005 | video 🍻 two hot messes for the price of one

[hardedged]

[ As the video feed starts, there's some quick, unstable shaking of the camera, panning around the room to reveal a dimly lit dive bar. After a moment, it finally focuses on two intoxicated women making the healthiest of life choices — Sarah Manning and Jessica Jones. They certainly didn't arrive here together, but after a drinking contest gone wrong, they're inseparable now. ]

Shit. [ Jess mumbles, her gaze barely focusing on the camera. ] Sobriety sucks. So does this dump. Stuck here for a goddamn year, and you dumbasses still can't find a way out.

And—and what's with all the complacency? [ Sarah points to the camera and, presumably, whoever is watching on the other end. ] Everybody's so bloody happy here.

Like morons. [ Wake up, sheeple. Jess stops her ranting, only for a moment, to take yet another swig of hard liquor. Apparently, she hasn't consumed enough. ] Jesus Christ.

My sister... [ Sarah laughs, but it's a kind of disbelieving laugh, and then she takes a swig of her own drink. ] My sister got married. To someone from another universe. Married.

The hell? [ Her brow furrows, matching Sarah's incredulous expression. If she was slightly less wasted, Jessica would be able to process this revelation better. ] Sarissa?

No, Cosima. [ She sighs and tips back her drink, draining the rest of it. ] Sarissa's got enough shit going on even without adding a wedding.

[ Oh right. God, there are so many clones, she can't keep track anymore. ] Yeah well, don't we all. [ Brushing off the subject, and the hidden layers of guilt and self-loathing beneath it, Jess leans back in her seat. She lifts her almost empty glass in a mock toast. ] Getting hitched here's a death sentence. Congrats to the happy couple.

Yeah, cheers. [ Sarah refills her glass before sloshing a little toast back towards Jess, then towards the camera. ] And cheers to all of you. It's not gonna last.

[ Amen to that. ] Never fucking does. [ Jess drains the rest of her glass in an instant, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. With one more angry glare at the camera, she reaches out to turn the device off. What a good idea this clearly was. ]

Comments

[magnitudes]

Well, no—

( but Will don't you see this is different because of reasons.
Mostly because she wants people to think well of Sarah because Sarah is 💯💯 the best 💯💯 so good 👌☀️👌☀️
And Jessica, too. Jessica could be worse. )

But they're great. And they're not acting great, but they are.

video;

[drivesadesk]

I know. And I know that eventually I'll have to go back to save an alien abductee support group from an evil cube, but I like ignoring that reality.

Maybe I should try just getting really, really drunk. Does it help a lot when you try it?

[Because he assumes that's what she's trying right now.]

[drivesadesk]

Can't be any weirder than half the other imports I've seen.

[divaricate]

That — that also works. And sums up a lot of everything. [like honestly wanda is also too deep into an 'idgaf' mood to get into much.] Sucks for everyone else wanting to live in denial.

[coppelganger]

Why don't you ask Cosima? You're married, doesn't she ever tell you anything?

[coppelganger]

I'm all set. [ She lifts her glass of bourbon and shows it to Sarissa. Who needs dinner when you have liquor? ]

[coppelganger]

It should depress the ones who decided to get married.

[coppelganger]

[ She's drunk, but even drunk she's pretty observant. She narrows her eyes, almost suspicious, like she thinks he might be screwing with her. ]

What's with you?

[coppelganger]

Ignore, nah. Just stop acting like it matters.

[coppelganger]

Not gonna happen.

video;

[coppelganger]

I'm used to it.

[hardedged]

[ oh, damn. she recognizes you. her expression softens a bit in contemplation. ]

Including you?

[magnitudes]

Alright. Have fun.

( Sarissa hesitates, just for a moment, and flicks off the channel. SHE'S SO DEPRESSED. )

[coppelganger]

[ She waves a hand in a sad, drunk gesture of innocence. ]

It was a while ago.

[oddbod]

[SARAH.]

She's at the lab. Did you two fight?

[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail nods.]

Yeah.

[heisenbitch]

[ Pursing his lips. How does he begin to even answer that question, let alone over video call to a drunk chick he's supposed to know? ]

Nothin'.

[ That comes out less convincing than he wanted it to. ]

VIDEO.

[arsiento]

[ Squints. What the hell... ]

What's it matter if other people wanna be happy? [ With a shrug; he's not defending it, he's just indifferent. ] Sure it don't do them no good, but how we feel about it don't change nothing about this place, either.

Been a year for both of you?

video;

[heckblazer]

Speaking from personal experience, investigating why the universe is a mess of hot bollocks goes slightly better when you're not shitfaced. Even one day a week of sobriety can do wonders. [ Takes one to know one, of course. ]

[hardedged]

[ "what the hell" is right. ]

One of us.

[hardedged]

Shit. [ aka — "it's you again." ] Shut up.

[heckblazer]

[ He loves you too, jess. And not just because she makes him look well-adjusted and sober by comparison. ]

You didn't say the magic word.

[arsiento]

For me, I think it was August. Not too sure, though-- I don't really keep track of that shit. Doesn't really matter in the end, ain't nothing have to last no matter where you are.

[infomodder]

Everybody here's from some other world. Assuming what's common sense in yours, or even factual, is the same in those other worlds is a death sentence. Rude, too.

[sometimes rudeness and death go hand in hand...see? world VARIETY]

[hardedged]

Besides my crapass luck.

[ that's one thing guaranteed to last. ]