1-07 Biin Hejj Was Dying

Biin Hejj was dying. And he wasn't too happy about that. In fact, he wasn't talking to his Author about it. It wasn't his idea to die in a world where most people were immortal. Well, okay, not immortal per se. More like amortal. You could die from another person's weapon or from starvation or if you happened to find yourself at the mercy of a vicious wild animal. But old age? No, a person in that universe had to choose to die that way. But Biin wasn't given a choice this time.
Oh, he had the choice in the past. And every time previous to this one, he was able to finagle his way back into relevance in the eyes of his Author. But not this time. This time, the Author of Biin Hejj's life was fed up with what the Author euphemistically called "the Green World" — a very small and insignificant 1½-dimensional universe far at the edge of the Multiverse.
Biin coughed. He had one foot in the grave back in the "city" (being a very small and insignificant 1½-dimensional universe, a population of about 20 was considered a very large "city"). The other foot was... Well, where was it?
"Hey," he asked his Writer. His Author ignored him. Biin Hejj had a very unique ability in the multiverse, much like Fligbug, the Five-Dimensional Banana Slug was unique. Biin had an ability that was something maybe magical or perhaps semi-divine, though he wasn't divine himself. Not even remotely—
"Hey, I didst inquire! And most politely at that. At least give this dying man your attention!" He placed the back of his hand daintily on his forehead for dramatic effect.
—The Author continued to ignore him, pausing in his typing to point at the screen. Biin sighed and read as the words appeared with the aching slowness of a person who could only type maybe 40 words per minute on a very, very good day. You see, Biin Hejj had the ability to break the fourth wall.
"Why dost thou keep referring to me in the past tense, oh fate-master? I am very much alive in the here-and/or-now, thank you very much."
The Author just kept writing because the tone had been set at the beginning as past tense.
"Oh. Great." Biin rolled his eyes, then sighed. "Well, maybe 'tis for the best. You did have to write me in the present tense whenst visiting what you call your Green World. I very much did prefer both that tense and that world once upon a time. But it seems that beggars cannot be choosers, can they?"
The Author pointed out that at least he was being salvaged from the dying universe that was mostly beyond the Author's control, save for Biin and perhaps a couple other characters. Those other characters would not be so lucky.
Biin was slightly horrified and appalled by this fact, and so he started to drift into a bit of depression.
"Let me mourn mine fellow Green World characters, then, you heartless bastard."
The Author gave him a sympathetic nod through the fourth wall. He felt just as helpless in many ways. It wasn't his idea that the Green universe was so limited and small and, worse of all, dying. It was one of the most unstable of all the universes, though still more stable than others. Especially that one that only had a little more than five seconds of life from beginning to end, destroyed itself, then repeated its existence at every interval within a nanosecond.
"Am I dying soon?" Biin asked.
Soon, the Author wrote. Just a little longer. And they you will be free.
"Really?" Biin perked up a bit, but still hesitated. It was hard to die, even if it wasn't going completely out of existence. "Just... make it a good one." He pulled out his guitar, probably the most used of all his instruments. He picked at it absently.