Crankshaft Memory [Crankshaft Rafflesian Rework}

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

You’re Lex, trash rabbit extraordinaire.

Extraordinaire might be a strong word though...

You pick fights you shouldn’t…

You’re always in trouble for something..

And yet somehow? Things seem to work out.

Today’s one of those days. After months of being busy with a new job, your side job, FINALLY moving in with your girlfriend, getting a therapist, and paying back a number of fines from a few blunders on your adventure, you went on the first big full date with Dotty in a long time…

And it’s been nice.


Dotty: I’m so glad we wait til after the movie to eat, shit hurt my stomach to watch.

Lex: Same.

Dotty: Not in a bad way but more… how? Why?

Lex: It’s all fake but it’s hard to tell?

Dotty: Live film is a hell of a thing, we gotta see more of those when we can.

Lex: No like, that movie was actually nuts.

Dotty: The part where the mob guy walked out of the screen?

Lex: Then he dragged one of the staff back with him?

Dotty: Then that one part with the dressing room! I loved it but I hated it!

Lex: Scare me shitless. Like...

Dotty: The guy with the puppet!?

Lex: That ACTUALLY hurt to watch, poor thing…

Dotty: I felt so bad! When he started making dial-up screeches?!

Lex: That’s rad as hell though! The part that got me was the epilogue, got actual chills from that.

Dotty: What was his name?

Lex: Like.. Benny I think?

Dotty: Not sure that’s right but he has that energy?

Lex: I’m gonna be thinking about that performance for awhile..

Dotty: Actually deserves best actor for that, not even kidding.

Lex: Hair’s still standing! Shit dude…

Dotty: I have no idea how they’re going to make the VHS version anywhere as good….

Lex: I’m glad we saw that while it was running locally…

Dotty: Same! Like… I needed that. I think we all really needed that you know? Life’s been on hiatus for a bit but like… dang.

Lex: Really though. I just feel so… refreshed, Is that weird? Like…

Dotty: No I get it! I just wanna get home and yell about it 'til I’m tired.

Lex: Same.

Dotty: Thanks for taking me out today…. Surprised you managed to get tickets though. Limited screenings get sniped so hard in the city and they’re already pricey as is…

Lex: I have my ways..

Dotty: How’d you do it?

Lex: I had someone hook me up. Remember Kurt?

Dotty: Sorta? The high school friend?

Lex: Yep! He’s been around more, finally got the chance to sit down and talk to him. He’s married with a kid?!

Dotty: I mean he’d be 24 by now, right?

Lex: 25, he’s older by a year.

Dotty: That’s pretty normal stuff.

Lex: I guess? Still..  He asked me “Hey, you wanna see the new legend?” and whipped out pictures of him and the baby.

Dotty: That’s so nerdy! Like it’s sweet but..

Lex: No it super is! He’s cool though, gotta introduce him to you at some point.

Dotty: Maybe at our wedding?

Lex: Wedding?

Dotty: We’ve been doing this for a few years, finally moved in together… seems like the next step right? Some little birdie told me you’ve thought about it a few times.

You can feel her deep smirk melting you down. Your heart is racing. You’ve been snitched on.

Dotty: Course they also told me you wanted to be the one to pop the question yourself and I’d kinda love that so…

Her expression softened.

Dotty: When you’re ready I’m ready.

Lex: Honestly? I wanna be but like…. I wanna make sure we’ll be good for it too.

Dotty: Could get a small one to happen, no?

Lex: With my family? God no, we’d need to save and plan for a good year if we want to make it happen and I got so many folks who’ve all wanted to pitch in and help and well-

Dotty: Relax, I’m kidding! Mostly anyway?

Lex: Which part is the mostly?!

Dotty: I mean I’d be down when we’re better for it, right now we just barely moved in together and we’re both pretty busy with stuff. I got a promotion and a side job, you got that dueling career of yours starting to really catch some momentum AND you’re doing a lot of heavy lifting with the retail.

Lex: I mean, the retail is really Jam’s thing… I just tag in cause they get tired easily and I wanna pitch in too… It’s kinda nice that the regulars can tell us apart though. They really want a little more of a life of their own…

Dotty: Jam’s said as much.

