It always seems like the sun will never set until we look up and find it already has. The sirens buzz a little louder now; they always buzz louder at night. The devil is weak and humans are strong, and that is the way it always has been. Even a kid can kill the devil. All she has to do is try.
Neptune: I'm... bored.
Venus: We should make the rounds... maybe?
Neptune: We should do something else.
Jupiter: We should make the rounds.
Venus: Or we could... do something else?
Jupiter: Come on. We have to. It might be nothing but if we don't check we'll get in trouble. Or die. You know.
Jupiter pulls herself up by her radio. It's long and thin and delicate, but then there's that awful weight at the end.
Jupiter: Let's all go. Bring your radios.
Venus: And leave everything else?
Jupiter: Yeah, why not? It's not like anyone's going to steal it.
Venus: What if he comes by when we're gone?
Jupiter: Mmm. That's true...
Neptune: Ugh. Who cares.
Jupiter: The captain... a lot, probably.
Neptune: Ugh.
Jupiter: I know.
Venus: But it's not good for one of us to be alone.
Neptune: That's why there shouldn't be three of us in the first place. This is such a joke.
Venus: It makes sense for two people to go out and one to stay here...
Neptune: Ugh. Yeah. Fine.
Jupiter: ... Yeah. We should do something else, actually. Truth or Dare again?
Neptune: Oh come ON. After all that? You already convinced me!
Venus: The sirens are louder tonight... I can definitely hear something-
Jupiter: No forget it, I don't want to. Let's just not. He's never gonna know. And tonight's just going to turn out to be another night where nothing happens, right? I don't want to... Let's just stay here.
Neptune: That's what I was SAYING.
Venus: What if the captain comes checks on us?
Neptune: Nah. He's going home with his girlfriend or whatever she is tonight. Irresponsible. Gross. Whatever. It's so him. He's not going to bother us and even if he did we could say we were totally just about to or we already did and how's he going to know.
Venus: Cool. Good.
Jupiter sits down and gently leans her radio against the wall. It's an easy and correct choice to make. It would have been nice to go together, but we can't. We should do the irreponsible thing and stay in the sleeping bags and piles of clothes until we're happy.
Jupiter: Ah, here come the sirens.
Venus: ...no, ow, they're so loud.
Neptune: God, why won't he shut up.
But god has spoken, on that unmistakeable frequency.
Jupiter: It'll be fine, they won't get me that easily. I'll broadcast from my radio, and you'll be able to hear it and come home.
Venus: It won't be hard.
Neptune: But I don't want to do it.
We leave Jupiter swinging her radio and tuning the house radio. The trails through the woods are wide and precise. Camp is supposed to be an easy adventure. The minimum expectations are low: Don't walk off the path. Keep the lights on. Don't let the devil into your heart. Anyone can do that.
Neptune: Well, I guesssss that didn't work. We were so close though... we totally could have gotten her to let us all stay.
Venus: Mmm? Oh, I know... sorry. I started trying to convince her we should stay, once I realized what you were doing. She likes being alone though, so I think she'll be okay.
Neptune: It's fine. It was silly to try. She's too responsible.
Venus: ...do you think she hates us. It's not even her fault she's at the Summer Scouts, like it's ours-
Neptune: Venus can you shut up? Please?
Venus: Oh. Sorry.
Neptune: Jupiter doesn't hate anyone. She's like an ascetic monk at not giving a shit. People stop walking over her because she's doesn't care enough for them to get a rise and that's the only reason people do that. It's so annoying. Why do you care about what she thinks?
Venus: I don't know... I think she's cool? I don't wanna be a bother.
Neptune: Ugh of course she's cool. She's just all half smile and 'ah, sorry,' and no one bugs her about anything ever. Do you not kinda hate that she's so cool?
Venus: Why? I wish I could be like that.
Neptune: Because it's fake! No one is that invincible. If it hurts you should say so! People are supposed to get hurt by things. It's fucked up to not. It's not good for you. You too Venus! Have a little more self respect.
Venus: I know that. It's not like... I'm stupid. You know. I worry about her too, you know? Don't you want to at least make stuff a little easier for her?
Neptune: No. I want to make it worse. I want to make it so bad she has to say it. I want to hear it out loud. She shouldn't keep living like she's never going to get it off the tip of her tongue. ...
Venus: I... don't think she's ever going to. I really do. Wish I was like her a little. But still- I'm a little glad I'm not her. I wonder if maybe she wishes sometimes she wasn't her either.
Neptune: Maybe. A lot I bet. Maybe all the time.
Venus: Do you ever feel like that?
Neptune: Do I ever what?
Venus: ...sorry, I...
Neptune: What, do you?
Venus: I- I do, yeah.
Neptune: ... ... Let's head back. Sometimes... I do too. It's normal. Let's just get over it.
