[Video]

[dontfeartheme]

[She doesn't normally use the video function, but she's making an exception for this. Ryn's nowhere to be found in the video, though, as it's focused on the back of a Furby, which is opened up.]

Megamind, do you want this? It's tech - in a manner of speaking - but as it's not got an engine, there's nothing I can be doing with it.

[Ryn's voice comes from somewhere behind the journal, and the video moves to the front of the Furby.]

Also, it's creepy as hell, so the sooner I can be rid of it, the better.

Comments

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

I think they're kinda funny looking actually.

[He might be playing with his a little. At least no one can see him.]

[dontfeartheme]

[Very good that no one can see him, because then Ryn might have to be thinking that was kind of cute.]

I did, too, at first. But now it won't stop looking at me.

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

[And nobody would want that.]

Why don't you just turn it around? Or close it's eyes?

[dontfeartheme]

[Of course not. No cute-ness here.]

I tried the eyes thing, but they kept opening again. But I like your other idea.

[And the Furby is now getting banished to facing the corner. ...except Ryn can still tell it's there. But she's so not going to admit that she's still a little weirded out by it.]

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

[Nope. There's no cuteness allowed here. Zachariah is the farthest thing from cute.]

See? Problem sol-

[Then suddenly the Furby says something Furbish.]

Holy crap it talks!

[Someone sounds amazed by this.]

[dontfeartheme]

You say that now, but-

[And she cuts off as well when the Furby talks, particularly at Zachariah's reaction. So much for no cuteness allowed, because Ryn is definitely grinning a bit now.]

Yeah, they do that. I've a friend who had one when he was a kid. They apparently learn English, eventually.

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

Are you serious? They can learn? That's amazing!

[Zachariah is taking a closer look at it now. He has to figure out what makes it work.]

[dontfeartheme]

[She chuckles at that.]

That's what I heard. It might not have been learning so much as programmed to eventually be speaking English. But they probably are some of the most advanced pieces of machinery here, which I suppose counts for something.

[Ryn pauses.]

Or is rather pathetic.

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

I think it's awesome actually.

[Did you know he thinks it's awesome Ryn? Because he totally thinks it's awesome.]

Wonder if I could make something like this.

[dontfeartheme]

I can tell.

[And his thinking that it's awesome is making her smile, so there must be something mildly awesome about it.]

I bet you could. You've got an example of how it's done.

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

You think? Maybe I should give it a shot then.

[He could think of a few kids back home who would love something like this. Not only that but he was certain he could find a way to use them so they could help the resistance.]

[dontfeartheme]

Can't hurt to try it, and at least it's something to do.

[She considers that.]

If you're wanting a second pair of eyes to look at it at any point, let me know?

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

Sure! That would be great.

[snowtop]

They're, uh, not-- th-that bad?

[The Furby's cries can be heard in the background. Xanth is perplexed by it, but he actually kind of likes it.]

M-Mine calls me m-- "mommy".

[dontfeartheme]

See, that just kind of makes it more disturbing. I'm not wanting anything to be calling me "mommy."

[But she's starting to be a bit amused that other people seem to be enjoying them. Slightly confused by it, but amused all the same.]

I never understood 'em when I first found out about them back in my world, either.

[snowtop]

W-Wait, you-- you had these?

D-Did you, uh, have the-- th-the sweaters, t-too?

[god it's so ugly but

so comfy]

[dontfeartheme]

Me, personally, no, but I found out about them through others who did.

[And then she grimaces slightly.]

You mean the Christmas monstrosities? Those, I've personal experience with. A great-aunt of mine used to be in the habit of sending me one every bloody Christmas.

[She pauses.]

Though if nothing else, they were good for wearing around the house when it was cold.

[snowtop]

[don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh

BUT HE DOES]

Y-Yeah, that-- that sounds a-about r-- right. I... I-I kind of l-- like mine, th-though.

[dontfeartheme]

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. That was most people's reaction as well.

[But she doesn't really mind, and there's a hint of a smile there.]

Do you, then? Pity I left all mine back home, I could've shoved them off on you.

[snowtop]

[And they probably would have fit, too. Xanth isn't broad by any means, and he's just starting to get tall. (By human standards, of course. By his own, he's been tall for years.)]

A-At least they're-- y-you know. Not-- th-the, uh, corsets a-and vests, el-- elaborate stuff w-we usually see?