Lex: Yeah. Like, we both share the same body and stuff and they don’t really wanted to be separated but at the same time it means they gotta work extra hard to be recognized as their own person. They’ve gotten pretty good at it though.

Dotty: Yeah?

Lex: I’ll go to the back room to change for my shift and some folks will ask “Hey, where’s the smug rabbit?”. It’s like some comic book stuff but it works? They’re hell proud of it.

Dotty: Should be, they work hard on their look.

Lex: I mean it’s more than just the look you know? The expressions, the voice shift, their entire body language…. Like… a lot of time went into figuring that out.

Dotty: Speaking of, any chance we’ll get a cameo from them later?

Lex: Maybe? Probably later, they had kind of a hard work day and need to rest. Napping right now I think, can’t hear them.

Dotty: Is everything okay?

Lex: Holiday shoppers. Tis the season.

Dotty: Sympathies… kinda surprised the shop’s getting that many folks?

Lex: Targe and Spice stocked up on more winter aesthetics lately. People who buy witchy stuff like any excuse to dress in more and the cold does that. Really just folks in general.

Dotty: I’m pretty guilty of that, shit gets freezing. Just want to get through the work day, take the bus home, and curl up on the couch with some soup or a hot drink….

Lex: That’s sweet though…

Dotty: If it’s raining? Bonus. Don’t like going through it but the sound of it from outside really makes the day for me…

Lex: Mm…

Dotty: I don’t know… maybe we can do some of that tonight? Kind of wind down from our big date like that?

Lex: Course.

Dotty: Put on some music too… I got a few tapes and discs I picked up recently that you might be into. Lots of local stuff, there’s a place nearby that stocks up on indies and students from the local colleges. Think some from the one you used to go to?

Lex: Uh… Secondgrover?

Dotty: Yeah! Got a couple of tapes from an artist called uh… Punch Card Lemon?

Lex: Oh my god….

Dotty: Guessing that rings a bell.

Lex: She was my partner a couple of times during a course on communications media. Carried her acoustic with her everywhere… Used to love to hog the recording equipment and reserved time with the studio like 3 days a week.

Dotty: Studio?

Lex: Yeah, campus had a pretty nutty studio setup. They put money into a lot of recreational stuff like that.. Was kinda rad honestly? A lot of kids who wanted to be musicians would fight for as much time as they could get for it. Some were desperate enough to buy other’s reservation tickets to get extra time. Became a big enough problem that they had to limit how much someone could cap off. 

Dotty: That’s pretty funny.

Lex: Yeah. School was a lot of stress and hard times but little things like that always made it worth it… gotta wonder if Lemony’s still going there. Didn’t know her all that well but she was fun. Like a manic theater kid without the ego. You know the type.

Dotty: Not really? Never went to school, didn’t ever have the chance for it… you make it sound pretty fun though. Missed out on so much honestly…

Lex: I’m sorry..

Dotty: For what? Before you I wasn’t doing jack. Just a cycle of work and sleep and maybe if I’m lucky I’ll get to talk to someone nice on the job… hell even before I got rebooted.

Dotty: The Specialist’s been helping me piece it all together but… it’s not that different. Don’t think I ever had a real life before I got restored.

Dotty: I guess just….

Dotty: The more I remember stuff, the more I realize I’m going to have to confront it all.

Dotty: Whoever I used to be made a lot of promises and a lot of enemies…

Dotty: You’ll have to be ready for that one day I guess.
 

You grab her by the hand, she blushes immediately.

Dotty: What are you doing?

Lex: Holding.

Dotty: Why?

Lex: It's nice…

Dotty: My hands are all nasty and scratched up…

Lex: Just like me.

Dotty: you’re not nasty..

Lex: I’m pretty rough around the edge though.

Dotty: It’s good on you.

Lex: Good on me?

Dotty: I mean...

Lex: You’re blushing.

Dotty: Shut up!

Lex: Look who’s red now…

Dotty: Fuck off! You got that look on your face….

Lex: Maybe…

Dotty: Fuck dude…

Lex: When we get back, you can look as long as you want and we can talk about everything yeah?

Dotty: Yeah… you sure you’ll be good for it?

Lex: Course, always...