When Susanne appeared in the cafe, she was momentarily surprised, to say the least. One minute she had been graciously arguing with Angelo, the next she was in a sunny way-side eatery.

Taking a grip of herself, she walked to the counter and ordered a lemonade.

While the perky blonde behind said counter was pouring liquid and clinking ice, a thought occurred to her.

"Excuse me," she said, "but are we in England? I just wondered because of your uniform." It was a blue half-apron and baseball cap, with SRC enblazoned on it.

"No sugar," the girl said kindly, "this is the Subreality Cafe."

"The what?"

"Subreality Cafe. Where fanfic characters come between chapters."

"Oh," said Susanne, as if that meant nothing to her, but she was going to accept it anyway because it sounded like she ought to. "Do you take British money?"

"Sure hon, whatever you've got."

Susy passed her a fifty pence piece, figuring that ought to cover it. She carried the blue glass (with yellow straw) to a secluded table in one corner, which had a blue tablecloth to contrast with the airy yellow walls. The designer had obviously been on something.

For a while, she watched the people in the cafe, mainly young, businessy types having late breakfasts or early lunches. There were a few who didn't quite fit with the ambience of the place -- a goth guy with a large artist's pad sketched a gypsy woman in the opposite corner from where she sat, and two werewolves chatted over coffee by the jukebox. Not that all the businessmen and women were 'normal' either; a rainbow of skin colours were in attendence, along with wings, claws, fiery halos and extra arms.

As the clock struck midday, a voice next to her said, "Is this seat taken?"

Susy looked up to see the girl from counter, with a donut and coffee in her hands.

"I'm on my break," she explained. "You looked like you needed company."

A glance told Susanne that another girl, eerily identical to the one standing next to her, was now serving.

"Thanks," she said aloud. "Please, sit down."

As the girl sat down, she introduced herself. "I'm Dallas. It's nice to meet you."

"Susy," Susanne said.

"Good. Donut?"

"No thanks."

There was silence for a bit while Dallas ate her donut. Finally, she said: "You didn't seem to recognise this place when you first came in here, am I right?"

"Yeah," Susy said warily.

"I know why."

"..."

"You shouldn't be here. You haven't been written yet."

"...?"

"No, you're still completely in your writer's head. She's got you well rounded though, which is probably how you got sent here."

"I have -no- idea what you're talking about."

"Ook-aay." Dallas looked around the cafe. "See that guy over there who keeps changing color? And the ice girl sitting next to him? They're Alan Fuller and Summer Ison. They're characters in stories."

Susy raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, only they're not being written about right now, so they've come here."

She paused for a moment, until Susy nodded her understanding.

"There are some guys who got killed off, so then they practically live here, else they'd die of boredom. Some of them are lucky enough to get prequels, but usually they don't. Let me find you an example." She pointed out a black girl with a baby on her knee at the same table as the werewolves. "Aleela," she said. "She was Skin's girl, but now she's gone."

"Skin's girl?" Susy said with suspicion.

"Don't worry hon, different writer to yours."

"Is the baby dead too?"

"No, Alonzo's fine, but he doesn't get written about any more. Not much they can do with babies."

"I did pretty well," a new voice said.

"Siku! Hi!" Dallas hugged the newcomer, which was difficult because the blue-furred girl fluctuated in age from a tiny baby to a teenager.

"Yeah, well, most aren't so lucky." Dallas turned back to Susy. "Susy, this is Sikudhani. Siku, Susy. I was explaining the concept to her."

"Explaining the concept?" Siku eyed Susy critically. "Isn't it automatic? I knew instantly."

"Well, in normal circumstances, but she's different."

Susy started to feel as though she wasn't really with them. "How so?" Siku continued the conversation over her head.

"She doesn't really exist," Dallas said mysteriously. She tapped her temple. "It's all in here."

"Oh," Siku said with pity. She grimaced. "Couldn't that be painful?"

Susy's consciousness was definately getting hazy. Her stomach was growing and she started to feel sick.

"If you kept getting pulled about from scene to scene in no particular order, no structure to the story? The weirdest stuff could happen; it can't be healthy."

"Not that we're trying to be negative, Suse," Dallas said, turning to her once more. "Hey, you're fading, you must be being thought about! Good luck!"

"Have a happy ending," Siku joined in,"we'll see you again!"

'Subreality Cafe' was thought up by Kielle, (but I did the decor).
Susy and Dallas are mine.
Then, the goth guy is Jim from 'A Gothic X-Tale' by Aoife.
The gypsy is Magda from Kentucky Field Trip by Bum, Harli1Quin and Bryan.
The werewolves are Che and Maria from LA Field Trip by Bum and Harli1Quin.
Alan Fuller is from Shining by Janine Peterson.
Summer Ison is from Story Without a Title by Me.
Aleela and Alonzo are from LA Field Trip.
Siku is from the X-S series (Growing up X) by Darqstar. I apologise now for any emotional damage.

Skin is a Gen-Xer and belongs completely and utterly to Marvel. I mentioned him without permission, but I'm making absolutely no money, and couldn't if I tried, so please, please, please don't sue me O Lovliest of Lovliest Big Bucks Corporations.

Thankx

--*Cynjen*--