IC inbox (pumpkin hollow)

[lovethyneighb_or]

Mulcahy here! Leave a message.

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[pineapplesalmon]

[ Another thump as Rex flops onto the bed besides César, who manages to say through his laughter. ]

How—How did you manage to guess you were half-Mexican correctly and not guess you were Catholic?

[rexthebuilder]

[ Rex lets out a huff, but there's a lot less annoyance in his voice when he speaks again and there's force behind the complaints. Because man, the other dude sounds like he really needs the laugh, and César's laughter is making something warm rise in his chest. ]

Because I craved tacos and burritos, not bland communion wafers and that weird grape wine! ... ... huh, I know what those taste like. Weird! And stop laughing!

[ Which elicits César to start laughing anew. There's shuffling movement and the sound of a pillow fwumping repeatedly against a body. It cuts breaks into César's laughter as he tries to move away. Unsuccessfully. ]

[lovethyneighb_or]

[ Mulcahy breaks into open giggling, a sound so light and delighted, and rare for it. ]

Oh, Rex-- [ more giggling as the so very suspicious sounds of soft thumping come through the stone, ] --it's hardly a requirement to crave them, or else they'd be used for toast and jam instead of the Eucharist--

1/3 because Rex talks too fast

[rexthebuilder]

[ César doesn't say anything else, keeping right on laughing through the pillow continuing. Rex snorts with laughter at that thought. ]

Nah, it's more like I only realize I know about something after thinking about it. I was craving burritos one day and went to an authentic place and recognized everything on the menu and a lot of the decor and there was fútbol on the TV that I was super excited to watch, sooooooooo I was able to figure all that out. But I live on a military base, so César's home altar here was the first one I've run into.

[ Then, slightly defensively, but it's for show. ] But I knew I was Christian something because I get really into Christmas. Just like how I'm into anime and manga and deep sea exploration.

[pineapplesalmon]

[ César pipes up, almost innocently, between calming laughter. ] Those are my fault, you know.

[rexthebuilder]

[ RECORD. SCRATCH. All thoughts cease. Rex sounds absolutely horrified. ] They're what?

[lovethyneighb_or]

What's 'anime?'

[pineapplesalmon]

[A choking laugh. Rex is still silent in horror as César explains.]

Japanese animation. Cartoons. Manga is Japanese comics. Some of it is for kids, but there's shows for teenagers and adults, too. They tend to have more serious plot lines, and use the freedom of animation to tell stories that'd have impossibly expensive special effects if they were live action.

That being said, there's a whole genre of live action shows with practical effects called Tokusatsu, or Toku for short. But they can only do so much. Usually several fake city blocks get destroyed. And then there's a sub-genre called sentai that involves a team of masked color-coded superheroes that fight monsters or aliens or some other sort of threats with martial arts, giant robots called mechas, and team attacks.

[rexthebuilder]

[ Rex's tone turns suspicious... there's no reason to mention any of this, UNLESS. ] ... César, whyyyyyy do I know all of those terms? Why do I know exactly what you're talking about?

[lovethyneighb_or]

Rex, [ quite slowly and gravely, ] I would only expect that César pass down the lessons and wisdom of life down to you, as is his duty as your older brother.

[pineapplesalmon]

Precisely! And speaking of... [And then, César whispers something too quiet to hear in Rex's ear.]

[rexthebuilder]

Mecha OC?! Dude, this is not the time to be telling me my builds' backstory! [César laughs.] I'm just glad ten-year-old me was cool instead of lame like you! Your soda pop can lab doesn't even have a name!

[lovethyneighb_or]

[ Here to unhelpfully incite further brotherly teasing, ] Well, Rex, perhaps you would like to name it?

[ Come on, give them something good. ]

[rexthebuilder]

[ Oh ho. Oh ho ho ho. Rex's mood immediately becomes jubilant. ] You're right! He's taken so long to name it that I get to name it now.

[ A laugh from César, who apparently isn't going to stop him, and Rex sticks out his tongue audibly before continuing. ] Those are the rules! Okay, so. It's gotta be a name that's mostly lame but vaguely cool.

[lovethyneighb_or]

I’m afraid I can’t suggest much; I’ve only named pets and animals, and most Catholic terms might be a bit too cool for what you’re looking for. Well, how do you name a… ‘soda can lab?’ Not like a dog, I assume.

[rexthebuilder]

Yeah, dogs are way cuter. And it's a vehicle that can fly in space so. I dunno, USS Famous Science Person? This is going to take some thought.

[He sounds very happy to have this task, though.]

[pineapplesalmon]

You can think?

[The pillow beating resumes immediately, followed by César's laughter.]

[lovethyneighb_or]

[ That gets some more laughter from Mulcahy's side. ]

Perhaps you can take some inspiration from the things--or people--around you, [ he hums. ] But remember, you can always change it later if you come up with something better.

[rexthebuilder]

[Rex pauses in his pillow beatings to consider this.] You are a cool priest. César doesn't have it here. So there's plenty of time to come up with something obnoxiously awesome!

[lovethyneighb_or]

Such as the USS Super Awesome Soda Can, of course. [ He still has no idea what this lab even is or looks like, he's just guessing. ] Or the USS Canned... what do you do in your lab, César?

1/2

[rexthebuilder]

A little bit of everything!

[pineapplesalmon]

[At the exact same time, snickering at the names as Rex laughs at them.]

A little bit of everything—heyyyyyyyyy. [Another laugh from Rex.] Less experiments and more engineering, often on a microscopic level. But I have equipment for 3d printing, welding, programming of machinery, some circuitry stuff. And also it can go 99% to the speed of light.

[lovethyneighb_or]

[ 3D printing and 99% the speed of light, Jiminy Cricket. ]

The USS Can of Peanuts, then. Because you're both nuts!

[ And the snake-in-a-can-of-nuts prank is as old as he is! ... Wait, hang on. ]

... Do they still make snake nut cans in your future?

[rexthebuilder]

[A moment as Rex processes this, then.]

USS SNAKE NUTS!

[HOWLS. HOWLING. DEAD.]

[pineapplesalmon]

NO! [Also laughing.]