[Video]

[maplecourt]

[When one is alone and has their own space (other than letting One Other Person remotely in it) they tend to record things. For practice purposes. Or showing off purposes. But not for the public.

Unfortunately for one Fitzroy Maplecourt, it does not get to be private and how and why this brick shithouse is allowed to be remotely agile is anyone's guess. Though he seems to at least be enjoying himself somewhat.

Until after the "recording" itself is done and he's standing properly and looking in the direction of the camera. And clapping. Before the video is turned around to... oh god, it's another one of the ditto imposters that's looking far too close to the idiot who'd been filmed.]

What the fuck are you. [Comes the indignant squawking from behind said form before the camera is getting jostled around and turned off after what sounds like a crash.

Maybe... maybe that wasn't meant to be public, huh.]

Comments

video;

[necrodentia]

[ Rainer is clearly enjoying the view. She's responding on video clapping encouragingly.

In fact, there are TWO Rainers on video clapping encouragingly. ]

Very nice! I'd give your form an 8.6 out of 10!

[ The other Rainer pipes up, ] Your swearing, however gets a 9.2 out of 10 from this judge. Very well done.

video;

[maplecourt]

[Give him a moment while he sits on the floor cross-legged and huffs out a breath once the video gets straight again. That doppleganger nowhere to be seen. What a surprise that Fitz is a party pooper.]

Rainer, why is there one of you, too? [HE! DOESN'T! LIKE! THIS!!!!!]

[necrodentia]

Technically, there's two of me!

[ The two Rainers high five. ]

All jokes aside, I think it's pretty impressive that these dittos are this good at impersonating people. If mine hadn't gotten up and started walking around, I would have thought someone cloned me in my sleep or something.

[maplecourt]

[Why must you hurt him like this. Why. At least he's rubbing his face with a groan instead of pushing the issue further, he's sort of matured. Sort of. Somewhat.

Look, it's better than he used to be and that's important.]

It's too much for my blood, if you as me. These are mostly intelligent creatures, yes, but this is just crossing a line I'm not particularly fond of. Especially when you consider... I guess the morals, ethics, whatever of it all when they're this sentient??? There's only supposed to be one of me!

[necrodentia]

[ Hoo boy. Somebody's upset.

Rainer (the real one) raises her eyebrows, before turning to her double. ]

Alright, Mini-Me, I think Fitz has had enough.

[ The ditto double nods sadly, then reverts to its natural pink gooey form, settling into a disturbing lump on Rainer's lap. ]

They're just trying to have some fun... I don't think your copy meant anything sinister by recording you.

[maplecourt]

[Is it that obvious? He does somewhat calm down once that ditto is no longer a Rainer clone, though he does run a hand through his hair with a huff of breath that sounds almost more like an audible pout.]

It's not the recording that bothered me about it, Rainer. This was meant to be a performance piece later anyway, it's not a problem. But just.

Trying to act like me. Looking like me? Getting to a point of passing as me? No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

[necrodentia]

[ Something about the ditto doppelgangers (dittogangers?) has obviously struck a nerve for Fitz, and Rainer doesn't want to drive that knife in any deeper, so she decides to let the topic die and focus on something else. ]

Well, the piece is coming along well. How long have you been practicing it?

[maplecourt]

[It's a long story and a weird story, but not something he's particularly keen about. Luckily his feathers are easily smoothed over when the subject changes.]

Mm... I want to say this particular one has been... about a month or so now? I've had others, but nothing quite like that one. [Sorry, Rainer, you've not known about this for a month. Someone's a sneaky bastard.]

[necrodentia]

Oh? Is this what you've been sneaking off to go do? [ Your absence has been noticed. ] It's impressive! That's some real acrobatic prowess you've got there!

[ Must have leveled up his dexterity modifier. ]

Where do I go to see more of these performances? Are any of them on Staryutube?

[maplecourt]

Where did you think Leonardo got those stretching poses from? [He can't help but laugh a bit, good grief.] I had the idea and our dear artist was quite happy to figure out how to make this contraption work.

[You gotta be able to do something other than be a brick shithouse, right? It just paled in comparison to Argo's... everything...]

Mmm. Might be? Not entirely sure what Miss Lust's policy is on recording things in her establishment. [This is also why he disappeared to Ecruteak sometimes. Surprise, Rainer.]

[necrodentia]

I don't know, from some ~private sessions~ or something??

[ She's been respecting her BFF's boundaries and not asking prying questions about what he and his boyfriend get up to in their spare time! You should be grateful she's ignorant! ]

Hey, do you think that, if he was back in Nua, Leo would've made a great artificer? That kind of tinkering and inventing thing is right up his alley.

