005 ♦ Video/Open (backdated to Thursday)

[peacefulwinter]

[As the feed clicks on, Winter's sitting in a public park - it's not particularly crowded today, so it doesn't seem like there's anyone else nearby. Perhaps more noticeable is that she's trying hard not to laugh, and not really succeeding; there's a sports bottle sitting next to her, and there's a noticeable shaking to the camera, to say nothing of Winter herself. Raquel's sitting in her lap, looking more worried than anything.]

I w-wanted... hehe... to see what happened for myself. It's been- haa... weird to s-see pulses again... a-and- ha, ha... I think I saw a n-new one... [She bursts into a giggling fit, unable to continue for a moment.]

I think your priorities are a little out of order... but suit yourself.

H-hey, it s-surprised me... hehe... oh, my sides... A-anyway, that n-new pulse is... ah... a little unsettling... It's a-about... that pink-haired g-girl... and not-me... haa... I think she l-likes me...

[Winter falls into another laughing fit, the camera falling to the ground; Raquel evidently hasn't heard this yet, as the expression on his face as it drops is shocked. The feed cuts out after another few seconds.]

Comments

[Video]

[destinedforrock]

And what's so "unsettling" about that? [Lightly.]

Voice

[icy_heavens]

... You seriously drank that stuff on purpose?

Re: [Video]

[peacefulwinter]

W-well... hehe... I think s-she likes me likes me. Which is unusual, f-for humans at least- snrk, and e-especially for me. I'm n-not popular.

Re: Voice

[peacefulwinter]

Haa, it's an e-experiment! That, and o-other people got memories- hehe... f-from it, right? So I figured I m-might, too.

[icy_heavens]

What exactly was the experiment supposed to be? [No, he doesn't get willingly subjecting yourself to this stuff. Even to trigger a Pulse. (Nevermind he's done things specifically to trigger them himself, right?]

[peacefulwinter]

["I lied" is, she realizes, probably not a good answer here. But then, something springs to mind that wouldn't even be a lie, though it wasn't part of the experiment at all:]

Whether I c-could control what I got back, hee... I wanted to... k-know more about the g-girl in my memories. S-so when I drank the water... [A sharp breath. Is it finally wearing off?] ...I thought of her. And I g-guess it worked, hehe.

[icy_heavens]

[It's . . . actually never occurred to him to try and control what he gets back. He's not sure you can, really.] Or it's a coincidence.

[peacefulwinter]

Ha, ha... it's p-possible, yes. But wouldn't it... be n-nice if it worked?

[icy_heavens]

Not much about these is nice.

[...] How much of that water did you have, anyway?

[peacefulwinter]

[Winter picks up the bottle at her side, giving it a cursory look; to a quick examination, it's probably about sixteen ounces.]

...Two of t-these?

[Oh, dear.]

[icy_heavens]

Why did you drink that much? Just one glass has been sending people into fits for hours. You're going to be like that all day.

[peacefulwinter]

W-well... it's not like I can j-just not drink water. You're... hehe... supposed to drink e-eight glasses a day, you know!

[A pause, filled with another giggle.]

...This "laughing m-makes you happy" thing is... r-really messing with me.

[icy_heavens]

... Just go back to whatever you were doing to avoid the tap water before this.

I didn't wind up with that feeling. [If anything, all the laughing had just annoyed him profoundly.]

[peacefulwinter]

Mm... I w-will. [A hand goes to her side, and she gasps for air for a moment; clearly she's been experiencing the effects a little too long.]

They say... that y-your body releases endorphins when you laugh. T-they're what make you h-happy. Maybe it j-just wore off quickly? ['Or you were just grumpy enough that you didn't notice,' she's too diplomatic to add.]

[lackinginfaith]

Love advice again?

[peacefulwinter]

W-what do you mean, again?

[lackinginfaith]

The blond vampire from the ice cream shop did it too.

[peacefulwinter]

O-oh... I didn't- haa... realize.

D-does it... matter, though?

[lackinginfaith]

The world is in danger, and we need to take that seriously.

[peacefulwinter]

I k-know that! B-but- ahaha... I c-can't stay on guard all the t-time. I'd... hehe... drive myself c-crazy.

B-besides, it m-might be important...! [Winter can't talk for a moment as she dissolves into giggles again.]

[destinedforrock]

She...? [Blink. Ears flick up.] ...Oh! Well, then!

[She supposes she can see where that sort of "interest" could be unsettling - but not so much the "especially" part.]

Truth be told, I still hardly see why you'd call that unsettling. Surely all popularity's got to count for is how quickly you catch somebody's eye in the first place!

[lackinginfaith]

...get somewhere private now. A quiet place in the park won't cut it.

[peacefulwinter]

B-but I d-don't even- haa... know her! What if s-she- ahaha... she's w-weird, or something? Or... clingy?

[peacefulwinter]

W-why? I d-don't understand...

[lackinginfaith]

Because nobody wants you dead!

[peacefulwinter]

[A good amount of the humor drains out of her.]

O-okay. I'll move somewhere. S-sorry. I'm j-just... confused.

[destinedforrock]

And you don't even know her! Well, then, in that case, I'd call that a start!

Happen to know what it is that she "likes" about you?

[lackinginfaith]

I'm coming over there.

*Sigh.*

[peacefulwinter]

I d-don't. But... i-is it a- hee... good start? I... have n-no information.

[peacefulwinter]

I'm s-sorry.

['Oh no, I made her mad, I don't even know what I did to make her mad and I made her mad...' Winter's almost afraid to move, for fear of being scolded, or worse, left alone.]

[lackinginfaith]

Don't be. Just stay there.

[peacefulwinter]

Okay...

[Absolutely, definitely not moving, and covering her mouth in case anything tries to bubble up.]

[action]

[lackinginfaith]

*Kari ends up there as quickly as she can and spots Winter.*

You.

[peacefulwinter]

Eep!

[Winter barely suppresses a sudden urge to hide under the bench as Kari finds her; as it stands, she flinches hard, a hiccup escaping her mouth.]

U-um... hi?

[lackinginfaith]

All right. You're safe for now. Did you see anyone else?

[peacefulwinter]

N-no? I-it's been j-just me for a while.

[lackinginfaith]

Good. Come on. *She offers a hand.*

[peacefulwinter]

W-where... are we going? [She's more confused than disagreeable on this.]

[lackinginfaith]

Out of the way. *Kari keeps walking, hiding her face with sunglasses and going out of the park behind a hill in one of those places no one looks.*

[peacefulwinter]

[Winter's allowing herself to be dragged along; she's aware that she needs to not be detected, but what exactly that means hasn't really caught up to her yet.]

Is t-this far enough?

[lackinginfaith]

Maybe. *She sighs and lets go.* Now, are you feeling better?

[peacefulwinter]

Yes... I'm okay. I'm sorry, I c-caused a problem... again...

[lackinginfaith]

*She looks level at Winter.* You're a nervous person, aren't you?

[peacefulwinter]

[The girl looks up at Kari, with a curious expression.]

I... t-thought that was obvious. Shy, mostly, but I g-get nervous too.

[lackinginfaith]

Anyone can get over that. Although it takes work.