029: VIDEO

[intheblanks]

[Good (very late) evening to you, City. This transmission appears to be coming from inside a stall in the men's room at one of the City's bars (the Blue Light, if you're familiar with it).

Chase is (fully clothed and) sitting with a large green parrot sidling back and forth across his shoulder. The parrot appears to have something to say, and Chase has one arm out, network device in hand, videoing it.

Yes, this is essentially a selfie.

But over to the parrot, which is repeating, in Chase's voice:]

Um, I need you to relax your anus.

Um, I need you to relax your anus.

Um, I need you to relax your anus.

Um—

[And Chase is... giggling? Yes, giggling. He has to draw a deep breath and try to settle his shoulders to manage to speak at all.]

So, what's the likelihood I'm getting slapped on the way home?

[And then, the familiar squeal of the men's room door opening, and the sudden wide eyed look of a man in a bathroom stall making that request. Chase drops the network device as he tries to grab the parrot's beak.]

Comments

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[intheblanks]

Hey, I'm first generation. My lot moved there voluntarily.

Plenty of hospitals on death trap island.

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[brobeforehos]

For a reason.

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[intheblanks]

Same reason they pay better than Czech hospitals. Scariest things back there were the Russians.

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[brobeforehos]

Were you there, too, or is your family originally from there?

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[intheblanks]

My folks moved when I was on the way, so I was there but didn't get much of a view.

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[brobeforehos]

Have you gone back?

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[intheblanks]

A couple of times, while I still had family. Not since.

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[brobeforehos]

I hadn't gotten to travelling along so much, so I can imagine it was nice.

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[intheblanks]

Seven years old, stuck alone with grandma who speaks a language you only half understand, in a country even more backward than Australia in the eighties.

I prefer skiing.

where would you want to travel?

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[brobeforehos]

Of course you prefer skiing.

I don't know. Anywhere. Even death trap island.

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[intheblanks]

So either you live somewhere you're bored with, or you live somewhere you want to get away from.

I don't remember England being that bad.

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[brobeforehos]

Or, here's another one, I wouldn't mind travelling and getting to see the world.

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[intheblanks]

[Well, that may be a valid option. The parrot narrows its eyes and leans in until its green feathers fill most of the monitor.]

I neeeeeed you to relax your anus.

Then why haven't you?

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[brobeforehos]

[I'm sorry, was there a question? She's too busy laughing. Anus.]

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[intheblanks]

[One blue eye peers over the feathery green head. He is drunk and earnest (and he'll giggle more about anuses later)]

I'd take you. If you didn't want to go alone.

[It's not even flirting.]

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[brobeforehos]

[She's got a grip of herself now, really.]

Always better to in company.

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[intheblanks]

Anyone but grandma.

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[brobeforehos]

I'll take your word on it.