text; 3/11, evening

[phoenix_temple]

What do you think the percentage chance is that some of us are going to wind up in government basements getting experimented on?

I really want to know, I have to place my bets here and decide if I'm going to tell my mom about all this.

[There is one other thing she has to do though, and it's very important.

Very, very important.]

[Private to Marina; Audio]

I wanted to ask you a question. Can you meet me at [cafe] tonight?

Comments

[anequal]

Yeah?

Well, how're you feeling about your new experience with insanity?

[phoenix_temple]

I kind of like it.

Minus the times I almost died. I can't count those on one hand anymore.

[anequal]

Can you still count on two hands?

[phoenix_temple]

[... One moment. Let her count.]

The car, the snake, hypothermia, trying to protect the guy I work with, the dozens of snakes that tried to kill me.

No, sadly. I can't.

[anequal]

... Oh you counted each individual snake.

Then yeah. Yeah...

[phoenix_temple]

Well there were a few different occasions. You saved me once. I got saved by a giant robot once.

I ran out of steam and all I had left was a barrier spell and I was honestly waiting to be killed at that point once, too.

[anequal]

I'm glad you're still with me.

[phoenix_temple]

[She closes her eyes with a frown.]

I am, too. I don't know how my luck didn't run out.

[anequal]

[Tug tug. Come on. Lean on the pillows with him?]

[phoenix_temple]

[She leans!!!] But you should sleep. So I don't have to worry about your luck running out, either.

[anequal]

I thought you were gonna make me sleep. I need to be made to sleep.

[phoenix_temple]

I'll start talking and bore you to sleep.

[anequal]

Just talk to me. It's comforting.

[phoenix_temple]

I'm glad you think so. What do you want me to talk about?

[anequal]

Anything. Is there anything you want to talk about?

[phoenix_temple]

So when my parents were living together, my mom had this big chest she used to keep her piano music in, right? Our apartment at the time was way bigger, so she had a lot more music. And when I was three, my sister and I were playing hide and seek.

[anequal]

... Oh dear.

I see where this is going.

[phoenix_temple]

Where do you think that is?

[anequal]

You find a creepy doll hiding in the chest waiting for poor innocent little girls to open it unsuspecting.

[phoenix_temple]

My life is not a horror movie. I told you I was going to bore you to sleep.

[anequal]

It was a wild guess. Keep talking.

[phoenix_temple]

Well, it's not nearly interesting as that. I was going to say my sister stuffed all the music from the bottom drawer into the fish tank to hide in it.

[anequal]

...

Holy shit.

[phoenix_temple]

[Anais giggles.] Mom used to like to tell the story to explain why we didn't have pets.

They were fine, though! My sister was only five so she didn't get in much trouble, either.

[anequal]

That's good! But seriously -- they were okay?