discedo | ( video )

[ There's some fumbling as the video turns on, giving only a view of crumpled sheets, then a messy room. In the background is some slightly labored breathing, like the person recording has been running (or stumbling) around. The view stays skewed, facing a corner of the bedroom as America talks. ]

Aha! Finally found it! Okay. Man that took a while, haha! Someone decided to turn out the lights on the world. Ain't the first time in my life, and good thing is that this time it's not gas or bullets or pencils or nothing to make it hurt, but I gotta say that feelin' your way around is a helluva lot harder when you've only got one hand to do it with.

...Shit. Just realized. This think on voice recorder mode? If I'm talking when I should be writing–

[ The video switches over to voice, where some muttering can be heard, then text. ]

jjjjjbbbbbbjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµµ

[ Then back to video. Now it's facing America. He looks frustrated, but his gaze is blank, eyes staring off into nowhere. ]

–nd when I make mine it'll have voice control. No, better, it'll have something that'll talk back to you so you know that you're talking into it, and it'll be in a pleasant lady's voice.

[ SIGH. Then his frustrated expression flickers to something more vulnerable, almost like a nine year old that's afraid of the dark but too proud to go to his parents for reassurance. ]

...Anyone out there?

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America, what are you talking about?

[ That single sentence describes everything America has ever said. ]

Pencils. And other stuff. You're gonna have to elaborate if you want any clarification.

[Ffff poor America.]

All of that.

[Facepalms.] Can you see anything?

[ He can't see the facepalm so he doesn't react. He probably wouldn't react even if he could. ]

Does "the vast expanse of nothingness in the universe" count?

Fine, I'll send over help. A seeing-eye dog, eh?

Just don't use the gun until we get some sort of... allergen antidote or something, all right?

[He'll send over Tatsumi. Get it? Seeing eye dog? Feel free to hate him.]

...You don't actually have a dog on hand, d'ya?

[ Even blind HE LOOKS SO HOPEFUL. If he guessed it was Tatsumi, he'd flip his shit and throw the communicator across the room, bolt the doors, and ignore Marco's request and grab his carbine and wait. ]

If this is pollen, shouldn't take to long to get over, right? How long does it take people to get over allergies?

Kind of. He plays fetch, barks, and rolls over like one. [Honestly, for Marco's world, he could still be talking about one of these and that would be accurate. (Sanji's there kicking it for size reference.)]

I don't know, I've never gotten allergies before. Although Spring tends to fuck me up in other ways...

How long does the rest of Spring last again?

[ s c r e a m ] And it'll see for me?

Back at my home, it depends on where ya are. I mean, theoretically it's three months, but ya can imagine that those three months are gonna differ a whole lot between the western deserts, southern swamps, and northern woods.

Aye! He'll lead the way, just pay him in pets and food.

Three months... that's not so bad I suppose. Still way too long, but livable.

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