103.9 - please call me only if you are coming home

[hard_talker]

[ten pm! and here comes Mark's Monday night theme song, right on schedule. he cuts it out relatively late in the song, tonight - he's feeling mellow, and just enjoying the tune, himself, while he finishes off a cigarette]

Heeeeeey, Happy Monday, everybody. Are we having fun yet? ... Just a few newbies this week, so a nice personal hello to
Paige, Alucard, and Megamind! You guys came in a lull, so hold on to your socks, there's probably some crazy shit just over the horizon! As for current events? The DeathMatch reopening party is s'posed to be sometime tonight, for those of you interested in booze and loud music and crazy shit. Yours truly might show up once he gets done here. Right now, though, I'm gonna spin a little somethin' for the people who tromped their asses all over the wilderness. By the looks of the schedule they put in the journal, they should be gettin' back sometime tomorrow, so ... here's a little marchin' music for the last legs ... [he kicks back in his chair and sets the week's list spinning]

Those've you who had cars and stuff, where you're from? Tell me your favorite travelin' tune and I'll add it to the mix. Also! I'm gonna be DJing Phoebe and Peter's wedding, so if there's anything you want me to play besides the usual, you all better start tellin' me now. You've got advance notice, so if anyone whines about Whitesnake when the time comes, it'll be their own damn fault.

[Steve Rogers]

[he hasn't heard from the older man since the Crap In The Halls incident, but ... he seemed like a decent guy. he scribbles in the filter, then hesitates. how do you tell someone you want to try and get to know them because they remind you of someone who isn't there anymore?] Hey, uh ...

How's it going?

[/Steve]

Comments

[hard_talker]

[he cackles - and opens his door halfway through. can you hear him, now?]

[wilder]

[He can! There's a surprise "huh?!" from him as he sticks his head out his door. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON]

[hard_talker]

[SMILES AND WAVES]

S'up, man?

[wilder]

...Please tell me no one's taught you magic.

[hard_talker]

[patiently] No one's taught me maaaagic.

[wilder]

Hey, it's the logical answer where I'm from.

[hard_talker]

[a snicker] I know. ... Here, c'mon in, dude, I'll show you.

[wilder]

[approaching]

Alright...heh heh, not gonna be something freaky that'll give me nightmares right?

[hard_talker]

Not unless you're afraid of wall treatments. [snortlaugh. he steps inside and leaves room for Zelos to follow him in. and honestly, the place doesn't look TOO much different. the only huge change is that the walls are new - and still in the process of being painted over.

and by painted we mean graffiti'd and actually drawn on and written on, with pictures and blocks of actual paint color and random notes and maps and various other crap all over the place.]

[wilder]

Naaah, I think I'll manage!

[really he'd expect nothing else with Nora with wall decoration. He notices the change right away]

Whoa.

[hard_talker]

It's called MLV - Mass Loaded Vinyl. [he thwaps a hand against the wall - and it barely even makes a smack, more of a thud] They use it in recording studios, back home. Basically, it's really, really, super-dense wall and floor covering that makes the walls thicker so that the sound can't travel through.

[isn't. science. AWESOME] We pretty much just had to hang it up like wallpaper. Heavy as shit, though.

[wilder]

[Congratulations Mark, you are probably one of the few that get Zelos's unguarded impressed face as he touches a piece of the wall. Science is indeed very very awesome]

Okay, I gotta admit that's incredible.

So you put all this up these past couple weeks?

[hard_talker]

[he's very pleased with himself, then. this is a special day, right here. he shrugs]

Yeah, we wished it up and just hung it in pieces. I used pulleys for the heavier ones.

[the holes where he had to screw them into the wall? no big deal, he just put hooks in them afterwards and Nora strung up Christmas lights. it looks pretty awesome, really]

[wilder]

Clever. It looks good.

[He'll give them that much.]

Freaked you out that much, huh?

[hard_talker]

Thanks. [he frowns at his next comment, though, and shakes his head]

What? I -- no. No, it's not --

[he sighs]

Maybe at first, yeah? But not because it's a giant-ass problem, or anything. We just didn't think anyone could hear --

[right. blushing like mad now. ... AHEM]

Yeah.

And -- well ... then I got to thinking about it more, and ... if you could hear me in the damn shower, then me cranking shit every Monday hasn't been doing you any fucking favors.

[he sighs, and fixes Zelos with the most earnest look he's got. sure, it's embarrasing as hell to know your friend can hear you getting it on with your girlfriend. but it's even worse to realize that you've been hurting him and not knowing it, since before you even met the guy]

So, yeah.

1/2

[wilder]

[He'll listen to him. He's mostly unreadable, though his eyes widen slightly at the last part in surprise. People are nicer in Paradisa, sure...but it's still weird for him to think that people not Lloyd or Colette would care whether or not he was hurt by what they did. ]

[wilder]

If that's the case...

[he turns back to look at the wall, touching it again as if he didn't just do that. After a quick moment, he'll look back at Mark and actually smile, one of his rare genuine ones, that's full of gratitude. ]

Thank you.

[hard_talker]

[aw yeah, social link advanced] Hey, don't mention it. .... If the word gets out I give a shit, everyone will think I'll turn it down if they ask nice.

[wilder]

[That's right! Zelos will now DIE for you!]

[Except okay maybe not. He chuckles]

Don't worry about it. Everyone finding out how well I could hear would just bring problems anyway.

[hard_talker]

[he holds out a fist. fistbump?] Trust me, my lips are sealed if yours are.

[wilder]

Fair enough.

[Sorry Mark, Zelos is a bit behind the times to get fistbumps] Dude, why are you holding out your fist?

[hard_talker]

... OH. Sorry, it - it's a thing, where I'm from. Kinda like a high five. [he makes another fist and demonstrates. ta-naaaa, fistbump]

[wilder]

...Oh! I gotcha!

[raises his fist!! ]

[hard_talker]

[BUMPS IT] See? Awesome. [he grins] So how was the trip, anyway? Ino said something about a virus, and I kept hearing people talking about fuckin' dinosaurs. I need details!

[wilder]

[WHOO BUMPING; that's...weird but cool!] Aha!

Oh yeah, that stuff. I'd say they were more bird monsters than anything, but they were there alright. Tried to eat us and everything.