Venus: Staying in one place is pretty hard but I think I'll manage.
Jupiter: ...what?
Neptune: ...oh wait it's a JOKE.
Venus: Um well, now I feel a little bit less confident but- I know we can't light candles or burn incense without the house catching fire bit I can wrap my radio around the door. And there's no other way in.
Jupiter: Okay, if you're sure.
Neptune: Then let's go. We're not even going to catch the devil anyway so let's just get it over with.
We leave Venus wrapping his radio around the doorknob. He's good at knots, and he's good at switch boxes, and if he's good at anything else, he's never shown us. The woods are noisy with insects and frogs; nothing ever shuts up around here. Nature doesn't care about humans or the devil. But we sometimes think they'd take his side over ours if they got the choice. The world probably resent being nothing more than god's gift to us.
Neptune: Venus is probably fine.
Jupiter: Nah. He's totally going to die.
Neptune: ...both of you sure have the element of surprise when it comes to telling jokes.
Jupiter: Ahaha. ...
Neptune: Are you seriously worried about him?
Jupiter: Maybe. A little. He's weird. Not in a bad way, necessarily? But maybe in a bad way, possibly. Sometimes I don't even know what he is. Do you think he notices how much of a jerk he is sometimes?
Neptune: I wish. He'll be so great if he leans into it on purpose. He'll be just a bitch if he stays like this. No boy is innocent. Or whatever he is.
Jupiter: Well we're all stuck together whatever we are. For the rest of the week.
Neptune: We could just go now. We could run away right now and never come back and never have to know what happened here. The highway isn't even a mile away. ...just kidding. I know you'd never go for that.
Jupiter: ...you say 'just kidding' after a lot of... pretty huge things. Would you go for it?
Neptune: No, it's stupid. Summer scouts is almost over anyway. Some things you just bear with and then it's over.
Jupiter: Haha, that is really thoughtful. You don't bear anything quietly though.
Neptune: No why the HELL should I, this place is ruining my entire summer and no one else deserves to forget it.
Jupiter: God, yeah. This place... really is the worst. I'm glad you don't give me a chance to say yes to any of your bad ideas, haha.
Neptune: ...
Jupiter: Are you okay?
Neptune: My eyes feel so weird. My skin feels weird. I hate these bugs and this everything. Nothing could be grosser. Thanks. I'm fine.
Jupiter: Neptune, we- Ah. Nevermind. Yeah. Let's go back.
Neptune: Going out right now sounds like the fucking worst, are you kidding? I'll mark the outside of the house with my radio. And no one who's not us will be able to get in.
Jupiter: Okay, if you're sure.
Neptune: I know you'll miss me, but you'll be fine without me, I promise. The woods are gross. Bye.
We leave Neptune making marks on the outside of the house, precisely, with her radio. She's good at everything but no one but us believes it. And that's just how she likes it. Under the buzz of the insects, the woods are full of the low static of sleeping sirens. They hate him, but the devil flocks to them,like a moth to the flame.
Venus: I hope she's okay.
Jupiter: I'm sure she's fine. Are you really worried?
Venus: A little. Why?
Jupiter: Isn't she mean to you?
Venus: A little. Isn't she mean to you?
Jupiter: A little.
Venus: My mom says that anyone who's mean has been hurt. Which is everyone, so I guess it's kind of a stupid thing to say. My mom is weird like that.
Jupiter: Haha, my mom would never say something like that. She'd say, "no one will respect you if you don't have any manners" or "choose your words for others carefully even if they don't do the same for you."
Venus: That's good advice. Kind of. Right?
Jupiter: She doesn't believe thinking things out is something you can teach. To her you get it or you don't. And until then you should just shut up and do the right thing instead of looking like an idiot. I'm too slow for her, like my dad. It must be nice to be smart and get things quickly.
Venus: It must be such a good feeling. To get things right, and not have to screw up. Not just pretending you understand.
Jupiter: You get diodes pretty well?
Venus: But Neptune knows what everyone means right away. I can't tell when anyone is lying so I just. Believe everything on purpose I guess? When I was fixing the radio in the dining hall, Group South told me a rusty nail would work just as well as galena, and I went along with it... Even though it definitely doesn't work as well, and cuts the range down too far. They wanted me to screw up, like, I know that? But if I pointed it out, they'd just get madder. And say whatever, and not stop until I said they were right, and believed it too, so I just believed them anyway. I got in so much trouble! I don't know why it felt so much easier. I could have explained it. But when I thought about how much trouble I'd get in...
And then. Far in the distance. We hear the devil singing. The devil knows our names. Knows us by heart. The devil is behind us and in front of us and above us and below us. In every shadow cast by the flickering lights, in the gap between the pathand the forest, right behind us. And then the devil is gone. We hold each other. As tight as we dare.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
10 PM
Neptune: I'm... bored.
