( ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ )

[mantlepieces]

[ It's dark -- mostly because it's late, but there aren't an excess of lights on, either -- though Reggie's face is faintly illuminated by the light of his communicator screen and also something off-screen that might be a TV or bedside light. Either way, he's recognizable enough, and though he's smirking faintly his expression is otherwise somewhat blank.

He's been staying out of most of the current drama as best as any survival-oriented, cowardly narcissist can, which is pretty damn well. All things considered. Basically he hasn't been leaving the house if he can avoid it, for which has his reasons. ]

So, all right. Hear me out. Anyone else ever noticed how once you're here, you have to just start believin' in everything? Like that any kinda crap is possible and you just gotta get used to it... after a while you don't even have to think about it anymore. [ Which is, you know, nice. In his opinion. ] Nice thing about that is not having to worry so much about whatever happens, I think. No matter how bad things have gotten here, it's never been the end of the world.

... Well, not yet. [ And his brow crinkles at that, but only briefly. ] Kinda makes you think, huh? Like what's the best way to take advantage of being stuck in some world that actually takes okay care of us? Don't even bother arguing with me about that part, it's true and everyone oughta know it. We get a lot of free, fake time to kill being here, so I say it should be obvious: we can do whatever we can't do back where we came from. Anyway, what I actually wanna know is--

Anyone here made a bucket list yet?

Comments

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[mantlepieces]

yeah, yeah. whatever. its their business and all but that doesnt make it not boring if that's ALL there is

how do you figure THAT?

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[rathercommon]

Well, what do we lose if we're sent home? The place, right?

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[mantlepieces]

so what? being here in the first place doesnt count as travel. I'M not counting it anyway that seems cheap

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[rathercommon]

Well, except that it totally DOES count as travel. We traveled through DIMENSIONS.

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[mantlepieces]

okay so even assuming that DOES count, its already HAPPENED

once u do it u cross it off the list!

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[rathercommon]

That's NONSENSE, though. Travel isn't something that just gets accomplished.

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[mantlepieces]

how is it nonsense? how is travel any different? if being here is traveling then as long as ur STILL here u STILL r traveling

so why keep obsessing?? whats the appeal

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[rathercommon]

[ All right, she's getting a touch frustrated, just because, well...Well, honestly, because she's not articulating things well. ]

It's an opportunity to learn things you wouldn't be able to otherwise! THAT'S the appeal. That oughtn't be hard to understand.

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[mantlepieces]

[ He's also being, to an extent, deliberately obnoxious. But: ohh. ]

oh

well I guess, but no more than any other place I think. except here its history and superpowers. what Im learning is its way better to be here than a ton of OTHER places

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[rathercommon]

Yeah, and I'd think you're ALSO learning that it's way easier to learn here than in a ton of other places. Because if you've spoken with anyone, you should have noticed that this world has a MUCH less restricted flow of information than nearly any other world. So 'no more than any other place' is COMPLETELY incorrect.

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[mantlepieces]

thats ur opinion, I havent really noticed much of a difference and I only got the one place to compare it to

maybe its just especially screwed up where u come from.

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[rathercommon]

It's BEYOND screwed up, but it's also screwed up in lots of other places. So travel is awfully important to those of us from those sorts of places. And there aren't a small number of us, are there.

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[mantlepieces]

yeah, I guess it must be

[ Though he won't linger too long on thaaaat subject and its particulars. ]

"us" as in imports right? yes and no. but okay: its important to u and meaningless to me, I get it

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[rathercommon]

Have you spent time traveling? REALLY traveling, I mean.

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[mantlepieces]

well is there a difference between traveling and REALLY traveling

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[rathercommon]

Yeah. Going to a place because you've got something you've got to do there, versus going there to immerse yourself in living there. Going there to understand, rather than treating a journey as an accomplishment, something to mark off your list.

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[mantlepieces]

Ive studied a broad or two but Ive never lived there, u got me

not like Id rule it out, but its never exactly been a priority of mine either. I figure Ill end up where I end up

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[rathercommon]

1. UGH.
2. There are lots of really lovely places you can end up because you choose to go there. If you don't take control over your choices, you won't have a life you made for yourself; you'll have an accidental life.

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[mantlepieces]

oh come on, its just a joke. chill out a little.

Im open to the possibility of an accidental life. Im 17, I dont want to plan my whole life out YET. thats pretty much what we're all living right now, anyway

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[rathercommon]

I know people who've changed the world before they were 17 by making the right choices.

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[mantlepieces]

I'm not one of those kind of people, thank goodness. Id rather just do whats right for me

too much responsibility otherwise. I'd hate to be the guy whose fault it was if something goes bad

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[rathercommon]

So it's better to let things be bad than try to improve them just because you might not succeed?

text | I'm sorry for the delay, had to take a sudden hiatus!

[mantlepieces]

I know how to pick my battles, thats all I'm saying. "die trying" is a lousy motto.

text | it's okay i'm on hiatus myself shhhh

[rathercommon]

Better than 'die not trying.'

text | *blares airhorn*

[mantlepieces]

actually it isnt better because if ur not trying, ur not failing either. thatd be a crappy legacy.