[The book does fly right through him - the benefit of being a ghost. But Patrick goes full muppet face as he nods, impressed. "Not bad, Shep. Not bad at all."
Annie, however, wheels on her brother and grits her teeth.]
You've been dead too long to pretend to know what my business is. I came here to help him. I actually like helping. And maybe if we had asked for help when we needed to, things wouldn't have ended the way they did.
[But no, that's not what the Chens do. They pull in on themselves and try to solve it without making it messy by involving other people.
She pulls out another drawer and the key rattles into view in front of her.]
(Well, that is in their culture, too. Would you rather you and your brother and sister were raised differently. Brought up with different values. It doesn't mean he didn't love her, or Annie.
Shepherd charges forward, body checking Patrick. He leans down past him to pick up the book he felt the rattling inside. Swiping it up, he opens the hollowed out book and finds the key. Turning back to Annie, he holds it up.)
You have anything else to say to him, now's the time to say it.
( The front door glows and then shifts, turning from a clear glass to stone, with a handle on the right.
"You're angry. You should be. Don't lose that. I always admired my sister's fire.")
("Tell her I love her. And I'm sorry." Because what else can he say. Move past this. He knows she's thriving. She's doing good. She and Annie have found a new family.
Shepherd leaves Patrick, stalking past Annie and Bennett, planting himself by the door. )
[Nobody's okay, but they'll figure it out anyway. They both turn their keys together, open the door and slip out into the bright light waiting on the other side.]
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somanyadjectives) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
no subject
Take two steps back.
( "Annie. You know better. Pay this man no mind. His business isn't ours." Bennett grimaces. "Yours." )
Shut up. ( Shepherd turns, launching a book at him. It, and the key rattling around inside, careens toward Patrick out of anger. )
no subject
Annie, however, wheels on her brother and grits her teeth.]
You've been dead too long to pretend to know what my business is. I came here to help him. I actually like helping. And maybe if we had asked for help when we needed to, things wouldn't have ended the way they did.
[But no, that's not what the Chens do. They pull in on themselves and try to solve it without making it messy by involving other people.
She pulls out another drawer and the key rattles into view in front of her.]
no subject
Shepherd charges forward, body checking Patrick. He leans down past him to pick up the book he felt the rattling inside. Swiping it up, he opens the hollowed out book and finds the key. Turning back to Annie, he holds it up. )
You have anything else to say to him, now's the time to say it.
( The front door glows and then shifts, turning from a clear glass to stone, with a handle on the right.
"You're angry. You should be. Don't lose that. I always admired my sister's fire." )
no subject
Are you sure there's nothing you want me to tell your daughter?
[Anything at all?]
no subject
Shepherd leaves Patrick, stalking past Annie and Bennett, planting himself by the door. )
no subject
You good?
[Because this isn't over yet, and she wants to make sure his head isn't somewhere else now.]
no subject
( He slides his own key in his lock, blocking out everything else. He keeps her gaze, turning when she does. )
no subject
[Nobody's okay, but they'll figure it out anyway. They both turn their keys together, open the door and slip out into the bright light waiting on the other side.]