CHAPTER NINE (there was a time)
January 23, 2008
onceandthefuture: hey
stripeznstarz50: 'ello lovely :-)
onceandthefuture: what?
onceandthefuture: whatever
onceandthefuture: I just realized something
stripeznstarz50: mm?
onceandthefuture: I was in the grocery aisle, staring at the tabloids and it hit me
onceandthefuture: I haven't seen almost a hair of alfred jones in the news lately
stripeznstarz50: oh really
onceandthefuture: yeah!
onceandthefuture: usually he's everywhere
onceandthefuture: doing something stupid, out at parties, hamming it up on some two bit talk show
onceandthefuture: running red lights and carrying a rifle on his back down rodeo drive
stripeznstarz50: I remember that one xD
stripeznstarz50: that was totally a dare
onceandthefuture: that's beside the point
onceandthefuture: usually I have a pretty good eye for these things
onceandthefuture: but these past few months he's jsut vanished
onceandthefuture: of course the tabloids aren't commenting on it because that's not their job
onceandthefuture: but it's like he died
onceandthefuture: or got a life
stripeznstarz50: bahahahahahahahah
stripeznstarz50: well
stripeznstarz50: from what I've heard
stripeznstarz50: since I am clearly a little more in the loop than you ;-)
onceandthefuture: oh shut it
stripeznstarz50: ^^
stripeznstarz50: he's... met someone
stripeznstarz50: who drags him down in a good way
stripeznstarz50: and has helped him realize that that life wasn't the best for him
stripeznstarz50: and is helping him start a new one
onceandthefuture: ... if you were anyone else I'd make fun of you for saying that
stripeznstarz50: xD
stripeznstarz50: it's the truth!
onceandthefuture: but for some reason I think you really mean it
stripeznstarz50: haha mind connection
onceandthefuture: do you happen to know who this someone is?
onceandthefuture: and is it a girl?
stripeznstarz50: well he won't say
stripeznstarz50: he keeps his fans up to date on his site's blog, but he hasn't mentioned any names yet :-P
onceandthefuture: hmm
onceandthefuture: link me?
stripeznstarz50: oh okay
stripeznstarz50: http:/www. alfredfreakingjones. com/blog/2008/01/20
onceandthefuture: ... seriously
onceandthefuture: that's the name of his website?
stripeznstarz50: hey, it's a good name!
onceandthefuture: well, it suits him
onceandthefuture: anyway
onceandthefuture: *reads*
onceandthefuture: oh alfred
onceandthefuture: so over the top
onceandthefuture: but so adorable
stripeznstarz50: bahahahahahhaahhahahahhaah adorable?
stripeznstarz50: you think he's adorable?
onceandthefuture: ch shut up
onceandthefuture: it is
onceandthefuture: a little
onceandthefuture: I mean, it's nice he's kind of settled down a little bit so early in life
onceandthefuture: it would be a tragedy if he became like lindsay lohan or something
stripeznstarz50: I still can't get over the fact that you think he's adorable
stripeznstarz50: I mean he can be but that's beside the point
stripeznstarz50: it's you
onceandthefuture: well
onceandthefuture: he's not exactly the same person I fell in hate with when I was an angsty teenager
stripeznstarz50: true and a good thing
onceandthefuture: and okay fine you're kind of convincing me
stripeznstarz50: YAY!
stripeznstarz50: I knew I could swing you around :-)
onceandthefuture: not completely, idiot
onceandthefuture: gil's still my favorite
stripeznstarz50: :C
onceandthefuture: but I can accept al now
stripeznstarz50: it's a start I guess
onceandthefuture: mmhmm
stripeznstarz50: ... you're looking at his site, aren't you?
onceandthefuture: I most certainly am not!
stripeznstarz50: ahahah you totally are
onceandthefuture: not on your life!
stripeznstarz50: then what ARE you doing, arthur dearest?
onceandthefuture: grrrr fine whatever
onceandthefuture: I've never been over here before
onceandthefuture: it's vaguely interesting
stripeznstarz50: where are you anyway?
onceandthefuture: like hell I'm telling you
stripeznstarz50: aww come on
stripeznstarz50: I won't bite you
stripeznstarz50: I could always do my supersecret hacking tricks to snuff you out
onceandthefuture: yeah okay whatever
onceandthefuture: I'm still not telling you
stripeznstarz50: haha I bet you're in the picture gallery
stripeznstarz50: artie?
