Hey, gang! Back at it again with the next chapter of Liminal Love! Will things be different for Rupert this week, or will he continue to be a miserable sack of crap for a whole chapter? You'll have to read to find out, so I won't keep you away. See you at the bottom of the page!

Beach (noun): A strip of land covered in sand or pebbles at the edge of a body of water, especially the ocean; often associated with the concepts of exploration, relaxation, and freedom

Rupert had been dismissed from attending PT again, something that was probably supposed to help him get better but only succeeded at making him feel like a disgusting excuse of a human being, trapped in a place he didn't belong. Without PT, without work, without anything to occupy his time, his whole existence felt unpleasant and miserable. Anything and everything that did happen was nothing more than a blip in the radar of his useless life. That included his next therapy session.

That was where he was now: lying on the therapist's couch with his hands clasped over his stomach, staring dully at the ceiling as his therapist droned every possible empty assurance in existence. Their words passed over him, hardly registering in his ears, as if he were asleep and awake at the same time.

As the therapist rambled on- something about yoga on the beach- Rupert was trapped in his head, swimming through every cruelty he'd suffered like molasses. The sickeningly sweet smiles of Charles Calvin, the pitying, shaming gaze of Galeforce, the mocking, unfeeling sneers of the Bukowski Twins, and his dear, sweet, precious Dave, who was gone forever. No matter how hard Rupert fought, kicked, or screamed, there was no way he could have him back, and there was no one who could fix it and make it better.

Well… there was technically one person.

Supposedly.

Gadget Gabe didn't sound like anyone he knew, but then again, he didn't know his fellow soldiers that well to begin with. He'd come here to work, not make friends. But he couldn't think of a single soldier here that would be able to do everything needed to sneak that business card into his room without anyone noticing.

Was it possible that Gadget Gabe was an actual person? But then who had put the card in his room? Security was always tight, so there was no way a random civilian could sneak into the dorms undetected. Maybe Gadget Gabe was a friend of a soldier, or used a soldier to act as a delivery person of sorts? The man did say he knew things the government didn't know. What if that wasn't a bluff?

There were too many questions, too many things he didn't know, and Rupert hated it. What could he even do at this point? It wasn't like he could go up to Gadget Gabe and demand answers-

Rupert sat up ever so slightly. His therapist didn't seem to notice.

The lighthouse in Shady Sea Town. He had no idea where that was, or even if it was a real place, but if it was? Gadget Gabe has essentially given him his home address. He could literally go up to Gadget Gabe and demand answers.

It was a stretch, a hail Mary, and possibly a complete waste of time.

It was all he had left.

"The beach," he said, startling his therapist into silence. He shifted his head to stare at them. "You said I should go to the beach, innit? I think you're right."

The therapist blinked, then sighed, probably in relief, and smiled. "I think that's a wonderful idea. I'll write a note for you to give to your superior; that way, they can approve some vacation time for you." They opened a filing cabinet and took out a small piece of paper, scribbling something down before holding it out to Rupert. "I can also send you a list of yoga poses to practice-"

Rupert snatched the paper up with a rushed "right-thanks-bye-then" before rushing out of the office as subtly as he could. As soon as the office door was out of sight, though, he practically broke into a sprint, ignoring anyone he passed and their disapproving looks. For the first time in days, he was filled with something besides despair and pain: a sense of thrill, dizzying but intoxicating. He was giddy with the feeling, like he was about to do something he was absolutely not allowed to do, and that high drove him all the way to General Galeforce's office door, fist raised just over the wood in preparation to knock.

Technically, he wasn't doing anything wrong. He had an official note from the therapist to give him permission, he was about to get approval for this impromptu vacation by a superior, and he was, in fact, going to go to a beach. The only thing he was hiding was what he planned to do once he got to that beach. Yoga would be the last thing on his mind.

There was a tiny part of him- that stupid, perfect-toy-soldier part of him- that felt a hint of shame at the idea of deceiving his superior. That feeling was quashed right quick, though. What the others didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Even if Gadget Gabe wasn't able to help him, he could at least beat the snot out of him for getting his hopes up.

He knocked on the door.

There was just enough time for Rupert to school his expression before Galeforce opened the door, blinking down at him in surprise. "Good morning, Price."

"Good morning, sir," he replied with a proper salute. "Are you busy right now?"

"I can spare a few minutes…" Galeforce said slowly. "Is there something you need to talk about?"

Rupert took a deep breath. Now or never. "I was speaking with the therapist you recommended for me," he explained, "and they said I should try taking a vacation to the beach. There's this place- Shady Sea Town? I have some… relatives there, and I thought I'd go visit them for a week. With your permission. Sir." He thrust the permission slip in the general's direction.

Galeforce was silent, reading the slip of paper slowly with his eyes. Rupert kept his expression neutral, but a cold sweat started to break out on the back of his neck. Did Galeforce see through his ruse? Would he refuse to sign off on the vacation?

…Was he in on the entire military's apparent scheme to emotionally break him?

After a long moment, Galeforce smiled. "I have to say, I'm surprised, Price. I don't think you've taken a single vacation since you joined the military. I'm glad that you're taking some time for yourself and your family; it'll really do you some good. In fact, let me sign that for you right now." He reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a pen, bracing the paper against his arm as he carefully signed it. He didn't give it back right away, though. "There's just one thing I'd like you to keep in mind for next time."

Rupert bit the inside of his cheek. "Yes, sir?"

"Next time, you ought to go to Captain Canterbury or Major Panzer for this sort of thing. I'm no longer your direct superior, after all. It's a good thing I had some time to spare."

"...Ah." Despite himself, Rupert felt his face heat up. "Right then. I'll do that next time, sir."

Galeforce handed him the permission slip, then set a hand firmly on Rupert's shoulder. "I do mean it, Price. This vacation will do you good. I'm proud of you for taking steps in the right direction."

Rupert nodded, a tiny lump of shame sitting low in his throat. "Thank you, sir. I'll see you when I get back."

"Good man." The general patted him twice before letting him go, offering a brief salute before striding down the hallway to wherever he was supposed to be going.

Rupert watched him leave. He seemed genuinely happy for him, completely innocent of Rupert's deception. It hurt a little, to take advantage of his leader's trust like this... but there was no going back now.

Rupert hurried in the direction of his dorm, pulling out his phone as he went to search for the cheapest, quickest plane ticket to Shady Sea Town, USA.

Oh Rupert, you're so reckless. We should call you Reckless Rupert from now on, cause you're only going to get more reckless from here.

Is this how asking for time off works in the military? Absolutely probably not. Then again, like Galeforce said, Rupert's never taken a vacation since he started working, so he's definitely earned it as far as the general is concerned. And also like Rupert mentioned, he's not particularly buddy-buddy with anyone, so it's unlikely anyone would know to take this as a sign of something extremely suspicious. Will anyone even notice that he's gone...?

I don't really have a name or face for Rupert's therapist, but I imagine they're fresh out of school, with a very "by the book" way of doing things. What do you do when going by the book doesn't seem to be working? Double down, of course! Because there's no way that anyone or any situation could have any nuance or complication that would require a unique approach to help. Ever. (Sarcasm so sarcastic I get sent to a therapist for sarcasm-itis)

Anyway, this was another short one, but have patience! Pieces are in motion, people are going places (presumably, in Dave's case), and things will happen in bigger portions! I hope! Leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter, and what you're looking forward to seeing happen next! I'll see you all next Monday. Until then!