New(ish) Father Blues

[deadgirlslikeme]

Victor Brown (formerly Van Dort) looks a bit harried when he enters the Nexus -- or, perhaps more accurately, like he really needs a vacation. And about a full day's worth of sleep. He heads to a nearby plush sofa (apparently the place noted the darker-than-usual circles under his eyes and felt sorry for him) and collapses on it with a sigh. "Oh dear. . .does anyone have any tips on how to handle tantrums?" he asks, looking around with a grimace. "Because Chester. . .well, he's started getting grabby, and if you take whatever he's grabbed away from him, he just -- how do babies cry so loud?"

Comments

[deadgirlslikeme]

Yes. . .but I suppose that's a horror movie world for you?

[Victor kind of wants to debate that point, given he just said he hoped he gave his old friends hell in the movie, but. . .] I think everyone just wants to live. That was -- kind of the trouble.

[palmerthing]

I guess.

*He didn't want to be in that position in the first place, but once he was there . . . well.* We all should have been able to do so.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Not really any comfort, I know.

I'm sorry it didn't turn out like that. [a pause] What do you think would have happened if you'd been able to hide? When you got b-back to civilization?

[palmerthing]

No, not really.

*He thinks a moment, then sighs.* At best I'd have probably have done the same thing I'm doing here, become a recluse and try not to infect anything. Less lucky and . . . well, just because I don't want to end the world doesn't mean I can't do so just by existing.

Just staying at the outpost would be better, but who'd allow that?

[deadgirlslikeme]

I'm sorry. It's hard when your whole universe is apparently against you.

[he nods slowly] I see. That's really too bad. . .but it does seem to mean that you stumbling across the Nexus when you did was the best possible outcome.

[palmerthing]

It really is.

Absolutely the best outcome, yes. *Another hit of the ever-present joint.* Since most of the others would end in more or less everybody dead and shit.

[deadgirlslikeme]

But you're well away from it now.

Yes, I've seen at least one of those, thanks to the movie. . .sometimes I wonder if this place looks at certain people and go, "You. You deserve a break."

[palmerthing]

If so then it chose really fucking well with me.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Very much so. And hey -- maybe you'll find something here that makes you -- less infectious?

[palmerthing]

That sounds like it would be both a relief and kind of terrifying.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Terrifying? [he would have thought all relief himself. . .but then again, he's not a Thing, so. . .]

[palmerthing]

Terrifying to the instincts. They don't want to be weakened. They don't want me to be less able to infect.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Oh, I see. . .it sounds like you're sort of constantly in two minds about everything. Which, uh, I guess makes sense, given your situation. . .

[palmerthing]

Ha, yeah. Human me and monster me, they have very different priorities. Luckily I have a pretty good handle on things, or at least enough that neither side has crushed the other one so far. I worry that I can't keep juggling things forever sometimes, but I'll deal with that if it happens.

[deadgirlslikeme]

I think we're all glad to hear that. Though yes, I imagine it is pretty hard to keep things peaceful up there. [he taps his head, though naturally his ghostly fingers don't actually make a sound against his temple]

[palmerthing]

Practically impossible, although the monster is at least able to understand that its disguise-self needs friends to function.

[deadgirlslikeme]

That's -- good? [he grimaces] I'm sorry, it really does sound tough. I'm not sure how well I'd handle it.

[palmerthing]

It's enough to mean that you're, um, the last people it would target. *He looks a bit uncomfortable at his own words.* I should meet the rest of your family just so it'll know who to avoid.

It's definitely tough. Not something you can really predict your skill at beforehand, either, since in a way it's not the same you who has to deal with it.

[deadgirlslikeme]

. . .Good. [He rubs the back of his neck] Y-yes, you really should, in that case. Marty you know, so that leaves Doc, Alice, Chester, and Dee -- oh, you'd actually probably be able to hang out with Dee too.

No, and who really expects to be taken over by some alien intelligence in the middle of Antarctica?

[palmerthing]

The more people I can safely be around the better.

Absolutely fucking nobody expects it, that's who.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Well, Dee is -- um -- she's a DeLorean that can turn into a little girl. So if she's a car. . .might still not be safe to touch her, but you could probably get closer? And I doubt the instincts would be interested in a vehicle?

[faint smile] And if they do expect it, that's kind of suspicious in and of itself.

[palmerthing]

Not a girl that can turn into a car? Although that would still be pretty weird . . . no, vehicles don't interest me like that.

Very suspicious.

[deadgirlslikeme]

No, it's definitely -- okay, this is a bit hard to explain. Do you already know about Back To The Future? Or did Marty at least tell you a bit about it?

[palmerthing]

He told me a bit about it, why?

[deadgirlslikeme]

Well, it forms a bit of background as to how we got Dee. . .you see, in the movies, Doc and Marty do a lot of time traveling, and the car they use is a converted DeLorean. In the reality my Doc and Marty are from, they never got to that point, because they were both kidnapped by Faeries early on. After they escaped and we'd all formed a little family, Doc wanted to revisit his old time travel dream, so he got himself a DeLorean, converted it, and tried sending it through time. With me so far?