you see me now, a veteran, of a thousand psychic wars [Open]

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Who: Chris Freeman & Anyone... perhaps even... YOU?
What: Did I hear you say that this is victory?
When: February and maybe March
Where: around town...
Warning: watch the comment titles

Thread starters in comments this time around. If you have an idea for Chris, feel free to top-level comment this entry with a wildcard :)

2/8: Reposted opener regarding Calloway's Curios for theresalwaystheview

2/12: Chris has a little breakdown, and Erik overhears lordoftheozarks

2/18: New prompt, open to all, regarding Chris being sick around the time of Merrymeet.

Comments

[cacophonish]

Now isn't that the rub? That's how the saying goes, right? (What does it even fucking mean?)

Being known, being seen, it's what he lives for, in a way. It's what everyone back home knows for a fact. Jeff Calhoun craves notoriety. He wants all eyes on him, he wants to be loved. He was always so free and open and charming, and it threw everyone for a loop when, gradually, he stopped being so free and open and charming. Over a year, he walled himself off, brick by brick, and became a faded stranger.

Except that version of him, all that charismatic fucking sunshine, had been just another way to keep people from ever truly knowing him, anyway. Is there even anything to know, really? Does he possess any substance at all?

Fuck. What's wrong with him? Why does even encouragement send him on some mental fucking tailspin?

Jeff's staring at the loaf pan for too long. He moves, suddenly, like a toy that's just been wound back to life, to try and spread an even amount of grease in the pan.

"I like being your friend, too." Should he admit how fucking scary it is, the thought of letting anyone know him for real? Can he even admit it? He offers a teasing grin instead. "And not just because I get free bread out of it."

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris watches as Jeff lapses into silence and stillness, and wonders what they said to set that off.

Chris smiles in response to that grin, and says lightly, "Lots of people get free bread out of me. Feeding other people helps me remember to feed myself. I need those kind of workarounds."

Knead, knead, turn -- knead, knead, turn...

Quietly: "When you first get everything mixed up for the bread dough, it's all sticky. And the loaf won't rise well without work... it needs the right environment and extra attention. A yeast bread is different from a quick bread."

So maybe Jeff is more of a 'yeast bread' who has been comparing himself to 'quick breads'. Or maybe Chris is just full of crap, who knows?