[.oo5] VIDEO

[lethechained]

[From the time the video starts out, it's relatively obvious that this was never meant to be posted. The camera is focused on a simple drawing of some flowers - or rather, in the process of focusing. Someone seems to be attempting to record their work.]

[The camera shifts after a few moments, turning up toward a wall pasted with countless other drawings, so many that they obscure most of the actual space on it. They're of all sorts of things - people, places, just everyday objects, and there are numerous representations of what are probably very familiar sights to anyone who's spent enough time in the city.]

[It seems whoever is in control of the recording is just starting to try to focus it on one specific portion of the wall when the movement stops abruptly. The lack of appropriate framing suggests that this was not intentional.]

[For a few moments, everything is still.]

[Then someone steps into the frame -- facing away but recognizable to anyone who knows her.]

[She begins to tear the drawings down. There is no care taken to preserve them, no caution whatsoever - they are ripped unceremoniously from their places, losing corners and chunks in the process. Some are discarded immediately - others are held onto only long enough for her to tear them to shreds before letting them fall. She moves back and forth, the sound of splitting paper continuing even when she steps out of the camera's view.]

[This goes on for a couple of minutes before, just as abruptly as she started, the girl stops. When she regains herself, she does so looking down at a sheet of paper only halfway bisected. Her shoulders jerk in surprise, and futilely, she presses the two halves back together again. Of course, they flops back apart the second she lets go.]

[The paper slips out of her hands and she does not stoop to retrieve it. She's too busy looking around at her work. When at last she turns and sees the camera, the distress already on her face intensifies, and it's only a few seconds before she's reaching toward the camera's view and it shuts off with a sharp screech.]

[Someone's due for a bad day, it seems.]

Comments

Audio

[samantha_grey]

I'm going to shove the next dragon down her throat.

[It's said in a low, feral growl. Samantha grunts and rubs her head before she continues.]

You ok?

[Audio | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[It takes a moment for Naminé to respond. When she does, there are a few sounds in the background, something like shuffling and shifting and the screech and snap of tape being cut.]

I'm fine.

[Her voice indicates she is not Completely Fine, however. There's an undercurrent of her distress.]

I don't know why I--....

[No, she knows. She shakes her head.]

... I really wish I hadn't done that.

[Audio | PRIVATE]

[samantha_grey]

Thiazi. She's screwing with all of us apparently. [She growled more.] Were they yours or someone else's?

[Audio | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

All of them were mine.

[It sounds so sad. There's something about this that just--]

I--... I know it's better than if they were someone else's, or if someone else did it, but--....

[Audio | PRIVATE]

[samantha_grey]

It's only better if it was by someone that you couldn't see again. [She sighed.] It's still something with memories attached. That alone's enough to piss anyone off.

[Video]

[true_renaissance_man]

[This looked familiar. The blank stare, the acting outside of her nature, the destruction of things that should not have been destroyed... ]

Namine, were you sleep walking just then?

[Video | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[There's a delay before she responds. If not for the fact that he communicated with a video - truthfully, she'd rather keep to text, but it cannot be said that she isn't accommodating. When the feed clicks on, she's seated in a small, cleared space amongst her ruined drawings with a roll of tape at her side, attempting to piece the papers back together again. The answer is obvious before she speaks.]

Yes.

[And she is not happy about having done it. Her expression is grim with an extremely contained sort of distress.]

I was hoping they wouldn't get to me. I was lucky up until now.

[Video | PRIVATE]

[true_renaissance_man]

[She was a quiet person who usually defaulted to text, Leonardo was a more out going person who usually defaulted to video, but he would happily have done text for her if he had known.]

I am sorry that it did.

[The papers were noticed, all torn and everything... that was a real shame. ]

I had a friend who slept walked his way into my room and destroyed some drawings. At least with these you might be able to repair them. They are only torn?

[Video | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[All the same, she'd rather do things his way. It soothes her sense of duty, at least.]