[He loves him some vests and breeches, but a simple tee shirt is so freeing.]

[dontfeartheme]

[She makes a face at the mention of corsets.]

All right, lad, one to you. They're a hell of a lot better than any fucking corset. Never thought I could miss something so much as a tee-shirt and jeans.

[snowtop]

Y-Yeah, those are-- n-nice. I-I mean, I-- I like th-the stuff here, I-I kind of-- grew up w-with it, but... it's-- yeah.

[He misses his blue tee-shirts. He had so many of them.]

[dontfeartheme]

You did? Oh, of course you did, I forgot, you're from one of the worlds with no cars. Makes sense.

[She pauses to consider for a moment.]

How'd you find out about tee-shirts and shit, then?

[snowtop]

Um-- this-- th-this whole, uh, w-worlds-being-gone thing, it's-- n-not exactly new, t-to me.

[He bites his lip.]

I-I got-- picked up b-by a... a big ship c-called the-- th-the M.S. Eleg--gante. I-I was there for... n-nine-- ten m-months? A-And they had, y-you know. Tee shirts a-and--

And stuff.

[dontfeartheme]

[Ryn pauses for a moment as she processes that.]

Wait. So, you're telling me there's more than one of these fuckers going around abducting people from their worlds and telling them that everything's been destroyed and blah blah blah shit happens. And one of them is taking people to a big goddamn ship, and I got stuck with the fucking castle that time forgot?

[...because that's obviously the most important thing to get from that.]

[snowtop]

Y... y-yes?

[That is pretty much the gist of it.]

E-Except, uh, he's... n-not doing the-- the ship thing, a-anymore, because he's-- dead.

I-I think.

[Probably.]

[dontfeartheme]

Of course. Because that's completely my life, way too fucking late for the giant ship, just in time for medieval madness.

[And then she hesitates as that sinks in.]

He's dead? Someone actually managed to take out a guy doing something similar to this?

[snowtop]

Y--Yeah, but, i-it, it's not... that simple. Th-there was this... I-I don't-- I don't know, th-thing, s-sort of like-- I-I guess the best thing to... to call it would be a--a god. L-Like, a-- a real god. A-And he...

[Xanth's voice shakes a little, and he trails off. He remembers that day all too well.

The ship coming apart. The End, that monster, in all its hideous glory. The hallucinations it spawned and the final battle against the beast that took their homes. The way Captain Redd took the weakened End in his own body and commanded them all to shoot.

The Captain's bloody demise.

The ship, sinking.

Xanth doesn't even realize he's stopped speaking.]

[dontfeartheme]

[That's not the reaction she was expecting. When he'd said he'd thought the guy was dead, she'd been assuming he'd heard it from someone, or something similar. This - this is a lot more personal. Not to mention a bit confusing, with the god stuff.

When he stops talking, she waits for a moment before speaking.]

You were there?

[SEALED]

[snowtop]

[That snaps him back out of it and he shakes his head briskly.]

I... y-yeah.

[He doesn't want to talk about it over the journals, but he doesn't want to freak out in front of Ryn, either.

Oh, wait. He can just seal it - and so he does.]

It's-- i-it's not... I can't-- s-sum it up, it, i-it's a really-- r-really long s-story.

Ryn has no idea how to seal, so not sure if this'd stay sealed or not?

[dontfeartheme]

Ah. If it's not something you're wanting to talk about, lad, say no more and it's dropped.

[She knows well enough what it's like not to want to bring up fucking memories like that.]

If you ever do, though, I've no qualms to listening.

it will! xanth can teach her though :D

[snowtop]

I-It's just... k-kind of... hard.

[He sort of wants to tell her, but at the same time, he'd really rather not dredge up the rest of these memories. Unfortunately, whether he'd rather or not, it's all coming back.]

Um.

[He swallows hard.]

An-- another-- a-another time, m... maybe...

\o/ best mechanic-in-training ever

[dontfeartheme]

I've been there. Not exactly where you are, of course, possibly not even something comparable, but I know about death being hard to talk about.

[She'd likely not being saying that here if this wasn't sealed. Or at all, if she didn't actually rather like Xanth, and if this didn't feel at least a little bit familiar.]

No hurry. Door's nearly always open.

[snowtop]

[And that finally, finally gets a smile out of him.]

Th-- thanks, Ryn.

[And he means it.]