exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

[ ... And he isn't even driving very fast, at least not for his standards. Because he'd actually wanted to be a little considerate, assuming that someone like Laurence wouldn't be used to the speed of modern travel. Maybe that's part of the reason he'd picked this car, an older model, though that could bite him in the ass later if it's prone to breaking down. He's not exactly been trained how to fix cars... or fix anything, really, except guns and very minor injuries, and even then his techniques aren't always perfect.

Nor is his driving. Even if there were any traffic regulations, he probably wouldn't adhere to them, and so his driving isn't very... safe. And feels like it.]

I'm paying attention.

[He doubts they'll find any 'vital information' here - not to say they'd have to go through every single house, so it's a wiser idea to just investigate those that might stick out - landmarks or town halls for example. Maybe there are people out here that'll tell them something new.

But actually, he's just glad to be getting away - even if this is sort of risky; Jack doesn't even have any clue where he's driving, though he tries to memorize the way back just in case. And if they are really that important, sooner or later they'll come looking for them anyway... probably. That's the assumption, anyhow.]

I'm more interested in the border, anyway. If we'll find anything there. [Maybe a wall - maybe guards - if this is an exile...] Could be dangerous.

[He just gives Laurence a look, as if he wants to remind him that he can still change his mind. There's a reason he loaded all of his weapons into the car before leaving... weapons, though not nearly enough supplies.]

[ Laurence glances over in time to catch that look, and only just manages not to take offense. Offering a way out of something purportedly dangerous, unspoken or no, is only a few steps shy of an accusation of cowardice. It's only his association thus far with the man that soothes the instinctive reaction. Snake is, after all, more like than nearly anyone else Laurence had known at home to speak his mind.

He turns his eyes frontwards again, grimly. ]

I had not intended to suggest inattention. [ Though how Snake can be driving so fast and be looking terribly close at anything, Laurence doesn't even want to think about. He takes a breath, adding: ] Although I do find myself in mind of a request, if you should be so willing as to indulge me.

[He gives a snort, and can very well imagine which implications the other man must have gotten out of that, though maybe that's just Jack's own weird way of showing mild worry. More often than not, he prefers to do things on his own, unless he's very acquainted with his partner's skills and knows they won't slow him down.

It occurs to him that he should show him how to use a gun. That's something he files away for later; but a soon sort of later. It's important.

Eye on the street. Or well, what's left of it. Hard to make sure to stay on something that's barely there.

But he doesn't need to hear out the request to know what it is about.]

If I drive any slower, it'll take days. [Now the real question is if the fuel will even last that long. Fortunately, he's good at improvising.]

Unless you want to take your time and admire the view... not quite what I had in mind.

[Not much to admire here, anyway. He gives a very wry smile; sudden adjustment is often necessary and it's better to do it like this than to be gentle. That's how he learned it.]

The sooner you get used to it, the better. Try to relax; I know what I'm doing.

[Not really, but hey.]

[ "I know what I'm doing." Laurence isn't sure he's ever heard a phrase that strikes less confidence. But of course he never would dream of questioning another man's competence that hadn't clearly earned it, and even then it would never be a direct accusation. And Snake, for all Laurence's unease, has not gotten them killed yet. ]

I thank you for your consideration, but I fear you mistake my meaning.

[ He glances skywards, checking their direction briefly by the sun (what can be seen of it through lowly scudding clouds), and running a few mental course calculations, with London as their starting point. They aren't far from the site of the location he has in mind, by his reckoning. ]

I am fully aware of the use in taking advantage of any resources available to us, including great speeds. I should never think of stunting our progress for anything as secondary as one man's use of slower speeds. Although I must stoop to admit that my request is of a similarly personal nature, if you will abide it.

[Big Boss heaves a heavy sigh, after listening to all of that patiently while still managing to somehow not crash into some rubble (it's a small miracle). However, he's slowing down a little bit now - emphasis on little, mostly so he can focus better on conversation. He's perfectly capable of multitasking, but he knows that his priorities are and when.]

... You don't have to beat around the bush, then, [He drawls. Yeah, in fact, he prefers it when people are more direct, and somehow he can't help but feel like Laurence needs at least twice as many words - even sentences - to explain an issue than he does.] Just say what you want to say.

