A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

A Beautiful Dream

Summary: Jeffries' first day at his new job goes awry, Cecil narrates the computer situation and the scientists help with Carlos' moving day.

"How much stuff do you OWN, Carlos?" Ellie complained as she lifted another box towards the moving van. "I swear you didn't have this much stuff when we arrived in Night Vale."

"Most of this stuff is Cecil's, actually. A scientist is self-reliant, of course, and doesn't need many possessions."

"Say that to this box." Natalia muttered indignantly, heaving a straining cardboard box full to the brim with lab coats onto the van, before looking back at the door, where a similar box full of lab coats sat. She sighed. Don't comment on it, DON'T comment on it, she said in her mind repeatedly.

"Carlos, I know Cecil has that fetish for seeing you in your lab coats, but three boxes worth is way too many." Ellie whined.

Well, that was blunt, Natalia thought with a grin, and repressed a snort at seeing Carlos' face turn a violent shade of crimson.

"I-we...it's not for Cecil! Mostly. It's for purely scientific purposes!" He spluttered.

"Suuuuure." Ellie said. "ALLLLL of them."

"Ellie!" He groaned.

"That's enough, Ellie." Natalia snickered behind her hand. "Carlos wore lab coats constantly before he met Cecil, after all."

"Exactly!"

"Where's Brent, anyway? He's supposed to be helping, isn't he?" Natalia grumbled.

"He's at the elementary school today. Overseeing this computer thing as part of his work experience." Ellie replied proudly.

"I thought he was going to work at the middle school."

"He is. Just the Glow Cloud demanded it. No-one knows why...all hail. The Glow Cloud does not need petty human excuses."

Carlos sighed. Today was a difficult enough day without things like this occurring. It was bad enough that he was missing out on a day potentially filled with scientific discoveries to move in. Although he was looking forward to it, it would have been so much easier if Cecil hadn't had his show that day and could help. He rubbed his temples as Natalia and Ellie bickered over what equipment Carlos should take with him. It was going to be a long day indeed.

~

"Listeners, we're taking our community radio show on the road today. I am reporting live from Night Vale Elementary School, where a divisive meeting between the Night Vale Parent Teacher Association and the Night Vale School Board has just adjourned!" Cecil said enthusiastically.

His blonde hair had a new purple highlight in his fringe but it was as flyaway as ever. He was wearing one of his NVCR ties and his third eye on his forehead was glowing slightly. It was terrifying the first time Jeffries had seen it, shortly after he'd returned after Christmas the year before. Natalia and Carlos had told him about seeing it and the weird story about someone called 'You'. Cecil had showed him the next time he saw him - he'd asked on behalf of Carlos and nearly passed out when Cecil had shown him how, despite the fact most of the time it looked like a closed tattooed eye, it could open and shine to show a vision of Night Vale that only he was allowed to see.

It had been several months now since Carlos came home a little shaken after a night at Cecil's and muttering about his seeing his third eye for the first time. Carlos had examined it properly soon after that. Cecil said it was 'part of his contract as a radio professional' and that 'it helped in his work'. Carlos hadn't exactly bought it but had stopped questioning it. It glowed, albeit only a small amount, whenever Cecil was broadcasting and when he willed it to.