[ Wait. Hang on. Rewind a bit there? ]

Whoa, you know somebody named Miss Lust?? That's an awesome stage name!

[ It's a stage name, right? It's gotta be a stage name. ]

[maplecourt]

Do I... do I seem like that type of person? If I were doing that, you better believe those would not have made it out publicly. [To be fair, he was also super screaming and defensive at a Certain Person when that did happen and it wasn't even a big deal.

But Rainer is the BFF for a good reason and is mostly out of his business.]

Leo as an artificer... You know, I didn't even think about it, but you're right. Would probably put everyone else out of business, though, don't you think? Some of the ideas I've seen so far are already so much more than what anyone back home had thought of.

[SURPRISE, IT'S NOT.]

Nnnnno? Pretty... pretty sure Lust is her actual name.

[necrodentia]

Oh, I don't know... New plane of existence, new boyfriend... You could be trying new things!

[ She's kidding, mostly. She knows Fitzroy is way too reserved for that kind of thing. ]

Right? I haven't seen all that many of his designs, but what I have seen is kind of breathtaking. I kind of want to say he'd be a great necromancer, too, but I don't want that kind of competition.

[ Right. Not a stage name. ]

O...kay...? That's. Interesting.

[ She's trying not to laugh, because if her name was Rainer Lust, she wouldn't want people laughing about it. ]

[maplecourt]

New plane of existence, no threat of imminent destruction, no beings of some other worldly nonsense concepts of Order and Chaos trying to use you for their stupid games... I guess you have a point.

[Even here he's still the same reserved and snobby brick shithouse of an idiot. Some things never change.]

Wouldn't that be some real competition for your dad, too? His knowledge of anatomy is honestly also terrifying, something I'd expect from a necromancer or... I guess some kind of rogue. [That isn't of someone like Argo's background. But the murdery assassin kind of rogue. The not fun kind.]

I... just don't question it. But I guess it works out that the place she runs is... kind of apt for her name?

[necrodentia]

See? If anyone on Nua deserves to kick back and relax for a while, it's you.

[ After all that Chaos and Order business... Really, Fitz could do with a vacation. ]

Or a healer? But Leo doesn't strike me as the cleric type.

[ Besides, he's more interested in drawing bodies than fixing them.

Rainer gasps at the implication of what Fitz just said. ]

Fitzroy Maplecourt!! Don't tell me you're performing in a House of Ill Rrrrrepute!!??

[ She rolls the R in typical Travis McElroy fashion. ]

[maplecourt]

If relaxing means travelling around some wild lands that for some reason have cities within them and creatures that are magical while you are not. Sure, I'm relaxing.

[Look, he loves his crabs.]

I'm sure there'd be some kind of call for artists, too. With his interest in anatomy, could write books that teach the clerics how the body's set up? Goodness knows some of them could use more knowledge. [Rude.

RAINER.

WHAT.

ARE YOU DOING.

Too bad he's already turning into a tomato.]

IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!! [The maiden doth protest too much.]

[necrodentia]

Eh, it's no spa day with a mud bath, but... At least there's lots of cool crabs?

[ She knows her audience, clearly. ]

True. He could probably teach a whole class on anatomy at... Well, at some school other than Wiggenstaff's. [ Since their old alma mater is no more. Whomp whomp.

One maiden is protesting too much, and the other maiden is getting a real kick out of all his backpedaling. ]

Okay!! If it's not like that then what is it like?

[maplecourt]

At least there's that...

[Whomp whomp. But worth it, heroes and villains aren't needed anymore in their society.] I'm sure there'll be more than enough schools popping up to fill in things that are needed. And healers are always needed... [He didn't entirely think this whole thing through. Where do people study that aren't going on those tracks? Huh.

Godddd.]

A showcase of artistic talent. [While he's half naked. As are other people. And others get a little more naked.

Look, shut up.]

[necrodentia]

Mm... Well, whatever schools do or don't pop up, that's not our problem. Nua'll figure itself out, and find our new "normal."

[ Judging by talking to other people here, their heros/villains deal wasn't all that normal to begin with. ]

Artistic... lustful talent?

[maplecourt]

It's not as if we're able to leave from here. So I suppose this is our new normal and Nua is on its own... [There's something ominous about that and he's not sure if he likes it.]

If someone wants to take it that way, that's not my problem, is it?

[necrodentia]

[ Mm. That's a bit more depressing direction than she had intended for this conversation to take, but... Ah, well. ]

We'll make it back to Nua again, someday. Planeswalking isn't impossible. We just need to find a way to get magic back.

[ Which is, of course, easier said than done. But Rainer refuses to give up hope. ]