video; a dung beetle intro post

[deadkord]

[ The video opens to a man in bug goggles and a baby blue cowl sitting in a pretty nondescript living room—no decorations or anything in sight, so he must be really new. ]

Hi there. The name's Blue Beetle. I'm a new arrival, and as I'm sure you can imagine, I have a lot of questions. But there's one really awkward one I'd like to get out of the way right from the start.

So: who else is supposed to be dead right now?

Comments

[video]

[timecapture]

Dead?!

[deadkord]

Only technically. I mean, I'm breathing now, and my head's in one piece, so that's a good sign that I'm not anymore!

[video]

[medalsome]

[Why so many dead people? Joaquin's just glad this is through the communicator and he has his eyepatch on. He's tired of seeing dead people.]

I would tell you everyone I know but that seems rude to reveal. Your question might come off as insensitive to some, you know.

[deadkord]

[ I'm sure Haley Joel Osment felt the same. ]

What, do you keep a list? And technically it could come off as insensitive to me, and look: definitely not offended.

audio

[shovelrous]

I... don't know. Perhaps I was?

video

[deadkord]

In my experience, at least, it tends to be pretty obvious.

video

[you_tried]

[ Oh, hi, Ted. Don't mind Booster here, just hitting the reply button on his comm, fumbling it, making a weird strangled yelping noise, dropping it on the floor, and then picking it up upside down.

To yell at you.

And okay, so Ted probably doesn't remember that other thing, but that's okay, that's fine, that's cool, Booster can work with it. He's dealt with much more complicated "you don't remember this thing but I do" situations. He's still gonna get all screechy, though. ]

That's insensitive!

video

[deadkord]

It's not that insensitive! It's not like I'm forcing people to answer.

[ Hi, buddy. He would've missed you if it were possible. ]

voice

[prostheticbody]

From what I hear, there's talk of a support group starting up for people with that particular... problem.

[deadkord]

Oh good, a support group. That sounds nice and well adjusted.

private/video

[dormition]

You don't look like Blue-san to me.

I'm also dead, but I try not to advertise it...

private video

[deadkord]

"Blue-san"?

I figured getting it out of the way now would be more helpful in the long run, if anyone who knew me back home is here. And I was right.

video

[khajidont]

[Ahhh, hell, he's even introducing himself as the Blue Beetle. Jaime's been running around with that name for ages around here.

This is going to be so, so awkward, and he's absolutely leaving the whole "so I knew another version of you" spiel up to Booster.]

Well, welcome to this world Mr., uh... [Crap, no Mr. Kord. Don't blow his secret ID on day one, Jaime.]

...Beetle.

[Well, that feels weird.]

A lot of people here are dead, so, um, at least you're not alone there.

[GOD THIS IS SO AWKWARD WHY DID HE SAY ANYTHING AT ALL]

video; private

[deadkord]

[ As soon as he sees Jaime's ID pop up, he switches over to private. ]

Please, just call me Ted. Mr. Beetle was my father's name.

[ Sure, Ted, just make jokes about it, that's helpful. ]

permavideo

[fuckai]

You're about five seasons late to the dead party, buddy. It only gets awkward once you're explaining how your asshole teammates killed you a third time.

[Church no]

[deadkord]

[ Church yes ]

I've got once, maybe technically twice under my belt? Or through my skull, I guess. How'd you go?

video | id reads "power girl"

[boobwindow]

[ There's a light gasp that actually manages to escape her throat when she's faced with that unmistakable face and costume again.

She almost calls out by his real name, however she's quick to correct herself. ]

Beetle!

video

[deadkord]

[ Likewise, he almost calls her Karen, but he just manages not to. ]

Power Girl! Long time no see.

video; private; ID reads Superman

[andaway]

Ted!

[Okay so, it's been a while. And he doesn't really seem to remember being here before so this... will be kind of a shock to the poor guy. But it's also a shock for Kal so bear with him for a second.]

For how long have you been back?

video; private

[deadkord]

[ He's glad to see Clark, too, no matter what trouble that might mean for back home, having Superman away. ]

...Back? As in, to life? A couple of hours.

video;

[fridgeflower]

Present.

And, you know... I've met a completely different Blue Beetle. I guess the alliteration and look just seem to work out pretty well.

[deadkord]

Well, I'm Blue Beetle 2.0, so I'd be a hypocrite if I said the idea bothered me.

video;

[amadaman]

... A lot of people, actually. It's actually common here. Are you all right?

[deadkord]

I'm fine. Walking, talking, breathing... All the normal "I'm alive" things are checking out, and that's the best I can ask for.

video

[mirroredmemory]

I guess I am, technically. But here I am! It could be worse.

[Funny how it gets easier to talk about it as time goes on.]

[deadkord]

Atta girl. That's the attitude I'm taking about it.

[mightthinkthat]

How very rude! [ He's teasing. People need to lighten up. ]

[deadkord]

Hey, if someone doesn't wanna come to terms with their death and resurrection, that's their problem. I'm not forcing anyone, I'm just making some postmortem conversation.

video

[youbastard]

You don't look like the Blue Beetle I'm familiar with. [ And she's just a tiny bit suspicious of this. ]

You're not the first person I've heard mention the fact that they were supposed to be dead though.

[deadkord]

To be fair, there's been a few of us. Beetles are hard to get rid of.

Yeah, I hear we have our own support group and everything. Exciting.

video;

[aviate]

Are you seriously using that name?

[Why would you want to name yourself after an evil alien bug?]

1/2

[deadkord]

Very seriously.

[walkingballpit]

Uhhhh. Wow, awkward. No, I'm supposed to be alive, but I have these colors copyrighted...

[deadkord]

Sorry, there must've been some mistake in the copyright office.

[munies]

There are actually quite a few of us that've died back in our own worlds.

I think we're starting a bowling team.

[ grin! just! grinning! cause it's better than getting serious about the whole- dead people club-like thing. ]

[deadkord]

Hey, bowling! That sounds better than a support group.

video

[buildsfriends]

Yes hello, welcome to Blue Team. I am Michael J. Caboose and I will be your tour guide for today.

[deadkord]

I— What? Okay.

[voice] - ID reads Wally West

[runningstart]

Whoaaa dude hey, dude hey. Sorry, Blue Beetle's already claimed. You're gonna have to be Blue Beetle Sr. [look at that, Ted's back! jaime will be probably both super happy and incredibly intimidated, the idiot]

still video, he's lazy

[deadkord]

[ That... voice sounds way, way too young to be Wally West. What the hell... ]

Unfortunately, Blue Beetle Sr. is also taken. We might have to go with "the third"s, or I'm willing to let the new kid be Beetle Jr.