( 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

[mantlepieces]

[ Him either, really. Better not to dwell. ]

I guess

everyone wants different things

[deadtective]

I guess. You could probably bullshit some abstract thing about how it's all the same deep down, but fuck that.

[mantlepieces]

I dont do abstract anyway, only hypothetical

not like any of this is shit I think about

[deadtective]

Glad to be steering you into uncharted territory, then. Be sure to fill in the map before you run back to the usual shit.

[mantlepieces]

whatever

its stupid to think about something like that where its not going to even matter

[deadtective]

I don't know, it seems pretty damn relevant in this world. But maybe I'm just being a cynical bitch again.

[mantlepieces]

relevant if u want to try it out and see what it feels like, sure, if ur that desperately curious. everything else: 1. theyll come back 2. we dont even got the same problems here wed have at home, not exactly. it only takes an ounce of perspective

trust me there's no "maybe" about it

[deadtective]

I was thinking more along the lines of 'what if the nanites made government participation mandatory someday', actually.

And some problems follow people even across worlds, but that's not really the point.

[mantlepieces]

there are probably worse case scenarios than that

not like its productive to imagine things that might never happen as long as we're here. I dont get why everyones gotta do that

[deadtective]

I don't know about anyone else's reasons, but those worst case scenarios are usually the ones that end up happening to me. I'm kind of tired of being caught off guard.

[mantlepieces]

if u got luck that bad then u gotta get urself unjinxed or something

I dont want any bad luck by association

[deadtective]

Too late, I already touched you. The black cats are amassing behind your house as we speak.

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

[mantlepieces]

nice try. I'm not that kinda superstitious idiot, cats never done me wrong YET

it's no problem at all c:

[deadtective]

Boy are you gonna be in for a bad surprise, then.

c:

[mantlepieces]

why? like u know something secret about cats I dont? that black cat stuff is just urban legends

[deadtective]

In your world, maybe. Sure hope this one works the same way even with the influx of other universes!!

[mantlepieces]

well so far so good. like I was saying before... even when the bad shit DOES go down, it dont last to long. Ive been staying out of all that.

[deadtective]

So, what, a horde of black cats start following you and you'll just move..?

[mantlepieces]

if that actually happens, THEN I'll think about starting to invest in exorcisms

[deadtective]

Cats don't recognize the authority of the church.

[mantlepieces]

thats how curses WORK

[deadtective]

Not when cats are involved. They take it to a whole new level.

[mantlepieces]

so what do u do with cats. run them over?

[deadtective]

Buy a whole wild-caught tuna and pray that today is a lucky day for you.

[mantlepieces]

I think my version sounds more practical