Virtual Idiosyncrasy

Ruby and I venture through boxes of hospital supplies while Doc Simpson stares into the mirror.

"I'm a broad."

"You're a dame."

"You're a lady."

Cordelia and Victoria sleep inside our loft; Diavolo guards them while Dominia eats my tuna fish.

"What the fuck is this?"

"It's a god damn heart monitor."

"....we're trying to make a game."

"A game?"

"A video game!"

"What kind?"

"Something so real you wouldn't know the difference."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"To be a hero."

".....are you shitting me?"

"....no...."

I sit cross legged upon a tapestry; this implosive wooden room is my sanity. Visions encircle me, trance is extraordinary, I watch a person devour fruit, vegetables, tuna, salmon, and drink green tea. The resemblance is remarkable yet I am precocious for unexplainable circumstance.

"....ooooh.....he likes....juicy...ecstasy."

"....he eats a lot."

"Weight loss?"

"Why?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"This hard stuff will become soft?"

"....why so stiff...."

"....possibly vascular compression...."

"What? What is that? That sounds bad..."

"Your heart is not in such good shape..."

"I knew that thing did something Rube..."

"What about mine?"

"I forget which one I just checked..."

"What's wrong with it?"

"You both eat some crazy shit."

"....huh?"

"It's not like irregular or high blood pressure....it's just not a hundred percent."

"Did you hear that?"

"....yes...."

"It sounded like the drum."

"What drum?"

"...........he is so curious."

"Feline."

"Andain?"

"Who is Andain?"

"Original whiskers."

"He's a fucking cat is that what you are telling me?"

"He curses quite often."

".....why do you curse?"

"Huh?"

"Was he cursing at us?"

"Bloody god damn motherfucking bloody god damn motherfucking..."

"Stop Chocolate Boy!"

"That hurt!"

"He's a blowfish with razor sharp fins."

"Ruby cursed too!"

"I did it quietly; thus is polite."

"Iman..."

"?"

"We want to eat it."

"...fine."

"She's cool Rube."

"She knows we are going to do it anyways."

"I want you to..."

"What about Renalto?"

"He ate it before."

"What about you?"

"We all ate it."

"Our turn!"

"Why does he look like that?"

Bluish black half moons deepen cloudy eyes, morbid breath reflexes carbon monoxide, this fish is without gills, three round indentations resemble pin needle cones, his skin is ghostly pale; ax blades surround every portion of his body.

"....he's a zombie."

"What the fuck....you two are wack."

"It's just a game."

"What would your children think?"

"....they'll play it."

"Avie kicked that motherfuckers ass."

"....Indie totally annihilated boss zombie number eight."

"The one with the hat?"

"What does it say?"

"Something about hunting deer..."

"That pissed her off huh?"

"Yeah it did."

"The lady with the big hair made Avie nuts."

"Which weapon did she use?"

"It was a sword."

"How did it make you feel babe?"

"I need more."

"No more..."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Cornelius."

"You must be a fucking god person."

"...."

"No answer tis true."

"Morphine..."

"It's not dirt or street shit."

"This is made specially for you and your friend?"

"....for the doctors and nurses as well..."

"Life is tough."

"Isn't it though..."

"That was a lot."

"...."

"Sixteen hundred milligrams."

"My arm looks like hell."

"I know how to get most of the veins to run clear..."

"How?"

"Come here."

Three taps a morphine geyser; stress releases through my pricking puncture.

"You're heavy."

"You're carrying me what did you expect."

"You look like a doll of some sort."

"You don't like my dress?"

"What would your people think?"

"Which people?"

"....cranes and chrysanthemum..."

"What of such?"

"Tis East Asian."

"They are everywhere..."

"....no tis not."

"How so?"

"Cranes will go wherever you go....chrysanthemum will grow wherever you go..."

"You're a peculiar man."

"You're a tossed girl."

"I look like a doll?"

"Yes you do."

"You're politically correct."

"Is that your job?"

"It makes a fuck load of money."

"What do you do with it?"

"....make buildings so people who go to jail can work..."

"Really?"

"Yeah why the hell not...they're loyal and dependable...well I guess anybody could be that way.."

"I spent a hundred years there."

"For what?"

"....hash."

"You're shitting me?"

"Is that a question."

"Quite literally."

"No I am not."

"Oh..."

"How do you find them?"

"We pretend to be inmates."

"What if you get trapped there?"

"....I have a companion."

"This humors me..."

"His name is Ambrosia."

"I know him."

"How?"

".....we go back."

"Where?"

"His blood."

"They are ice crystals."

"Yes..."

"Where are they?"

"You never met them?"

"Once this man came to me and asked me many questions....then this woman harbored me for a while...I was running from some people with green hard hats and camouflage."

Victoria it's me Del, I need a reproductive sample.

Del, no.

Victoria, I need to make sure.

Del, it works.

Victoria, where does it come out of?

I asked Zen. She said it works well.

Victoria, does it come out of the octopus erection?

