Philip LaFresque and Jack Daniel's depressing day in the kitchen [29/??? artefacts collected]

[sadfreezingbrit_archive]

[ And then this happened and Philip was back in his body. Just like that. Just... like that.

Not that the time off was a breeze, oh no. The things he said to some people, the things Clarence did, but... there are the things he didn't do. The things he could've done so easily and yet--

And yet Philip is back in his body and nobody is hurt. Nobody is dead.

But the conclusions he's supposed to draw from this...

He takes a sip of whiskey. His first empty bottle now and quite likely not his last. That's how everyone will find him during the day: Sitting in the kitchen. Sipping on glass after glass, trying to make sense of what the hell happened in those past five days.

...Only later in the afternoon has he finally made his mind up about some things, leading to the following three audio transmissions: ]

[PRIVATE AND LOCKED TO DEAN]

Hey, I just... wanted to say that I'm- I'm back. I...

[ And then he hangs up, because everything else he wants to say is just so far out of his mental reach now, it's not even funny. ]

[PRIVATE AND LOCKED TO SANTANA]

Er, about... about the last time we talked, I think... there's something I think- I think I ought to tell you. Can we- Could we meet up someplace if you've got a moment? Please? Thanks.

[PRIVATE AND LOCKED TO BEISTE]

...Um, Shan-- Coach? I just... I just wanted to apologise for everything I-- for the last time we talked. That was after-- I wasn't... exactly myself then. I'm really sorry.

[[OOC: Slightly pre-dated to early afternoon on the 10th]]

Comments

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

Because--

[ Wow, that is a good question, actually.

The reasons he had sounded great when they were still circling around in his head, but having to put them into a coherent response is...

Why did he tell her? ]

...Because I'd rather not have you think I was the one threatening you with a knife or calling you a murderer.

[ Yes! Excellent. Well done, wording skills.

After the last event, after their last talk which wasn't really their talk at all Philip felt especially frustrated about not being able to voice his own thoughts on her event-mandated killing spree.

And. Well. Perhaps to round it off... ]

...And I'm going to need a few drinks after this and I'd rather not have you report me to AA.

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

[After some delicious silence...]

So this means you don't want me to be your sponsor anymore?

[It's not exactly delivered as snarkily as she'd usually make it so. She's still a little thrown by all of this, and apparently he doesn't want her to think awful things of him, which is...oddly nice. This could have been a pretty foolproof way to make sure they never ever spoke again if he wanted it, so.

Huh. Weird.

(Santana always thinks it's weird when she doesn't basically hate someone.)]

Soooo. What does this mean?

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

[ He laughs. Much as he'd like a sponsor to help him from slipping into Clarence mode, he doubts it's as simple as that. ]

What it means? Er...

[ So what does it mean? He expected her to pick her own interpretation, regardless of what he wants it to mean. Just a second to collect those thoughts. ]

It means if you ever meet him again I want you to run.

[ Said decisively, though he doubts that one is a lesson she needs to be taught. Still, safety was a concern and he might as well remind her.

The other item on the list is delivered with more hesitation and an urgency that's more pleading than the last: ]

It means... it means I haven't exactly told a lot of people and- and I doubt I will, I doubt I could, so I'd... I'd rather you didn't pass it along.

[ Try as he might, he doesn't quite manage to make it sound casual.

Philip believes he has a reason why he trusts Santana with this information, but that doesn't mean he isn't slightly terrified his reason could be wrong. ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

[Well then. Santana's not entirely sure why he'd tell her of all people, even with his reasoning of not wanting her to think he was the one with the knife and all. It's not like they're BFFs or anything.

If she really thought about it, thought about what he first compared his 'problem' to, she might figure it out. But thinking about him is still a dull ache, so she doesn't do it.

She's good at that.]

Okay.

[No need to tell him she has no problem keeping secrets until it's in her best interests to spill.]

So how do get...it, whatever, to go away again? You know, so I don't have to lock myself away for the rest of my life.

