A man of the cloth

You seem to be one of the few. Too many people just couldn't appreciate their return to the beautiful days of youth.

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ghost_of_00

What about it is beautiful?

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Compared to what a lot of people become once they grow up—what isn't?

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spandexisyouth

It was very interesting!

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Too bad not many others seem to agree.

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spandexisyouth

We could do with more optimism!

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Yeah? Maybe so.

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I act like something of an idiot when I'm sixteen or seventeen, so it's really better that I'm usually not.

But it does seem strange now how few children there are here.

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Not many kids are born here, huh? Either kind of born.

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Now that I think about it, there really aren't. Actually, since then I haven't seen any babies or very small children at all, and I've never seen any pregnant women. With two thousand people here, and this not being a military installation or anything, that seems unlikely.

Odd.

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Human nature. People will jump in bed, and accidents happen. Except they don't.

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Exactly. Even assuming that it's easy to get protection and everyone is aware that this is a bad environment to raise children in, there should be something.

All I've heard of is an anecdote about someone getting a "sympathy belly" as payment for a memory crystal, and that's not real pregnancy.

I wonder if there's something in the air or water. But I've heard about the animals breeding, so it can't be that. Maybe there was something in those cocoons.

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Sympathy—now that's creepy.

Do they breed, or do they just show up, too? Most things here do. Makes you wonder where they come from, too.

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He ended up having to wear some kind of weighted vest that was supposed to simulate what it's like to be pregnant - kicking, shortness of breath, back pain. Or something like that. He was somewhat drunk when he talked about it.

[ They exist, and are actually called "empathy bellies". Teach me not to look things up...]

I don't know. There was a [NPC] entry not long after I came here which had someone talking about kittens young enough that their eyes hadn't opened.

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You know, I'll just take ladies' words that having a child is no walk in the oasis and save myself the trouble.

And yet no one's reported witnessing any births. Interesting.

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unevoked.livejournal.com

Think one've the medics said once that we're sterile- animals and shit too.

Kinda a stupid thing to research, if you ask me.

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[A very long pause as he flips many pages back to an NPC's random entry]

I suppose. Someone talked about new kittens, and they had a queen cat washing and taking care of them, but that doesn't mean the queen gave birth.

I wonder if they come out of the same pods.

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[Hi, butting in.]

Pregnancy doesn't happen here? I don't suppose it has to, considering the cocoons.

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[Wait for a second, he's a bit slow. What are the implications of this...]

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[WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!]

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Grift, you cad. At least try not to catch anything, all right?

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I said nothing. I'm merely cheerful that no infants have been brought into a place such as this. It's no place to be rising a child.

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Say that with a straight face, and maybe I'll believe you.

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That's what she said!

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Who said?

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That's what she said.

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She who?

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Just... nevermind. Your joke machine is broken, sir. Or ma'am. It's hard to tell. I'm guessing you're a man, since you aren't using loops or hearts.

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The name's Chapel. I'm a priest.

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Okay, Chapel, my name is Boss. It's nice to meet you. Even if you have no sense of humor, but that's okay! We can work on that.

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And by work, you mean...

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By work, I mean we will work on it. I'm going to teach you everything I know. Well... Not everything. Maybe about a third. Or... A quarter, and... Well, another two thirds. So most of what I know. But that's okay, because I know enough about jokes for the ~~both of us.~~ four of us. Even better.

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Oh, yeah? You sound like a real comedian already.

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That's because I am one, so you're obviously very observant.

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Oh yeah? When's your next show?

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When's my next show? There's one going on right now, with you. That's my show. I think if I had a show, it wouldn't be the same... And I would be a lot more restricted. But this way, I can entertain everyone, all the time.

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seeya-next-life.livejournal.com

It was kinda weird being a kid again, but it was nice to not have to feel silly acting like one.

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