[Video]

[swansongs]

Hey, everyone!

[Dyme waved. He was sporting some of his new orange eyeshadow, just to give it a whirl, and his nails were painted orange, too. So were his toenails, on that note, but they weren't visible, obviously. He was also wearing his new outfit, just because.]

You know you can buy makeup and shiiiii- stuff? [He normally didn't give a damn about swearing, but maybe he shouldn't do it in front of the whole train where kids could hear.]

Also, get a load of this.

[Spreading his arms, he backed up to show off his new clothes, doing a little spin.]

What d'you think? I feel like...like some really rich guy or something.

[Well, he was, but not here, and he'd never dressed like he was rich.]

Seriously, who's in charge of picking out these clothes? [He laughed.]

Comments

[irrationally]

Oh, true. I can't remember any history lessons I've had as a child very well, but I do faintly recall those sorts of things being discussed. I had thought it to be a rather old-fashioned practice though.

[ Then again, it's not as if Wonderland was really in the present. It was more on its own time entirely. ]

Let's just hope that queen never shows up on the train. It'd be a huge headache.

[swansongs]

Yeah, beheadings are so out of style.

[He was trying to make a joke, but it was true, too. Beheadings and guillotines were so old-fashioned.]

I've never even met her and I hope she doesn't show up, either. We have enough headaches, sometimes.

[irrationally]

[ That last part seems to catch her attention. Not because it's wrong, but just-- ]

Is there anyone in particular bothering you lately? [ Does she have to go stab someone for you, Dyme!! ]

[swansongs]

No no, I just mean. Being stuck here in general is a headache sometimes. There's so many people, and I'm used to having like, an entire apartment to myself, you know, just me and my thoughts.

[But it was really hard to do that here, and sometimes it got overwhelming.]

[irrationally]

An entire apartment? To yourself?

[ Congratulations, Dyme. Seems like he actually managed to surprise Alice. ]

How big was it?

[swansongs]

I forget the square footage but like, pretty big? It has a couple of bedrooms, and a balcony, and the kitchen's great. My closet is pretty much as big as my entire room here.

[Actually, he owned the entire building back home, but bringing that up would feel like bragging, so he didn't.]

[irrationally]

[ Now she's looking at him even more as if he's speaking a foreign language. Like her brain can't wrap itself around the words that are coming out of his mouth.

The idea of having that much space to yourself is wild to someone who has never had more than one small room to herself, and even that wasn't really hers.. ]

I.. Is that sort of thing normal where you come from? I never got the impression that you were rich. [ Granted, Alice has no idea what more modern rich people are like. Or the ways said people could've earned their money. ]

[swansongs]

Kind of, yeah. I mean, there's apartments way smaller than mine, I grew up in a smaller one. There's also actual houses the same size or bigger than what I have.

[He hesitated a moment, shrugging his shoulders.]

I don't like to brag about how much money I have. Or had. Whichever. I've worked hard for everything I've got, though.

[irrationally]

.. I see..

[ But even as she says that, she still sounds very confused. It's just hard to merge the mental image she's had of Dyme so far with all this new information, honestly. ]

I suppose you're breaking some stereotypes then. You've got to be the first person with money I've met who isn't a total and utter jerk.

[swansongs]

[He was going to take that as a compliment.]

I try really hard not to be. I've worked with enough jerk-ass rich people to know I never want to be like them. I don't know how some of them can even stand themselves.

[irrationally]

[ Definitely a compliment! ]

They're just full of themselves. Even though there are so many people out there suffering, people dying of hunger on the streets.. They wouldn't even think of turning their heads to look at them, let alone do anything to actually help them.

[ There's obvious bitterness in her tone, though it's - luckily - not aimed at him. Just at the people in her memories. ]

I guess you having dealt with them means they truly are something universal.

[swansongs]

Yeah. Shit like that's why I donate to charities and stuff, things that are designed to help people in need.

[Because he could never turn his back on someone who needed help; he was way too nice for that.]

I'm not surprised, really. People being jerks across multiple worlds, especially because of how much money they have, sounds about right. Unfortunately.

[irrationally]

[ Someone with money who actually donates to charities, imagine that.. Sure, it does suit the mental image she's had of Dyme all this time, but it's still a pretty wild concept to wrap her head around. ]

Well..

[ So her voice trails off, and she shakes her head. ]

At least now you have the clothes to look the part. [ You know, all fancy and rich. ]

[swansongs]

Yeah.

Maybe that's why it's what I ended up getting, 'cause I'd never dress like this otherwise.

[Honestly, a comfortable t-shirt, a cozy hoodie, and nice jeans were all he needed in life. None of them had to be expensive or anything; they just had to be comfy.]

Either way, I think I'm gonna save this for special occasions.

[irrationally]

[ A rich person who passes up on rich people clothes! You're getting stranger by the minute, Dyme.. ]

Like a party? Though I suppose those aren't exactly "special" occasions, since they seem to happen frequently enough here..

[swansongs]

Maybe! Or a musical performance, something like that.

[She was right about parties; they seemed to happen pretty often here, even if he didn't usually attend them. He should change that, honestly. It might do him some good.]

[irrationally]

Oh, are you thinking about performing for the train sometime?

[ She did see him play an instrument already, after all. ]

[swansongs]

Maybe. I'm not sure yet. I think it might be nice, though.

[Or he might wait until he had his own electric guitar; that would suit his songs better.]

[irrationally]

I think you're good enough for it.

[ Does Alice understand modern music in the slightest, even after Dyme played for her? Not at all. But at least she's not stupid enough to not at least realise this much. ]

So I'm sure at least some people here would like to hear you play.