@Winter

[userunfriendly]

@Winter

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[userunfriendly]

Striking resemblance, isn't it?

Why are you calling me that.

[ganymed]

I can't believe you.

Anyway, you're wrong. In addition, Thanatos would disagree; he sees me every single day and would know otherwise.

[ Thanatos is his cat.


. . . Anyways, he is not saving those pictures, because why would he be doing that at all?? ]

Congrats on the title. It is because you're the 🦇 knight.

[userunfriendly]

[ There is no way on earth a person would be named Thanatos, so: ]

And what kind of pet would you name that in the first place?

[ Michel "Uglyspeckles is a fine name for a cat" Bollinger. Also he's absolutely sensing Ganymede saving those pictures... which would be more of a victory if he weren't thinking Ganymede's twigged to his other online identity. ]

For the hundredth time, that really wasn't why I chose the handle...

[ganymed]

[ Tell that to the +100 people named Thanatos IRL because their parents were very edgy or Greek Mythology fanatics. ]

My cat.



[ If Michel ever tells him he named a cat Uglyspeckles he will say he should be banned from making cat names due to terrible naming sense.

Ironically, he has no idea of Michel's secret bat identity as a knight in the shadows. ]

You can always tell me why you chose your handle. I don't think you have.

1/2

[userunfriendly]

Ah, yes. Certainly the face of a harbinger of death.

[ He didn't expect to get cat pictures in return for this! And he doesn't want to hear anything about cat naming from Ganymede, in this light. ]

2/2

[userunfriendly]

[ Conspicuously in a second reply, oops. Maybe he just got distracted with the cat? ]

There's no particularly deep reason. I was younger at the time. I wasted hours of my childhood reading stories about knights.

[ ...Yeah he still thinks Ganymede means "Dark†Knight". ]

Yours?

[ganymed]

[ Felines are very easy to get distracted about. Incidentally, he needs to obtain the Uglyspeckles lore. I demand it!! ]

A Winter Knight whose tale isn't over, unlike those other ones.

[ Whomp whomp as the two of them almost semi-comedically miss the fact they are referring to two separate handles. As for his own handle, he gives a big obvious hint at the 'inspiration'. His own name. ]

Mine is not very original.

But it isn't like anyone's going to be able to track me down just because it isn't. And if they did, they would need to deal with Thanatos first.

[userunfriendly]

[ Dooms Michel's dignity to a painful death....... Ganymede will receive it (unfortunately).

That answer gets a long pause, for myriad reasons. That statement covers both handles... rather well. The tale isn't over yet. Indeed. Unheard, Winter lets out a tiny puff of amusement. ]

Perhaps.

Wait. Are you really telling me you used your actual name as a handle? When you have a public-facing job?

[ Does Ganymede need internet safety lessons after all?! ]

I'm not going to search and find out how easy you'd be to identify. I don't want to know.

[ganymed]

[ Rest in purrieces. ]

I'm hardly the only one!!! Besides, maybe in my public job I have an amazing alias.

[ Ganymede presents this wonderful rebuttal that is the ultimate of rebuttals (it is most certainly Not.) ]

Anyway, what about you? Do you have any pets? What do you even do for a job again?? Be aware that me showing my cat's photo demands an information tax in return, so cough it up!!

[userunfriendly]

[ Him saying that is absolutely proof that he has no alias at all... Michel closes his eyes and tells himself this isn't his problem. Not going to search, not going to search. ]

Giving me something unprovoked and then demanding payment? Do you run tourist scams on the side?

[ He's seen that one before! Idiots getting excited to hold parakeets... insidious use of cute animals. ]

Fine. I'm an engineer. I've never had a pet, unless you count the stray cat my brother kept feeding when we were young. I don't have any pictures.

[ganymed]

My cat photos are special. Maybe it's the price of witnessing Thanatos' visage.

[ This just ascended somewhere ridiculous, and is totally just an excuse for the previous revelation. But you know what, not everyone is privy to these emails. The chain of possible mutual embarrassment is under lock and key. ]

I think it counts. If you interacted with the cat.

...Did you?

[ Yes, he knows he told him he was an engineer but he needs to know this. It's important information. ]

[userunfriendly]

[ Thanatos is a very handsome cat, so you know what? Michel won't even debate the point.

