd sometimes go home for the weekend -- I sort of just... kept that schedule. I didn't know what else to do. I even still sort of do.

But... here... we've got time.

Maybe a little, maybe a lot. But it's time.

[She's rambling, and she knows it, but the thought's been weighing on her for awhile. It's something that keeps getting stirred up every time she thinks it's gone.]

So. Let's say there's something you wanted to do where you came from. You know you can't go back; you'll never get to do it there.

Would you... do it here? Because you can and because you have the time to do it.

Comments

[originaljackass]

Did it, done it. Turned into a big goddamn dragon for my trouble. Living out your dreams can be a little overrated, kiddo. But hell, you may as well do it anyway. We've got nothing but time.

[shenevermisses]

[Maybe it's because the comment genuinely caught her attention and wiped every other thought from her mind.

Maybe it's because this is a good chance to talk about something else -- she hadn't imagined how awkward it would feel to talk even in vague hypotheticals.]

A dragon?

[originaljackass]

A big scaly lizard with wings and fiery breath. It's not as glamorous as it sounds.

[shenevermisses]

I've heard of dragons before.

How did you become one?

[originaljackass]

It's long and complicated and it involves me being unbelievably popular and invoking an old curse about having too much gold and being way too greedy. The end of the story is that a bunch of chicks tracked me down and killed me dead.

[shenevermisses]

Sounds like a pretty cool story, at least.

[originaljackass]

I'm Jack of the Tales, kiddo. All my stories are cool. Even the ones where I die.

[shenevermisses]

Are there a lot of those?

[originaljackass]

There's thousands of them. Not all of them are famous, but all of them are great.

[shenevermisses]

We don't have anything like that where I'm from-- lots of stories about things and people.

[originaljackass]

Sounds boring. Where I'm from, we're all about the stories. It's a shame there's no rental stores here. You'd be able to pass the time here a lot easier than those of us who've already seen everything.

[shenevermisses]

A lot of people have talked about the stories from their world. It's... always pretty interesting, I think.

[originaljackass]

See, you should've seen my movie. I showed it for all of Luceti a while back. A real blockbuster, but do you think anyone bothered to tune in and see it? Next time, I do a viewing on ab igger screen.

[shenevermisses]

If you do... I'd like to come. The only "movie" I've ever seen is the promotional vid they show us every year for the Hunger Games.

Got that one memorized.

[originaljackass]

Well, there's the trouble, isn't it? The suits are tight with those points. Here I am, working my way towards a nice fancy television and I haven't yet got the points to get one.

[And do a screening at Buffy's house? With Jack Sparrow there? Hell no.]

[shenevermisses]

Well, I hope you get one, then.

[originaljackass]

What's your name, kiddo?

[She seems a decent sort in the "I'm not giving Jack a hard time because I think I'm better than him" kind of way.]

[shenevermisses]

I'm Clove.

[originaljackass]

Well Clove, I'm Jack Horner. Once I make my acquisitions from the Malnosso, I'll put you on my VIP list.

[shenevermisses]

Sounds good. Thanks.