[And now he's really curious as to what that mysterious personal request might be.

Though he sort of suspects the man to try and word in the most convoluted manner possible that he really needs to take a piss.]

[ Well. He is coming to the point. He takes a half a second to wonder if all Americans are so impatient, or it's a trait exclusive to Snake. But he forgoes any retort to that nature, if only because clearly the two of them would simply have to agree to disagree, in the end. ]

My father's estate is not far from here. [ He risks a glance to the side (have they slowed down? It seems it), and nods to himself at the truth of it. It's even almost on their way. ] Was, I should say. It would not be a large detour.

[ He knows full well that the home he grew up in won't be there. No, that's ridiculous to expect. But there's a morbid curiosity demanding he see what is there. ]

[The answer doesn't come immediately - that wasn't quite what he'd expected, but he could have probably figured when someone's such a model of an Englishman.]

... Of course.

[But he doubts it'd be easy to find the place now... everything must look completely different. It's been over a thousand years, after all.]

If you can describe the way. To be frank, I have no clue where we are right now.

[At least he's honest about that. And slows down enough that Laurence can really take a good look at the scenery now.]

[ He glances around him again, paying more attention to the lay of the land than the buildings on it. It's strange, how foreign his home looks now. But nonetheless, he manages to recognize gentle swells of land, the occasional dips of valleys.

It's easier to focus on that, however, than dwell on having asked. It's an unsightly thing, for a grown man to want to go home again. And if he must see it, he's perfectly aware that it would have made a better chore to go about alone. ...Still, alone he would not have had a car. ]

It is due west of here. [ He's sure of that much, at least. ] Is this car able to leave the roads?

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survivalism - 2012-02-22 21:45 (UTC) - Expand

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bottlegreen - 2012-02-22 21:57 (UTC) - Expand

[It's actually quite of funny, watching him from the corner of his eye again, trying to hide his discomfort even though it's terribly obvious. At least Jack refrains from commenting on it further, no one likes to have that sort of stuff pointed out over and over again.]

Dragons? That's some figure of speech. [He'd almost say it sounds somewhat unusual for his time, but he can't really judge. Eight kilometers... should be about 5 miles, not too far, but it'll still take a while because he can't just drive straight through unless he wants to risk completely ruining the car. He'd really prefer a horse or at least a bike....]

No need to thank me, but you could have told me earlier. Might've taken another road and our ride would be a little more comfortable now.

[He can understand being curious... he supposes. Though he doesn't think that if they were in Hawaii right now instead, he'd want to return to that relocation camp.]

[ He takes the criticism with a nod, because there's really no other way to. It is his fault for not speaking sooner, if he would speak at all. Half-formed plans and spontaneous adaptations, which any commander worth anything knows are at times necessary, are best avoided, when possible.

So instead he risks a glance over, curiously. ]

Is it gone out of use in your time? [ Odd. It's a damned useful phrase, Laurence would have thought. ]

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survivalism - 2012-02-23 19:11 (UTC) - Expand

I am.

[ He's braver with the slowing speeds, and relaxes visibly as he keeps an eye to their bearings. He gives a few additional directions now and then, small corrections as they come to some hill or another. None of the creeks or lakes he remembers are properly placed, and there are a few he's sure are new, but the land at least doesn't lie.

Eventually, as a particular heap of rubble comes into sight, he nods. ]

Here. If you will oblige me by stopping, I will not be long.

[And stop the car he does, turning down the engine after it has slowly come to a halt. Surveying the surroundings quickly, it seems pretty desolate... but so does most of the island they've seen so far (aside from the city). It'd be surprising to meet any people out here that aren't just crazy.

But that's the thing. Even if there aren't any people, there could be wildlife... or unstable constructions. A lot of things and factors to consider, and he frowns quietly to himself.]

No, I'll come along. Unless, [and here he inserts a small, meaningful pause,] you consider this a very personal matter and would prefer to be by yourself.

[ He's distracted almost even before he swings himself out of the car, already trying to reconcile his memory of the place with the current reality of it. It takes him a second to hear Snake, but he blinks himself out of his thoughts to glance over once he does.

