[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

Comments

[stillseecracks]

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.

[stillseecracks]

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.

[stillseecracks]

[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.

[stillseecracks]

[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.

[stillseecracks]

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?

[stillseecracks]

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.]

[stillseecracks]

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?

[stillseecracks]

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?