"You still have a VCR?"
"It's easier to work with than DVDs, it's hard to find those by feeling around everywhere."
"But you don't even need a fucking cane, and you can function like a normal human being. Why in the fuck would it matter?"
"I'm not that much of a-"
"Oh my gooooooood, can we just start the freaking tape already?"
"Fine."
Terezi pulled the video cassette out of its old, weak paper casing and felt around in the middle for the label, which had letters indented in it from pressing too hard on it with pencil. She leaned forward and placed a finger on the VHS player, dragging her nail across the painted silver plane to the triangle-shaped button before popping the tape in the slot and letting it be swallowed with a shhh-sher-tch. She giggled at the mechanical sound. It was one of her favorite things to listen to.
Soon the formerly HD big screen was interrupted by the flashing and wavering of static and a hum. Green, pixelated letters that read Dec 9 2003 appeared at the bottom right corner against the pitch-black background before anything else did. Then all twelve twenty-two-year-olds were reminded of their way of life when they were seven.
The first things to be seen were Karkat's nonexistent two front teeth. He was way too close to the camera, and it overly focused, so the small white bones were blurred except for the space in between them.
"Just get the darn thing starteeeeeeeed!" wa sheard in the background.
Karkat's head backed up from the camera and turned towards a very young Vriska.
"Hang the frick on! I think I got in started anyway," he replied. He turned towards the camera one more time before nodding triumphantly and speaking.
"Okay, so, older us, we're gonna make a… a… veo?"
"Video!"
Karkat turned around and yelled 'Be quiet!' to Sollux, who was the only one with any knowledge of techy stuff.
"We're gonna make a video about us and… what we like to do," he said, picking up the camera. The world went through a major earthquake when he dropped it and they heard 'Cheese and crepes!' while viewing sideways shoes. The camera was picked up by Karkat once again and he started walking around, introducing everyone.
"I'm Karkat. Well, you proberly already know that, since you're a famous love story writer and everyone in the whole world knows your name," the seven-year-old declared proudly. He walked over to Aradia and held the camera in front of her face expectantly.
"I'm Aradia. Hi grown-up me! Um, I hope I still like digging stuff up. What else…" she put her finger on her chin and thought for a moment. "Oh yeah! Do you remember cutting that lizard's tail off yesterday? I do! I hope you still have it! I think I'm going to study the bones in it later."
"I'm, uh, Tavros, and, well, I just saw Peter Pan last week! It's my favorite movie ever! I think I still like it when I'm old."
"I'm Sollux," his lisp was really, really bad, "And I think that you, grown-up me, are a rich cupuder gramcracke- No! Wait, pregimmer. Yeah, pregimmer."
"Hi future Nepeta! Meooow!" Little Nepeta bounced on her knees. She had the same green trenchcoat but was even more oversized- it looked like the train of a wedding gown behind her. "I bet you're in a singing thingy right now where they're re...rrrreee… re-curdling you! You can sing really good, huh?"
"Hello future Kanaya. How is your closet? I hope you still like flower pattern shirts and long skirts."
Real-time Kanaya almost started cracking up.
"Terezi! Hiii! What are you invessigating? Who killed someone? Did you let Lemonsnout on parole?"
"Heeeeeeeey Vriska! I hope you're sailing. Or at least planning to! Also, has Tavros broken yet? Just keep teasing."
"Hello… Equius. Have you told the world about your model for robots yet?"
"Heyyyyy bro! It's you!" Gamzee stared calmly into the camera. His makeup was much more simple that the present, mostly because he only started wearing it publicly in 6th grade. "How's the drawin' going? Can you draw bodies yet? Oh yeah, how is Karbro? It's fun to hug him, hu-"
"Shhhhh! You weirdo! Guys aren't supposed to hug other guys!" Karkat scolded from behind the camera.
Real-time Karkat snickered. Denial, denial.
"Soh-ree!" Gamzee replied, sticking out his tongue as the lens panned over to Eridan who had his first scarf on.
"Greetings Eridan. I know that you are ruler of the world by now. Now let me say some rules for th-"
"Uuuuuuuugh, shut up, Sharkboy!"
The camera went over to Feferi.
"HI! You already know my name! And you know I love swimming! Did you win the olympics?"
Karkat turned the camera around to let everyone see his old scowl. His hair was a lighter red than it was in the present, his skin was lighter, and his freckles were a bright orange compared to the medium-brown that they had become.
"Those are all my stupid friends-"
"Don't call us stupid!" Eridan yelled from the back.
"Look at Sharkboy being all tough," Vriska put her hands on her hips and leaned forward.
"KARBRO THERE'S A SPIDE-"
The video buzzed loudly before cutting off and switching to the next one. They had all forgotten that there was a series. It was like a soap-opera. Everyone looked at each other as Terezi paused the primitive documentary.
"Well?" she asked. "Do we want to continue?"
"Hell fucking yes," Karkat said, nodding. Everyone agreed.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen when Terezi hurriedly pushed the play button.