A personal matter? Perhaps. He ought to take up that out. But then, he's not entirely sure he wants to spend more time here than strictly necessary, to satisfy his own curiosity, and company along will certainly hurry him. He shakes his head. ]

You are welcome, of course. I am sorry to say you are not likely to find very much of interest here, however.

[ And he starts forward, into the rubble. It looks a little like it had turned into a group of much smaller houses, instead of the enormous mansion he'd expected. There's very little to see that looks at all personalized or memorable, and most of the structures are broken down to their barest foundations, at most. For Laurence's part, he surveys it all with a grim, serious air— even more so than usual. If there's any sense of being let down, disappointed, or saddened, it's definitely not showing through. ]

FOR ME TOO depending if I'm replying straight from mail or not...

survivalism - 2012-02-23 21:04 (UTC) - Expand

oh my god can you pick icons from your email...

bottlegreen - 2012-02-23 21:13 (UTC) - Expand

[Oh, he's not in the car - but sitting on some pile of rubble near the car, and the first thing he does when he hears Laurence approach and then speak is to raise a hand without even looking at him - a sudden sort of 'stop' gesture.

Apparently, he has found something. Usually when he's out about and bored, he'll just start looking for interesting traces, harass animals or both. It's definitely both right now.

Maybe it's a small miracle there are still any animals at all. After signaling Laurence not so subtly to be quiet, Jack lifts and aims his rifle again at something in the distance - though it's hard to see at what exactly. Some patch of grass swaying in the wind; but he has a trained enough eye to recognize that it's not exactly just swaying.

The second something small and dark emerges out of the grass, he pulls the trigger and the gun discharges loudly - and again, and another time - and each time a shriek of pain can be heard, too.

Then he lowers the rifle again.]

Hrrngh.

[Hey Laurence, were you still waiting for some sort of response? Well, for now, he's going to check out those squirrels first. Or whatever it is he just murdered.]

[ There is no sign more universal than "stop and be silent", and Laurence knows well it's rarely given without good cause. So he pauses, holding his tongue, and looks to see what it is Snake might be staring after.

He blinks at the shot, more surprised by the multiple rounds than anything else, and eyes the rifle. Clearly he has to look into these updated guns, they seem to have advanced quite a lot. ]

I beg your pardon. I had not realized you were hunting.

[ Study of the rifle concluded, he peers instead after... whatever dead things those are. ] What have you hit?

[That's a rather good question, actually. He'd assumed squirrels or rats, but on closer inspection... they're looking more like ferrets. But without his survival guide, he won't be able to tell for sure.]

Eh... Can't say. Looks edible, though.

['Edible' only meaning that they probably aren't venomous. He pokes and examines the three dead, bloody things for a bit before wrapping a hand around their necks to carry them back to the car.]

That was quick, wasn't it? I take it you didn't find what you were looking for.

[ He peers over, curious, and looks a little surprised when the creatures come into sight. ]

Polecats. [ uh. okay. he guesses there are weirder things to eat... ] I cannot speak for their flavor, although nor can I imagine there is anything to be lost of a meal of them... [ if you're weird.

A little more seriously: ] I only wanted to see the area, and anything it might have become. There was not very much to spend my attention on.

Polecats? .... Don't look much like cats to me.

[Not that that'd stop him from eating them, anyway... unless they were cute. For now, he's just glad that they've found something. Sure, he would have preferred some deer... but if you've lived more in the wild than civilized places, you stopped being picky at some point.

And he's not exactly gonna force Laurence to eat some. Guy can eat grass and leaves for all he cares.

He opens the driver's door, climbs in, and carelessly tosses the polecats onto the backseat. The rifle, however, he handles a little more delicately.]

You wanted to see the area, despite knowing that it'd look like this? I mean, what did you expect? Everything has gone to hell.

[Now get back into the car - he's not subtle about wanting to continue on their merry way.]

[ oh my god, Snake, you can't do that!!! Laurence doesn't even know anything about cars, but he's pretty damn sure you'll ruin the upholstery if you let dead animals bleed all over it. He manages not to shoot over a look, but purses his lips and pulls open one of the back doors. He'd prefer oilcloths, but as there aren't any in sight, this super convenient blanket he's just dug up from the back will have to work instead.

