nineteen ☼ voice

[deshabille]

Ins-and-Outs, if you happen to be in or out anywhere, feel free to report. I imagine many terrible things are happening, and I'd love to have my day ruined by them.

Enterprising extraDiscworlders, feel free to entertain me before breakfast. I have a whole hour.

Comments

[surfaceshine]

Well, I'd call more often, but my phone doesn't get service there. I could record it?

[deshabille]

Don't act as though I'm that sentimental.

[She'd actually sort of like that, though.]

[surfaceshine]

Who's acting?

[He knows you, Maladicta.]

[deshabille]

I never act.

[Talking to him hurts. She absolutely refuses to stop, though, so best to engage in violent sarcasm.]

[surfaceshine]

Well that's some grade A, high quality bullshit, but you'll never hear it from me.

[deshabille]

So many liars here today, my gods.

[surfaceshine]

Tell me something I don't know.

[deshabille]

I learned to take the record player apart. You don't know that.

[Even though she told him.]

[surfaceshine]

...Did you get it back together again?

[deshabille]

I did.

[She is conspiratorially excited about this.]

[surfaceshine]

[The temporary concern evaporates into a broad, affectionate grin.]

We'll have you on to engines in no time.

[deshabille]

[Are you proud? She grins, toothy.]

Can you take the engine to the Barge apart? Have you ever done it? I'd do it. I think it ought to be done, who knows what's in there.

[surfaceshine]

If it could've been done, Felix would've done it and I woulda heard about it.

I was talking car engines, dumpling. Not my baby, of course, but another one.

[Or maybe the Impala's, with his critical eye on the entire process. He is, indeed, proud.]

[deshabille]

Dean.

[surfaceshine]

What?

[deshabille]

Are you happy?

[surfaceshine]

Yes.

[More than he can ever remember being.]

[deshabille]

Good.

That's good.

[Maybe it's all worth it, then.]

[surfaceshine]

Are you?

[deshabille]

Of course.

[surfaceshine]

Mal.

[deshabille]

Mm?

[surfaceshine]

Look, as much as I'd love to come down and play cards with you, have a couple beers, throw you out of a chair, and then break every piece of furniture in the room to get it out of you or settle it, this is what I got and I don't know how long it'll last.

[deshabille]

I'm not asking you for any of that. I only wanted to let you know I'm making progress.

[surfaceshine]

You never had to ask.

But good.