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You're not saying it's impossible you could ever do this elsewhere, but normally you think you'd have to try at it. Not here. You think about it, then— goddamnit— grip the edge of the chair as your mouth melts shut, your vision pops and blackens, and your entire skull twists in on itself.
It only takes a second. Right?
<span class="mu-i">Yes.</span>
It only takes a second, but it's a nasty fucking second, and the aftermath isn't much prettier. It's like you have a doll head up there, it's so cold and hard and rigid. You can't blink. You are getting way too much information about the airflow of the room. Your mouth opens sideways. Teddy is a giant ghostly beetle wearing glasses.
<span class="mu-i">It happens.</span>
Does it happen? You guess you did that. Shit, you— he looks so fucking stupid! Heh. Sorry, Teddy. At least you still have thumbs, though they're looking way too grey-brown for your liking. Can't see pink. Double-shit. Okay, you're scrapping this. You can do better.
Beetle Teddy (you try to snort, but don't have a nose) waves his antennae. <span class="mu-i">You're not used to it by now?</span>
You're beetles, not a beetle. Completely different experience. If you were one beetle, you would've killed yourself by now.
Speaking of, your skull is now exploding. What a relief! You're springing out of that cage, doubling and redoubling, catching the identified airflow, taking in all angles, in general having the best stretch of your life. Maybe you're exaggerating, but that's really what it feels like: cracking a sore back. You can't get too crazy, though, because Headspace goes in for heads, not the whole deal. And you better get your stretch in, because you need to contain yourself. Hard to walk around otherwise. You already need to concentrate just to lower your headless body and fish around under your seat.
There we go. Observation bowl. Normally it screws onto the threads of your other neck, but this neck-goo seals up nicely anyways. (Neck-goo is such a terrible word.) All better now. 360-degree vision and no revealing expressions. Guess what revealing expression you'd be making right now.
<span class="mu-i">I know what you're going to think next. It doesn't work.</span>
He's supposed to say "what?"
<span class="mu-i">What?</span>
It'd be a guilty one, because you've been sitting on your goddamn hands for— for— fifteen minutes, or twenty, shooting the shit with your goddamn brain ghost— does Teddy know he's beetles right now? Not that many, either. Wasn't there more of him earlier?
<span class="mu-i">I couldn't tell you.</span>
If he's fading away already, could he let you know? You were just getting comfortable with having company. Anyways, look at you, shooting even more shit. Why? Because you're a coward and you don't want to leave your safe room. He's enabling you, by the way. Lottie's probably getting herself killed out there—
<span class="mu-i">Do you believe that?</span>
(3/4)
