Ripper (to Eep): Oh yeah, sorry I startled you. I was using Mouse's punching bag. Coffee would be great.
Eep (to Ripper): Heh. Clearly. Uh, you OK? You look like shit. You wanna cup of coffee or something? We got some brewed.
Ripper (to Eep): Thanks... This is just fine. Heh. It reminds me of how my Dad makes coffee. He always says coffee should be strong as death.
Eep (to Ripper): Heh. It's alright. I'm fucking awake now. Christ... Here you go. There's sugar and cream if you want it. I made the coffee so it might be on the strong side.
Ripper (to Eep): Well, we're a household of tea drinkers, you know, since my parents are English. So when we drink coffee we want it to be strong.
Eep (to Ripper): Strong as death, huh? Heh. You're the only one who hasn't complained. Mouse says I've killed all my taste buds with cigarettes. The only tea anyone drinks in my family is mate, which is this super sweet, herbal shit. Tastes kinda like grass to me. You, uh, you sure you're OK? You look kinda... Nevermind. Forget it. Sorry. None of my business.
Ripper (to Eep): Heh... Wow. I must look like shit, huh?
Eep (to Ripper): Uh, yeah. Kinda.
Ripper (to Eep): Yeah, that's usually what happens when you drink a bottle of Irish whiskey.
Eep (to Ripper): Jesus Christ! There are easier ways to kill yourself, you know. I'm shocked you're upright.
Ripper (to Eep): I kinda wish I wasn't...
Eep (to Ripper): Well, no shit. Usually, if you down a bottle of whiskey, that's what you're kinda going for. Is, uh, is everything OK?
Ripper (to Eep): No... I totally fucked up. Poppy's really pissed at me.
Eep (to Ripper): Poppy's pissed at you? Oh, that, uh... No. Wait. I'm totally fucking lost. Why is Poppy mad at you?
Ripper (to Eep): Yeah, she was taking me through the neighborhood where she grew up, so that I could file a report with the Empress... and well, truth be told, I was a bit of a dick... I just find it hard to take her seriously sometimes.
Eep (to Ripper): And she's pissed at you for not listening to her, right?
Ripper (to Eep): Well, yeah. There's that & I don't know, when I look at her she looks like a little kid to me...
Eep (to Ripper): How come you have a hard time taking her seriously? Is it her voice, cause, honestly? I thought she was faking it at first. Really? Huh... I don't get that from her at all. I mean, yeah, she comes up to, like, my armpits, but... I dunno. I guess there's something so, uh, cynical? Hard? So something about her that doesn't make me think she's a kid at all.
Ripper (to Eep): Well, that's probably why she called me a pompous ass & a male chauvinist pig. Like I said, I fucked up.
Eep (to Ripper): Yikes. Ouch. Does her being a girl have anything to do with it?
Ripper (to Eep): What? I didn't think it did... but after her yelling at me & then, Mouse saying that it's just cuz I'm a guy. Well, it makes a fella start to wonder...
Eep (to Ripper): Yeah. I can imagine. Well, would you have listened to Vincent if he'd told you the same thing?
Ripper (to Eep): Heh... I don't know. I'd like to say no, but who really knows what you'd do until it happens.
Eep (to Ripper): Heh. Well, don't beat yourself up too badly for it. If you were really a huge dick, you wouldn't this worried about it. I don't think my brothers or pop EVER worried about whether or not they were acting like sexist dicks.
Ripper (to Eep): Heh. Thanks.
Eep (to Ripper): If it makes you feel any better, I know how you feel. After I had to go and live with my dad, I became really fucking paranoid about acting like a macho douche.
Ripper (to Eep): Yeah, sounds a bit like my family. Though, I wouldn't call Ben or my Dad macho douches... not to their face, anyway. :-P
Eep (to Ripper): Ha ha ha! Yeah. I have done it. Lemme tell you, it doesn't go well.
Ripper (to Eep): Heh... Thanks for talking to me, Eep. I appreciate it.
Eep (to Ripper): Oh. Yeah. No problem. I'm gonna go paint for a little bit before work. If you wanna hang out and hit the punching bag some more, it's cool.
Ripper (to Eep): Thanks for the offer but I think I should head home & get cleaned up. I'll see you later!
Eep (to Ripper): Later.
A short time later:
Mouse (to Eep): Hey, I'm back from shopping... How's the painting coming?
Eep (to Mouse): Hey. I just started. I was talking to Ripper before.
Mouse (to Eep): How's the big lunkhead doing?
Eep (to Mouse): Pretty upset, actually. Downed a whole bottle of Irish whiskey last night upset. Sounds like he made an ass out of himself by ignoring something Poppy told him in Bizarro Land. He felt pretty shitty about it.
Mouse (to Eep): Oh, so that was what had him in such a tizzy last night.
Eep (to Mouse): Heh. Yeah. She told him he was pompous and a chauvinist and now he's scared he's a dick.
Mouse (to Eep): Wow... Really? Now, I feel kinda bad about what I said to him.
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. He said he has a had time taking her seriously cause she looks like a little kid. But who knows? Her being a girl could be part of it. He said his dad and brother were kinda asses about that kinda thing. He'll be alright. Heh. And I'll bet he won't do it again.
Mouse (to Eep): I'm sure you're right... And, just to warn you, I'm totally going to give you a hug now. Don't make it weird!
Eep (to Mouse): Ha. Ha. I don't mind if YOU gimme a hug. You're not gonna stop riding me about that any time soon, are you?
Mouse (to Eep): Probably not... Unless, it really annoys you & then I'll stop.
Eep (to Mouse): Heh. No, not really. I just don't get what's so weird about you being a special case.
Mouse (to Eep): It's not weird... I guess it still just amazes me.
Several hours later:
Vincent (to Victor): I love you, Little Man. Honest and for true. I love you more than anyone else I've ever known. Why are you making me want to throttle you?
Poppy (to Vincent): Honey, what's wrong with Victor?
Vincent (to Poppy): He's fine, lover. He's just fussy. He doesn't want to settle down.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... Here. Let me give it a try.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. Well, look at that. He settled right down. I suppose you have the magic touch, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): Heh. I've heard that before... (to Victor) Now, little man, you be good and go to sleep. (to Vincent) Are you trying to get out of late night baby duty again, honey?
Vincent (to Poppy): Hmmm? What? Oh. No. Of course not, hun. Just a bit tired. I'll get used to the bar tending slash Victor schedule soon enough.
Poppy (to Vincent): You're a good daddy, honey... if we sneak off to bed, now. We might be able to both get some sleep.
Vincent (to Poppy): That sounds divine, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): Honey, you're divine. ;-)
Vincent (to Poppy): Hee hee. Well, I don't know what I did to garner that reaction, but I'm not going to complain. Lead the way.
Poppy (to Vincent): Just watching you with our son, honey... My boys. It makes me happy.
