(no subject)

[tragic_mask]

Arriving at the Visitor's Center, Melpomene takes a look around.

"Well, this is it. In all its touristic glory. "

Comments

[mechanicalswans]

"Excellent," he says, slipping his stack of brochures into the bag with the spare cameras. "It's been a long time since I went anywhere on a boat. I can't remember the last time I was on one bigger than a rowboat, in fact."

[tragic_mask]

"Clearly this is an excellent opportunity to remedy that."

[mechanicalswans]

"How about you?" he asks. "Been a while for you too?"

[tragic_mask]

"Yeah... haven't been in a boat, period, for... years. Decades. I guess I just don't get near the water enough lately."

[mechanicalswans]

"Anything happened, or... it just hasn't worked out that way?"

[tragic_mask]

She shrugs. "I just haven't had the chance. Mostly I'm landlocked."

[mechanicalswans]

"We'll have to remedy that, on vacations," he says. "Just as long as it wasn't something like... you were attacked by alligators while on a boat or something, and are now afraid of them."

A pause.

"In a fight with alligators, though, I think you'd win."

[tragic_mask]

She grins, ferociously. "I know I would."

[mechanicalswans]

"And look beautiful while doing it," he says. "I'd pay good money to see that, you know. So would a lot of other people."

[tragic_mask]

"We should start a business," she says. "Mel's Fighting Gators."

[mechanicalswans]

"We should. I'll sell tickets and popcorn, and make you elaborate jewelry for nonexistent championships--not that I don't think you would win, just that I don't imagine there are championships for that."

[tragic_mask]

"Hey, we could make them. After all, it'd be a great marketing technique." She sighs. "Thought of course the whole thing would be terribly unfair to the alligators."

[mechanicalswans]

"So we'll stop once the alligators unionize and demand better working conditions," he says. "But until then, I see no problem with it."

[tragic_mask]

"Well, good. If we ever get hard up for cash, that's what we'll turn to."

[mechanicalswans]

"When we're not making a living telling stories and selling seashell jewelry," he nods. "We'll have quite a time."

[tragic_mask]

"I'm glad we've got such job security for the future," she says.

[mechanicalswans]

"The trick is to have many skills, and be able to adapt," he says. "Nowadays we can't afford to specialize."

[tragic_mask]

"Well, I certainly try to have a specialty. I guess that's why no one remembers my name."

[mechanicalswans]

"Some people do," he says. "Classics majors, probably. And hippies, I'd wager."

[tragic_mask]

"Oh, I'm sure," she says, shooting him a look. "What a glorious legacy."

[mechanicalswans]

"I get hippies and neofascists," he murmurs. "I'd say you come out ahead."

[tragic_mask]

"Why neo-fascists?"

[mechanicalswans]

"So proud of their Germanic heritage," he says. "Pure, Aryan, Norse and Germanic heritage. And so into the occult."

[tragic_mask]

"Well, I guess I'm grateful that I have the Classics majors, then."

[mechanicalswans]

"We should exchange a few, sometime. Just for variety."