Going Swimmingly

[palmerthing]

 *Palmer has found a lake today and is giving it an uncertain kind of look. Not only is such a large outdoor feature a bit unexpected when there appears to be nothing in particular dividing it from the couches and chairs in the main area of the nexus, not only would he probably start turning into something aquatic on automatic as soon as he tried swimming, but he's fairly sure that he saw Gollum from The Lord of the Rings swimming in there and that's just too much weirdness for him. Not that he has any room to talk, but he's not up for that meeting yet. So he sits on the beach and watches the waves. Hopefully there won't be any merfolk or cartoon fish, one fantasy character at a time is bad enough.*

Comments

[save_us_alice]

That -- I could not tell you. The science people in my life tend to be physicists and engineers first and foremost. I'll have to look it up later. . .but I'll take your word on it for now. How curious that we would end up that way. . .

Well, Victor's reality hasn't collapsed from lack of him so far. . .though admittedly, he did take a few steps to fake his death. I don't know if that has any effect on things.

[palmerthing]

It's weird to be able to just tell this kind of thing.

Well that's good to hear. I was a bit worried. *He frowns.* Maybe I could send part of myself back to deal with it? The main problem would be actually making part of me go back willingly.

[save_us_alice]

I imagine it is! Though it probably makes you a very good biologist.

Perhaps, though -- yes, making that part want to go would be the tricky bit. Especially since it would be staring potential actual death in the face. I'd like to think universes are generally hardy enough to survive the absence of a single person.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, I bet it would. *A grin.* Also really good at coming up with realistic monsters for horror movies, but how often is that needed?

Yeah, I'd like to think so too. Otherwise that's gonna be a damn hassle.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice grins back] Well, if you ever need a source of income here for any reason. . .not that I've seen any movies filmed here, but I'm unwilling to discount the possibility. Nexus, after all -- it's where everywhere meets.

Indeed, and I believe you came here specifically to avoid hassle.

[palmerthing]

I could probably make a killing off of special effects, too.

Exactly.

[save_us_alice]

Oh, definitely. I bet a lot of movie-makers would kill to have someone who could shapeshift into any sort of monster they needed on their set.

I guess we won't really know then unless someone else from your world comes in. . .which I know is not an ideal situation for you either, but at least you'd know your territory then.

[palmerthing]

*A grin.* Hopefully not literally, I've had enough of that.

I don't think I care enough about what happens to my universe for that.

[save_us_alice]

I think the anti-violence field would keep it from being literal. If not, we need to have a word with whoever set up the field.

Well, so far so good, right? No news is good news?

[palmerthing]

I wonder how it decides what violence is, anyway. What's the threshold?

No news is very good news.

[save_us_alice]

I've heard that it will drop for people who really want to fight, but I've never tested that theory, and don't particularly care to. I'm pretty sure poking someone would be allowed, but throwing a punch probably would be stopped?

Heh -- I think that's how Victor treats his world these days. He seems a lot happier to be free of it.

[palmerthing]

I'm not planning on testing that either, man. Not with the way fighting me is likely to end.

Hopefully I'll join him on that one.

[save_us_alice]

Yes, exactly -- for the best if that particular theory does NOT get tested in your case. Fortunately most people don't seem to be interested in trying to start a fight here.

Hopefully -- you seem to be doing all right so far.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, things seem pretty alright. *He grins. It's a nice change.*

[save_us_alice]

[Alice smiles back, finishing off the last of the ice cream before daubing Chester's face with a napkin] It's nice when things are all right for change, isn't it?

[palmerthing]

Yeah. Strange, but definitely nice.

[save_us_alice]

It'll stop feeling strange eventually. [she smirks] Most days.

[palmerthing]

Only most? Damn.

[save_us_alice]

Well, I'm basing this off my own experience, and I admit -- some days, for me, it does feel weird still that I've ended up in such a good place.

[palmerthing]

Good enough I guess.

[save_us_alice]

It is -- it's a good weird. Better to be weirded out that you're in a happy place than by any of the alternatives, right?

[palmerthing]

Oh, much better. And I have the fun bonus of being one of the weirder people here, so that's nice. Not many of the creatures around here are gonna scare me, you know?

[save_us_alice]

Oh, I do know. You're probably the most prepared out of all of us for anything. Granted, it's been much quieter here in recent years, but -- you never know when something unusual might pop out of a door. Or the sky. Or the ground. Or -- you get the picture.

[palmerthing]

Well yeah. I'm something unusual.

[save_us_alice]

[laughs] Quite so. Again, reasons why you'd be the most prepared out of all of us for anything.