notafuckingnut | [013] Please tell me why

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[013] Please tell me why

[The last thing Richie remembers is being in Lua's room. And mostly boredom broken up by periodic forced trips to the kitchen because she didn't trust him left alone; she never said it, but he figured it out on his own anyway. A lecture (or what generally passed for one from Lua, anyway) after he ransacked the room once while looking for something to occupy his attention for more than five minutes tended to get the message across fairly well.

He expects to be in that same room when he wakes up, but in a complete break from predictability and reason, he's not.

He's in the infirmary instead.

The Barge is soon treated to a Richie who's still half-asleep, and looks it. He runs a hand absently through his hair, mussing it further in the process before smoothing it down reflexively (for all the good it actually does), then rubs at his eyes to clear the crust before glancing around.]

Lua? Where'd you...?

[He looks completely baffled by his surroundings, and after a moment or so longer of trying to solve the puzzle he turns his attention to the screen, blinking at it blearily.]

What. the. fuck. How'd I get here? If this is another fucked up Barge thing... Or...

[An idea suddenly dawns on him, and instead of just lazily addressing the Barge in general for more directionless ranting he seems to wake up a bit more, glaring irritatedly at the screen.]

You. Fucking punk. Whatever the hell your name is. Your ass is dead.

[A/N: Have a post-Barge!coma Richie, public. Who seems to think Jesse is as good a person to blame for the situation as anyone else, completely absent any ACTUAL information. Also open spam for those either in the infirmary or anyone who wants to drop by.]

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He didn't kill you.

Well yeah, he'd have to be some kinda fucking ninja or something 'cause I think I'd remember that.

[Pause, then grumbling.]

...I wasn't saying he did anyway. I just don't make a habit of waking up in hospitals, I didn't even end up here when he got the lucky shot in. But I'm sure he's got something to do with it this time too.

[Huhwha? Jesse said it had been a faceless ghost.] Wait, what do you mean?

...What do I mean what? Last thing I remember I was somewhere else, and then next thing I know I'm fucking here and I don't have any fucking idea how. He's got to have something to do with it, I know he does, I don't know what he did, but it's the only thing that I can think of. It's gotta be...payback or something. For before.

[He's getting agitated just thinking about it, and the more he talks about it the more certain he is, never mind that he's wrong. But he stops, for a moment at least, to take a breath, and he seems fractionally calmer afterwards; he needs her on his side, and he knows there's something going on between the two of them, based on how Jesse keeps reacting. If he wants her on his side he needs to be the victim in this, not the crazy guy ranting and raving.

When he resumes he's quieter, less loud gestures and bravado and closer to pathetic and harmless.]

Sorry. I shouldn't be swearing at you, it's not your fault he's a jerk.

[She can't help but laugh because he's apologizes for swearing. What was she, 12? Okay, so maybe she looked it, but it was still amusing.] I can handle a curse word or two, but I appreciate the apology, thanks.

Just to be sure we're on the same page here, who do you think it was that landed you in the Infirmary? What does he look like, sound like?

[HA. He wins. He smiles, pleased with the small success, before shrugging; no big deal.]

That jackoff who told me to stay away from you and tried to kill me. Um. What was his name. Jesse. I think. ...I mean, he wasn't very good at it, and he got a lucky shot in, but still. That was a while ago, but I'm sure this is just another try or something, people don't just wake up weird places. ...Right?

[Her stomach seizes up, but she keeps the smile plastered on her features.] Uh, here they do sometimes. I woke up in the Infirmary before. I was in a coma for a while, during the whole chaotic fiasco that went down with the fake Admiral versus the real one. Jesse couldn't have done it, he was in Zero. I think.

...Oh.

[Well that's...annoying. He frowns, thoughtful. Topic change, anyone?]

What do you mean, fake Admiral? There was a fake one?

Yeah, has anyone filled you in yet on what went down?

Uh. No...? I didn't realize I missed anything.

The super short version is that all the crazy shit that was going on this month and before wasn't the Admiral's doing but someone pretending to be him. A group of us took him out, found the real Admiral, and got him back to the deck so he could sort things out and fix everything.

...Oh. Well...that explains things. I guess. How did that happen in the first place? I mean...we're in space. Except for ports; you'd think somebody would've noticed.

[Sighs.] I don't know that much yet. But those faceless things used to be the staff from before, before we had to pick the jobs up.

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