CALL Network | Text | UN: alnnahs

[alkhimia2i]

[Being holed up in a safehouse as she is, Ana is a little short on stimulating conversation. As much as she might want to resist engaging in this strange magical cellphone, she doesn't hold out for too long. After all, from what she can tell, these people have no idea who she is.

What she posts comes in two pieces, the first a series of lines in Arabic text followed by a helpful translation in English. The second piece is commentary.]

ﺃﺩﻣﻨﺖ ﺍﺣﺰﺍﻧﻲ
ﻓﺼﺮﺕ ﺍﺧﺎﻑ ﺍﻥ ﻻ ﺍﺣﺰﻧﺎ
ﻭﻃﻌﻨﺖ ﺁﻻﻓﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺍﺕ
ﺣﺘﻰ ﺻﺎﺭ ﻳﻮﺟﻌﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﻥ ﻻ ﺍﻃﻌﻨﺎ
ﻭﻟﻌﻨﺖ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﻠﻐﺎﺕ
ﺣﺘﻰ ﺻﺎﺭ ﻳﻘﻠﻘﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﻥ ﻻ ﺍﻟﻌﻨﺎ
ﻭﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﺸﺎﺑﻬﺖ ﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﺒﻼﺩ
ﻓﻼ ﺍﺭﻯ ﻧﻔﺴﻲ ﻫﻨﺎﻙ، ﻭﻻ ﺍﺭﻯ ﻧﻔﺴﻲ ﻫﻨﺎ

I was addicted to my sorrows,
Until I became scared of not being sorrowful.
And I was stabbed thousands of times,
Until it felt painful not to be stabbed.
And I was cursed in all the languages,
Until I became nervous of not being cursed.
And all the countries seemed the same,
in that I neither see myself there, nor do I see myself here.


I came across this while reading, so I thought I might share it. No particular reason, except than I found it to be moving. I wouldn't mind hearing your opinions.

Comments

[alkhimia2i]

Well. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, then.

[His stubbornness deserves a little sass.]

[jinglejangle]

Are we really acquaintances if only one of us knows the other's name?

[that's what you get for being sassy]

[alkhimia2i]

Touché. Where are my manners?

You can call me Shrike.

[She's already told one person that name, she might as well stick with it...]

[jinglejangle]

Like the bird?

Is this some sort of fancy callsign?

[alkhimia2i]

Yes, like the bird.

I guess you could say that.

[jinglejangle]

Interesting.

Any reason for the bird? You some sort of pilot or have you got some sorta fancy flight powers?

[alkhimia2i]

No, not quite.

Is liking them a good enough reason?

[jinglejangle]

If it's the only reason you're willing to share.

[he can give non-answers, too]

[alkhimia2i]

There's a number of them near my home. I can see them from my window. It seemed like a good enough name to me.

[caduceusoncall]

[Angela stares at the text for a long time. She re-reads each word, trying to process the information. Blown to hell.

Maybe it doesn't mean what she thinks it means. Maybe McCree just chose poor phrasing. Maybe...]

What do you mean by "blown to hell"? What happened in Switzerland? Is he okay, is he hurt?

[caduceusoncall]

[She can sense the conversation is over. Or at least, in her mind it appears that way. The response seems very final. She can't shake the feeling that it is not an honest answer, though.

And she really wants to continue talking to this mysterious stranger. They feel familiar and put her at ease in a way that only a select few friends could. It would be a terrible shame to lose this contact.]

And my apologies for the assumption.

I admit I would very much like to talk to you in person. If not about the nature of realities, then maybe poetry or literature. I am often busy here but I can make time to travel if it would be easier for you.

Before I start rattling off coffee shops and scenic walkways, do you have any interest in that offer?

[caduceusoncall]

Just for you, I'll knock the price down to $199.

[alkhimia2i]

Perhaps in the future, Doctor Ziegler. I have quite a lot on my plate right now. This poetry won't read itself, after all.

You could ask your McCree friend if he'd like a cup of coffee? Everyone needs a break now and again, and it might keep his nose out of trouble.

[jinglejangle]

There are worse birds you could name yourself after, I suppose.

And going by your real name is just impossible, then?

[alkhimia2i]

I don't give my name out to strangers on the internet.

[caduceusoncall]

[Well, she tried. She makes a mental note to keep tabs on this user. Again, it would be a terrible shame to lose contact.]

Ah, well. You know where to find me.

As for McCree, I'm not sure he'll go for it but there's no harm in trying. There is a nice diner-like establishment in Tomorrow. Which I would also recommend to you!

[jinglejangle]

Isn't this whole conversation establishing that we ain't strangers?

[jinglejangle]

Can't get really more explicit than that. He was at the base, the base got blown up. Don't know why or who did it, I was already gone at the time.

It was on the news. Don't know how you could've missed it.

[alkhimia2i]

Aren't we? This is news to me.

[jinglejangle]

[He doesn't like you much, Shrike.]

You know my name, I know your callsign, I'd think we've surpassed being strangers.

[caduceusoncall]

The last thing I saw on the news was the official announcement that Overwatch was permanently disbanding and that further activities are considered illegal. That was the day I got my CALL device.

Is...is he...? Was anyone else hurt?

[She can't say it. She can't type it. The word catches in her throat and her fingers curl into fists when she tries to type it.

Is he dead. Is he dead? No, he can't be. Heroes never die. Heroes never, ever die. Not her friends. Not Gabriel Reyes. No no no n-]

[alkhimia2i]

Well, if that's all it takes to not be strangers.

What are we now, Mr. McCree?

un: troubadourCatalyst

[thygospelevity]

[Behind the screen he reads and his breath his caught. His chin sinks slow into his hands and he sighs, quite happily.]

A true connoisseur plucks the sweetest fruit of the most withered mother fuckin growths. You have chosen a passage of great beauty. It seems to remind but of what I cannot name.

In gratitude, allow a fresh pimp ryda to exchange.

If the flesh of the holy is named exalted
what then is called the blood on the blade?
If the march of life is the greatest gift
What then is the rest of the waiting grave?

[alkhimia2i]

[She's not sure that she knows this username. It's not immediately apparent who might be on the other side, unlike some of the ones she's already spoken to. And the response... Isn't really like anything she remembers. But she's still a little wary.]

I appreciate such kind words from a fresh pimp ryda.

Those are deep questions that your verse asks. Do you have an answer for them?

[thygospelevity]

[Alnnahs echoed him! They must be a true ninja! For this, he is delighted, but also because he can show off his learnings, a thing of great pride with him.]

Honk honk! :oD

It could be mother fuckin proclaimed, an answer I do hold
The verse I speak moves with the Messiahs
A being of one but two all the same
For you see, the blood is as holy on the honored dagger, as the dagger is treacherous, for there would be no need to protect the flesh were there no threat upon it
Life's march is full the fuck up with beauty and wonder, but as death ends it, it cannot exist without death at the end
Thusly, it must be deemed that though the dagger gleams cruelly
Though death begets mother fuckin rot
There is beauty in it's shine
There is a gentle salvation in death
These two are things we should treasure, for each has much to teach
:o)

Much of the beauty of poetry lies in that it may have multiple meaning, a color shifting in the light merely by the direction from which it is beheld.
Would you mother fuckin agree?