BLU's Happy Place

[bye_to_yer_head]

Who: BLU Sniper bye_to_yer_head and YOU!
Where: Welcome t' Australia mate! And you didn't even have to get up.
Rating: PG at the most. (shockingly)
Summary: BLU may be a miserable alcoholic, but somewhere, locked away in his mind, is something far, far better. The man he used to be.

Comments

[hasstandards]

For what seemed like the tenth time, RED opened his eyes to find he was no longer in Paradise or in his bed with Pyro, but somewhere else completely; however, as frustrated as he got with what was apparently the end of him ever sleeping peacefully again, he was occasionally surprised in a good way by what he wandered into.

Australia again- he pushed the eared hood off his head, landscape striking familiar chords in him immediately. That was a comfort. More reassuring was when he spotted someone he recognized: his rival, carving away while waiting for the fish to bite. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

Pushing himself off the ground, RED wandered to him. This had to be a dream, he thought- he didn't need his crutches for even a second to walk.

[bye_to_yer_head]

BLU heard the crunching of boots over the grass and looked over his shoulder, aiming a cheery wave at his rival. "G'day! Come t' do some fishin'?"

He hadn't pegged RED as the fishing type, but everyone occasionally wanted to do something new or have a change of pace. And it was getting on towards afternoon, a bit late to do any hunting unless you wanted to bake in the sun.

Giving an experimental tug on his fishing rod, he placed it back in the holder, still no bites. But he had one big fat fish on a rope swimming around in the shallow water, unaware that it was going to become dinner.

[hasstandards]

"No," RED answered truthfully. "Never been much of a fisherman myself."

He eyed the rod, then the wooden carving in his rival's hands, wondering if this was BLU's dream and if he was aware at all he was dreaming. Would it be like with Miss Pauling? Would BLU know he'd been there?

No time like the present to find out, he resolved. "What are you doin' out here, mate? Besides the fishin', obviously."

[bye_to_yer_head]

"Fishin'. Carving this." He held out the bird, a few feathers already adorned it's side, looking more realistic with every stroke of his knife. "Just relaxin'."

Setting the carving down on the blanket he reached in his pack for some snacks, jerky and a canteen of water. "What about you? Havin' a walkabout?"

[hasstandards]

"I s'ppose." Another truthful answer, as he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing there, aside from invading his rival's privacy. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to get himself out of BLU's head. Just the thought made him uncomfortable.

He masked that discomfort with an approving nod to the wooden trinket. "Makin' somethin' else for Tipsy to chew?"

[bye_to_yer_head]

"Nah. For Brandy. She wants t' get herself a kookaburra. Thinks she can teach it t' talk an' annoy the neighbors." He leaned back against the trunk of the tree and chewed some jerky thoughtfully for a moment.

"Too bad Tipsy ain't here. She would 'ave liked her."

[hasstandards]

RED paused. "She would have- wait, what happened to your dog?"

[bye_to_yer_head]

"I don't 'ave her yet." With frightening dream logic he still had the memories of Tipsy, but knows without knowing how, that he'll be getting her at some point in the future.

[hasstandards]

"Er, right." So much for masking that discomfort- RED's face reflected how strange he found the entire situation, that BLU was apparently dreaming of some time before he'd been with his team, but was aware of later events nonetheless. None of it made sense or was justifiable in any way other than "magic" or "gods of Paradise up to mischief," and that was what bothered RED most.

He sighed, trying to ignore that feeling in his gut and the mild curiosity of what people who'd been in his head had seen. If people had been in his head. Did he ever hope people hadn't been in his head...

"It looks good, mate," he said, filling the space in conversation to force his mind on other things. "Fine carvin', as always."

[bye_to_yer_head]

"Thanks. First bird I've ever done so I'm pretty pleased." He offered the bag of jerky to RED. "She wants a real one, but we already 'ave a dog and two cats. I'm livin' in a zoo."

Though he doesn't seem put out by that prospect. Smiling fondly as he looked out towards the lake. "Where's yer dog at? Stayin' cool back at yer place? Can't be comfortable havin' all that fur."

[hasstandards]

"Yeah, back at the base," RED answered, not actually sure if that was the truth or not, given the bizarre circumstances he was in. "Doin' fine."

His mind put two and two together as who this 'Brandy' he kept talking about was- this was before Paradise and possibly his time at BLU, given the fact BLU looked like he'd dropped a few years somewhere and didn't yet have Tipsy. RED recalled what his rival kept in his ammo pouch, and knew this was something he did not want to talk about at all. The less he knew, the better.

It was a matter of privacy, and as much as he'd never admit it, he had some respect for BLU- as his rival and a fellow professional, of course. The fact he owed the man his life was just another reason, but not the main one.

He cleared his throat, falling silent.

[bye_to_yer_head]

"Thats good."

BLU fell into a comfortable silence, just leaning against the tree, watching the scenery around him. His eyes followed a few birds as they landed on the shore, pecking at the ground.

"This ain't real is it?"

[hasstandards]

"No, no it's not."

RED's answer came completely without hesitation; however, he felt lying to BLU at that point would have been a disservice to them both: to BLU because he honestly did have some respect for the man, and to himself because he wasn't sure he could handle keeping the truth hidden in a place that made no sense already.

[bye_to_yer_head]

"S'about what I figured." Taking his hat off and setting it next to him he sighed. "S'not a bad place though is it?"

[hasstandards]

RED sighed, relaxing minutely. "No, no it's not," he repeated, eyes settling themselves on the distance.

"Miss Pauling said it's likely somethin' that's happening around Paradise. People showin' up in other's dreams."

[bye_to_yer_head]

"So that's what's goin' on. Makes sense I guess." In a way where it didn't make sense at all. "I'm gonna wake up exhausted again. Ain't slept roight in a week or so."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Knew this was too good t' be true."