I told her you called it my octopus erection and she laughed.

I understand why.

Is that how they get aroused?

Yes.

Where does it come out of them?

Tis a secret.

Give it to me!

Okay...

Three dots...

Don't make me laugh girl. There is a passage about seven and a half centimeters deep, three centimeters wide, I believe thus is clearance for extra stuff.

Stuff?

What color is it? Ask Zen...please...

Doctor this is Zen. It's the same color as milk.

Is it the same texture?

Yes and temperature of refrigeration.

What does it taste like?

Are you serious?

I was going to ask the mouse.

You were going to feed a mouse my husband's stuff?

He's a robot.

I do not know.

Why not?

It moves quite a bit.

What do you mean it moves?

It vibrates and performs tricks.

You're shitting me.

I am not!

What do you mean it moves?

You got what I got don't you Del?

Yeah.

You need to find out for yourself with somebody you care about.

No.

Why?

I'm a doctor!

All the more reason!

Theirs move too.

Whose?

The octopus.

He eats them.

What about you?

No way.

Why not?

It's for them.

Who?

Them!

Who is them?

I don't know. That's what this man and woman told me inside a wooden room.

I didn't think that thing was real.

You saw it too!

He looked so different. I told them that was not him and I did not think it wise to alter his diet.

What was he eating?

Tuna fish, fruit, and vegetables.

What's wrong with that?

Tis all fresh, tuna from a can, barely any granular energy for arteries.

Are you sure it was him?

Whoever he was I cared for him deeply.

It moves a lot.

What about you?

I got to go.

Why?

It moves a lot!

Name one after me please.

I'm done.

Already?

We have to adjust his pants when that happens.

It just starts moving?

I think it's my fault.

No...

Then how?

How often does he eat octopus?

Oh.

Does he eat it raw?

He eats their babies live.

What?

He swallows them.

Why?

Have you seen these babies?

I have one inside a tank.

Is it cute?

Yes.

Really cute?

No.

Then that's not the one's he eats.

He's my friend.

He eats the ones with noses and lips.

Ew.

Women have relations with them.

Who bears the children?

We're not sure.

Where do they come from?

Their encounters.

I don't blame him.

We don't want them swimming around.

How many legs do they have?

Nine.

How strange.

The other sea creatures will not go near them.

It's not an arachnid.

The ninth leg has fingers.

Do they have cups?

No. They are the ugliest things I have ever seen. Owls eat them too.

So do the falcons.

Hayabusa?

Yes.

Interesting.

That's all I really needed to know about the organ.

It's an organ?

It's a muscle.

How does it grow?

Similar to inflation.

His head becomes light.

That's a lot of blood and cellular division.

Division?

And multiplication; similar to a mathematical anatomical equation.

It grows really fast and gets very strong.

What does it look like?

A mushroom.

Is there skin over the top?

No.

Naturally?

Yes!

Mortals...

Yuck.

I wonder why they are like that.

We think it is nuclear waste.

I cut one off before.

Why?

He raped a woman.

Women rape men as well.

I cut one of those off as well.

What happens when they have relations?

Tears and bruises.

So they literally rape each other every encounter.

Yes.

Why do they exist?

For us to hate.

Tis why we exist?

I wonder this.

I don't hate them. I do not understand them.

They are not similar to human by logic; they are not similar to animal by logic. They do not care either or for none.

What world will delete them?

One we shall find out.

Will you be near my husband?

Does he need me?

Yes.

Why?

He injures himself a lot.

I know.

Do you need him?

Yes.

Why?

He helps me realize why I am a doctor.

Do you really want a sample?

I want to see what goes on inside of it.

It's just milk.

I met a man with a microscope; he showed me mortal fluids. There were germs inside of it.

Those things that move about and look like tadpoles and such?

Yes.

He doesn't have those. I don't either.

Oh.

Do you want somebody to have his baby?

How did you know?

What is her name?

I don't know.

Oh come now.

I call her Dandelion.

Why?

Her hair.

I want to meet her.

I know.

Well?

This is better than a telephone.

Writing is personal, informal speech is impersonal however speaking what thine writes is neither, how peculiar!

She needs a few bottles.

Not all of it makes babies.

How do you know which does?

I'm his wife!

Oh.

She will only need a few drops if even.

Why so many bottles then?

I'm his wife!

You make me laugh.

I do have a problem I need you to look at.

What happened?

A strange cut.

From what?

A fan.

A metal one.

Yes it was very sharp.

I know which ones you speak of.

How?

I saw a painting with a woman guarding herself.

It hurts a lot.

Put salt in it.

What?

It will clean it out then you may bandage it.

How long?

Until you want to die.

You are serious?

It kills germs.

Salt?

It's just a saying Zen. It works.

I will get you for this.

How?

Just wait until you have one!

One what?

You know!

I do but I don't want to admit to wanting one.

Why?

I'm a doctor!

My husband has something to say.

I need to go soon.

Why?

I'm a doctor!

Del what if I cut myself with a katana?

