— VJOOM PS-SHH-SHIIIT TUDUM
RADIO NEBULA 69.99 FTLM!
[A short cosmo-jazz jingle, the kind that would make a meme-level epic sax guy shake his hips and yell: "THIS IS ☒☒☒☒ EMBARRASSING][Dick, velvet-ironic, clearly pleased]“Well, well, well… hand the mic back to the old wolfhound.
Baby, you were on fire.
I gave you a little airtime so I could catch my breath,
and tell my agent to go to hell, maybe he’d finally disappear…
and you dropped two whole chapters, a full ship breakdown,
and even censored cussing so clean I couldn’t even tell it was cussing.”
[Jackie, genuinely flustered but smiling]“Dick… you saw what was in there… so many vulgar words…
I barely… well… I tried to read it properly…
It’s hard, you know?”
[Dick laughs, clears his throat]“Sweetie… sweetie.
You read profanity like this is some broadcast for grandmas and their grandkiddos.
And I gotta say… I’m impressed as hell.
You’re like a decency filter on air… but with a heart.”
[He leans his elbow on the table]“Honestly, if I ever got taken out by some insane AI like Zeros—or some other twisted son of a ☒☒☒—”
[BEEP]“—hey, hey—alright, I got it… thank you, baby…
Then I’d want you to take over the show.”
[Jackie slowly blushes, quiet laugh]“You really think that?..”
[Dick, softer now, but steady]“Yeah.
You could run this whole thing on your own.
All night.
Whole galaxy entertained.You held the pace, the emotion, the drama…
Didn’t miss a beat, even when Blindy started screaming ‘they meltin’ me.'”
[Jackie, proud but warm]“Well… I tried.
For the listeners. And… well… for you too.”
[Dick, with a light chuckle, but sincere]“One day, baby… you’re gonna take my show.
And I…
I won’t fight it.”
[A short pause, like he said something real without hiding behind a joke]“But the old man’s still breathing… so let me get back to the story.
Because next…Our group of a f—”
BEEP“—yeah, yeah, I know… our ‘group of insane people’…
are about to walk straight into a real storm.”
[Jackie laughs softly, warm]“That’s better…
Alright… tradition says we play some music, right?
Then you continue.
Hmm… let me guess…
something… emotional.”
[Dick nods, like that's exactly what he wanted]“Then here’s another one from my personal recordings from that same Gallo Concert.
A track from Saga of Code™…
You Held, Then Left™,
live performance by Wade Hollow™.”
[She pauses briefly, letting listeners breathe]“Hold on tight, gremlins.
This one hits the heart like someone gently… but firmly… tearing your wings off.”
[Applause slowly fades][Dick inhales deeply, like he's trying to push something painful out of his chest]“You little devil, baby…”
[He tries to smirk, but it comes out weak]“You don’t go easy on the old man. Playing songs that tear my soul into galactic shreds.”
[He lets out a rough laugh, but his voice trembles]“On the outside I might look calm… like a quiet ocean… and strong like steel…
But inside… fuck… inside I’m just a vulnerable man.”
[Pause. Deep. Awkward]“This… this fucking song…
It reminded me of my ex… not the Agent…”
[He exhales]“Fuck… I didn’t realize I still… yeah… still got feelings for her.”
[He looks somewhere past the mic, like he hopes she's listening]“Vella Drayson…
Babe… I’m sorry. For everything.I… I was an asshole.
I am an asshole.And I’ll probably stay one.”
[Heavy breath]“Please… call me.
Let’s meet at our place.
Talk.
About… uh… our… possible future?”
[He adjusts the mic, like he's trying to hide behind it]“I still think about you.
And… I guess… deep down… I still feel something warm for you.”
[Pause. Real. Not performative]“I hope you can find even a drop of warmth for me too.
And forgive me…”
[He coughs quietly]“I forgave you… for all the lawsuits…
and for cleaning me out down to my bare ass…
and even… for taking all my furniture…
including the cat. Oliver.”
[A short pause]“I… I want to give us a second chance.”
[Jackie gently touches his hand—careful, like she's afraid to press on something still hurting]“Um… Dick? It’s going to be okay.
Vella… if you’re listening…
he really is trying.”
[Softly, almost to herself]“And… I’ll pretend I don’t hear you cussing…
You’re not going to change…
I suppose I just have to survive it.”
[Dick shakes his head, like he's trying to screw his brain back together]“Thanks, baby…
I hope so. Alright… let’s get back to the story.”