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[breeding]

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crying

[breeding]

is this a joke?

[paracosmic]

[um! that's embarrassing!]

No.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to message you.

[breeding]

smartphones not your usual speed?

[ This is his polite way of asking if she's from the regency-fantasy side of the general genre divide. ]

[paracosmic]

I know what a phone is, but I never had anything like this. We didn't have cellphones.
Maybe the better way to say that is they weren't invented yet.

[breeding]

huh. feels like most people here either had cellphones or didn't have phones at all.
when are you from?

[ Graciously deleting "the Great Depression?" ]

[paracosmic]

There are people here that didn't have phones at all?
I'm from 1960.

[why does she feel like she'll be asking that same question over and over again. 'when are you from'. great.]

[breeding]

shit, you haven't even seen the moon landing?

[ Among other things, anyway. ]

but, yeah, the fantasy brigade. they're all starting from square one.

[paracosmic]

We went to the moon???

Why do you call them the fantasy brigade?

[breeding]

[ Ah, shit. ]

yeah, in 1969. sorry about the spoiler.

and, you know, they're all swords and sandals types. like literal fantasy stuff: dragons, vampires (though some of them are more modern), kings and queens.

[ A beat, as he wracks his brain to try to think of appropriate comparison points ... ]

like the lord of the rings.

[paracosmic]

[she's not too hung up about it - she wouldn't be able to look forward to it, anyway.]

I know fantasy and Lord of the Rings, so that makes sense. Not that all of us existing here makes sense, but I get what you're trying to say.

[they're kind of getting off-track here, and she feels a bit guilty.]

I'm sorry. I can talk to someone else about this if I'm bothering you.

[breeding]

did you figure it out?

[ A segue in lieu of having to admit that he is annoyed — he's never had much patience even on a good day. ]

how to delete texts, or what's up with the balfours?
it's not that hard if you still need the help.

[paracosmic]

Oh, yes. I think so, anyway. I'm going to go over it with someone in person.

I'd like to know more about the Balfours, but there's not enough to work with. Not for me.

[breeding]

for whatever it's worth, it seems like they have as little control over what goes on here as we do.

[paracosmic]

[give her a second to digest that information.]

Really? Are they just as trapped us?

[breeding]

portia was crying for most of october, didn't really seem to know what was going on. she started the game, but she couldn't control it. sounds like trapped to me.

[paracosmic]

Then someone or something else is in control here.
Has anyone tried to find out what it is? Maybe someone who has more information, or who's been here longer than others.

I want to talk to them.

[breeding]

well, that's the big-ticket question. no one's been able to figure it out.
if there was an easy answer, they'd have been strung up by now.

[paracosmic]

[yikes.]

What about someone like us? Do you think anyone likes being here enough that they'd hide information they find?

[breeding]

fuck no.

[ Well, ]

i don't think so. but maybe to try to give themselves a leg up?

[paracosmic]

That's possible, isn't it?

[breeding]

shit, i guess.

would you? keep it to yourself?

cw lobotomy mention

[paracosmic]

[that's a tough question. she has nothing to go back to - she gave everything up for her friends, welcomed the lobotomy with open arms. all that's missing is the final blow.]

There are probably a lot more people here with a better reason to keep it a secret than me.
So...no, I wouldn't.

[breeding]

[ Given that this conversation is taking place over text and not in person, he can't monitor for lying the way he usually does, but— she doesn't really seem the type. ]

i'll take your word for it.

[ Also, wait, ]

your name's babydoll?