stripeznstarz50: … ahahahahha I was right!
stripeznstarz50: wasn't I?
onceandthefuture: pshaw
onceandthefuture: just for a mo
stripeznstarz50: AHAHA SCORE
stripeznstarz50: searching through it for pictures of him without glasses I bet
onceandthefuture: seriously when did we start knowing each other so well
stripeznstarz50: good question
stripeznstarz50: I love us
onceandthefuture: hmph
stripeznstarz50: question
onceandthefuture: shoot
stripeznstarz50: a serious question this time
stripeznstarz50: been meaning to ask you this for a while now, actually
stripeznstarz50: how did you get into the whole gil/al thing?
stripeznstarz50: I mean, to be honest, you don't seem the type to waste time with a teenaged girl targeted show
onceandthefuture: that's a question that will take a while to explain
stripeznstarz50: I've got time
onceandthefuture: *cracks knuckles*
onceandthefuture: so you remember I got kicked out of my private boarding school when I was 13, right?
stripeznstarz50: mmhmm
onceandthefuture: well after that my parents kind of gave me up as a lost cause
onceandthefuture: they're the really uptight old fashioned people you think don't exist anymore but totally do
stripeznstarz50: ah
onceandthefuture: I wasn't exactly the favorite child even before that
onceandthefuture: disagreed with them too much, had conflicting interests, the sort
stripeznstarz50: sounds like your relationship with a lot of people :P
onceandthefuture: oh shut up
onceandthefuture: it's different when it's your parents
stripeznstarz50: true
stripeznstarz50: please continue
onceandthefuture: so yes
onceandthefuture: after that, they enrolled me in the shitty public school in the area for the remainder of secondary school
onceandthefuture: I bummed around a bit, but even bumming around I had a leg up on the kids who had been in that system all their lives
onceandthefuture: I was home all year, though, and found that I really really disliked my parents
onceandthefuture: so I applied to a foreign exchange program just to get away
onceandthefuture: probably the only thing we've ever agreed on
onceandthefuture: so I went over to the states for most of my fifteenth year
onceandthefuture: your sophomore year, I think
stripeznstarz50: sounds about right
onceandthefuture: ended up in nowhere, Minnesota
stripeznstarz50: I remember that :P
onceandthefuture: oh yeah
onceandthefuture: well, at first it was interesting, and the family was nice
onceandthefuture: but I just got bored
onceandthefuture: and the family had twin twelve year old girls
stripeznstarz50: aaaaaaaaaaah
stripeznstarz50: that makes quite a lot of sense
onceandthefuture: yeah
onceandthefuture: you may have noticed I don't befriend easily
stripeznstarz50: hahahhaha understatement
onceandthefuture: if you say anything else like that I'm not telling you anymore
stripeznstarz50: okay okay I'll shut up
onceandthefuture: thank you
onceandthefuture: anyway
onceandthefuture: I mean I wasn't lonely, people talked to me even if it was because I was a foreign exchange student and therefore had a step up in the cool area
stripeznstarz50: xD
onceandthefuture: but I just didn't have any close friends
onceandthefuture: who would come over and make me go out and stuff
onceandthefuture: so I spent quite a lot of time with those twins watching the telly
onceandthefuture: and their current infatuation was that stupid show
stripeznstarz50: hey, I worked that show
onceandthefuture: so you'll be able to admit first hand it was stupid
stripeznstarz50: well
stripeznstarz50: just a little bit
onceandthefuture: mmhmm
onceandthefuture: anyway
onceandthefuture: damned kids got me hooked
onceandthefuture: adorable of course
onceandthefuture: but damned
stripeznstarz50: that explains the split log infatuation
stripeznstarz50: but not the al/gil thing
onceandthefuture: well, anyone who watches that show is bound to develop a liking for one or the other
onceandthefuture: it's really hard to like both, y'know?
stripeznstarz50: trust me I know
onceandthefuture: at first I just liked gil's character more
onceandthefuture: more depth, more interesting
onceandthefuture: plus I'm just the kind to sympathize with the antihero automatically
stripeznstarz50: wonder why
onceandthefuture: America…
stripeznstarz50: sorrysorry not interrupting
onceandthefuture: good boy.
