Poe of tree.

"You can't beat this guy," you say over your shoulder, "he's invincible."
"Let me try it-"
"Man, I swear. I've tried everything."
"Yeah, but I haven't."
"Suit yourself." shrug, return to your own game.

A pile of edamame shells and a 'WTF' expression. A face I've never seen under a pile of hair that I don't recognize. You're a globetrotter, you're a conquistador, you're a supplement, you're a salve, you're an actor out of work, I think I love you, I think I'm mad, etc.

"I'll try walking past him. Y'know, ignoring it."
"Doesn't work."
"FUCK."
"Yeah, he just comes back later on."
"Really?"
"Yeah, man. I stopped playing because of him."

I'm trying to put the game down, but its one I've been playing since around third grade. Mrs. Fulcher's class, I believe. I found your nose/wedgie picking endearing, and I left your birthday party because I was terrified of rollerskating. I hope to Bob that I've evolved in SOME way.

A bit. A leetle bit.

Except now I'm digging through your old memories again. The ones from back in the DEEZY fo SHEEZY. For a while, I liked to imagine myself in black and white--with a pencil-thin mustache and a cigarette case, putting on my fedora and saying some quip like, "Don't fall for me, kid. I'm just a heap of trouble." before turning around and walking into the rain. Yeah, I'm THAT guy.

Except...y'know...right now...when I'm not.

"This boss is goddamn impossible."
"Dude, I've been telling you that for the last hour."
"Why would they put him IN here?"
"I dunno. Probably so you can't do anything but think about beating it."
"Those clever fucks."
"I've got like...way better games if you want."
"No, hold on--I just thought up a new strategy.."

Unlike Lisa, you're not TEEEARING ME APAAART. Like Wile E Coyote, I wouldn't know the first thing to do if I caught that roadrunner. But the NAGGING. And the...time limit..? I'm trying to learn the lesson here, but it's like the lesson is, "HAH. You silly fuck. See what happens? Now go do something else."

"I HATE THIS BOSS."
"You don't hate him."
"I DESPISE HIM. I WANT NOTHING BUT MISFORTUNE FOR THIS BASTARD."
"No you don't, you're just frustrated."
"BUT-"
"Why don't you put in another game, like I said?"
"I don't want another game."
"Uh huh."
"I...I dunno. I really like this game."
"Would you die if you could never play it again?"
"I guess not, no. 'Vase Seekers: Alpha' is kind of a weird title, anyway."
"Bad translation."

/enigmatic jumble