third roll | video

[o8liter8]

[ Mindfang looks kind of...frazzled when she turns the feed on. Her hair's rumpled like she's slept for a month (well, okay, she did), and she has a few fancy hats piled on her head. One of the hats tumbles down as she swings the camera around, and lands in a humongous pile of bee plushes just as she turns the camera to it. ]

Okay, just whose idea of a joke was this? It's not even funny, it's just weird and pointless!

[ She might also be a little freaked out that someone managed to sneak in and do all that while she was asleep...Mindfang is used to having very good reflexes. ]

And who put the damn robot in here, anyway?

Comments

[o8liter8]

So what.

[aim_exorable]

Most of the others stayed there. It saved time; we had to start early and train nearly into the day sometimes. If you traveled there- especially from out of the city- you had to take more time to wake up early, risk going out into the sun.

It would have been easier to stay there. If I did, however, you would have been alone.

[o8liter8]

Can't leave your little project alone, can you? I was so very uncivilized, it was your sacred duty to tame me or some shit like that.

[aim_exorable]

[An almost visible eyeroll.]

Allow me to rephrase that, then, since you are so determined to see the worst in all I say: I didn't want you to be lonely.

[o8liter8]

I don't get lonely.

[ lying through her teeth. ]

[aim_exorable]

Inansa... I think it is a bit late for saying such things.

[You kinda screwed up the chance to lie when you smacked him in the face, along with everything you blurted out.]

[o8liter8]

I'm fine.

[aim_exorable]

You slapped me.

[o8liter8]

You say that like it's something unusual.

[aim_exorable]

[Deadpan stare over the top of his glasses.]

[o8liter8]

What?

[aim_exorable]

That was different and you know it.

[o8liter8]

Whatever! Believe that if you want.

[ grumble grumble chew chew ]

[aim_exorable]

[Ugh. He needs painkillers now, but right now all he can do is rub at his temples.]

Most people would not get upset at receiving free food, Inansa. At least not unless they suspected it was poisoned.

[o8liter8]

Don't want your concern. It'll just come back to bite me in the ass.

[aim_exorable]

How?

[o8liter8]

[ Shuts up and picks at her food. ]

[aim_exorable]

[Fine he will just go back to his book!]

Exactly.

[o8liter8]

Don't mistake me, Darkleer, I just don't want to talk about it.

[aim_exorable]

Well not talking about it is not going to make it go away!

[o8liter8]

I'm tired of you giving up on me, okay? You say you care but you don't. Not about whether I stick around, not about what I can do for myself, not about any of it. I'm tired of thinking maybe you get it because you've known me longer than anyone and then being disappointed when you don't.

[aim_exorable]

If I did not care about you sticking around, would you think I would waste materials on building that robot to keep an eye on you?

[o8liter8]

You build robots like a wiggler builds sandcastles. They're nothing.

[aim_exorable]

The material costs me, Inansa. They're not 'nothing'.

[o8liter8]

Didn't know anything 'cost' here.

[ grumbling into the waffles ]