(no subject)

[serialized]

[ Hey, check it out, a second person chain-smoking all over the podium. Nate kind of looks like he needs it, though. He's got one arm tucked tightly against his chest and the elbow of the other resting on top of it, so the cigarette doesn't have to get very far from his mouth. And he's not real big on eye contact right now, though to be fair, impromptu public speaking in a piazza full of masked hooded figures can do that, plus: hangover sunglasses. ]

Looking for some vacation suggestions. Needs to be not on the North or South American continent, should either be a densely populated city or somewhere difficult to access. Like a seafaring cult cruise ship. But not... a seafaring cult cruise ship.

[ Excuse him while he million-mile-stares into the distance. ]

I don't think I'd like that.

[ Another moment of hollow-eyed contemplation of the air. ]

Also I need to leave like, now.

Comments

[serialized]

Thanks. No offense to the internet but you're a heck of a lot more reassuring.

I was wondering about the Tristan da Cunha place you mentioned.

[threnodic]

They say it's the most remote archipelago in the world. It's tiny, though — population in the 200s or 300s, don't recall which. If that's too countrified, Saint Helena is nearby, and almost as remote, but it's more of a small city. They'd probably have better accommodation for strangers.

Mild tropical climate. Not too inhospitable. Both places have internet, functioning societies, don't get me wrong, it ain't even close to roughing it, but you do have to get there by ship. They don't have airports.

I liked the sound of both, honestly.

[serialized]

Yeah, it sounds. It sounds good.

[ So that's the voice of someone trying not to be relieved because he's afraid it would be premature, or jinx it. ]

Saint Helena... that'd be Constantine's mother, right?

[threnodic]

Oh, yeah, I think that's right. Patron saint of archaeologists and, uhh, difficult marriages? Which is a hell of a spectrum. I dunno the details, I'm not Christian.

[serialized]

Me neither. Until you said archaeologists and difficult marriages I was getting hopeful about it being a "sign."

[ Dry, vocal-only quotation marks there. ]