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

[palmerthing]

I'll have to do that, then. If I find one then I'll tell you where to find it, yeah?

[deadgirlslikeme]

Well, the nice thing about the Nexus is, if you just start walking with a destination in mind, you should be able to find it! So hopefully I wouldn't even need directions -- you'd just have to let me know you have a house.

[palmerthing]

Oh hey, sweet. I'll do that, then.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Yes -- for all the little tricks it can play, it's really quite nice to people. I -- I honestly owe it a lot.

[palmerthing]

I already owe it a lot. Staying home sounds like it would have ended very badly for everyone.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Yes, the movie more or less proved that. I wonder how it would have played out if you'd gone missing -- when did you enter the Nexus? What was happening in your world?

[palmerthing]

Norris had a heart attack. Defibrillating him had . . . interesting results.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor winces] Oh dear. . .and I think that occurred not long before the infamous blood test and movie!you -- well. . .

[palmerthing]

So they figured something out, huh? *For a moment his eyes are cold, dead. Monster eyes. Then he blinks it away.* I hope that me did some damage. Which is kind of a fucked up hope, but I wouldn't want to just die. Even if they were my friends, or the old me's friends, or whatever. Ah hell, it's a mess.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor slides away a bit at the coldness in Palmer's gaze -- well, there's a nice reminder that he isn't human anymore] It -- it really is. . .he didn't go down quietly, I can assure you of that. It was -- fairly horrifying.

[palmerthing]

*He can't help a small, feral smile before his expression turns sad.* And in the end everybody dies. Such a fucking waste.

I never wanted to hurt anyone, you know? There were occasionally instinctive urges, but nothing I didn't hold back on. I just wanted to live. I wanted everyone to live.

[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.