Why do you ask?

I had a dream about one.

What were you doing?

Sharpening it.

I saw it.

Saw what?

That was a nasty cuticle.

How do I take care of it?

You already did it?

How many times do I do it?

Damn it. The same spot!

Yes.

Wear leather gloves.

It will cut through leather.

What?

Leather is skin.

Wear chain mail.

That will scratch the blade.

Do you really need it?

"I'm bored Ruby."

"It needs to be more real."

"How real?"

"Ridiculous..."

"So real we don't know the difference?"

"Yeah!"

"Must he do that?"

"...dates..."

"She has curly locks."

"How will he know?"

"I will go inside the digital box."

"Digital box?"

"What of me?"

"You will watch."

"Digital box?"

"....I can trigger his memory."

"How?"

"....tis already happened."

"Yes."

"We cannot stop."

"Yes."

"What already happened?"

"History repeats itself."

"Pharaoh?"

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

"We never learn any better."

"I want a new story."

"We can't add anymore levels."

"Why?"

"Doc Simpson limited the electrodes."

"He needs to play it."

"He's dressed like a woman."

"We do that."

"Yeah but we don't have beards."

"Oh yeah..."

"How did he grow one?"

"Is it real?"

"Touch it."

"No."

"I'll touch it."

"Go ahead."

"Should I tug it?"

"No."

"I don't want to touch it anymore."

"Damn stoners."

"Who?"

"....am I really the worst little brother you ever had?"

"Yeah."

".....do you know how that makes me feel?"

"Yeah."

"And you said it anyways."

"Yeah."

"Do you have to buy so much lingerie?"

"I did in our world."

"Why?"

"It was always breaking."

"....why?"

"Too many hooks and adjustments."

"Did your boyfriend do that?"

"A combination of us both."

"....."

"Why so quiet?"

"....."

"What is your deal boy?"

"....."

"Thad..."

"....."

"I'll make you bread."

"....."

"It's pink!"

"....."

"Pink!"

Big play friend don't know what I did to pink man. He come into our hideout with bags. I told him not to put it there. He do it despite my protest. I squeak a lot. He don't mind my squeak. He plopped down big laundry bags full of GBP. I ask him where he get it from he said Great Britain. I knew that much. Money say GBP on it and have picture of some man. He point a lot and curse at the bags. I think bag number one is named fuck, bag number two is named bitch, bag number three is named shitty thing, bag number four is named hell of a sore, bag number five is named god damn motherfucker. He look angry a lot. I ask him why he did. He told me he did because it was boring. I shake my fist. He say it is too small to worry. I told him I would be big one day. He said he know but he must run because pigs have feet. I knew this would happen again. I have purple wings. I used to have horns but they fell off. Devil Fang told me it was because I looked too cute. He used to have a pitchfork tail but it fell off. I told him it was because it poked his butt. I miss him. His pocket was hard to get out of. Ambrosia froze twice and so did Crystal. They say Amber and Crys came back to marry. Why don't big play friend feed me more tuna? I start to become him. He got lots of muscles shaped like bat caves. His ear feel like a sofa. He don't know this happened before but we died. Halycon say history repeats itself until resolution.

"What is that?"

"....he doesn't know who they are...."

"Myth is a fact."

"We keep coming back."

"That's when he realizes..."

"He did it before."

"What happened to him?"

"It didn't sustain itself."

"Why?"

"Electrical imbalance."

"It turned inside out."

"How painful."

"We are light and sound."

"You are people."

"....do you want us to be people?"

"You look like people."

"Light and sound."

"What?"

".......you will come to understand your sense organs lie."

"Oh."

"What you experience is inside your heart."

"Was that the sound?"

"Oncoming war."

"Snow?"

"Yes my child."

"When?"

"You will know in your chest."

"What is there?"

"Him."

"Who is he?"

"Your heart."

"It needs to be sharper."

"The blade reflects thine will."

"Will is my friend."

"You belong to my heart. Thine is mine."

"Always will I be, always will I beat, always will my heart remain for worlds which come undone I shall be here for any who understand this is not a dream..."

"Who are you?"

"The woman you see but refuse."

"What becomes of you?"

"Death? What else?"

"...."

"What did you think would become of me?"

"...."

"I will come back and so will everyone who knows..."

"Knows what?"

"Death is a dream."

"I'm still your little brother."

"Yes but you are responsible for this bull shit."

"I made sure nobody touched you."

"When will somebody touch me?"

"If they do....I know they are going to freak..."

"Why?"

"You're so fucking cold Victoria. It's really unusual..."

"You are too."

"Not like that. You're colder than those people who lay in the wake."

"What is that?"

"....a freezer for dead people."

"Oh."

"I hope they don't touch me."

"The strippers?"

"No...the truck drivers."

"Why couldn't you be a waiter at a restaurant or a taxi cab driver?"

"Too much light."

"...what of the other children?"

"...you're a terrible sister."

"Why?"

"You ask me questions I cannot answer!"