video;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji is in the diner, putzing around, cooking things. He's been trying to cover as many shifts there as possible in order to a) keep himself busy and also to b) give Tohru a break.

Since most of the people in the Mansion probably aren't going to be ordering curry or anything else he's used to cooking, he's been practicing making American foods. Hence the delightful image filling the feed when he turns it on.]

I think I figured out how to make good American-style hamburgers. [This is an important distinction to make.] But...now I have too many. If anyone wants one, just come by the diner.

[Because this is too many for even him to eat.]

Comments

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Really? Because this sure feels like a friend of a cousin of a friend's in-law story, only with different worlds, and people dying, and a dozen other impossible things.

Adam hadn't been entirely joking when he'd talked about being crazy. He gets the uncanny sense he's sliding closer and closer to the major mental break just waiting to happen.]</sub>

Sure, if that's what they're telling you.

_{[This is as much of a concession as he knows how to give at the moment. Sure, why not magical worlds where time makes no sense.]}

[eatsyourscience]

i think if you talk to other people, you'll get the same info. i guess mass hallucinations are possible, but i don't think it's likely.

[...]

i still have a lot of hamburgers, if you want any.

[halfwinchester]

_{[If he asks anymore questions, he's going to break the question mark key. He doesn't feel like he's going to get any closer to understanding things no matter how many games of 21 Questions they play, anyway, so he just texts back:]}

I'm not big on diners.

_{[More like he's not big on stepping foot outside of his room, but saying as much would mean having to explain why.]}

[eatsyourscience]

i can bring it to you.

[He's known enough people who like to stay shut in. That doesn't mean they can't eat good food.]

[halfwinchester]

_{[There's another delay between receiving Souji's message and sending his own.]}

Don't think it'd be a good idea. Door's locked.

_{[And it's not opening if Adam can help it. Given how weird this place already is, maybe that'll be enough to get the point across, if not the truth.]}

[eatsyourscience]

i understand.

[Adam can believe that or not.]

if you ever change your mind, let me know. hamburgers don't take long.

[halfwinchester]

_{[The place isn't Hell, but it's still strange. He has to think someone who's been around longer than a few months has heard weirder excuses.]}

They come out of the closet even faster than that, don't they?

[eatsyourscience]

sure. but i think there's something about home cooked food that the closets can't really replicate.

[halfwinchester]

And what's that?

_{[He can't help himself.]}

[eatsyourscience]

i don't know. emotion?

that sounds weird i guess, but when someone cooks for you it's a lot different from when you microwave instant food.

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Emotion? That's a sentimental way to put it. Adam takes time to read the message over again.

Sentimental isn't necessarily a bad thing.]</sub>

This is Wonderland. What's crazier than that? It could be weirder.

[eatsyourscience]

that's true. our worlds probably have weirder things in them.

[halfwinchester]

I'm starting to doubt it.

_{[Really, this place is pretty weird.]}

[eatsyourscience]

at home, i could enter a different dimension by touching a tv screen.

[.....]

actually, i guess that's a lot like through the looking glass so never mind, that was a bad example.

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[... Yeah, that's weird. That's not just "die horribly, wake up in Heaven" or "fall into a hole, wake up in Hell" weird, that's direct-to-video levels of strangeness.

After everything this person's tried to tell him, what's one more unbelievable little tidbit?]</sub>

I never read the books.

_{[Adam is good at compartmentalizing.]}

[eatsyourscience]

you don't really need to. a lot of this place isn't that accurate anyway.

[halfwinchester]

_{[Well, that's a relief! Except... not really. But sadly, he's getting used to this.]}

A kid's story that doesn't add up with the real thing, funny that. Seems to be true about a lot of things.

[eatsyourscience]

i guess so.

anyway, if you change your mind about the burgers or think of any other questions i might be able to answer, text me.

[halfwinchester]

Is that a thing everyone does here? Message strangers?

_{[They don't know each other. Does anyone? The phone things are just another unexplainable convenience that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.]}

[eatsyourscience]

i do it. i don't know about the others.

[halfwinchester]

That's friendly.

Did I ever ask your name?

_{[He knows he hasn't.]}

[eatsyourscience]

my name's souji. what about you?

[halfwinchester]

Adam.

_{[Guess now they've met. Sort of, in the barest sense.]}

[eatsyourscience]

i hope we can talk again.

[halfwinchester]

Doesn't sound like we'll be going anywhere in a hurry.