64;

[gottaknockhard]

[It's no secret that this life is starting to wear him down. The castle... or fate... something seemed to happen whenever Spike was about to spite any plans they had in store for him. A week ago he had gone to a warehouse with the full intention of murdering anyone inside, all over a stolen car, and soon after he woke up sixty years older with barely enough energy to get his own fresh air. What's more unnerving is that he wasn't entirely miserable about it; which he attributes to whatever medication they had him on. Or it could be that in sixty years his memory was too far gone to care about much of anything. -- It's stupid to think any more about in any case. That wasn't really him. He died on Tharsis and he hasn't aged a day since.

When he came back, the exhaustion he felt seemed to carry over. Jo is gone now. Maybe if enough time passes, so will everyone who knows him. With that in mind, disappearing won't really be that big of a deal for very long.

The first thing he checked was to see if the car was where he last saw it. Then, without any real reason, he started the engine and drove off through the snow, and kept on driving away from civilization up until the gas finally ran out. At a loss for where he was going with this, he sat long enough for the cold to set in. He started to think about burying it out here. It'd take all day to shovel through the frozen ground, but at least that would lessen the value for thieves. Except now he was too far from the castle to go back for a shovel.

With that plan foiled, he moves to lie in the back seat, and smokes three cigarettes before he decides to reach for the journal. Loose ends.]

---

( Brock )

[Spike may not look it, but he takes his obligations to heart. He can at least let him know that he's free to make the next move.]

I got the car.

Comments

[fanstheflame]

I told you.... We didn't have cars in the Seam.

[gottaknockhard]

Oh. [Actually now he does seem to recall Gale mentioning it. But if that's the way it is, there's nothing he can do about it. He just continues onward to the passenger door and proceeds to collapse on the seat.]

We might be stuck then. [At least that keeps him from shivering in the cold. In any case, he doesn't seem to mind the idea of being stranded. It's almost nostalgic.]

[fanstheflame]

No way. It's gonna get cold out here once night comes. ... [he may not be a close friend, not even more than an acquaintance, but he and Spike are part of the same community, and he can't let him freeze to death on that merit alone. it's something bred into him: the more hands to help, the better. so he climbs into the driver's seat, his long legs a match for Spike's own, so there's no need to adjust it]

Tell me how.

[gottaknockhard]

[He casts a flat look. Sure, Gale is just trying to help, but Spike hates teaching enough when he's sober, and the car they're currently in has a manual transmission.

But if the alternative is freezing to death... he might feel guilty later for dragging someone down with him. Then again, it's too nice of a car to wreck now that he went through the trouble of getting it back. Spike rubs his eyes and anticipates a headache.]

You know, if we waited someone else might come along. [That's when he remembers the keys are still in the ignition. Now he can't even pretend that he lost them.]

[fanstheflame]

If we -- you mean, if you actually used your journal to ask someone for help. [he shoots Spike a flat look. because you totally did that before HE showed up, dude. and now that HE'S here you think of it.

un. im. pressed.]

[gottaknockhard]

[He frowns, feeling that judgment. Everyone wants to help.]

I bet they'd come running.

[fanstheflame]

I'm picking up some sarcasm, there. [aka: dude, you're kind of a jerk when you're drunk]

[gottaknockhard]

[He is a jerk, he just usually has more of a filter.]

No sarcasm. It's all they can do to get you back. [Also the filter that keeps these musings to himself. Should have just told him how to drive, Spike-o.]

[fanstheflame]

[it dawns on him - he really, really must hate it at the castle for some reason. between the way he acted when they met in town, and this, and the alcohol ... as Ein circles the backseat a million times before lying down, Gale just studies his passenger with a frown]

You can't be telling me you'd rather freeze to death out here.

[gottaknockhard]

[That gets a frown and silence that's probably less cryptic than he imagines it is. Less cryptic and considerably more childish.

After that moment passes, he mumbles and slinks further into the seat.]

I could think of better ways to go.