Script offer: "The Recluse"

Premise: The listener is checking in on an old friend who has been wheelchair-bound for a few months after a car accident and is now living alone, in the hopes of coaxing her out of her self-imposed exile from the world...

"You never could sit still, could you?"

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Tags: [F4M] [Script Offer] The Recluse [Friends to Lovers] [Polar opposites] [Person in wheelchair] [L-bombs] [Sweet] [Potentially dangerous levels of feels] [No, seriously, this is ridiculously saccharine stuff] [You will actually get diabeetus from reading this. You have been warned] [A couple of off-colour jokes] [Parkour] [Hotline Miami] [Colonel Angus]

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This is the SFW version. If you'd like a slightly more spicy one, I've got a longer version posted at GWA.

As always, my script is your script. Feel free to gender-flip or otherwise edit as you please. Thank you for your interest.

EDIT: As of November 2019, I have been experiencing strange issues with scripts disappearing from Pastebin without warning. As such, I am including the script text within the post itself in case the script paste suddenly goes offline.

"The Recluse" (SFW version)

[F4M] [Script Offer] The Recluse [Friends to Lovers] [Polar opposites] [Person in wheelchair] [L-bombs] [Sweet] [Potentially dangerous levels of feels] [No, seriously, this is ridiculously saccharine stuff] [You will actually get diabeetus from reading this. You have been warned] [A couple of off-colour jokes] [Parkour] [Hotline Miami] [Colonel Angus]

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Script offer: The Recluse

Premise: The listener is checking in on an old friend who has been wheelchair-bound for a few months after a car accident and is now living alone, in the hopes of coaxing her out of her self-imposed exile from the world..

"You never could sit still, could you?"

As always, my script is your script. Feel free to gender-flip or otherwise edit as you please. Thank you for your interest.

#

Disclaimer: This is a fantasy post intended for an adult audience only.

Guidelines for performers:

1. Paragraph splits indicate a slight pause, such as when the listener is replying to the speaker.

2. [Stage:] indicates non-auditory cues included to give the reader a better idea of what is taking place.

3. Sections marked with <> indicate an opportunity for the speaker to improvise by adding additional dialogue &c. to a given section, if desired.

4. The listener's reaction may have been included in a few lines here and there to help clarify the dialogue.

5. If the performer wishes to alter this script in some manner, for whatever reason, they may do so. Feel free to alter and play around with it as you see fit, should you choose to perform it.

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The Recluse

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[SFX: Doorbell rings, door opens]

Oh, hey! Long time, no see. Come on in! Pardon me for not getting up.

[Listener: "...That's not funny."]

[chuckles] It *is* funny. Don't lie, I can see the smirk on your face. Here. Come into the living room.

[SFX: Door closes]

Hmmm? Oh, this thing *does* have a motor, unlike my old one. Much more comfortable, too. I just prefer to move around manually. Don't want to get too reliant on the tech doing everything for me. Muscle atrophy, and all that.

Have a seat. Can I get you anything? Some coffee, maybe? Okay, gimme a sec..

[SFX: Humming, clinking of silverware]

There you go.

So... what are you doing here? I didn't expect to see you until next week.

Sorry, that sounded wrong. I mean, I'm glad to see you. It's just... the place is kind of a mess.

[mutters] I'm kind of a mess, too, if you hadn't noticed.

Thanks... It's nice of you to say, but you don't have to pretend. I know I haven't really been practicing this whole "self-care" thing as much as I should.

So, what have you been up to?

Uh-huh. Track and field? Yeah, no surprises there, Mr. Bolt. What else?

[laughs] Parkour? Seriously? Now you're just showing off. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. You never could sit still, could you?

You're going mountain-climbing this summer, too? [chuckles] Do you ever take a day off? I mean, just to lounge around in bed, munching snacks, watching TV, and generally letting your health go to waste? No?

Yeah, I know you like to be outside. And it shows. I mean, it *really* shows.

How am *I* doing? Oh, you know... general listlessness, prolonged bouts of extreme self-loathing, paralyzing anxiety about the state of the world. The usual.

[weak laugh] You wanna hear something funny? I haven't been outside the house in nearly a week, now. It's just too... 'peopley' out there, you know?

No... nothing like that. Most people will leave you alone, or at least do their best to avoid looking at you. Or they're just nice. Too nice, sometimes. That's what really gets me. It's not people being rude or inconsiderate. It's the endless niceness. The pitying looks. Or worse... when someone tells me that they think I'm "inspirational". [scoffs] For *what*? Getting on with my day?

I mean, I'm keeping busy, sure. I've probably read everything on that bookshelf from cover to cover, twice. Binge-watched all the things on TV: Game of Thrones, Twin Peaks, The Wire, The Good Place... you name it. I finally got around to finishing Dark Souls, too, even though it was kicking my ass all the way. I even beat all my own high scores for Hotline Miami. *Again*. That's how long I've been cooped up in here.