onceandthefuture: but, as the show went on and the snow set in
onceandthefuture: I started wandering around the online fanbase and stuff
onceandthefuture: oddly expansive for a teenaged fangirl show, eh?
onceandthefuture: eventually I learned that was to blame on al and gil themselves
stripeznstarz50: ehehe
onceandthefuture: honestly they were the only enjoyable part of the show
onceandthefuture: odd amount of Foe Yay fanfic
stripeznstarz50: OHGOD DONOTWANTDONOTWANT
onceandthefuture: relax, relax, not gonna share it with you
onceandthefuture: it was kind of weird most of the time anyway
stripeznstarz50: you READ it?
onceandthefuture: only a little and not often
onceandthefuture: what I read was strange
stripeznstarz50: just
stripeznstarz50: don't tell me ANYTHING
stripeznstarz50: you have no idea how much I don't want to know about it
onceandthefuture: fine fine weakling
onceandthefuture: anyway
onceandthefuture: I eventually wandered over to AnA
onceandthefuture: I guess it was a lot of that group polarization psychology stuff
stripeznstarz50: ah
onceandthefuture: anyway made an account and yeah
onceandthefuture: real life wise
onceandthefuture: after the show's discovery and stuff
stripeznstarz50: yeah that
onceandthefuture: eventually the snow melted
onceandthefuture: I was slated to finish school mid june and spend a few more weeks with the fam before I went home
onceandthefuture: Right before summer started, though, my grandmother called to let me know that my grandfather was in the hospital and probably wasn't gonna leave
onceandthefuture: papa was probably the only person on my dad's side that really liked me
onceandthefuture: grandmama tolerated me, most everyone else was a mutual dislike
stripeznstarz50: that's pretty harsh
onceandthefuture: eh, I'm used to it
onceandthefuture: anyway, the fam understood and I flew back early
onceandthefuture: spent a few weeks with papa and grandmamma
onceandthefuture: he was really in bad shape
onceandthefuture: old age, mostly, but just a lot of buildup
onceandthefuture: I think he was just tired
onceandthefuture: too bad you can't meet him
onceandthefuture: he was an amazing human being
stripeznstarz50: I'm sure, if you liked him
onceandthefuture: stop with the flattery
onceandthefuture: anyway, eventually he died
stripeznstarz50: july fourth
onceandthefuture: yeah
stripeznstarz50: I remember
onceandthefuture: after that it was far too much like a bad soap opera
onceandthefuture: my immediate family came in almost as soon as he died
onceandthefuture: I wasn't exactly in my best frame of mind
stripeznstarz50: no doubt
onceandthefuture: there was a lot of yelling
onceandthefuture: we got kicked out of the hospital at one time
stripeznstarz50: what were y'all yelling about anyway?
onceandthefuture: I don't really remember
onceandthefuture: lots of built up stuff
onceandthefuture: some crap I blocked out of my mind
onceandthefuture: it was a lot of me, to be honest
onceandthefuture: sixteen year old me was really torn up by papa and I hadn't seen them in a year, so there was a lot of stuff I hadn't got out
onceandthefuture: and every grievance I'd ever had just came pouring out
onceandthefuture: though to be fair they weren't that much better
onceandthefuture: I think there was a point where they blamed me for papa
onceandthefuture: that may have been the point where they kicked me out
onceandthefuture: after that
stripeznstarz50: wow Arthur, your parents suck
onceandthefuture: I went home and got my stuff
onceandthefuture: yes well I'm used to that. Obviously.
onceandthefuture: I packed a bag and left
onceandthefuture: I spent a lot of the summer bumming off of the friends I had
onceandthefuture: that's where francis came into handy
onceandthefuture: found him in oxford the city
onceandthefuture: where I found my aunt
onceandthefuture: mum's the estranged one of her side, see
onceandthefuture: no one liked the kirklands
stripeznstarz50: for good reason I'm guessing
onceandthefuture: ahaha yeah
onceandthefuture: so I really didn't now anything about my mum's side
onceandthefuture: somehow though francis knew my aunt was my aunt
onceandthefuture: and introduced us
onceandthefuture: Aunt Jo's the complete opposite of my mom
onceandthefuture: really nice and sweet
onceandthefuture: actually acts like a goddamned mother instead of a pretend trophy wife
onceandthefuture: invited me to stay at her place on the spot
onceandthefuture: her and Uncle Leo and their son Peter
onceandthefuture: called up mum and got her to sign over guardianship
onceandthefuture: didn't take too much persuading, honestly, which I was glad of
onceandthefuture: she enrolled me in a local sixth form
onceandthefuture: realized there I couldn't bum around and expect to go to uni on my parent's money like I'd always thought I would
onceandthefuture: so I broke my back and applied for scholarships and stuff
onceandthefuture: aunt jo works at oxford so I got the faculty tuition
stripeznstarz50: ah
onceandthefuture: very helpful, that
onceandthefuture: got a job almost as soon as my aunt took me in
onceandthefuture: same coffee shop francis introduced us in, actually
stripeznstarz50: coffee?
