thedifferencebetween

Of course they do. [God, they have pokemon on literally everything here.]

I'll make sure I get mine soon, then. And yeah, no, safe sex is a goddamn must for me. I've known people who died because they weren't careful.

[One of them was his favorite uncle.]

There's Pokemon on everything! It's harder to find stuff without it!

[It's insane, but like the music, just sort of becomes part of the daily reality. After a couple of years, you don't even notice it anymore, it's just how the world works. The sky is blue, rain is wet, Pokemon are everything.]

Shit, that sucks! You really do come from the dark ages. I haven't had to worry about that kind of thing since I got off my shitty planet. Medical advancements...hoo boy, I could blow your mind! Shit, I got a prosthetic face! That's how good we're talking. So I'm usually more concerned with safe words and establishing boundaries - letting ya know now, I don't do any kink without safe words and stop codes and everything.

[It's always so nice to be able to just discuss this stuff plainly and without anybody getting weird or embarrassed. Another reason Jack prefers partners in his own age range, they're way more relaxed about discussing things beforehand.]

That's fine. I don't either.

[You know, Jack might basically be a Silicon Valley Asshole from the far future, but he's a pretty good guy when it counts. Steven's glad he decided to private message him when he did.

And god, it's nice to have someone he can trust on this level. Someone he doesn't have to worry about being respectable around. It's so damn tiring, sometimes, always having to guard what you say around people.

He doesn't have to with Jack. And that's so good.]

I think I'd like to see it. Your future.

Oh you're damn right you would! It's friggin amazing! Digistruct technology...it's basically converting energy into matter. You can digistruct anything! I made a new car every week!

[And Jack didn't even need a car most of the time, how often did he actually go planetside? Only when he was on vacation at one of his resort planets, usually.]

And space is...it's terrifying and deadly and so disturbingly empty but it's cool as shit. My casino was right at the edge of this black hole, I had it fixed in place so it wouldn't get sucked in.... my room had a window wall and I used to just put on that trippy meditation music, turn off all the lights, get high and just watch the black hole swirl around.

[Just a bit wistfully,] Sounds great. [No, it really does. Slightly terrifying, but there's a part of Steven that likes the idea of being so close to something dangerous and terrifying, but being able to know he's completely safe.]

I guess that's legal too in space?

[He's never been much for using drugs himself, to be honest--too easy to get in trouble that way--but he does support decriminalization.]

Edited 2020-02-21 00:21 (UTC)

Yeah nobody cares about drugs. I've smoked, snorted, huffed, licked and popped just about everything the galaxy has to offer! Not much of that around here, ya...ya really got to go to effort to refine the right berries.

[It's a pain. He figured there'd be at least a couple of Pokemon you could lick to get high, but he's licked a lot of Pokemon and has yet to get a buzz from it.]

But I mean pretty much everything is 'legal'? Either actually legal or there just aren't people to enforce actual laws on the frontier planets. Not that we aren't trying!

Right. But it would be naturally harder to in a place without much infrastructure, which you'd assume frontier planets to be. Are there aliens?

[He's caught between hoping there are and maybe hoping there aren't, just because he can imagine what would happen to indigenous alien races in an interplanetary 'frontier.']

No...well...yeah, I guess by your definition. There's native animals and bugs and stuff. But there's not much in the way of sentient alien life left, they packed up and fucked off to some other dimension a while ago.

[Jack just shrugs. As far as he's concerned the Eridians should never return. Creepy ass mofos, at least from what they left behind that he's seen.]

They left some guardian things behind around their treasure troves and shit, but they're like...drone monster things. We find their tech laying around sometimes.

[Steven nods.]

I guess it's useful to scavenge stuff from? And, I mean, drive the future archaeologists wild.

I've made some pretty sweet gadgets with salvaged Eridian tech, you are right on that! Really gave me an edge over the other companies.

[Among other things. But he's the sort of guy who's willing to mess around with dangerous alien artifacts in the hopes of stumbling on something good.]

So hey, you're pre-expansion! What kinda music you into? I love the old stuff, best friggin music ever made!

[He can never pass up the chance to talk music with people who'd actually lived on Earth.]

Oh god, I'm not sure where to start. I mean, I like a lot of things. Hell, I even like showtunes, much as I hate to play into the stereotype, but I did a lot of theatre in high school and college, so.

