driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: A ~mysterious anonymous poster~ and you
Broadcast: Anonymous text
Action: In her room on the Bishop, if you really want to say hello
When:

[It's taken Nightingale a while to figure out how to make the anonymous text function work, and even longer to decide it's worthwhile to post. Still, she doesn't have anything else to do, and this has been eating at her for a while...]

I realized recently it's been over a year since I was last home. Over a year since I've ever seen anyone from my world, even. And that year has been kind of a mess. Now I'm two crazy worlds removed from home, and it's not looking like I'll get to go back anytime soon. It's just now really starting to sink in. I'm starting to get homesick, I guess. But I know there's a bunch of people here who have been here even longer than I have. Or have a lot more pressing things to get back to. So... How do you cope? How can you deal with this for so long? After this long, my usual distractions aren't really working so well anymore.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The only piece of home I have with me is my phone. And go figure, the charger didn't come too. ... I guess that's true, though. But it's hard to think that way when people leave all the time, here.

I'm no engineer, but someone should be able to help you charge it. I was thinking more, keeping some of your traditions alive.

It can be. We ARE on reality television and there's no way to determine why some people stay and others don't. But that's what makes their time with us that much more memorable.

My traditions mostly involved fast food and sleeping a lot. Somehow, I think not what you're talking about. I'd rather have consistent than memorable.

Not quite, though the sleeping doesn't sound bad.
Certain cultures have their own traditions, and for me, coping with this reality show means continuing those traditions. Like the way I brew tea, or how often I say prayers.

I wish we had a choice in that matter, but we don't, so... memories are kind of all I've got.

[Prayer, huh? If she didn't already know she's talking to Stefan, that would confirm it. She's pretty glad she's anonymous now, or else this would be even more awkward.]

It was bad when that's all you do. Memories are important, though. I've seen the kind of power memories can have. So... Keep those memories alive, I guess is what I'm saying.

[He earned the distinction of "most religious on the Fleet" for a reason.]

I agree. Every memory matters, even if it doesn't seem like it at first.
I'm not suggesting for you to pray or make tea. Is there something that reminds you of home or the people you care about? Doing that might keep the memory alive longer.

Ultimately, we should keep moving forward and focus on the present, but it gets hard and I'm sorry you're going through that.

I don't know if there is anything. You've gone through it too, it sounds like?

A few times. The Fleet doesn't make it easy with its ongoing Shuffles.

[He won't dwell on why, mostly because he has no idea who he's talking to. His reincarnation secret's not for public consumption.]

But yeah, you're definitely not alone. Is there anyone you can talk to about this?

There was. She left.

[..... Oh.]

I'm sorry to hear that. Even though you can keep building connections with people, it doesn't get any easier when they leave.

This may not mean much, but if you ever wanted to talk to me? I'm usually willing to listen.

It keeps happening. I get close to people, and they vanish. Before, and here. I appreciate it, but I'm not good at talking to people.

We're in a place that brings people at random. I don't think it'll ever stop happening, and I wish it would.

But you're talking to me right now, aren't you? For what it's worth, I think you're good.

You think that because you have no idea who I am.

Probably? But even if I did, I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it.

[Stefan's not exactly one for sugarcoating things.]

I'm saying if you knew who I was, you wouldn't think that.