Yep, I even started doing some fashion blogging professionally. Well, part-time, to pull in some extra cash. It's a wonder how much stuff you can get done when people don't expect you to leave the house.

Full-time vocation, huh? I suppose I could try my hand at writing. Who knows, I could be the next Emily Dickinson. I'm already pretty seasoned at avoiding contact with people. Of course, she didn't have a wheelchair as an excuse..

Yep, that's me. Emily Cripple-son. [pause, then bursts into laughter] *What?* I can make tasteless jokes if they're at my own expense. I mean, you know what they say: if you didn't laugh, you'd have to... [swallows hard] well.. [trails off, growing despondent all of a sudden, stops just short of sobbing]

No... No, I'm okay. [sniff] Really.

Yeah. I'm still getting used to it. Adjusting. Even though it's been a while. I mean, it's not like I can't go out and do things. I just miss it being easier, that's all. I could just step outside sometimes, when I felt like it. I didn't have to plan for it, or worry about things like 'access'. It's funny how we take things like that for granted. We never think we're going to be the ones who... end up getting pushed into the margins, until the day it happens.

But... that's life for you. You just play the hand you're dealt, and that means accepting that there are certain... certain things you can never have.

[sighs] I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring the mood down. It's really nice seeing you again. I haven't had anyone visit in ages, so... I guess you'll just have to deal with me oversharing for a bit. [weak laugh] That okay?

[growing a little more upbeat] Anyway, enough of my rambling. What else is new with you? Um, what about that girl you were seeing? You know who I'm talking about. Jenny, I think it was? You had cheesy pictures of the two of you plastered all over everyone's Facebook feeds, complete with the exotic backgrounds, and the food photography and everything! [chuckles] I mean, wow, could you be any more of a cliché power couple?

Oh... I see. You broke up? I'm sorry to hear that. She seemed nice.

What do you mean, "She wasn't"?

Why? What did she say?

[Listener: (sighs) "I brought up the idea of paying you a visit, and maybe the three of us going on a trip somewhere, and she said 'Why do you want to hang out with that crippled bitch?' We got into a big fight over it. I told her that what she'd said was not okay, and she walked out on me."]

...She really called me that?

You broke up with her over that? Over... me? I'm so sorry.

You're not? Why?

Made you realize what?

...In love with someone else? Who? [pause, realizing just as he says it]

[tearing up] No... No, you did not just say that. You can't be.

Because you *know* it can't work. I'm sorry.

Why not? (sighs) Okay, well... You remember that time you badgered me into going on that city-wide power walk with you and your hiking group? I got winded half-way through, and you had to carry me the rest of the way. Don't get me wrong. It was so nice, having my arms wrapped around you as you carried me on your back, but... my point is, I couldn't keep up with you, even back then. And now look at me.

I know, I know. But... it's easy to say "We'll make it work".

Maybe it'll work today. Then, maybe it'll still kind of work tomorrow. And the same the day after, only a little less. And then, one day, you're going to wake up and realize that you've been trying to live your life with someone who's just wrong for you. Who's the exact opposite of what you truly needed to be happy. Someone who's just... a burden.

You know I'm right about this. We're so wrong for each other, it's not even funny. I was a recluse even before this, if you hadn't noticed. Had my nose buried in books and video games while you were benching muscle cars or whatever it is you do to keep so fit.

[Listener: "That doesn't change how I feel about you. But if you don't feel the same way, then.."]

But... I do. I *do* feel the same way. (bursting into tears) I love you, too. You don't even know how much. All those years spent yearning... watching you from afar. I... mmmhmm! [pleasantly surprised as her speech is interrupted by a kiss]

[SFX: Light kissing]

[breathless] ...I can't believe that just happened.

No, it's okay. (chuckles in relief) Better than okay. It was so good. So much better than I've dreamt of...

[SFX: Light kissing again]

[shyly] Could you maybe... help me over to the couch?

Thanks. [slight squeal in surprise as he picks her up] [giggles] Wow... could you at least *pretend* that it's some kind of effort for you to carry me?

[SFX: Rustling of fabric as he sets her gently down on the couch]

Thanks, baby. Come here...

[SFX: More kissing, steadily increasing in intensity]

[contented sigh] Can we just stay like this for a while? I just want to rest my head against your shoulder for a bit. Mmmm... That feels so nice..

So... where do we go from here?

[amused disbelief] You want to go *sky-diving*?

What do you mean, "Well, if they could get Stephen Hawking on the Vomit Comet.."?

Oh, shut up! (giggles, throws pillow at her boyfriend)

I'm thinking baby steps. How about something a little less crazy to start with?

A walk in the part? Yeah, that sounds nice.

[SFX: A little more kissing, fade out]