IC Inbox

[everswirlingtoilet]

You've reached the phone of Nick Sax. Congratulations--I'm sure it's the highlight of your day.

Assuming you had a point to reaching out, leave a message regarding said point. If I think it's worth my time, I'll get back to you. If not...

...beep.

Comments

[tucky]

Sometimes it feels like it ain't all it's cracked up to be, but-- being too extreme doesn't always work out so good, either. For me, anyway.

[everswirlingtoilet]

Well, sure--it all depends on your goals. And if your goal is to survive to a ripe old age, extremism probably isn't the way to go.

But if you rate self-indulgence higher than survival, then moderation is a real buzzkill.

[tucky]

How long do you think you wanna live, then?

[everswirlingtoilet]

I'm pretty sure I've overstayed my welcome already.

Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to rush things along. I just don't worry much about it.

[tucky]

I hope you're wrong. I like you, even though you're a pain in the ass.

[Because he's a pain in the ass, in part. She's like that.]

[everswirlingtoilet]

I appreciate that but no one, including you, should ever waste a moment feeling bad when the time comes I get myself into a situation I can't get out of.

Assuming that hasn't already happened. I am technically sort of dead-ish after all.

[tucky]

Sorry. I already like you enough that I'm definitely gonna cry if something bad happens to you.

[everswirlingtoilet]

Oh for crying out loud. My own mother wouldn't shed a tear.

Of course she's so drunk most days I'm not sure she remembers who I am. [Yeah, Nick may have taken being a jerk to a new level but he had help.]

[tucky]

That sucks. My mom's like that sometimes, too.

[everswirlingtoilet]

What sucks is when you can't decide what's worse-- when they forget you or when they remember you.

Your dad still around?

[tucky]

Yeah. It's kinda the same with him. He doesn't get drunk so much, but he gets high a lot.

[It'll be difficult being the only clean one in the family, if she ever ends up back on her own world.]

[everswirlingtoilet]

You should stay away from them. You know that already but in case you ever wonder if maybe you should give them a second chance--don't. Some people aren't fit to be parents.

And I say that as not only the child of an alcoholic but as an alcoholic who should never have children myself.

[tucky]

Well... I never, like, disowned them or anything. So I can't not give them a second chance, 'cause I never stopped giving them a first chance.

[everswirlingtoilet]

Have they ever done anything to deserve any chance?

[tucky]

Sure. That's why it's complicated. I don't think there's anybody who's all bad all the time, or all good all the time.

[everswirlingtoilet]

I don't know. I've met a few who were pure evil.

But my point is that it's gotta be a two-way street. If your mom and pop are making an effort...yeah, that makes it more difficult.

See, this is why I'm such a considerate guy--I make it easy for people to cut me out of their lives by refusing to make any effort whatsoever.

[tucky]

You made some effort when you decided to help that little girl, though, right?

[That is not a thing she plans to forget, ever.]

[everswirlingtoilet]

Yeah, and look where that got me.

[But Nick would really appreciate it if she did forget. Makes life easier for him when no one expects anything from him.]

Anyway, that doesn't disprove my point. I was never in that kid's life so she'd never have to decide whether to cut me out of it. If things had gone anywhere close to the plan, I would've swooped in and out and she'd barely even know I was there.

[tucky]

[Tiffany pauses to consider this.]

That might've been really confusing for her, though. Like-- bad shit happened to her, and then she was rescued from it, but she doesn't know how or why or by who. And then she would've been all alone again.

[everswirlingtoilet]

Not alone--she has her mom. Who I can guarantee you is far better at parenting than I am.

And unfortunately, confusion is probably going to be the least of the kid's problems. She's gonna need a shrink, not a broken-down drunk dad.

[tucky]

It's true that broken-down drunks ain't much good to anybody.

[Themselves included.]

But you're also somebody who tried like hell to help her.

[Eventually. After some coaxing.]

[everswirlingtoilet]

[They're especially no good for themselves.]

I did what I know how to do as an ex-cop. I know how to find bad guys. Even with a brain that's half mush thanks to various intoxicating substances, I can still do that.

Being some kind of emotional support animal--that's something I can't do. But she'll have Happy back for that. Once we find her, Happy will leave me and go back to her and she'll be fine. Probably. Maybe.

[Yeah, guess who he's trying to convince.]

[tucky]

"Some people ain't right to take care of kids. And maybe that really is you." Ultimately, she doesn't believe that it's her place to tell him that he should parent this child. That's entirely his decision to make. "But I hope she ends up with someone besides Happy. Magic unicorns are probably great, uh, emotional support animals, but they ain't any good substitute for people."