onceandthefuture: yes coffee
onceandthefuture: it's not like I dislike it, I just prefer tea, tis all
stripeznstarz50: ah
stripeznstarz50: continue
onceandthefuture: not much left actually
onceandthefuture: got in by the skin of my teeth and here I am
stripeznstarz50: well at least there's a happy ending
onceandthefuture: ehehe you could say that
stripeznstarz50: that was a lovely retelling of a vaguely grisly life story, Arthur
onceandthefuture: psh
onceandthefuture: grisly?
onceandthefuture: just ugly
onceandthefuture: but it worked itself out, true
onceandthefuture: anyway now that that's over I should sleep
stripeznstarz50: all right lovely
onceandthefuture: why do you keep calling me that
onceandthefuture: whatever I'm too tired to care
onceandthefuture: g'night
stripeznstarz50: sweet dreams!
onceandthefuture signed off
January 30, 2008
onceandthefuture: hey love
stripeznstarz50: 'lo dear
onceandthefuture: so I've been meaning to ask
stripeznstarz50: hmm?
onceandthefuture: what exactly is the story behind this toris character you keep mentioning?
onceandthefuture: I'm assuming you know him well if he's going to be joining us
stripeznstarz50: oh yeah toris
stripeznstarz50: he's cool
stripeznstarz50: he's from eastern europe somewhere
stripeznstarz50: keeps telling me where but I keep forgetting
stripeznstarz50: starts with an L
onceandthefuture: latvia?
onceandthefuture: lithuania?
stripeznstarz50: that's the on
stripeznstarz50: e
stripeznstarz50: anyway he's just a guy who wants to make it big too
stripeznstarz50: he's more of a behind the scenes guy though
stripeznstarz50: wants to be a big time agent
stripeznstarz50: thinks my dad's either an angel or a masterpiece
stripeznstarz50: it varies
onceandthefuture: your dad sounds like a piece of work
stripeznstarz50: ahaha he is
stripeznstarz50: anyway toris would do anything to make my dad like him
stripeznstarz50: he does
stripeznstarz50: but toris has self esteem issues so he feels like he has to prove himself so I'm sort of his pet project
onceandthefuture: ah
onceandthefuture: personality wise?
stripeznstarz50: like i said
stripeznstarz50: he's cool
stripeznstarz50: as long as my dad's not around when he becomes sort of a lapdog
stripeznstarz50: otherwise he's really chill and works hard
stripeznstarz50: we get along, somehow
onceandthefuture: that's reassuring
stripeznstarz50: heehe
onceandthefuture: well hopefully we'll get along
stripeznstarz50: I really hope so
onceandthefuture: how're things with the spring break plans?
stripeznstarz50: moving along, moving along
stripeznstarz50: spring break is loosely the third week of march here
stripeznstarz50: so like the 20s
stripeznstarz50: is that cool with you?
onceandthefuture: sounds brilliant
stripeznstarz50: awesome
stripeznstarz50: I was thinking we could spend a few days in england and then you could come over
here
stripeznstarz50: maybe go to canada instead of LA and camp out with matt
onceandthefuture: I like the camping idea
onceandthefuture: one problem
onceandthefuture: I'm not exactly a rich kid anymore
stripeznstarz50: oh yeah that
stripeznstarz50: I could pay for your ticket if you'd like?
onceandthefuture: ah hell no
onceandthefuture: no way
stripeznstarz50: ahahhaha I thought you'd say that
stripeznstarz50: thught I'd offer anyway
onceandthefuture: well I have been saving some money up for a bit
onceandthefuture: wasting a little on a semi worthy cause would be okay
stripeznstarz50: I'm only SEMI worthy?
