CUDDLR.

[dishearten]

GRAHAM (34) married. need friends for achieving incentive.

✓       ✕

YES / MATCH / TICK
<span style="font-family: times; font-size:40px; color:#2EB82E;">✓</span>


NO / CROSS
<span style="font-family: times; font-size:40px; color:#CC0000;">✕</span>

Comments

[sheriffing]

Don't flatter yourself.

[obviously not, but tell her more.]

It's rather honest of me. I like my new friends to know what they're dealing with.

[for that, Emma, you'd have to have some.]

[dishearten]

I'm not sure how that is flattery, but all right.

( was he supposed to expound? whoops. for a guy that never shut up about his wife, he seems less talkative these days. it's not an easy conversation. not even when it is the wife that is curious. )

I'll remember your disinterest in luck in the future. you'd need more than that for a good game, anyway.

[sheriffing]

Is your wife in the city with you?

[the only reason why she noticed is because of how unusual it is to find someone here who's married. most people come for the free love and lack a lifetime commitment.]

Then maybe we should play again sometime.

[dishearten]

( man what a question. graham isn't exactly fond of lying, but the text is a buffer and when it gets down to it... is the woman he married in eudio? )

no. ( she was present, technically, but the part of her that had been his wife had been scrubbed away a year ago.

why can't they stick to the very safe dart conversation, omg. ) if you'd like, I don't mind a challenge. for a beginner you did quite well.

[sheriffing]

And you're just going to shake hands and high five your way to your incentive? How does your wife feel about all of this?

[ don't mind her being skeptical, what she knows of married men isn't the most sincere, honest take on marriage.]

I did quite well for anyone. You'd know, you're good at darts.

[dishearten]

( he's a bit delayed in answering. he's a bit masochistic, to keep talking when it is like ripping open a wound that never managed to heal. they always did have a tendency for serious talks hidden behind text — some things haven't changed, have they? )

I don't really know. I think she'd understand, if I could tell her. I hope so.

It seems you believe in being humble about as much as you believe in luck.

( he'd probably even be amused despite himself if they could focus on that instead of his absentee wife. )

[sheriffing]

You didn't tell her?

[ That's a little strange, considering he wears the ring.]

It was a game of darts, I'll be humble when it's important.

[dishearten]

there was no way to tell her. she's been gone for a year.

( Emma does tend to be like a bloodhound when she's stuck on something, but why of all things was she so curious about this? it was painfully ironic. he can't manage to find a good quip about darts, either, so that's all he's got — his wife is gone. what a great conversation. he is very lucky they didn't talk about this face to face. )

I'd rather speak of other things, if you don't mind.

[sheriffing]

Sorry.

[ gone as in she left him, or gone as in -

maybe this is where she ought to stop.]

Your profile doesn't mention much.

[dishearten]

it mentions enough, I think.

( he is married and only looking for friends. the absence of his wife doesn't actually change that. )

[sheriffing]

Then what do you like to do in your spare time?

[ see, no mention of marriage or the absence of his wife this time. she's learning.]

[dishearten]

( to be fair how fun can it be to talk about a guys non-existent wife... it isn't even that fun for the guy himself. )

there is a lot of it here, isn't there? you know the first thing that comes to mind. I'll have to work on getting a longer list. I didn't have much free time before I came back to Eudio.

and yourself?

[sheriffing]

I have a son, Henry. Back home, I spend most of my spare time with him. It still doesn't feel right being here without him, but Henry wanted this for me, so. I have two dogs who tagged along, but hobbies are a work in progress.

[ guess who is missing someone now.]

[dishearten]

I can only guess how difficult that is.

( he can guess pretty well, actually — Henry isn't his by blood and it's safe to say the boy hadn't really had time to grow accustomed to the idea of a step father, but Graham still cared about the boy a great deal. he knows what it is like to miss someone that isn't there, even if he may never completely understand the bond of a parent. )

hobbies find their way to you, here. there's a great deal of downtime, I find. if you ever want to try something new and don't care to do it alone, let me know. I'm due for a few more hobbies myself.

[sheriffing]

I'll keep that in mind.

[ is it wrong to think he seems - feels - lonely? she can't imagine a lot of people came here to make friends.]

If we don't share hobbies, I wouldn't be opposed to sharing a pizza sometime.

[dishearten]

well, I don't know anyone in their right mind that would say no to pizza.

( he's still a little scant from his year in the forest, he could probably handle a piece or two. )

[sheriffing]

No one who I'd want to associate with.

[two, four. dammit Graham, she worked hard to keep him eating last year.]

[dishearten]

I'm safe for now, then. I don't mind pizza.

( lbr even if he couldn't stand pizza he'd probably still eat some if she were a part of the deal. whoops. )

[sheriffing]

That's the extent of your feelings towards pizza?

[ you are a strange one.]

[dishearten]

( it is eerie, having conversations they've had before. the last time he'd informed her he "didn't mind" pizza, she'd said nearly the same thing. only then he'd been able to steal her closer and tell her he reserved his feelings for people, and not pizza.

will this ever get easier? talking to her? or will it always come with shadows of the life they'd had and lost? )

food is food, I find. though I do like sweets. perhaps if you'd invited me for dessert pizza.

[sheriffing]

Henry and I have rules about that. Pizza first, then ice cream. I make a great chocolate chip sundae.

[ see Graham, it's all about logical order. there's still dessert involved.]

[dishearten]

seems like a fair rule for a mother to make. in the absence of one, rules can be a bit more flexible.

( meaning he'd totally eat that sundae first. #sorrynotsorry )

[sheriffing]

You like to break the rules, Graham?

[ if he wasn't married, that might sound like flirting. he is, though. she's very aware of it now.]

[dishearten]

depends on the rule. some are worth bending a little.

( this is why he doesn't get to be sheriff anymore. and it's a good thing they are incapable of flirting since he's married, what a relief! it'd be horrible if he flirted with his own wife on accident. )

[sheriffing]

Says the guy with the sheriff's badge in his profile picture.

[ Emma doesn't have any problem bending the rules, but then she's not a sheriff, is she? And she'd definitely never flirt with one, especially not one with a badge and a ring.]