VI

[foreverphantom]

Comments

[doublefists]

[ his SNACKS. in another universe jiaoqiu is like woah.

vi is here, because there's alcohol. just one alcohol but she'll take what she can get. she glances over at him, and then: ]

Hey. Doing okay? [ how are your KNUCKLES, you terror ]

[foreverphantom]

[ yeah this one got over his food issues right quick

anyway blinks and looks over, confused

his KNUCKLES are bandaged, tyvm ]

...yes?

[doublefists]

Just curious. Mind if I sit?

[ does not wait for him to answer, just flops down next to him. ]

I never caught your name.

[foreverphantom]

[ watching her carefully. like an animal. ]

...Dante.

[doublefists]

[ that's fine, she's. actually really used to that look, help. ]

Vi. [ nods. ] Relax. I'm not going to bite you.

[foreverphantom]

I didn't think you were.

[ keeps watching her like that anyway ]

[doublefists]

Then quit looking at me like that.

[ eyebrow raise. ]

Is the steak any good?

[foreverphantom]

[ looks down at both of his steaks. he's eaten more of the cooked one, but the raw one has a few bites taken out of it too ]

...it's alright. Better than nothing but chips and vending machine hot pockets.

[doublefists]

What's it made of? [ curiously... ]

[foreverphantom]

What, the steak?

Beef. Cows. [ OBVIOUSLY. ]

[doublefists]

[ wow this is so elitist??? you're rich enough to afford a cow??????? ]

Wait, really? [ catapults herself up to go GET ONE? ]

[foreverphantom]

It's generally only called steak if it's beef.

[ but watches this, amused ]

[doublefists]

[ comes back a few minutes later

eats her steak with her bare hands. okay.

chews... sighs in absolute heaven and talks with her mouth full: ]

I've only ever had this once.

[foreverphantom]

[ he barely seems to notice her rude table manners ]

What, steak? Beef?

[doublefists]

Both.

[ still while chewing. ]

They don't do great underground. Cows. Or whatever.

[foreverphantom]

Mole person?

[doublefists]

[ rolls her eyes, but grins. ]

Yeah, you got it. [ munch. ] Somehow the topsiders never thought of that one.

[foreverphantom]

Ah, I see. If they're topsiders, then that makes all of you bottomites.

[doublefists]

It makes us fissure folk, but sure, call me whatever you want.

[foreverphantom]

"Fissure folk"'s not bad. Makes it sound like you work on a boat, though.

[doublefists]

More like holes in the ground that spit smoke, not fish. [ amused. ] It's what we call ourselves. Undercity-ites doesn't have the same ring to it.

[foreverphantom]

So why bother living down there in the first place? Doesn't exactly sound desirable.

[doublefists]

[ looks... at him... ]

You think we picked to live down there?

[foreverphantom]

I don't know what it's like underground in your world. It might be fantastic, aside from the apparent lack of cows.

[doublefists]

You just said it doesn't sound desirable. Good guess. It isn't.