[He shrugs and laughs, a bit ruefully.]

I mean, when I was a teenager, my favorite band was the Smashing Pumpkins? They had this sort of, I don't know, orchestral quality, almost? 'Tonight, Tonight,' god, that's still one of my favorites. And 'Disarm.' That's another good one. '1979.' Right now, I think my favorite artist is Patrick Wolf, probably? Andrew Bird's pretty good too.

But man, Patrick Wolf. There's this one song of his, 'Overture,' I just-- I love it. I love it so much, it's probably my favorite song these days, it's so good.

[He starts to sing under his breath:]

It's wonderful what a smile can hide
If the teeth shine right and it's nice and wide
It's so magical what you can keep inside
And if you bury it deep no one can find a thing, no.

[Then he shakes his head.]

Except I don't really have the right voice for it. I'm a tenor, he's a baritone, god his voice is good, I swear, it goes straight to my b--

[He cuts himself off, but given how his cheeks have darkened a bit, Jack can probably guess what the word was meant to be.]

Oh yeah, I know the Smashing Pumpkins! Little bit on the drearier side for me, overall, but talented group.

[Now Jack did not expect an impromptu serenade when he brought up music, but he is not complaining. He's also practically tone deaf, so he can't tell if Steven's voice is in the right key for the song or anything like that. He's just enjoying this little surprise.]

Ha! Nice. No, no I get what ya mean, there's a couple that do it for me, too. Like Billy Idol. Holy shit did that dude have a voice! I mean...that is a voice I could fuck. And of course the goddess herself, Taylor Swift. There never was and never will be a greater musical genius or more beautiful voice in any world ever.

I mean, who doesn't love Billy Idol? God, just-- 'White Wedding'. I was still pretty much a baby when he was really big, but man, he was just-- God. I'm pretty sure my crush on James Marsters was entirely because he channeled Billy Idol his entire first season on Buffy.

Taylor Swift, though? "Teardrops on my guitar" Taylor Swift? Man, she must have gotten a lot better when I was stuck in El Pecador's basement. I mean, it was years, she probably could have.

[She did, Steven. She really did.]

Uh, yeah Taylor Swift!

[The poor Furfrou has been looking from one to the other, as they keep saying her name.]

Like...'Look What You Made Me Do', like 'Bad Blood', like 'Shake it Off', like 'Blank Space'. Shit I wish I had my Hpod with me, I got her entire collection. Songs, movies, commercials, tv spots...if she did it, I got it.

[He does note what Steven said, but he just tucks it away to possibly consider later. He's not that invested in the other guy at the moment, but...look, he likes the guy and he's out of friends. He needs a new one!]

She was incredible and it's a fucking sin you missed out on the height of her career.

Yeah, no, she hadn't recorded any of those before I got stuck on the other side of the Hedge and then when I was finally back, I was too busy trying to survive to pay too much attention to the music I missed.

But no, I believe you, it's not like there haven't been a bunch of other teenager musicians who got way better when they got older. I mean, Alanis.

Hey, maybe if we get lucky, one of the transplants later will come with an MP3 player with her on.

Mmm. In the very near future I'm gonna ask you about that, cuz I've played enough B'n'B and read enough fantasy comics to know I might actually be interested in your whole story, but for now...

[Jack knocks back his last shot and pulls out his wallet.]

How about we move this chat back to my place? I may not have any music from back home - nobody does, it sucks - but I got some local shit that's not bad. And it's actual vinyls, so that's pretty cool.

[Plus they're going back to Jack's place eventually anyway, this has already been established. But they're having fun, and it'd be nice to be able to start transitioning into the other half of the evening. Chatting and making out are always a nice combo to ease into banging somebody new.]

Vinyl? Fancy. [Liam, the fink, had been big on vinyl, but luckily that's one of the only ways that Jack reminds Steven of his ex-.]

But yeah, no, let's go back to your place. You've got your own room.

[He'll extract a bill from his own wallet and pass it towards Jack.]

Here. Sorry I can't pay for an equal share yet, but this ought to cover one round?

And-- I'll tell you about it. But later. I've got to warn you, though, it's pretty bullshit from start to finish.