Besides, there's not much to do right now but answer messages. Although if he keeps digging up his childhood, he may need to go see if he has any wine left in the house or if the ghosts have had it all. ]

They insisted on taking it on a picnic with us. And I named it, if that counts. Our mother almost had a fit when my brother tried to bring it in the house.

[ganymed]

[ Just as keikaku (translator's note: keikaku means plan)

And here Ganymede thinks he's asking innocent questions about cats. Which, well, he is, but, you know. ]

It definitely counts.

She probably was all about not having pets, then? Also, what did you name your cat?

[userunfriendly]

It was a filthy stray, and she likes things neat and tidy. Raising three sons was too much disorder for her as it was.

[ Although it feels unkind to say so, considering her unstable health now. Maybe he really will go find that wine. ]

Uglyspeckles. It was speckled and hideous.

[ganymed]

Personally I think a little dirt never hurt anyone. But, three children is always a lot for parents to handle.

[ Three sons...that sounds familiar. Personally speaking, anyway. He'd never thought the other had grown up with two brothers as well. ]

And as for little Uglyspeckles, I'm thinking it must have taken you literally a second to come up with a name like that. :)

[userunfriendly]

[ A response lag for Michel to shuffle off and return with his wine. He should have done that the instant his clothes exploded, probably. ]

Perhaps it is. I never intend to find out. Do you have siblings, or were you a handful all on your own?

And it was a perfectly suitable name. The cat answered to it, so there was no problem.

[ganymed]

I grew up with the same number of siblings, actually.

[ That's safe enough, he thinks. Ganymede doesn't go to grab some alcohol; that's probably not the best for him unless it's fake. ]

But, alright. Whatever you say. >_>

Too bad you don't have pictures. Still, if you had a chance to have a pet again, would it be another cat?

[userunfriendly]

Let me guess. Youngest?

[ Is it dragging himself, too, to tease Ganymede with that? But he definitely has youngest child energy. ]

I don't see myself owning a pet. But if I did... most likely. Cats seem simple to care for.

[ganymed]

Yes. How did you know??

[ The teasing goes sailing over Ganymede's head for the moment. Wait for when he makes the realization. . . ]

They are! Cats sleep most of the day, are independent creatures so you don't have to watch them all the time, and are empathetic animals that make for perfect companions.

[userunfriendly]

... ... ...Lucky guess.

[ Which might be an iota more convincing if he hadn't just typed all of those ellipses. Not his fault. Some things are important to convey.

But Ganymede's cat shilling gets a less malicious smile from him. ]

You also sound like the kind of cat owner who has several hundreds of pictures of him. How long have you had Thanatos?

[ganymed]

You know what? I think you knew that because you were the baby sibling too. I'm right, aren't I?

[ THE ELLIPSES DO, IN FACT, HELP GANYMEDE GET THERE...

This is definitely getting him back for the Uglyspeckles name criticism, isn't it? ]

I've had him for three years, actually. I got him when I moved to where I am now.

And maybe I do have some pictures of him. Though it's only about a hundred or so now.

[userunfriendly]

What makes you think that? I don't see any similarity between us.

[ Ganymede has baby brother energy in a way he doesn't! But he's not denying the accusation otherwise. Still considering this his revenge for the Uglyspeckles teasing, though. ]

Are you certain? Have you actually counted? [ The pictures, not the years. ]

[ganymed]

We grew up with two siblings and named a cat! Aren't those two similarities at least? So therefore, it tracks!

[ Even that logic is tenuous at best. He refuses to be the only baby sibling here and chalks this up to part of Michel's diabolical vengeance.

But hold it, he's got this with the follow-up of: ]

Also I estimated the amount of photos, which is good enough, if I do say so myself. Which I do.

[userunfriendly]

[ He has no idea how old Ganymede actually is. But sometimes, he really does talk like a kid. ]

So they are. What a good thing you're not looking for a career in the sciences.

[ It's not really like him to ask something personal. But, really, there's nothing to do right now but chat. And a glance at his other message programs shows them conspicuously silent, so... ]

Do you like it? The place you moved to.

[ganymed]

[ Wow, tell him how you really feel, Michel and say that to his face... ]

I still proved my point, just so you know. Being in the arts is far better than the sciences for me.

But you should just give it up and admit you're a baby sibling!

[ Ganymede does have his work sometimes but he doesn't have much of a social life either, so. Yeah. ]

I do, actually. There's always a nice view whenever I come home, and it's quiet. Just as I prefer it to be.

What about you? Are you the type of guy that likes noisy places?