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un: eudaimonikos; video

Hello, Trench! Boy, that's a fun name for a city, isn't it? Trrrrrrench. Sounds...about like what it is, I guess.

So! [He claps his hands together.] Who's here from Deerington? Man, it must've been at least a century since I saw you guys! How's it been? Oh - oh, and look! Eleanor made it too!

[He reaches off-screen to fling his arm around the neck of what, when he pulls it over in front of the camera, proves to be an enormous dappled grey Warg. Her teeth are huge. She's still wearing her enchanted leather war-armor, which really just makes the optics here worse.]

This is my dog, Eleanor! Also, I'm Michael, for all the new folks. I was in the nightmare city before this one, and then I went home for a little bit.

So - what's everyone up to? And what's with the new phones? Are we all using weird, smoky first-generation birds as phones now?

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[Memories flash through Vyng's mind: The burn of alcohol, the shadows across Michael's face as he spoke near the bonfire, and Vyng stretching out an inviting hand.]

That's right, I forgot! [He grins.] Beach Party Summer. We danced together. Remember?

[Vyng peers closer into the screen and gives a low whistle.]

Hm! Hard and stiff. Impressive. Did you have to transmute something? Or can you just do it from thin air?

...oh! Yes! We were drinking!

[He sort of remembers that!]

No, it just... [He snaps his fingers, and another plank appears in the air and just sort of. Drops.]

We'll have to have a round two sometime.

[But his attention shifts to Michael's hand with that finger snap. Before he can fully comprehend what's happening, he watches in awe as the wood clatters to the ground.]

Coooooool...

What are you gonna build with it?

Oh, I don't know. Never really had to build all that much with my hands.

[Like a human or something???]

Probably nothing?

Hah, fair. Maybe you can use it for trade or something.

[Fondly, he adds:]

It's really good to see you, Michael. What did you end up doing back home? Tie up any loose ends?

Oh, a ton - things were actually pretty stable by the time I left, though. Wasn't all that much else to do, except stay the course.

[Which...well, Michael always has done better with a project. In a few ways, he was maybe sort of interested in taking a trip back here.]

How about you?

Said my goodbyes. Travelled through Mako's home to get some training. Went back for Tuck once he was ready to pass through the door...

[Learned he has a half-sister. Ended up with a giant arctic wolf. The usual. Except he wasn't able to stay longer than a few days, unfortunately. Vyng had simply changed too much, and that new reality wasn't sustainable anymore. Tuck, on the other hand, held out for much longer.]

What did you mean about a smoky bird earlier, by the way? Did you get a bird omen too?

Yeah! Yeah, sort of. It's a little more of a dinosaur.

[At which point did they become birds? Probably after they got beaks, right?]

You too? What'd you get?

A dinosaur? [Vyng's expression brightens.] Coooooool...

[Omens are just one of many mysteries about this place. But they're of particular interest to Vyng, partly because of the spiritual connection they share with their Sleeper.]

Mine? She's like...part crane, part gazelle. Lots of leg, like me.

What, like...literally? I wanna see a flying gazelle.

[He'll just figure out how to switch over to the rock? Vyng can see his little dinosaur, too!]

Literally!

[His mouth splits into a grin as he peers into the display. What a sweet, neat dino-bird! It's interesting to wonder about its manifestation, and how such a shape may or may not relate to Michael's spirit. Vyng has no clue, but it definitely looks dope. Just like Michael's true form.]

Wow...they're both darling and incredibly cool. Strikes just the right balance, you know?

[He'd like to show Michael his own omen. But first—]

Where are you? Right now, I mean.

Wanna hang out?

Sure! I'm not doing anything! I'm just at home - my whole, entire house made it here, somehow? It's...down near the docks, I guess. Have you noticed this place doesn't have street names or number?

[He hasn't really clocked why that is, it just seems sort of disorderly to him.]

Your whole house! Wow.

Tuck and I have been camping out near the boardwalk. Our extra-dimensional tent washed up on shore. It's...kind of like a house?

Seems like there's lots of empty houses around, if you wanna just pick one?

[Like, that tent business sounds like it sucks to him...]

I know, you're right. We've just got so many good memories in that tent, you know?

[A wistful sigh.]

Family dinners. Tucking our kid in at night. Wrapping our wizard friend in a diaper...

Totally.

[?????]

Well, guess there's no reason you couldn't stay in it, unless the place gets attacked...just get a house and pitch it in the living room?

Hmm. That's an idea.

[...]

[...]

[...!!]

Wait, are you inviting us to camp out in your living room?

[......Vyng, no.]

..........I was talking about your own living room, but honestly the house has felt very empty.

[Amara is the only one who's gone, but she definitely counts for like three roommates.]

Michael. Thank you. You're the best.

[There's genuine affection in Vyng's tone. He loves his squid bro, man!]

I'll ask Tuck about it. [His mouth twists into a rueful smile.] He's...pretty lonely, to be honest. I keep finding crumpled-up poems about Dark Souls and how we're all Bloodborne now.

Yikes, that's dark.

[Not that he knows what Bloodborne is, but crumpled-up amateur poetry? Dang.]

But sure, sure. It'd be nice to have company - new place and everything. [.....] Does the tent flap lock or something? Eleanor might try to get in there.

Yeahhhh, that's what our life has been like since we got here.

[It's said quite matter-of-fact, because Vyng is well aware that most people brought plenty of unseen baggage to Trench.]

You think Eleanor would bother Francis or Slippers?

She wouldn't try to eat them or anything. She's pretty good about that - I think the orcs must have had to keep them away from livestock, or something.

[But you know, a lot of people and animals are bothered generally by a Warg in their space.]

Francis and Slippers both have really good temperaments, so I'm not too worried there. As long as Eleanor isn't, like, you know...aggressively territorial toward other animals, then it should probably be fine.

Nah, not really. As long as they're not afraid of her, it should be alright, then.

[Hopefully! You know, they'll work it out.]

I'm up on...there's no street names here, but it's close to the docks. I've still got one of those big cactuses out front.

Okay, yeah, that would work. Thanks for keeping your door open for us all the time, man. Tuck has been reluctant to leave the beach, but I'm sure it's a matter time before we'll need to move further inland.

[Vyng smiles when Michael mentions the cactus. He knows just the one!]

Alright. I'm sure I can find the place. I'll be right over, then.

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eudaimonikos - 2021-11-03 04:14 (UTC) - Expand

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spiritwalks - 2021-11-08 01:19 (UTC) - Expand

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