callbacks | 2 ∅ [Video]

[Whoa, what's this? A video post from our resident red-texter? The young man in the feed doesn't have much of a facial expression behind his shades, but he seems pleasantly keyed-up somehow, anyway--maybe it's something in the way he bounces as he flops into his chair.]

I was going to ask if there's some kind of survivalist secret Santa for birthdays around here, or if a Pokémon takes care of it. Like, maybe there's just a widespread anonymous cultural practice of delivering rope and hardtack to someone's door on the anniversary of their exiting utero.

[The corner of his mouth slides up a bit.]

But then I discovered the most important item I've yet received here in Pokéworld. Ladies and gentlemen...

[He turns the camera to reveal a Ralts in a scarf probably twice as long as it is tall. It's holding what looks like the kind of cheap wind-up Electabuzz toy you'd find at the bottom of a child's fast food box.]

The Happiny Meal^TM toy.

[Dave is so stoked. The Ralts, more bemused than anything else, winds it up and seems surprised when it rattles across the desk. It crouches to watch the toy more closely as Dave pulls the view back to himself, still practically bursting (you know, for him) with ironic amusement.]

Anyway, since I've got all this kit now, does anyone in the Violet City neck of the woods want to go check out those ruins? I know it's basically freezing and all, but they're not supposed to be too far out, and. [He shrugs.] They sound all right.

[Meaning he really, really wants to go see them, and it is his birthday.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh hey, happy birthday. I guess those still happen here, huh?

Yeah, those ruins are cool, I poked around'em a little bit recently.

Oh, yeah? What'd you find?

I didn't really go too far, just found some Pokemon.

It's real neat looking out there, though. Like something outta a comic book.

Man, I was kind of hoping there'd be fossils, but I guess I can accept comic book scenery, too. Though maybe it depends on the comic. We talking classic superhero adventure or more anime?

There probably are, further in. I mean, it looks like that kind of place.

Uh...I don't really know what you mean. Like something outta Adventure Comics or something.

Adventure Comics...

[Pop culture brain, go.]

Are those those really old ones?

Uh, maybe for you?

I mean, they've been around for like ten years for me, but I don't think that's really old...

Ohhh yeah, time stuff, probably. But hey, at least we've got a planet in common. Seems like kind of a rarity around here. So, U.S.A.?

Yeah time stuff. I'm from a lot earlier than most people, nineteen fifty.

Yeah! Jupiter, Florida. I mean, last address anyway. We move around a lot.

Huh. You're like sixty-ish years behind me, so not too far, relatively speaking. Like, theoretically we could have some overlap.

Oh yeah, the future without flying cars.

Hey, I'm only twenty five. I could still be kicking!

[Eehhh wellllll Dave's not gonna let the 2009 apocalypse burst this guy's bubble.]

Yeah, maybe. And while I haven't seen any flying cars lately, my Bro did have a rocketboard.

One of these days, somebody's gonna have flying cars.

Oh yeah? That sounds crazy.

It was pretty off-the-wall insane, yeah. Also almost definitely illegal for so many reasons. But it's saved lives a couple times, so, y'know, your mileage may vary.

Sounds like it!

I got a motorbike, that's about the coolest thing we got back where I'm from.

Motorcycles are still reasonably cool past the turn of the millennium, don't worry. Old ones are probably worth even more, it'd be like a vintage collectible or something.