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

Its... [ He grins. That has a nice ring to it, one "it" would probably disapprove of. Philip wonders why he doesn't use that more often. ] name is Clarence, though you can't exactly--

[ He stops himself. Clarence isn't going anywhere, not unless he wants to. Or unless Philip dies. Neither thought is all too appealing to voice, but there is a third option which has proven to be quite efficient so far. ]

Dean. Call Dean, if you can. He knows what to do.

[ Or rather the person he's doing does. Oh well~ ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

[See? Santana's doing all sorts of good right now. She should really be rewarded somehow.

...Anyway, she now snorts and rolls her eyes.]

Dean. Of course. Of course Dean knows.

Guess that answers my question of who else knows.

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

He's, um... not the... only one...?

[ Said just as tentatively and just with such a tiny question mark, because Philip isn't sure how to interpret that reaction.

Scratch that, he has no bloody idea how to interpret that reaction. ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

It's just reeeally not a surprise. [le shrug!] So who else? You know, so we can hold weekly meetings and gossip about you.

[She's kidding, Philip.]

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

[ Snerk. At least that's a comforting sense of familiarity. ]

Who else? Erm...

[ Nobody ever asked that and Philip wonders if there's a reason why Members of the Secret Society of I Know Philip Has a Brainslug should need to keep their identity a secret from each other.

...He fails to come up with a reason. ]

Dean and Castiel know. Daniel knows, er...

[ Ivanova knew. Tim knew. They are gone, so the point is moot. Eve on the other side knows, but he doesn't even want to go there. Which leaves... ]

And Evelyn.

[ Checking... checking... che- yes, that should be everyone.

...He's trying to remember whether Santana even knows all- or any of those people, though if she cares enough to ask he could always clarify. ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

[As it happens, she knows all of those people! Well, it's uncertain how well she even remembers Daniel's name. However, that last one...]

Ev--that chick from the twenties or whatever?

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

[ For the sake of narrative sanity we will now establish that this does in fact take place before his Dramatic Encounter (TM) with the very same chick from the twenties.

As such his expression is a little less ♥ and a little more... faltering. ]

Er, yes. That's her.

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

Huh. [She peers at him. ~Intensely~]

I could see that.

[You're welcome for that insight.]

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

See what?

[ Sorry, still kind of stuck on the whole 'horrible alien virus' line of conversation. ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

You two together. [Shrug. They're both old-fashioned and uptight.]

1/4

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

2/4

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

3/4

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

4/4

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

...Ah.

[ AND WHAT A CASUAL OBSERVATION THAT WAS. MOVING ON. ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

[That was the most normal reaction ever!]

Oooh. Not yet, huh?

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

[ That one is... currently a little too painful to muster enough energy to lie about it. ]

...Not anymore.

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

...Did you tell her and she dumped you or something? I'm just saying, she didn't seem all that traumatized when I ran into her the other day.

[Isn't it fantastic how she manages to ask these questions while somehow sounding like she doesn't actually care?]

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

[ Ignoring the question, jumping right to- ]

You- you did? And she was-- She's all right?

[ Clarence didn't hurt her. Her being fine is not the surprise of the century, but the encounter was hardly pleasant, so that's... good to know. ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

Yes. She didn't seem broken-hearted or angry at you or whatever you seem to think is going on. Mister Avoidance.

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

[ WHY WOULD SHE CALL HIM THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETELY TRUE?!

...You know what? Never mind. Those news call for a sigh of relief. ]

That's- that's good.

[ Probably. Hopefully.

He looks away, because he sort of lost track of the conversation now... ]

[itsahotone.livejournal.com]

[Santana makes a mental note to come up with some creative turns of phrase about his obviously being in luuuurve with whatshername. But later.]

Yeaaaah. Sure.

So, um. Thanks for telling me this...I guess. It must...really suck.

[She glances down, and--oh hey, the gun!]

Oh, did you want this back? Since you're not about to kill me, I assume.