milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Mr. Universe is in the bar, hunched over his laptop as usual.

Come get his attention away from whatever he's doing. Make him eat, maybe.

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"You can't see the sky from inside."

"...you don't go outside, then."

"I do sometimes", he says defensively. He's lying. "I just... get very busy."

A small blink.

"I understand. But how can you not ... outside. It is very important."

"Why?"

He genuinely doesn't understand.

"Because sunlight and air feed the body and the soul."

He tries to sound profound.

"I had good air in my complex", he says, confused. "And sunlight lamps, when I needed them."

"But it is not the same."

He eyes the man. "Don't you excercise? Or swim or ... eat outdoors?"

"...no?"

"Most unhealthy!"

He looks very disgruntled.

"I'm dead", Mr. Universe objects. "I don't think I can get unhealthy anymore."

He sounds strangely cheerful about this. And conveniently ignores the fact that death did not change his eating and exercise habits at all.

Lawrence licks his lips.

"But what if it does? How do you know, I mean." He shakes his head.

"...I don't, I guess. But I figure it stands to reason."

"But you don't Know. What would happen if you died again?"

How odd to think of something like that.

"...I'm not going to die again. I eat."

"Do you?"

As if it's obvious he doesn't. Or something.

Shiftily, "Yes. When I get hungry."

Or when he notices that he's hungry.

"As opposed to six--three times a day like normal people?"

"...normal people eat three times a day? Like, really, not just in the shows on the Cortex?"

He doesn't really have much of a basis for comparison.

"I eat six times a day in smaller portions, actually."

"You have time for that?"

"Not much else to do here, really."

"Sure there is. I find stuff to do, anyway. But... I don't think they had computers in 1919, did they?"

"Well, there was the war." He makes a face.

"But that is over now."

Mr. Universe blinks, almost sure he's missed a step somewhere.

"What about the war?"