paradisa | 019 Unread Page(s) In Your Inbox

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alan bradley

019 Unread Page(s) In Your Inbox

((Backdated to the morning of May 12th.))

[When Alan wakes up, he doesn't feel any different. If you ask him? It's May 6th. He sits up, grabs his glasses from the bedside table, and puts them on. The room becomes much clearer. He gets up and heads out of his room and into the living room space he shares with the Flynns, not quite all the way awake yet. Same old, same old.

If only he knew.]

---

[Later that morning, once he's had a chance to read through the journal - did he really think he was Tron? He has no memory of any of this happening - to see what sort of trouble the Castle got him into, he flips back to the current page. He throws up a filter before speaking.

What a way to spend his birthday.]

(Those he talked to when he thought he was Tron)

This is Alan. For the past few days, I've been on a loss. I guess the Castle decided it'd been too long since the last one.

Needless to say, I don't think I'm Tron anymore. Or any other program, for that matter.

Sorry for the confusion. Things should be back to normal now.

[At least, whatever passes as normal around here.]

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[Have a soft confused rumbling] Was you?

Remember?

Yes.

Only what I saw in the journal. It feels like it happened to someone else.

Said things I would not have.

Master would not approve.

It's similar to what you told me.

And you know I won't tell him.

Supposed to be loyal to master.

Thought was speaking to Tron. Could tell him things. Not you.

[His words sting. Alan knows Rinzler can't help it, but it hurts that his program can't trust him, regardless of what CLU's done.]

I can't change what happened.

I'll keep it to myself.

I know.

... Cannot tell anyone. You can.

Thank you. I'll protect them, like I said I would - even though I wasn't me.

[Unhappy rumbling]

Whatever it takes.

Understood.

S-so Tron-san is really..

Alan-san? [ oh my word, castle. now she has seen everything ] Then it's nice to meet you again, Alan-san!

Yes. [His tone is apologetic; he's embarrassed. The only reason he can identify the speaker as Shiemi is due to her use of the honorific.] The Castle likes to play tricks aside from whatever it did to bring us here. That was one of them.

It's good to officially meet you, Shiemi.

A-at least you remembered me! I don't think I'm looking forward to the castle playing a trick on me..

Yes! You too, Alan-san! Is Tron-san someone you know from your world?

The journal helped - it recorded everything that happened.

[He nods.] He's a program I wrote.

S-so that's why it writes down everything we say..

I think you did a good job, Alan-san! Tron-san, he was very nice and helpful!

One of the reasons, I bet.

Good; that's why he was written, to help us. I'm proud of him.

You remind me a lot of him! .. i-if that isn't too bold of me to say!

[He chuckles.] Programs are actually created in the image of their Users. [Also they are both sticks in the mud. :|]

Then.. it's no wonder you both are so much alike!

[ Nonsense! Shiemi thinks he's cool~ ]

That's right. I'm glad he was able to help.

The new arrivals are fortunate to have people like you and Tron-san around. I know that not everyone is going to be nice but, for the time being, I've been lucky!

[ .. knock on wood, not she's going to make crazy friends. ]

So long as you're careful, things should stay about that way. [Not completely but to some degree...wait nevermind.]

[Flynn sits down nearby, chuckling softly]

Back to yourself again? I have to say, I had no idea that wasn't Tron.

[Have a slight tilt of his head and some furrowed eyebrows.]

What do you mean, "back to myself"? Who wasn't Tron?

[He shakes his head] Losses are radical things, man. I came down to the lobby and saw Tron standing right there looking confused as I was when I showed up. I showed him around, told him what I knew.

[He shrugs, folding his hands in front of him]

Took me a bit to figure it out. It was only when I realized that I hadn't seen you, but your name was still on the door and Tron's name never showed up. [Smirk] I did always say you looked just like him.

Very funny, Flynn. [Alan eyes his friend skeptically, not wanting to believe him but having a sinking feeling that his friend is right.]

[Flynn smiles, though his eyebrows raise]

You don't remember any of it?

The last thing I remember is going to bed last night. Then I woke up this morning. [Nope, totally not days in-between when he thought he was Tron.]

I'm gonna need to hear this from the beginning. [AND check the journal.]

Last night? [His eyebrows shoot up] Well then I suppose I should start again.

[He pauses before giving Alan an amused smile] Happy Birthday, Alan.

Birthday? But today's the- [sixth. If Flynn's joking his poker face sure is good. Alan gives in to that sinking feeling.]

What happened?

Twelfth.

[he leans back in his seat] 'bout a week ago Tron showed up in the lobby confused as hell. I went to him, showed him around, the whole nine yards. I wanted to introduce you but you were nowhere to be found. When I looked and realized Tron never got a room it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened.

[He fills in the blank. It may have taken him some time - had to cope with that sense of disbelief - but he's not completely oblivious.] It was me.

Another loss, then. I don't remember any of it. [He raises both eyebrows.] Heck of a birthday gift from the Castle.

[He nods slowly]

So you don't remember anything?

[He sighs, shakes his head.]

Not a thing.

Oh man... I can't imagine. Though it's a shame you can't remember it. Probably make things easier if you did. Maybe you could look back through the journal, see what it picked up.

Definitely. [He nods, reaching for the journal that's conveniently on the table nearby. He stops at the first entry he comes to.]

This'll be great.

[He chuckles, watching him]

I'll say it will. While you're taking a peek at that - what do you want to do for your birthday? I've missed a few so I think I've got a bit to make up for.

[Alan glances back up at the question.]

Nothing special - I've had more than enough birthdays. I'm glad to just spend time with you and Sam.

[He smiles] I'm sure Sam would love it if all three of us did something, man.

[i.e. I've missed 20 birthdays, let me do something nice for you damnit.]

Well then, I'll leave you two to pick out my birthday surprise.

[He smiles] Enjoy your reading.

[He smiles in return, raising both eyebrows in acknowledgement of the whole strange situation before diverting most of his attention to the journal.]

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019 Unread Page(s) In Your Inbox

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o hai filter.

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