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[nostalgiabomb]

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[nostalgiabomb]

Something like it on the bigger planets. You know, the ones people actually give a shit about. Everything else is just backwater and quaint.

You know, like Earth.

[animated]

Earth is backwater and quaint?

I mean, I guess I can see it, but having lived there for as long as I have, I've seen it develop in a pretty impressive way.

[nostalgiabomb]

I'll have to take your word on it. [ Meanwhile, he's gonna flop back onto Charlie's bed. Because he owns the place. Literally. ]

Haven't really been keeping up on Terran news, lately.

[animated]

[ He watches him a moment, then sort of... flops back as well. ]

I can stop bringing it up, if you want. We can stick to pop culture references.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He chews on his lower lip thoughtfully. Then he stops, when his teeth pinch down on a cut there. Whoops.

He could ask him to stop there. He's been running from Earth for a long time, now. Nothing left for him there, after all, except relatives who've probably long forgotten him or thought him dead. Going back would just be painful for everyone all around, he thinks. Easier to avoid it. Easier to stay dead.

But-- it's still his home, right? Kind of? And hearing about it doesn't mean he has to step back on Terran soil, so-- ]

Nah. It's okay. [ It's said quietly, hesitantly, but he keeps on trucking. ] Go on. Wow me with your funny little Earth technology.

[animated]

Says the guy who had no idea what to do with my cell phone.

[ But he frowns a little, propping himself up on an elbow to look at Peter. ] But really, whatever you want. It'd be like if you talked about my parents all the time.

[nostalgiabomb]

-- I take it parents are a touchy subject for you, then.

[ Because Peter has likely avoided the topic of conversation altogether. It's not a particularly fun subject for anyone aboard the Milano, two of whom lost their parents, one of whom was a parent, and two of whom likely never had anything like parents. ]

[animated]

[ He snorts out a laugh, but there's no humor in the sound ] Haven't seen good ol' mom and dad in the last forty years.

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[ He frowns a little, and his voice is quieter, almost worried. ]

Big falling out, huh?

[animated]

Here's a fun wizard fact for you, Peter: magic is only passed down from fathers to sons.

So if you come from a family of any sort of standing, the end goal is find a nice girl from a family of any sort of standing, get married, and pop out little wizard babies.

[ he shrugs, flopping back down to stare at the ceiling ] Wanting anything else is unacceptable.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... ah. He winces at that bit of information, and-- alright. He's at a loss for words for a few seconds -- because, really, what do you say to that? "I'm sorry your parents suck"? Might work. Might be stupid to say, but it might work.

Peter's always responded better to physical touch, anyway, a lot better than words (because he knows words are empty; he says a lot of empty words all the time, personally), so he reaches over and takes Charlie's hand.

It's just-- a small act, he knows. But it's probably the most intimate thing he's done, aside from--

You know.

Sex. ]

[animated]

[ Charlie actually blinks at him a couple of times. Honestly, he never expected anything quite so... tender from Peter.

But his expression quickly softens into a smile, and he gives Peter's hand a squeeze. ]

Thanks.

[nostalgiabomb]

... Yeah.

[ And he clears his throat and glances up at the ceiling, because-- this is sort of awkward. For him, anyway.

At length, he says, ] So. Social standing, huh? You, like, a wizard noble or something?

[animated]

[ He lets out a laugh, this one actually sounds amused. ]

Might as well be. My old man and my grandfather are the best Enhancers in the business. Glamours, physical enhancements. They're the wizarding equivalent to plastic surgeons.

I always hated that crap, so good for me, disappointment on two fronts.

[nostalgiabomb]

So instead, you make brooms do your mopping for you and make beds fly, like Angela Lansbury. [ He says it lightly, though; he still thinks the magic is cool, but any chance to make fun of the guy, he'll definitely take it. ]

That mean you have, like, six names? Are you a the third?

[animated]

Man, the end of that movie was weird. She was using animate suits of armor to fight Nazis. That's weird.

[ Welp, Peter sure hit the nail on the head. Or at least half did. Charlie stares at him for a second or two and then just bursts out laughing ] Would you believe I am a "the third"?

[nostalgiabomb]

I think you're mistaking "weird" for "awesome." But it's a common mistake, bro.

[ He grins in response -- because laughing is a good sign. ] After that? Yeah, I totally would. I bet you come from a long, prestigious line of Charwin Bartholomew Geoffrey Eben Mariah Octavius Maxwells, right?

[animated]

It was weird as hell for a Disney flick, okay?

[ oh god Peter what-- what is even that name ] How do you even come up with this stuff?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He hums, shrugging. ] What can I say? It's a gift.

So? How close was I?

[animated]

Not even close at all.

[nostalgiabomb]

Damn. I was sure I nailed it with Charwin.

[animated]

"Charwin" doesn't even sound like a real name. It sounds like a Pokemon.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The look on his face is a puzzled one. ]

... A pokey-what? Stop makin' up shit, man.

[animated]

Ah, sorry, sorry. I have to remember to keep it dialed back to the 1980's.

Pokemon is this... I dunno, video game-slash-card game-slash-TV series that got huge in like the late 90's. It's all about catching a team of little creatures with different abilities and using them to fight other people's teams of creatures with different abilities.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He wrinkles his nose a little that, frowning. ]

So, like, do they fight each other to the death or somethin'? That seems sort of brutal.