Tourist October Mingle

[candothat]

Who: Tourists and anyone who can think of a reason to be there
Broadcast: Possibly? Eventually?
Action: On the S.S. Tourist
When: October! All of it!

[How's it going now that we're getting over the disasters and dying? Y'good?]

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

That's how it usually works, isn't it? As long as people are willing to overlook your flaws.

[candothat]

The trick is in finding those people, and then keeping them once they are found.

[outstandingbalance]

That is some very good advice. Easier said than done, though.

[candothat]

Especially when we live such transient lives. What is the longest that anyone stays in these universes? Three years?

[outstandingbalance]

Something like that. I guess I've been lucky so far—I've lost a few people, but not that many.

[candothat]

I hope that you continue to be lucky. [He hasn't been. He goes through friends and Kirks and girlfriends like you wouldn't believe.] How long have you been here, Natasha?

[outstandingbalance]

About sixteen months, I guess. [And that bothers her, some. It would bother her more if she let herself think about it too much.] A lot of my friends have been here longer.

Don't get me wrong, I've lost some friends. Just... still have a lot.

[candothat]

That is still a long time no matter how many friends have stayed. You will go home eventually, though--maybe not soon, but eventually.

[outstandingbalance]

I know I will. [And she should. She wants to. ...But she doesn't want to think about what that will mean losing.] Guess we'll all cross that bridge when we come to it.

[candothat]

It will be a difficult bridge to cross. Leaving the people here will be a little like leaving behind a different kind of home. [He frowns at his apparent determination to be depressing.] That isn't worth thinking about now, probably. Imagining future losses makes it harder to have anything in the present.

[outstandingbalance]

As I hear it, there's a pretty good chance we won't remember any of it when we get home.

[candothat]

That is a likelihood that I refuse to contemplate. Life can feel purposeless enough without believing that we will lose our memories in addition to everything else we make here.

[outstandingbalance]

That's fair. Assuming we're going to lose all this... that's no way to live.

[candothat]

It might be a realistic way to live... but living realistically can be depressing sometimes.

[outstandingbalance]

I have a hard time living any other way.

[candothat]

You might try it. Lying to myself occasionally has made life far more bearable.

[outstandingbalance]

I'm the one person I try very hard not to lie to.

[But it doesn't always work out that way.]

[candothat]

No lies at all? Not even things like everything will be fine?

[outstandingbalance]

Oh, that one least of all.