voice

[grappler]

Hey.

[hey, Vi.]

Anyone else wake up with a shitty tattoo? Not that I care, but it's kind of a sloppy and I don't remember being drunk last night.

You can barely even see it.

Comments

[emet_sulk]

The greater joke is that we are even here at all under such a ridiculous pretext.

Is this monkey significant to you in some way? My own is simply my mark.

[grappler]

Yeah, yeah, we've beat that joke like a fucking dead horse.

[she pauses for a minute.]

It just looks like some graffiti that's popular back at home. Not really on the greatest terms with the artist right now.

[emet_sulk]

Oh? A falling out with a dear friend perhaps? A lover, even?

[ He's less interested in the answer than her reaction. ]

[grappler]

[she grits her teeth.]

Not really any of your business. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime over some coffee.

[/sarcasm]

[emet_sulk]

[ And here he is, deliberately ignoring that sarcasm. ]

It's a promise then. I'll even tell you about mine if you like. Although I'm sure it is far less interesting than yours is.

[grappler]

Who knows? Maybe your sob story will blow me out of the water. That's probably what it is, right? If you're going to keep it a secret.

[emet_sulk]

Well, if you're going to turn it into a competition... Far be it for me to refuse, hmm?

[grappler]

I turn a lot of things into competitions. Keeps life interesting.

[emet_sulk]

Not afraid that one day you may suffer a permanent loss?

[grappler]

Nope. Don't have much other than my life to permanently lose, anyway.

[she says it in a light-toned way, like it's completely normal and acceptable to not really give a shit about that.]

[emet_sulk]

I truly cannot understand why you would cut an already short life even shorter.

[grappler]

I haven't died yet, have I?

Besides, I'd rather go the way I want to than how someone else decides I'm going to.

[emet_sulk]

Then you will die having achieved nothing of note.

[grappler]

Such close-minded thinking. Your world must suck, huh?

[emet_sulk]

[ Brief pause as Emet-Selch processes this unusual slang. From context, he concludes it must be a negative thing. ]

You haven't the faintest idea how much.

[ --to him, specifically. ]

[grappler]

[cue unseen eyeroll.]

You poor unfortunate soul. Do you want me to pat you on the ass about it?

[emet_sulk]

I need no such thing, least of all from a stranger.

Now go live or die or whatever it is you do in your spare time. And if we do ever happen to cross paths, I shall endeavour not to look too surprised.