When he's satisfied that no furniture is being ruined, he climbs back into the passenger seat. ]

I can admit that I hoped for familiarity, however foolishly. As to what I expected, however... I do not leave disappointed.

[ ... Honestly who cares about the upholstery of some random CAR THEY JUST STOLE ANYWAY? (This man, apparently.) He watches Laurence do his thing a little - baffled, but does

not

comment on it.

Though it's not because he can't think of anything to say. The real question is if any criticism applied to these situations will have much effect, or be anything but pointless. Before Mr Captain is even done, Jack heaves a drawn out sigh, turning his head again, and begins to rub his temple.]

That's... good to know.

[He starts up the engine. It takes a few tries - this is a pretty old car, after all. And aside from the moderately clean upholstery, it looks like it.]

I'll continue driving northeast, then. If we haven't reached the coast by sundown, we'll set up camp for the night.

Edited 2012-02-25 19:36 (UTC)

[ He only nods, settling himself back into the seat (this seatbelt really just doesn't feel nearly supportive enough, after the many carabiner straps that fasten a man to his dragon). ]

To travel London to Hull in a day... [ He sounds a little amused, for once. ] I should have thought it impossible. Even my beast, swifter than most, makes nearly four days of the trip.

We'd probably be even faster if the roads were still intact. And had a better car. This one's old.

[And not exactly suited for this kind of terrain. Not to say, with a plane or a chopper it'd also be a lot faster - not least because they could avoid all this rubble.

Well, for now, he's busy navigating the vehicle around and back onto a 'proper' road.]

Beast... you mean your horse.

[ Laurence takes a second to wonder just what constitutes a "better" car. As far as he can tell, this one travels at astonishing speeds, and he's really not sure what else there is to ask for. Larger, perhaps? ]

I do not. [ Has Snake really thought him a calvary man, this entire time? He had said he was of the Aerial Corps, hadn't he? ] I speak of Temeraire, my dragon.

[Yes you'd said that. And it hadn't made any sense, so the memory had been quickly discarded.

Well.]

.... Of course there had to be something strange about your history, too.

[There goes an unseen eyeroll. He's pretty damn sure there weren't supposed to be any dragons involved in any wars.]

That all, though? Or was there something else you haven't told me about yet - unicorns, maybe?

[No he is not getting cynical now why do you ask.]

[ Wow what. He's glancing over, actually allowing himself to look a little incredulous. What on earth do unicorns and dragons have to do with each other?? ]

I had not neglected to mention unicorns, no. [ Carefully, like the wrong word could set him off. that's how you talk to crazy people. ] Forgive me, I fail to see the common ground between them.

[How about both of them being mythological creatures that shouldn't exist, that's right. Not that that means much given the things he's seen so far, but maybe he's just a bit ~~butthurt~~ disappointed right now.

There's not a single normal person here from the timeline as he knows it.

He grunts.]

Forget it.

Too bad there don't seem to be any dragons around here, now that I think about it. Sure would be nicer for dinner than those critters.

[ what

what

what

okay no amount of gentlemanly culture can stop Laurence from casting over an utterly horrified look at the thought of that. he might actually have gone a little pale. ]

I beg your pardon?

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survivalism - 2012-02-25 22:48 (UTC) - Expand

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bottlegreen - 2012-02-25 22:55 (UTC) - Expand

[BB also takes his dinner seriously. Though... what else are you supposed to do with a dragon? Except killing it?

... Taming and riding it might be something to consider, but. Nah.]

I don't think so. Dragons... dinosaurs... any kind of giant, bigger-than-five-feet reptiles are sort of uncommon where I'm from.

[They sure were. And even then, they were just good for hunting.]

I enjoy hunting. I also enjoy a good challenge. And it's not like those things are herbivores, either. So stop looking at me like that.

I see; perhaps, then, you are unfamiliar with the characteristics of dragons.