Venus: We should make the rounds... maybe?
Neptune: We should do something else.
Jupiter: We should make the rounds.
Venus: Or we could... do something else?
Jupiter: Come on. We have to. It might be nothing but if we don't check we'll get in trouble. Or die. You know.
Jupiter pulls herself up by her radio. It's long and thin and delicate, but then there's that awful weight at the end.
Jupiter: Let's all go. Bring your radios.
Venus: And leave everything else?
Jupiter: Yeah, why not? It's not like anyone's going to steal it.
Venus: What if he comes by when we're gone?
Jupiter: Mmm. That's true...
Neptune: Ugh. Who cares.
Jupiter: The captain... a lot, probably.
Neptune: Ugh.
Jupiter: I know.
Venus: But it's not good for one of us to be alone.
Neptune: That's why there shouldn't be three of us in the first place. This is such a joke.
Venus: It makes sense for two people to go out and one to stay here...
Neptune: Ugh. Yeah. Fine.
Jupiter: ... Yeah. We should do something else, actually. Truth or Dare again?
Neptune: Oh come ON. After all that? You already convinced me!
Venus: The sirens are louder tonight... I can definitely hear something-
Jupiter: No forget it, I don't want to. Let's just not. He's never gonna know. And tonight's just going to turn out to be another night where nothing happens, right? I don't want to... Let's just stay here.
Neptune: That's what I was SAYING.
Venus: What if the captain comes checks on us?
Neptune: Nah. He's going home with his girlfriend or whatever she is tonight. Irresponsible. Gross. Whatever. It's so him. He's not going to bother us and even if he did we could say we were totally just about to or we already did and how's he going to know.
Venus: Cool. Good.
Jupiter sits down and gently leans her radio against the wall. It's an easy and correct choice to make. It would have been nice to go together, but we can't. We should do the irreponsible thing and stay in the sleeping bags and piles of clothes until we're happy.
Jupiter: Ah, here come the sirens.
Venus: ...no, ow, they're so loud.
Neptune: God, why won't he shut up.
But god has spoken, on that unmistakeable frequency.
Jupiter: Two of us have to go. One has to stay.
♀ + ♆
Venus: Oh, okay...
Neptune: This is so unfair.
Jupiter: It'll be fine, they won't get me that easily. I'll broadcast from my radio, and you'll be able to hear it and come home.
Venus: It won't be hard.
Neptune: But I don't want to do it.
We leave Jupiter swinging her radio and tuning the house radio. The trails through the woods are wide and precise. Camp is supposed to be an easy adventure. The minimum expectations are low: Don't walk off the path. Keep the lights on. Don't let the devil into your heart. Anyone can do that.
Neptune: Well, I guesssss that didn't work. We were so close though... we totally could have gotten her to let us all stay.
Venus: Mmm? Oh, I know... sorry. I started trying to convince her we should stay, once I realized what you were doing. She likes being alone though, so I think she'll be okay.
Neptune: It's fine. It was silly to try. She's too responsible.
Venus: ...do you think she hates us. It's not even her fault she's at the Summer Scouts, like it's ours-
Neptune: Venus can you shut up? Please?
Venus: Oh. Sorry.
Neptune: Jupiter doesn't hate anyone. She's like an ascetic monk at not giving a shit. People stop walking over her because she's doesn't care enough for them to get a rise and that's the only reason people do that. It's so annoying. Why do you care about what she thinks?
Venus: I don't know... I think she's cool? I don't wanna be a bother.
Neptune: Ugh of course she's cool. She's just all half smile and 'ah, sorry,' and no one bugs her about anything ever. Do you not kinda hate that she's so cool?
Venus: Why? I wish I could be like that.
Neptune: Because it's fake! No one is that invincible. If it hurts you should say so! People are supposed to get hurt by things. It's fucked up to not. It's not good for you. You too Venus! Have a little more self respect.
Venus: I know that. It's not like... I'm stupid. You know. I worry about her too, you know? Don't you want to at least make stuff a little easier for her?
Neptune: No. I want to make it worse. I want to make it so bad she has to say it. I want to hear it out loud. She shouldn't keep living like she's never going to get it off the tip of her tongue. ...
Venus: I... don't think she's ever going to. I really do. Wish I was like her a little. But still- I'm a little glad I'm not her. I wonder if maybe she wishes sometimes she wasn't her either.
Neptune: Maybe. A lot I bet. Maybe all the time.
Venus: Do you ever feel like that?
Neptune: Do I ever what?
Venus: ...sorry, I...
Neptune: What, do you?
Venus: I- I do, yeah.
Neptune: ... ... Let's head back. Sometimes... I do too. It's normal. Let's just get over it.
♃ + ♆
Jupiter: Are you sure?
