video; un:curtaincall

[endcaller]

[The feed opens with a view of a metallic ceiling illuminated by blue light as the tablet is moved around; followed by the pale face of a man in a hood. The movement suggests he is crouching down to set the tablet against something. Once it is in place, apparently on the floor but propped up, he walks forward a few paces and settles himself against a wall lined with neon lights. Despite their glare, he doesn't cast a shadow.]

Good morrow to you, my dearest fellow Chosen!

On a scale from one to ten, one being "abysmal" and ten being "I've had better", how has your week been?

[A thin, joyless smile creeps across his lips as he tilts his head.]

Mine has been filled with peril and adventure! Some of you may know that we are not the only civilization on this star. There are others.

I traveled to the nearest settlement, Rumpitur, to see with my own eyes whether these... "glitches" as we've been calling them plagued them as well. Alas, I was not able to observe much. Whenever I passed the town's borders my being was warped back to the outside. At times I was warped quite far.

I did, eventually, decide to speak with the guards but--

[There is a sharp crash of thunder from nearby, the suddenness makes him wince. After a moment of concerned silence, he stands up, smooths his hands down his robe, and walks away. For several seconds the camera shows the blank floor of an empty room, and then a small, square robot whirs into frame. Some might recognize it as a welcome robot.

Its screen lights up with text, each line appearing within a few seconds of each other.

HELLO, CHOSEN.

MASTER HAS BEEN SAD.

WHEN HE COMES BACK...

WISH HIM A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

There are footsteps and Fandaniel's throaty lilt breaks the silence.]

I believe I just saw the ground outside boil, freeze, and sublimate all at once. Marvelous!

[His boots step into view in front of the robot.]

Hyperetes, what are you telling people?

[The robot beeps.]

I see, how terribly inappropriate. Thank you.

[Hyperetes wheels away as Fandaniel sits himself back down.]

Now, where was I before I so rudely interrupted myself?

Ah! Yes, the snake folk.

Well, my conversation with the guards was not illuminating so much as mortifying. If I attempted to broach any topic of substance they...

[How can he even explain it? He waves a hand in the air and giggles.]

This entire world is coming apart at the seams. Truly, it feels as though the Final Days are upon us. We're all going to die screaming.

[This observation doesn't seem to bother him much.]

Comments

text | un:ryojikun

[luneminary]

[Normally he'd be in the mood to comment on Fandaniel's usual brand of nihilism, but this time...]

You don't sound like you're planning on screaming.

voice;

[endcaller]

Most people do not plan on screaming. Such things simply happen.

[luneminary]

Because it would take them by surprise, yes. But you don't sound like you would be surprised at all.

[endcaller]

Ah, well.

Let us say I recognize the signs of an apocalypse when I see them, hm?

[luneminary]

Is it because you've been in one before?

But you have survived it.

[endcaller]

That's right!

What a clever little boy you are.

[luneminary]

Then you should know. The world isn't going to end - there's always going to be someone out there who will find a way to go against it.

So you don't need to be sad.

[That's why Hyperetes said he was sad, right? ...Right?]

[endcaller]

Are you intending to stand against the end that looms before us, then?

[luneminary]

I'm not sure what I can do. I don't even think anything I can provide would be worth anything.

I'm...not well versed when it comes to saving the world.

[Can he even do that, when he is a symbol of the end himself?]

But I'd still like to try. And, well, I have a couple of friends who do know what to do in situations like that.

[endcaller]

You friends know what to do?

...I must say, the number of people on this star who seem to come from apocalyptic situations is certainly intriguing.

[luneminary]

Haha. Maybe the end of the world isn't as rare of an occurrence after all. But the fact that there is always a world in need of saving is comforting, if you think about it.

[endcaller]

Mmm...

Multiple words circling a proverbial drain that we shall all, one day, plummet down together.

Yes, I suppose that fact is of some comfort, isn't it? After all, who would be left to mourn us, when we are all dead?

[What? Is that not what Ryoji was referring to?]

[luneminary]

[Oh, Fandaniel. Has anybody ever told you that you have so many problems?]

Who knows? I don't think that would happen until far far into the future, and there's a chance that neither of us would be around to see it.

Maybe death does await us all, including the whole universe. But that doesn't make anything that happens in-between to be meaningless.

[endcaller]

Oh, I don't know about that.

[His voice pitches with a throaty giggle.]

Does the fact that our meager lives all end in nothingness not fill you with a deep sense of horrible dread? Honestly, who can even endure this tedious existence knowing that? Not I! Not anyone who is capable of being truthful to themselves.

I had a solution to that problem, believe it or not. But nobody ever comes to me for the answers these days. What a pity.

[luneminary]

No, not really.

Does it really matter that everything will eventually disappear as long as you can still enjoy life before it happens?

What kind of solution are you thinking of, anyway?

[endcaller]

Feh, you know.

Life.

'Tis all a cruel jest. And the best way to end a cruel jest is to jump straight to the punchline.

[He refuses to elaborate on that, he just blows out a deep, theatrical sigh.]

Aah, but there is little point in discussing that, I suppose... Being trapped here gives us so many other things to worry about, after all!

[luneminary]

[Beyond the screen, Ryoji frowns. Fandaniel might not be saying any specifics, but he has an inkling on what he actually meant.

The first time they met was when Fandaniel was contemplating death, after all.]

Wouldn't it be more satisfying to turn it into a joke that you can enjoy?

...Either way, it does sound like your hands are too full to think of such things.