Thank you.

[She really does mean it. The sympathies are appreciated - but that last part makes her look up sharply, distress on her face. She can definitely imagine the feeling, since she's sort of experiencing it now.]

I'm so sorry...! That's awful. -- Yes, they're... mostly just in pieces. [Sometimes very small pieces, but pieces nonetheless.] ... Is your friend alright? Do you need any help?

[Video | PRIVATE]

[true_renaissance_man]

Si, he is fine, just upset that it happened in the first place I think. And the drawings are of no concern. I could always draw them again if I needed to.

[Her concerns were of more interest to him right now. ]

What of you? Could you use some help collecting the pieces and putting them back together?

[neverymind]

Wh...why did you tear up your drawings? [Nevy's eyes are wide and worried.]

[Audio | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[It takes her a few moments to respond, although when she does, she's careful to make sure her tone is level, as much as the subject troubles her.]

I didn't do it on purpose. I was... being controlled.

video; private

[neverymind]

Oh no... not more people being controlled. Oh goodness, this is so awful.

[Audio | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[She draws a hand over her hair, eyes on her fallen work.]

I can't disagree with you. This is all very troubling... even when it's not happening to me. [Not that she's ever inclined to care more for her own suffering than another's.] What about you? Have you-- had any trouble?

video; private

[neverymind]

I... I... Yes...

But I, um, don't really want to talk about it. If that's okay.

[tongue3y3s]

Naminé--!

[She doesn't question it. Her expression is solemn.]

I'll. Be around if you need help cleaning up.

[Video | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[She almost keeps this on audio, but... well. When the feed clicks on, she's already sitting amidst her ruined drawings, a roll of tape set next to her.]

... Thank you, Terezi. [If she's not going to bring it up, Naminé won't, either.] I think I can handle it. [One hand is sitting on a piece of a drawing, and her fingers curl inward to pull at it, but-- gosh, there are so many.]

[Still, she'd readily do it herself. And yet....]

But I suppose it might be nice not to be alone. [For both of them, that is; she's currently and acutely aware that something like that could happen again and to either one of them.]

video; private

[tongue3y3s]

[Forcing a small smile, she says:] Will you tell me where you live? It's only fair!

video; private

[lethechained]

[Her own smile in response is weak, but not wholly insincere.]

It is only fair. I live in Odin district, 103.

[A beat.]

But really, you don't have to worry about it. I've dealt with much worse things.

video; private

[tongue3y3s]

Shut up, [is her cheerful response.] I'm coming over. Be there in an hour or so!

[And she is.]

filtered;

[feathery]

[It's stupid to talk to her, but if there's one thing Davesprite has in spades right now, it's recklessness. And he is concerned.]

im starting to think i preferred the nightmares
at least all we did then was trip over each other and pass out if we were unlucky

filtered;

[lethechained]

[Truthfully, she's a little surprised to hear from him - and a little ashamed. It's bad enough that anyone could see that, but knowing he saw it, too-- it's definitely not the way she would have liked to cause him to see fit to speak to her.]

I'm pretty sure I do too.

[Breathing out, she looks down at the wreckage of her work and feels another pang of remorse, even though it's not as though she could have done anything about it.]

I know it's foolish but I hoped there would be some way to fight it.

filtered;

[feathery]

yeah
i dont think ive done anything too weird but it isnt like theres an easy way to check
i mightve fucked up some of the graffiti i left around the city though
and whoever put up the grawlix around hel is a tasteless asshole

filtered;

[lethechained]

If you don't find anything it's probably a good sign. [Well,] At least that if you did do something it didn't cause any lasting damage.

[-- Hum.]

I figured some of those were you.

[Pause.]

What's a grawlix?

filtered;

[feathery]

the old stuff yeah
back before everything started to get weird
grawlix are those random symbols stuffy prudes use for unsanitary language though
because theyre afraid of corrupting innocent preteen ears