video; day 434

[myownhero]

So, um. This is weird.

[Deep thoughts. And things everyone most likely knows by now. That's not why she's here, broadcasting herself to the city, but she can't quite keep it from leaving the tip of her tongue.]

I'm Bliss. I'm from Texas. I'm a senior in High School, I do beauty pageants for my mom, I do Roller Derby behind her back - there's this guy I really like, and I'm pretty sure he likes me too - boring, right? I'm really, really boring. I hear about wars on the news, and I see the soldiers around when they're on leave, but... I really think I was the wrong choice here.

[She glances down at her hands, running the pad of her thumb over the opposite thumbnail. This is coming out all wrong.]

Not like I don't wanna help. I do. Apparently I'm also really strong here, so there's probably something I can do. I'm just a bit - [Scared.] - lost, I guess. Other than helping with all the flood damage, I dunno where to start? I guess that's what I'm trying to say. But meeting people's as good a start as any, so - hi.

[With a nervous, fluttery laugh, she leaves her broadcast at that. Not a great first impression, but not a disaster either.]

Comments

[intelligently]

So you thought you'd prove how boring you were by telling us your whole life story?

[myownhero]

Well - it got my point across, right?

[She really did, didn't she? Awk.

And very pretty, popular-looking girl detected, so double awk.]

[intelligently]

If you consider that boring. [ Most of it probably was but there were beauty pageants and roller derby. Those were things. Beauty pageants were interesting, and not what Lydia would have expected ] Some people probably wouldn't actually understand what you said. [ Weird people or the people from other times ]

[myownhero]

Yeah, I'm starting to get that. [She grins uneasily.] I got called out on the uniform when I showed up yesterday, but no one actually asked what roller skates were. And I thought beauty pageants had made it -

[Ah, but she's in a whole different universe now, isn't she? Not every world's going to have Miss World, obviously, and bless them for it.]

- probably not across the galaxy. Or whatever all this is. Alternate worlds?

[intelligently]

All of the above. There's the past, future, across the galaxy and alternate worlds.

[ Did she miss anything? Other than aliens and werewolves ]

What was the uniform?

[myownhero]

I'll keep it in mind. [So weird. How are people so calm about this?

Ah, good, okay. Something she can manage. She stands up and heads to her new closet, pulling out her Hurl Scouts uniform and showing it to the feed from both sides.]

It's - pretty standard roller derby stuff. One guy even recognized it. But not really disaster zone chic.

[intelligently]

Not really. [ And that's probably the first roller derby person she's ever met. She knows it's a thing but it's not a Beacon Hills thing ] The disaster zone isn't permanent, either.

[myownhero]

It was a flood, right? [She tucks the uniform back into her closet, then frowns awkwardly at the feed.] And giants before that. They're who froze the road out of here.

It sounds like things can't get much worse, anyway. [Possibly the most cursed words in history. Why did she say that.]

[intelligently]

You're well informed. And don't find this too strange.

[ Or maybe adapted pretty quickly, unless she's been here a while ]

[myownhero]

Oh, no, I find this plenty strange. [Her laugh's quite edgy at that.] You just missed my nervous breakdown. It's not something I want to do over again.

[intelligently]

I'l be glad that I missed it. [ Nervous breakdowns aren't fun. She's had her own ] Where are you staying?

[myownhero]

Yeah, not my best moment. [She grins shyly.] I'm in Thor. It seems like a pretty small house, considering how many people - like us I've seen around. From the other worlds, I mean.

[intelligently]

I think all of the houses are about the same. [ In size at least, she hasn't looked in each of them ] Does yours have an indoor slide?

[myownhero]

... yeah, actually. What's that about?

[intelligently]

I'm not sure, but some people seem to really love it. [ She wasn't one of them ] And for things that you should know other than the weirdness and war: there are shops and cafes, and you still have to pay for things even though we've been kidnapped.

[myownhero]

I kind of figured. [She'd seen some of the damaged shops while she was helping to rebuild, and cash registers abounded.] Well, as long as there's restaurants too, someone'll need a waitress. At least I know something about that.

[And then, with a bit more spark:] What are the shops like? The style, I mean? Anything vintage?

[intelligently]

Just make sure to tell me where it is. Shockingly there aren't that many great waitresses.

[ She'd probably make a terrible one ]

There is. [ But Lydia's sense of vintage is probably a little different to Bliss's ] I like the shops. One day I might show you around.

[myownhero]

[She tries to smother her surprise at the offer, but in the end, her smile is so gleeful that some of it obviously shows through.]

Yeah. Yeah, that'd be cool. The clothes they give you here are - better than my uniform, anyway, but I'll need some new ones when I get my first check.

[intelligently]

Then let me know when and we'll see what we can find.

[myownhero]

I will. Yeah, definitely. [It's a bit embarrassing how excited she is by this.] I don't know what I can offer back, unless... you like roller skating?

[intelligently]

Having someone to shop with is good enough. [ Because it so beats shopping alone, you're already doing her a favour Bliss! ] But try ice skating. You were close.

[myownhero]

Oh God, I've never even tried it. I wonder - it can't be that different from roller skating. Is there a rink here?

[intelligently]

There is. Shall I go with directions or just take you?

[myownhero]

Now?

[She's a bit startled. It's her first morning in a flood-wrecked city that's apparently at war - that's not how she expected to spend it.]

[intelligently]

I'd wait until you're settled in. Unless you're ready.