Oh I've got my own mansion. Because I'm rich. Which is also why I don't give a shit that you can only cover one round. I could probably buy this literal bar.

[Jack's been here a while, and he knows how to make money. And steal money. And keep a small army of Pokemon trained to steal money. He hasn't been sitting on his ass or anything.]

And don't worry about it, I got plenty of bullshit of my own.

[That gets him to laugh.] You don't need to buy me a bar, Jack. I'm going to sleep with you anyway.

But yeah. Let's go see this mansion of yours.

Edited (typo) 2020-02-22 02:51 (UTC)

But the point is I could!

[It's an important point, as far as Jack's concerned. He's proud of the wealth he's amassed in his time here.]

[And his place is within easy walking distance of the bar, even on a cold night. He didn't bother with one of his Rapidash tonight, not wanting the extra hassle of tacking up.]

[His mansion is on the smaller side, for a mansion, but ulta-modern in design, all squares and clean lines and sleek polished stone. It's obviously the house of someone with money.]

This is just my Goldenrod place, I got another one in Blackthorn. Ski chalet. I don't ski much, but watching the newbies learn and fall down all the time? Hilarious!

[It's weird. Steven ought to find Jack's little obsession with how rich and successful he is to be obnoxious, but somehow it's... weirdly cute on him? God. He doesn't even know anymore.

The mansion itself is nice, honestly. It's a quality rich person's house, not a rip-off McMansion in the suburbs. He approves.]

Honestly, I don't either. I mean, I've been to Tahoe. I learned. But it's just-- not my thing. But hey, if this works out, maybe I can see your other place eventually.

Yeah, I know how, I've done it a couple times here, but it's cold and it's not that exciting and I'd rather be comfy by the fire with a spiked cocoa.

[When Jack steps inside through the entryway into the living room, Pokemon scatter. There's a fair number of various canine Pokemon, and a difficult to count number of Meowth. And one...massive blob of fur and horns that looks like an over-sized, melted Houndoom. It's fat rolls are practically swallowing the external bones that decorate its body. It lifts its head and gives a very wet howl of greeting, but doesn't move.]

So welcome to my place, make yourself comfortable.

[The furniture is much the same as the house, sleek and ultra modern - lots of black leather and polished glass.]

I'll get the fireplace going in a minute. Not for atmosphere, just because it's so friggin cold. But the atmosphere doesn't hurt!

God, me too. Mexican or Anglo hot chocolate? Because if you haven't had proper hot chocolate, you really should.

[Wow that's a lot of Pokemon. God, Jack really is every eccentric rich person's stereotype, isn't he?

He'll just. Get himself half-sprawled on a leather couch, turned inward so that when Jack gets back, they can sit and talk and look at each other. He's definitely getting used to the mask. He wonders if Jack will take it off for sex?]

But yeah, Jesus, I know, it's terrible out there. Nowhere needs to be this cold outside the mountains.

Truxican chocolate is the best friggin chocolate in the galaxy. Which is what we call Mexican for some reason now? I dated a Truxican actress for a little bit, she had this phenomenal chocolate imported from some planet...

[Jack's busying himself with the little things you do when you bring someone home as he talks. Shooing all the animals out - or physically hauling, in the case of Doom Boner the obese Houndoom - and getting his shoes and blazer off.]

I forget which, but god was it good! She made the real shit, melted down the chocolate and stirred in milk... That extra effort really pays off.

[Not that Jack often exerts that sort of effort himself, he pays other people to do it for him. He gets the fire going and pulls an album out off the shelf, already knowing exactly what to pull out in this particular instance.]

So this is, I kid you not, Seismitoad the Wet Sprocket.

[He winks at Steven as he puts the album on. Oh but it's nice to have a good looking guy draped over his couch. And he is good looking, Jack's not even lowering his standards in a time of drought. He's got that whole sexy nerd thing going on, Jack digs it.]

[And then he finally joins Steven on the couch.]

[That startles another laugh out of Steven]. My god, really? Jesus, it even sounds like them. I feel like I'm in high school again.

But yeah. Yeah, that's how you do it. That's how my Abuelita always made it. Maybe I can make it for you sometime? I'm not much of a cook, but I can handle hot chocolate.

[He'll just, lean in closer a little when Jack makes it over to the couch.]

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