maskormenace | 05 ▸ VIDEO. ( forward-dated to tues )

[ The feed turns on, and some people may recognize the familiar face of Reggie Mantle that graces the screen-- albeit, looking slightly differently than the last time he was here. His hair is a little bit longer, and he's rocking a very classy, tasteful black-shirt-black-vest ensemble, topped off with a pair of dark, dark sunglasses and a toothpick idly perched in his mouth. ]

Yo. Don't call it a comeback or anything, but you can all relax now and stop missing me so much. It's me, Reggie-- or "Mantle the Magnificent", as some of you may know me better. Here I am. [ Whether he likes it or not, babey...! ] And apparently some of you wasted no freaking time before robbing me. You know who you are: give me my shit back. Give me my car and my dog back.

[ He's pretty sure he knows who you are, too, and so is being extremely generous by not making this a naming-names sort of call-out. But his much-emptier-than-usual apartment is probably somewhat visible behind him anyway.

Reggie's not interested in dealing with that right now, though, not after everything else he's just been through. Investigating the looting and the other messes made in his apartment can... wait, at least one night. ]

Has it really only been like, a week since I left, though? Cuz for me it was almost a year. I mean, at least I didn't miss Christmas, but suddenly I'm like, five months away from turning 18.

[ N B D. On either count; Christmas is still a few months away back home, so that would have sucked, but he's not nearly as close to his 18th birthday there as he is now. He reaches up as if to adjust his sunglasses, then catches himself, dropping his hand before he touches them and focusing instead on just opening his bedroom door. ]

The age of lap dances. Just in case anyone wants to start planning the surprise party now.

[ He sets his communicator down, moving off-screen to change into something a little more comfortable, but he doesn't switch the feed off yet-- it isn't long before he appears on-screen again, still wearing his sunglasses, but now also wearing a blue hoodie instead of (or possibly over) his other clothes, and has swapped his toothpick out for a candy cane (since of course he picked some up). Wasting no time trying to settle back in, apparently. ]

But y'know, it feels weird as hell going home and then ending up back here... and I don't mean just cuz some people will break into your place and either rob you or bleed all over it. [ He's not dealing with that right now. Moving on: ] More like how it feels like having whiplash and a hangover at the same time-- like, that can't be that good for our brains.

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[ But why would you ever assume that?? ]

Well, hopefully not any more-- that's kind of what we've been trying to avoid. But... [ He shrugs again. ] I dunno, sort of?

There was... [ Honestly, Fortunato figures danger never quite goes away, but if Reggie says so. ]

Then- I hope nothing happens when you return, to anyone you care for.

[ Reggie knows that won't be the case, but-- well. What can ya do? ]

No way of knowing that until it happens, so there's no real point in worrying about it yet, either.

[ Hm. Maybe he shouldn't pry, but perhaps he and Reggie's situations aren't so far apart after all. At the very least, it could be good to know where the guy is coming from. ]

Your world- you mean it is always dangerous. Why?

Why? [ That gets an upward eyebrow quirk, however unseen it goes. ] I dunno, that's just how life is sometimes. It comes at you fast.

[ That's not an answer, but. Okay. ]

...I am aware. I just- I thought- perhaps something strange had happened. Where you are from.

A lot of strange things have happened. We just call them "things" now.

[ Is he being serious or facetious? ... A bit of both, tbh. "Strange" is kind of the new "normal" around Riverdale lately. ]

Probably why this place only keeps getting easier and easier to get used to.

[ Hm. Well, that's certainly his life, too. Considering...all of it. ] I can understand.

Is it like this place, in some way?

Yes and no, I guess... like there's a lot that's actually pretty similar, but we still don't have crap like magic and superpowers where I come from.

[ As far as he knows. ]

I know. [ Oh. He should clarify. He doesn't want to seem strange for knowing that. ] Dr. Chilton- he mentioned it to me.

Then...it is chaotic, despite that. [ He supposes the world can be. ] I'm sorry.

He did? Why?

[ And in what context? Reggie feels like the only gossip about him he ever actually finds out about is never over good things. ]

Well, there's always plenty of other things besides either of those that can make life chaotic, so... it isn't that big a deal. Like, what's the alternative? Nothing ever happens?

We were discussing those who worked at the hospital. [ He doesn't want Reggie to get a bad impression, so- ] He- he did not say anything bad.

[ And that's the truth, even if he's saying it to reassure Reggie. That said, he doesn't quite see the world the same way as Reggie does. ]

...Some here might enjoy that. Peace.

[ Reggie squints a little, but only a little, and then moves on: ]

Yeah. But too bad enjoying peace has nothing to do with how peaceful things actually get.

Hm. [ That's what his entire life has been, hasn't it. ]

Sometimes...things can be avoided, here. [ If you're lucky. ] I- I think many people will not want to go to a government event again. After last month.

[ It's certainly good Reggie avoided it. ]

Nah, people will still go. That's hardly the first time something's gone down at one of those, but plenty of them are fine-- half the stuff that does go wrong here just happens, you'll only avoid like 30% of it by skipping out on parties.

[ That's not why he didn't go to the last Swear-In. Reggie didn't go because it was on the moon. ]

[ Reggie sounds pretty sure of that assumption... ]

How do you think things can be avoided?

[ After being here almost two years now, he's seen enough shit go down outside of Swear-Ins to get an idea. ]

They can't. [ Blunt, though still blase. ] I don't go in for the whole "hero" thing so I can usually manage to avoid a lot of it, but no matter what there'll always be stuff that can happen anywhere, at any time. It doesn't even have to be in a group, either, cuz I mean... it only takes one person's powers going nuts, y'know?

[ Or one person going nuts. Or already being that way. ]

That is true.

[ And he means it, actually- often he says he agrees with people to appease them, but in this he feels the same way as Reggie, surprisingly. ]

...I hope you can avoid those things, then. [ Oh- ] And- find what was stolen from you.

05 ▸ VIDEO. ( forward-dated to tues )

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