[ oh god he's gone into all-out stiff and offended mode ]

They are intelligent creatures, Mr Snake, as much so as either you or I. I could never condone the hunting of them, and indeed, should Temeraire or any of the other beasts of my world ever find their way here, I hope you will not take offense that I should care to actively prevent it.

[ buried somewhere in all that fancyspeak is COME AT ME BRO ]

[Geez, bro, how about you get that stick out of your ass.]

I usually don't go after other people's pets...

[Usually. So Temeraire might be safe. Hrn.] Lots of animals are intelligent, Captain. So are humans. Doesn't prevent the killing of them. [Yes, try to stop him. He'd really like to see how you do that.]

That said, should I ever encounter a talking dragon, I will refrain from shooting it, of course. [Glance.] You'd make a great animal-rights activist, wouldn't you.

[ He won't dispute Snake's calling Temeraire a pet if it means he won't try anything terribly stupid against dragons. ...Although, if Temeraire were here, at his full 100-foot length and 18 ton weight, he suspects Snake wouldn't try it either way. He turns his eyes firmly to the front again. ]

No, and indeed, war ensures it. I should hope, however, that it prevents the creatures from being hunted, at the very least. But I thank you for your display of restraint, it is quite considerate. [ wow was that sarcasm?? ]

[ Oh but if that's what he assumes then Laurence doesn't know Big Boss very well yet. Given he has no problem taking on giant nuclear robots of that size and all.

And he pointedly ignores that tone, too, sounding indifferent himself. ]

Yeah, glad we cleared that up. Though I don't suppose there's much point in talking about the hypothetical hunting of hypothetical dragons.

[ Though it would be such a nice distraction. ]

Undoubtedly not.

[ Which he's more than happy to agree to, if only to end this kind of insane argument. Wow. Eating dragons. And now Laurence is perfectly happy to sit in slightly huffy silence. ALL THE WAY TO HULL, IF HE HAS TO. ]

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survivalism - 2012-02-26 19:29 (UTC) - Expand

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bottlegreen - 2012-02-26 19:44 (UTC) - Expand

[ Hope you're up for one uncomfortable ride, bro. 'cause this ones gonna last for at least the next hour or two. Or however long it takes to finally reach Liverpool - he only knows the general direction, but he hopes there's enough left of it that they'll definitely find a portyard once they reach the coast.

And after a while, it undoubtedly starts to become darker, too. But he says nothing - this is one of those stupid games he ends up playing with Kaz more often that he'd like, where the one that speaks up first loses. ]

[ Well... at least he can say that it's not quite as bad as riding dragonback in the rain for twelve hours at a time. That's pretty much balls. Still, he can guess well enough that they must be nearing their destinaton by now, and that plus the growing darkness seems to him plenty of motivation to end this (admittedly ridiculous) unspoken competition. ]

Perhaps we might stop for the evening, Mister Snake. I should say we have wrung all the travel out of the day that we may.

[ and man oh man does he ever not want to be rushing and bumping through the darkness ]

ooc

survivalism - 2012-02-26 22:02 (UTC) - Expand

[ Whyyyy what could happen seriously. A dragon popping up out of nowhere maybe swallowing their whole car. Surely that would never happen because dragons are such peaceful creatures.

But no. He's getting some sort of satisfaction out of the fact that Laurence just lost and said something, even if that comment wasn't entirely pointless. ]

Perhaps.

[ But he knows instinctively - they're close. So he winds down the window of his door, leaning over. Sun's setting, making it hard to see - and he already knows that the headlights don't work properly, having tested it earlier.

He could filter out the smell of the ocean against thousands of others. ]

Ten minutes. No point in stopping now if we're almost there.

[ He doesn't move from his own seat, preferring to have Snake's agreement before he tries anything like climbing out of a vehicle capable of horribly high speeds. ]

Hull shall be there in the morning, I assure you. And our view of it will be all the better for the light of day.

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survivalism - 2012-02-26 21:28 (UTC) - Expand

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bottlegreen - 2012-02-26 22:20 (UTC) - Expand

[ Oh you know what you're just getting another look.

Sorta like this.

Yes, Laurence, he just didn't want to stop here now just to get up tomorrow again and drive the rest of the way (and wait for his COMPANION) when he could just get to work right away.