Neptune: Yeah, are you really sure?
Venus: Staying in one place is pretty hard but I think I'll manage.
Jupiter: ...what?
Neptune: ...oh wait it's a JOKE.
Venus: Um well, now I feel a little bit less confident but- I know we can't light candles or burn incense without the house catching fire bit I can wrap my radio around the door. And there's no other way in.
Jupiter: Okay, if you're sure.
Neptune: Then let's go. We're not even going to catch the devil anyway so let's just get it over with.
We leave Venus wrapping his radio around the doorknob. He's good at knots, and he's good at switch boxes, and if he's good at anything else, he's never shown us. The woods are noisy with insects and frogs; nothing ever shuts up around here. Nature doesn't care about humans or the devil. But we sometimes think they'd take his side over ours if they got the choice. The world probably resent being nothing more than god's gift to us.
Neptune: Venus is probably fine.
Jupiter: Nah. He's totally going to die.
Neptune: ...both of you sure have the element of surprise when it comes to telling jokes.
Jupiter: Ahaha. ...
Neptune: Are you seriously worried about him?
Jupiter: Maybe. A little. He's weird. Not in a bad way, necessarily? But maybe in a bad way, possibly. Sometimes I don't even know what he is. Do you think he notices how much of a jerk he is sometimes?
Neptune: I wish. He'll be so great if he leans into it on purpose. He'll be just a bitch if he stays like this. No boy is innocent. Or whatever he is.
Jupiter: Well we're all stuck together whatever we are. For the rest of the week.
Neptune: We could just go now. We could run away right now and never come back and never have to know what happened here. The highway isn't even a mile away. ...just kidding. I know you'd never go for that.
Jupiter: ...you say 'just kidding' after a lot of... pretty huge things. Would you go for it?
Neptune: No, it's stupid. Summer scouts is almost over anyway. Some things you just bear with and then it's over.
Jupiter: Haha, that is really thoughtful. You don't bear anything quietly though.
Neptune: No why the HELL should I, this place is ruining my entire summer and no one else deserves to forget it.
Jupiter: God, yeah. This place... really is the worst. I'm glad you don't give me a chance to say yes to any of your bad ideas, haha.
Neptune: ...
Jupiter: Are you okay?
Neptune: My eyes feel so weird. My skin feels weird. I hate these bugs and this everything. Nothing could be grosser. Thanks. I'm fine.
Jupiter: Neptune, we- Ah. Nevermind. Yeah. Let's go back.
♀ + ♃
Venus: Are you sure?
Neptune: Going out right now sounds like the fucking worst, are you kidding? I'll mark the outside of the house with my radio. And no one who's not us will be able to get in.
Jupiter: Okay, if you're sure.
Neptune: I know you'll miss me, but you'll be fine without me, I promise. The woods are gross. Bye.
We leave Neptune making marks on the outside of the house, precisely, with her radio. She's good at everything but no one but us believes it. And that's just how she likes it. Under the buzz of the insects, the woods are full of the low static of sleeping sirens. They hate him, but the devil flocks to them,like a moth to the flame.
Venus: I hope she's okay.
Jupiter: I'm sure she's fine. Are you really worried?
Venus: A little. Why?
Jupiter: Isn't she mean to you?
Venus: A little. Isn't she mean to you?
Jupiter: A little.
Venus: My mom says that anyone who's mean has been hurt. Which is everyone, so I guess it's kind of a stupid thing to say. My mom is weird like that.
Jupiter: Haha, my mom would never say something like that. She'd say, "no one will respect you if you don't have any manners" or "choose your words for others carefully even if they don't do the same for you."
Venus: That's good advice. Kind of. Right?
Jupiter: She doesn't believe thinking things out is something you can teach. To her you get it or you don't. And until then you should just shut up and do the right thing instead of looking like an idiot. I'm too slow for her, like my dad. It must be nice to be smart and get things quickly.
Venus: It must be such a good feeling. To get things right, and not have to screw up. Not just pretending you understand.
Jupiter: You get diodes pretty well?
Venus: But Neptune knows what everyone means right away. I can't tell when anyone is lying so I just. Believe everything on purpose I guess? When I was fixing the radio in the dining hall, Group South told me a rusty nail would work just as well as galena, and I went along with it... Even though it definitely doesn't work as well, and cuts the range down too far. They wanted me to screw up, like, I know that? But if I pointed it out, they'd just get madder. And say whatever, and not stop until I said they were right, and believed it too, so I just believed them anyway. I got in so much trouble! I don't know why it felt so much easier. I could have explained it. But when I thought about how much trouble I'd get in...
Jupiter: It's way easier. I do it all the time.
Venus: Really?
Jupiter: I don't know how to not.
Venus: ... Maybe Neptune really knows best.
♀ + ♃ + ♆