un: junpei | video

[coolerjunpei]

[The video opens on Junpei in an office chair - in his Secret Club Meeting Room (read: generic office building conference room) although this is not a secret meeting. This is Junpei spinning slowly in an office chair while he holds the camera up, tilting as far back as he can without tipping the chair over. So it's going great.]

So, city-zens, [.....ahem,] I've got some miscellaneous questions for you.

First, time travel: real? Let me know. [......,] I mean, you know— Before you got here, that is. Like how experienced are you in the realm of quantum... quantum-y goodness? I just thought that maybe it would be real for somebody else by now, but I dunno... Let me know that one instead.

[Cough. Anyway.]

Second, are we all just, uh... hanging out now, I guess? Um, like— who's trying to clip through the weird fog and get out still? Anybody? I'm looking for group, or whatever you call it. We can do code names.

[Junpei is not a gamer.... don't believe this... he's just cringe and thinking about half-press-A-ing through the universe, to wit as he spins faster in his chair:]

Third, whoooo's all in for simulation theory? [as dryly as possible, womp...] Eh? Woooo yeah... simulation theory...!

[The video tilts as he lets go with one hand to hold up... a pinched-fingers hand puppet 🤌... it's still fine, he's doing great. He pitches his voice up higher for the puppet, because of course he does:]

But Junpei, how is this a simulation? Well duh, why else would this place be like a city that doesn't know what a city is supposed to be like? And all the weird loading fog? C'mon! Buuuut Juuuunpei, are we all full of tubes and stuck in goo pods like in that movie?— [Ah, ahem, cough. He puts his hand down.] Maybe.

Or uh, whatever else is in the theory pile. Half the people I was messing around with about theories went and disappeared, soooo... Well, I'm gonna get serious cabin fever if I can't figure something oUT—

[Local Man Tips The Chair Over and Totally Wipes Out, stay tuned for updates. The video ends when the phone drops face down onto the floor, bye.......]

Comments

[coolerjunpei]

Look, I don't have a lot to do these days. Just sitting around with my thoughts is getting weird.

[limbical]

Junpei. As a doctor, I recommend you leave your apartment sometime and find something to do.

[coolerjunpei]

Hey, I am in the secret info club room.

[......okay,] Nah, I get it. Uh... how pathetic is it to ask for suggestions?

[limbical]

[Gently:] It isn't. But there are plenty of people around your age here, and inevitably more areas will open up in this city that might encourage some fun activities. Hopefully without being haunted or some shit, ideally.

On the bright side, we won't just have bowling anymore.

[coolerjunpei]

Great, 'cause I suck at bowling.

[In any case, hm, if he must do some earnest self-reflection, hm. Awk...wardly... but,]

I kind of lost track of my friends back in college because of the same thing, I guess. Not the exact same, obviously, but... you know. Sitting around in my apartment with my thoughts. Woo.

...So uh, I'll try.

[limbical]

What are your usual hobbies, anyway? If you were back home and nothing insane was happening, theoretically.

[coolerjunpei]

I used to like rare sneakers.

[cringe but true.]

And movies.

[limbical]

I'm not too different from the first bit. ...I like nice shoes. Not necessarily rare sneakers, but there you go.

Never watched many movies, though. What would you recommend?

[coolerjunpei]

Oh yeah? Maybe you and me need to hang out more.

[And look at radically different types of shoes in the local off-brand DSW!]

As for movies, I like the sci-fi ones. Big robots, action—things like that. I'm not really into movies about ordinary life stuff... The last time I told somebody the whole plot of a movie he told me it was weird of me, though.

[Because It Was. details.]

[limbical]

I'm due to get another pair actually anyway. My last pair of nice ones got messed up in that damned Haunted House.

[hell yeah man]

Robot movies, huh. Not a ton of sci-fi movies I could think off the bat, but I didn't really go to the movies a lot, personally. Plenty of detective films, though. Those are okay.

But if we get some movies here, maybe you ought to set up a movie night.

[coolerjunpei]

Let's go get some new shoes, then. I can tell you about the time Roland tried to get me to wear a tie.

[Ah, memories... this is activities with people, he's doing it so right...]

And a movie night... I guess I've been setting up more stuff than usual since I got here. Movie night would even be fun. Who do I beg for a DVD player? The kiosk?

[limbical]

By all means. I'm sure that worked out great.

[you're doin it man]

...The hell is a DVD player?

[coolerjunpei]

It's gonna shock you that I don't even know how to tie a tie.

[And he still doesn't! Character development failed.]

A DVD player plays- [don't say dvds] movies. On these... discs. I'm pretty sure there's a laser involved.

[He's holding up his fingers in a helpful O. Is this clear??]

[limbical]

Not all that shocked.

[Daan is squinting with his sole eye.]

Discs and lasers. ...Right, well. Seems a bit more technologically beyond what I'm used to.

[coolerjunpei]

I've almost got a whole brand going.

[ha. anyway.]

If the powers-that-be'll give me a DVD player and a copy of... anything at all, I'll set it up for you. It'll be cool.

[limbical]

That works for me. I had to have Tsuruno teach me how to use this phone when I first got here, so I'm a bit behind on some of the more advanced stuff.

[coolerjunpei]

That doesn't surprise me much.

[A beat. Oh-] You know, they put lights in sneakers these days, too. Modern marvels, huh?

[limbical]

[That earns a sharp, amused laugh, albeit the noise is very brief.]

The hell did they do that for? What happened to flashlights?

[coolerjunpei]

[Ten points to Junpei for this victory--]

Those are in our hats. And nearly everything else. I had a real fine pair of light-up velcro sneakers back in the day.

[limbical]

...What the fuck is velcro?

[help i had to look this up velcro was invented in the 1950s]

[coolerjunpei]

It's, uh. There's two pieces that stick together, one of them is these tiny plastic hooks and one is plastic... fuzzy stuff that the hooks get into and hold the pieces together.

[This, like the DVD O, has a lot of gesturing. Behold his Velcro Hands.]

They use it on shoes for kids who aren't old enough to tie laces.

[limbical]

[The charades truly tells the whole picture.]

I guess that's fair. Interesting concept, but doesn't seem complicated either.

So, what I'm hearing is that kids get light-up shoes with this velcro. Right?

[coolerjunpei]

Pretty much, yeah.

[he.....resists. going off on another tangent, but this time about heelies.]

[limbical]

Hm. Cute, I guess. I'd never have owned a pair even if they existed during my time. Shame.

[coolerjunpei]

Soooo, if we happen to run into some adult size light-up velcro sneakers...