But whatever, before he listens to any more of that entirly sophisticated rambling, he does some very sudden and hard braking. Hard enough for you to hit your head on the dashboard if you hadn't put your seatbelt on. ]

Well then.

[And again the engine dies down, and he opens the door to climb out of the car.]

[ oh like hell Laurence would ever trust being in a devil-car without some kind of strapping in. so instead he only has to do a kind of undignified scramble to catch himself, but there's not brains-bashing. He takes a minute just to stare at the dashboard, lips pursed, annoyance high.

It's charming to see Snake's levels of maturity, here. It really is. Laurence briefly wonders if an apology would soothe any of this over, but— oh, they're close enough to bedding down for the night anyway. Maybe tempers will be better come morning on their own. He climbs out more slowly after them.

So tightly: ] I thank you.

[ And he glances around, appraising what he can of the rubble of the edge of the town. It looks a decent enough spot for camping, but boy is he ever going to miss Temeraire's giant protective fatness. ...Not that there's anything out here to fear but polecats, right? ]

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survivalism - 2012-02-27 19:17 (UTC) - Expand

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bottlegreen - 2012-02-27 20:37 (UTC) - Expand

[ Super handy when it actually works. Also oh my god that pistol is ancient, but he's too busy trying to light a smoke right now to comment on it, thank god. ]

I don't sleep.

[ Which should be answer enough. Sure, he does sleep, like, two hours a night perhaps. But he's taken a long nap before their trip, so he doesn't feel like it's necessary - he can still rest without drifting off to sleep, and he actually prefers it like that for various reasons.

Oh, better prepare those polecats first. And that's what does - take his combat knife and skin those critters to skewer them. Gross. ]

[ uh. well then. he stares for a second or two, not totally sure how he's supposed to take that. ]

An exaggeration, I should hope.

[ this is a dude that ate rats on ships in his younger days, and regularly watches his dragon tear apart animals for dinner, he's not too squeamish about watching Snake lovely decimate their sad little selves. ]

[ Oh man let me tell you about rats.

Okay maybe some other time; he's more curious about how polecats taste so he's gonna roast one now. Also, looking over at Laurence - hard to read anything from his expression because it's basically nonexistent. He just seems worn, if anything.]

You think? I could be a zombie.

[ gonna eat your brain, Laurence. Watch out. ]

[ Hello, that's just going to get a... blank stare. ]

Could you.

[ feel free to explain what the crap a zombie is at any time, bro! ]

[ Not that he blames him. He didn't exactly know what zombies were either until a co-worker explained it to him... something you find in silly movies. ]

The walking dead.

[ Okay now actually that isn't too far from the truth, come to think of it. ]

[ He frowns, but thoughtfully. It's not a word he's heard before, but obviously the concept of it is whispered by story tellers in any nation one cares to visit. "Zombie" must either be a new name for it, or an American name. ]

As I have as of yet failed to notice any particular aroma of the grave from your person, I will consider myself safe.

If you're sure.

[ WELL, GOOD TO KNOW HE'S NOT SMELLY, AT LEAST. On the other hand, he doesn't want to further talk about zombies, that's not exactly a good topic. ]

Still don't feel like sleeping, though, so you can lay down if you're not gonna eat anything.

[ But his polecat should be ready now! And once it has cooled off a little, he just. Starts nomming on it. ]

[ ...well. That polecat does smell pretty good. He moves himself to a nearer seat, reaching to bring a bag with him. Out of it comes two oranges, and he holds one out wordlessly to Snake. Not much of an addition to dinner, but at least it's something. Or maybe it's just a peace offering, who knows! ]

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oh no page not found 8[

thanks for the note, totally did not see your tag :'| /tracks the post now

it's like some crazy roulette, WILL I REPLY TO THE COMMENT OR THE ENTRY??

nope but I tend to just click on "reply" instead of going back to the post, hurr

oh i thought you were using some secret magics :c

i wish! :(

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he'd mention PETA if that wasnt five years later SIGH

man PETA's so lame for not being founded 5 years ealier

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itt: manchildren

oh my god seriously

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i have the most appropriate icon rn

holy shit i am in awe

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