[voice, private to Dave Strider] backdated to July 8th

[crankyshark]

 Hey, Captain Strider, how have you been? Seems like I haven't seen you around much lately...but I saw ya a few days ago at the race start. Sorry I didn't get the chance to talk to you then, I was running around fighting and stuff. Anyway you got  a few minutes to talk?

[wow he felt kinda awkward doing this. He didn't usually just ask people to talk, but he'd been a bit concerned after not seeing Dave much recently. At least he now knew he was still...alive and on the ship and such.]

Comments

[crankyshark]

Wow...yeah, I'd probably hate that kind of music too. There was certainly music with lyrics I didn't like in my world, but I don't think I came across anything that bad...

[he nodded about the confidence comment, also letting the subject of people Dave knew drop]

Yeah, I feel ya there. I freakin' hate it when people act all elitist like they're better than everyone else. As if magical strength or good looks or status in society gives them the right to talk to others like they're trash... I can't get along with people like that at all.

[hollywood_bro]

It isn't all bad. Rhyming and rhythm are cool and a lot of rappers use their music to talk about things that are wrong in our society. Then there are rappers who are complete shit and use their music to make asses of themselves.

[Technically there isn't even a lot of distinction between the two. Most rappers are pretty atrocious regardless of their motives. There are rappers who are out there to express themselves and they don't care who they offend, and then there are rappers who rap specifically to offend. Big difference.]

It ain't even about that. Most of these guys just want to look big and bad because their lives have been shitty, but if you're gonna act like trash then you're gonna get treated like trash.

[crankyshark]

[He nodded] Guess there is that element of variety in any genre of music.

Hmmm. Doesn't always happen that way where I come from. It's more like if there's a rumor going around that you're trash you get treated like it. And if you're in a high position, you can act like a bag of crap and people will still love you.

[hollywood_bro]

That's not what I'm talking about. Sure, there are some trashy people who are still famous, lots of them in fact, but it doesn't change how awful they are. No matter how many people admire them they're still trash.

[Famous people still get away with a lot though. He isn't trying to deny that. Everyone's supposed to be equal, but in reality there's a different standard for people who have money and power. They can get out of almost anything.]

'Course it doesn't really help when your entire world is run by a homicidal alien bitch. Would've been a lot better without her.

[crankyshark]

Run by... what?? How did that happen?

[hollywood_bro]

Slowly and subtly. She snuck into our world, gathered power, used subliminal messages to numb the minds of the masses, and then suddenly BAM! She's Alien Empress of the Earth.

[He might have over-dramatized it a bit, but that's basically how it went.]

[crankyshark]

Dang... that sucks. People still don't realize it happened and want to fight back or what?

[hollywood_bro]

No. Most of them were too brainwashed for that and the ones who weren't got rounded up and sent to concentration camps, so...

[Yeah. it was pretty bad.]

[crankyshark]

Dang. Well, I hope you're not offended by this, but I don't think I'll be adding your world to the list of ones I'd like to visit if possible.

[hollywood_bro]

That is like the least offensive thing I've ever heard. Dude, I don't even want to visit my own world. Why do you think I was happy when left? This place is like a summer vacation compared to there.

[crankyshark]

Hahah...So I'm not the only one who likes this world better than their home world huh? If I could, I'd choose to stay here and never go back.

[hollywood_bro]

I don't know if I'd want to stay here. It's a nice place to visit, but I've gotta go back sometime. Even if everyone is dead.

[crankyshark]

[He frowned a bit, looking confused] I can understand going back to a crappy place for people you care about, but would you really want to go back if you found out everyone was dead? I mean... well, I doubt that's the case anyway. I've heard people say they've gone back to their world and no time even passed.

[hollywood_bro]

I don't mean everyone is literally dead. Just most of the people I care about. I'm sure there are still plenty of people around, maybe even a few I like, but they already killed two of my best actors and I'm pretty fucking upset about it.

[crankyshark]

[he frowned sympathetically at that news] oh, sheesh.... Not cool. I cent believe there's really no way to get psycho alien lady out of power... Maybe you guys need a really good assassin or something to step up. Too bad we can't go freely into each other's worlds, or I bet Kat could help you with that problem...

[hollywood_bro]

Dude, her power level is over 9000. I know you don't get the reference, but that's like... a lot of power, okay? She can communicate with animals, float in mid air, use mind control. She could kill someone with one blow or call up an army of creatures. She could even take control of my brain and force me to kill my own sister if she wanted.

[crankyshark]

[His expression turned to a slight scowl]

Man, that's a pain. How crappy... Guess all you can do is hope someone will eventually step up to beat her that has, uh... a power level over 9000 also.

[hollywood_bro]

I don't even know if anyone that powerful exists, but if they do they're probably evil. That's just the way it works where I'm from. All the most powerful people in my world are genocidal megalomaniacs because why would you want that much power unless you wanted to destroy everything?

[crankyshark]

Maybe someone would want a lot of power so they could protect everything.

[He shrugged]

I've fought some pretty powerful people who only attacked me because they thought I was a threat to... people they cared about I guess.