onceandthefuture: yeah
stripeznstarz50: oh okay
stripeznstarz50: *looks at airfare and such*
stripeznstarz50: damn this is expensive xD
onceandthefuture: no shit
stripeznstarz50: well dad's paying the way over so I'll leave him to worry about that
stripeznstarz50: he'll probably say screw it and steal mom and me aboard the company plane or something
onceandthefuture: xD
onceandthefuture: remind him that this was his idea
stripeznstarz50: I do it every day
stripeznstarz50: hmm we'd need to talk to matt to see where he'd be at that point in time so we could at least meet him
stripeznstarz50: maybe watch a few games or something
onceandthefuture: is he not on?
stripeznstarz50: nah
stripeznstarz50: too late
onceandthefuture: oh right morning here night there :-P
stripeznstarz50: hahaha yup
onceandthefuture: what site are you using?
stripeznstarz50: delta
onceandthefuture: pff
onceandthefuture: you gotta go for the travel sites
stripeznstarz50: oh okay
stripeznstarz50: *switches to expedia*
onceandthefuture: something tells me we may need some advice on this whole situation before our year tour in Europe
stripeznstarz50: pffff yeah
stripeznstarz50: I have no idea what I'm really doing xD
onceandthefuture: classic xD
stripeznstarz50: hmm there's a lot more nonstops out of heathrow than I hoped for
stripeznstarz50: seems we may have our pick of canadian cities ;P
onceandthefuture: great
onceandthefuture: you're right, we'll have to wait for matt if you really want to pull this canadian thing
onceandthefuture: why not just go back to LA?
stripeznstarz50: I really don't think you'd like it there
stripeznstarz50: not enough rain
onceandthefuture: bollocks
stripeznstarz50: I really would like to show you off to my friends
stripeznstarz50: but they can be kind of... harsh
onceandthefuture: psh
onceandthefuture: I can take it
stripeznstarz50: mmm.
stripeznstarz50: maybe.
stripeznstarz50: you've never met my friends
onceandthefuture: why do you keep calling them friends if you obviously don't like them?
stripeznstarz50: well, I mean, I do
stripeznstarz50: it's just I'm kind of tired of 'em y'know?
stripeznstarz50: I see them a lot these days and I'm ready to get away
onceandthefuture: hence the trip
stripeznstarz50: haha yeah
onceandthefuture: still, I feel like I should at least meet some of them besides obviously this toris character
stripeznstarz50: mmmmm really don't think that's a good idea
stripeznstarz50: matt's enough
onceandthefuture: what's your problem with me and your friends?
onceandthefuture: do you think I'm not good enough or something?
onceandthefuture: Not friendly enough?
stripeznstarz50: nonono!
stripeznstarz50: god no!
stripeznstarz50: arthur I like you
stripeznstarz50: and I'm sure under different circumstances they would like you too
stripeznstarz50: but real worldd LA is... it changes people
onceandthefuture: oh and I guess it changes you too
stripeznstarz50: well yeah
stripeznstarz50: it changes me a lot
stripeznstarz50: and a lot of the time I don't like the person i am out there
stripeznstarz50: that's why I like us
stripeznstarz50: and why i want to keep us separate, I guess
stripeznstarz50: because I like who I am when I'm talking to you
onceandthefuture: oh
onceandthefuture: well
onceandthefuture: I guess I can live with that
stripeznstarz50: :-)
onceandthefuture: you must associate with some real trash then if you're that horrible
stripeznstarz50: ahahha
stripeznstarz50: some of them yeah
stripeznstarz50: a lot of actors, actually
onceandthefuture: who knows
onceandthefuture: I may even have heard of them
stripeznstarz50: heehheh
stripeznstarz50: oh shit mom's coming gtg
onceandthefuture: night
stripeznstarz50 signed off
{A/N: aka In Which A Lot Is Explained But Nothing Happens. I have a point, I promise. I think.
I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO DO THIS FOR CHAPTERS. My lovely dovely friend OCfactory16 aka Kate drew me an oekaki idk a long time ago and I keep forgetting to link it here! Go follow this link or the one in my profile and check out what an awesome artist she is, too. http:/ocfactory16. deviantart. com/art /Get-off-of-me-you-arse-163648535}