[ video ]

[hostage]

[Here's a guy who looks like shit. Not like he's been beaten up or injured or anything like that. The kind of "looks like shit" that comes with recovering from a meth bender curled up on the floor of some catacombs while there's a war raging outside. His body needs sleep desperately but the chaos has kind of prevented that, so he looks pale and sick with dark circles around his eyes and he's subtly shaking - which means the camera is shaking as he holds it.]

Hey, so... Hey. I know we're busy cleaning up and all, but I need, um... I'm just wondering if anybody could bring me some cigarettes. Or, like, anything else to smoke.

[Vague because he's not sure what's legal here.]

I'll pay you back or, you know, whatever. I'll owe you.

And, um, Nananea? You're probably busy with all them hurt people, but - that thing we talked about? I'm ready when you are.

[Despite looking like he should spend the next two weeks in bed.]

Anyway, yeah. Thanks in advance.

Comments

[hostage]

Ah, yeah... Well, I didn't die, so there's something.

[payback]

[A small, phlegmy cough, an then matter of fact:] Yeah. It's pretty awful to drop bombs on a whole town like this. I mean people aren't all fighters, some of them must have died.

[hostage]

Yeah. Probably.

[He doesn't want to think about it.]

[payback]

[Briskly moving along.]

Did you find your apartment?

[hostage]

Yeah. One of my roommates found me before the bombs.

[payback]

Are they nice?

[hostage]

Yeah, totally. Real sweet. I can't believe they got stuck with me.

[payback]

If they're that sweet I bet they're fine with it.

[hostage]

Who's in charge of deciding rooms, anyway? 'cause... I dunno. Where I come from, they wouldn't let somebody like me live with girls that young.

[payback]

I don't know. Some bureaucrat, I bet you. How old is she?

[hostage]

I dunno. Younger teens. Thirteen, maybe. Something like that.

[payback]

I guess I got lucky being with two girls. But does it bother her?

[hostage]

I don't think anything bothers her.

[payback]

Well... I think they're fussy about changing but I guess you could anyway, if you wanted to.

[hostage]

No way. Then they might get stuck with some other random psycho.

[payback]

I think the people who arrange that stuff must know what they're doing.

[hostage]

I don't think so. Probably all in a rush just to get shit done. No way it makes sense.

[payback]

It's not like you're going to be bad for her though, right?

[hostage]

'course not.

[payback]

Then it should be all right for this go round. Though, you're probably right people should be keeping a better eye on the kids.

[hostage]

They shouldn't even be here. I mean, why bring kids to fight a war?

[payback]

I guess that's one argument against them having it together at all.

[hostage]

No shit. It's completely messed up.

[payback]

... That said, it's not like in some circumstances, in a war, kids couldn't be useful.

So maybe they did do it on purpose.

[hostage]

Then they're evil.