[video]

[totallyinaband]

Two things, I guess. Anyone seen one of these before?

[Stephen holds a small and furry creature up to the camera, supporting it gently around its middle. His left arm's still in a cast, but he seems pretty used to it by now. The wallaby turns its head towards Stephen to nose at him curiously with its tiny snout.]

He showed up at the apartment and won't leave me alone. Plus, I think Nym might think it's lunch. She's been eying it all day.

[Stephen puts the animal back down in his lap, who seems quite content to curl up and go to sleep.]

Which is kinda the second thing, I guess. Er, Neil's been gone for a while now and-


Does anyone need a place to live? I'm out of the house a lot and none of the animals are any trouble. I could keep the place to myself, but I think it's good for people to stick together around here.

Let me know.


[ooc: Stephen is once again the Extinct Animal Whisperer, and has befriended an Eastern Hare Wallaby. He also has a spare room!]

Comments

[private]

[totallyinaband]

At the time, I did. Yeah. I mean, it'd be hard not to.

I'm sorry, this is just making everything more complicated than it needs to be.

[private]

[skintoskin]

Yeah. Yeah, it is.

[Sigh.]

Look, just... Forget I asked about the roommate thing. That'd be a bad idea. All I'd wanna do at the end of the day is make you Hamburger Helper for dinner and then fuck you until we're both sore, so...

[He closes his eyes.]

Shit. Forget I said that, too. Who in their right mind would want a relationship with me, anyway?

[private]

[totallyinaband]

[Fuck. Shit. What is he even supposed to say in response to that?]

I really hoped we could stay friends, Neil. Fuck, sorry, that sounds like a line. I mean it, though.

[private]

[skintoskin]

[He doesn't know, but he feels terrible.]

It's not your fault! I fuckin' meant that. I... I don't want to lose your friendship, please, I...

Shit.

[private]

[totallyinaband]

Maybe we just both need some time to cool off about all this.

[private]

[skintoskin]

Time. Yeah. We live in the same fuckin' building and I -

[He drags a hand through his hair.]

Sure. We'll just... ignore one another. Whatever. Good luck finding a roommate. Maybe Curt could move in with you or... something...

[private]

[totallyinaband]

Hey, Neil. I didn't mean it like that.

[private]

[skintoskin]

Look, I thought I'd be okay doing this, talking to you about... But I'm not and I don't know why. I supposed to be immune to this shit...

[private]

[totallyinaband]

If you were immune I'd be kinda jealous about that.

[Shit Stills, how do you get yourself into these situations?]

[private]

[skintoskin]

I'm angry, but not at you. I don't know how to use a gun, but I'd figure it out if it meant taking out these stupid, fuckin' gods and their stupid, fuckin' need to screw with our lives.

[private]

[totallyinaband]

Yeah. You and me both, man.

Re: [private]

[skintoskin]

I like you, Stephen, but that's probably fuckin' obvious, but I'll get through because I always do.

[He starts to get angry all over again, as if he's hot his second wind.]

You know what I do back home, when I'm not in class or hangin' with my friends sleeping or jerking off to porn?

[private]

[totallyinaband]

What?

[private]

[skintoskin]

I fuck people. Usually older men, but if they pay me, I'm not too picky. I'm a fuckin' whore, Stephen! I'm so screwed up, there isn't enough good fuckin' will in the world to fix me. I'm broken and I know it and you should just stay away for your own good...

[He's shaking but he refuses to cry in front of Stephen. He wants to stay angry enough that he won't cry until he's finished their conversation - if this could be called a 'conversation'...]

[private]

[totallyinaband]

[There's a long pause from Stephen's end as he works out what to say. What even is the right response to that, anyway? He doesn't want to be patronizing, but he doesn't want to undermine it either. Goddammit, this would be a great time for him NOT to over-think everything for once in his life. No luck there.]

I'm-

I, uh...

I'm sorry, Neil. You know, for all that. For you being messed up.

[Why are they doing this over the video phone? Normally this is where he'd offer to make dinner or feed someone booze until the problem goes away.]

[private]

[skintoskin]

[Neil hadn't intended for this to happen over this Buck Rogers phone, but here they are and he feels bad about putting his friend - God, please let them still be friends - in this position, but he sees it as another sign of how screwed up he is. He doesn't want to be alone, but a part of him figures he doesn't deserve anything else. What does he say? He's all tired again.]

Um, yeah.

Well... thanks.

[private]

[totallyinaband]

You could still come by for dinner sometime this week. Play some nintendo. Or a movie. Whatever.

[private]

[skintoskin]

[He sniffs and looks down.]

Yeah, that'd be cool. Any of it, all of it, whichever.

[private]

[totallyinaband]

Okay cool.

I'm here for you, man. As your friend, you know? Anytime you just need someone to chill with or whatever.

[Excuse him, words are not his strong suit. But hopefully the sentiment is there.]

[private]

[skintoskin]

[Neil is hardly a wordsmith, though he can be surprising.]

Thanks, Stephen. That... means a lot. God, I'm sorry I'm so... fucked in the head.

[private]

[totallyinaband]

It's okay, dude. I'm pretty sure everyone's fucked in the head one way or the other.

[private]

[skintoskin]

I guess. I'm really fucked up though.

[And Stephen hasn't heard the worst of it yet.]

We can lose ourselves with the Mario Brothers...

[private]

[totallyinaband]

Yeah. Deal.

[private]

[skintoskin]

Okay.

Um, thanks. For still wanting to be my friend and shit.

[private]

[totallyinaband]

Don't mention it, man. Thanks for being cool about everything, too.