1st roll, 2nd exposure | Video

[strangeandunusual]

[the feed shows a sunny spot in an alley, just outside the Gibson Girl. Lydia has borrowed one of their tables and set it with an assortment of snacks, fruit, a pile of napkins, a stack of glasses, and a pitcher of their amazing lemonade... but the clear focus of the shot is propped against the alley wall: a giant book that anyone from the Temple party of the Jungle mission will recognize as a retired but unusual tent. She's wearing black jeans with splatters of maroon spray paint, courtesy of her roommate's creativity, and a matching brocade top, with a large, full envelope in her hands. The envelope is 8x10, yellow slashed with red diagonal lines.]

Hi, everybody. I've met most of you, I think, but my name is Lydia Deetz, and I work at the camera shop when I'm not training. I take pictures when I'm out exploring, and when we have parties, and meetings ... pretty much all the time. My friend Fenton made this giant book with his magic as a mistake, but... I want to turn it into a big photo album for all of us, as a record of everything that happens. I have a lot of pictures already, from the first two months I've been here... And some of them are from the other night, so you're all here.

[she pats the envelope]

One of my favorite myths about photography is some people think it steals your soul. Not really, but... It helps keep a memory. And memories are part of our soul, so ... Maybe what it really does is make our souls stronger. If we're going to be doing a lot of fighting and exploring and repairing... We're going to need to be strong. So. Maybe this will help. I'm in the alley by the Gibson Girl, if you want to come and help... Or even if you want to just look at the pictures. Once all the pictures are in, I'll keep it in the lobby of the apartments until I get more.

[an awkward pause as she realizes she has no clue how to end this]

Um. Hope to see some of you?

Comments

[enhancomancer]

Neat! Okay! You can tell me what it's like to live in party houses! [Apartments.]

[strangeandunusual]

You guys are going to have to make up at some point, you know. ... What would it take for you?

[she might have to be a little sneaky. or enlist the help of sneakier people than herself with similar taste in messy hair and gothic Victorian clothing who are really good at strategy.]

[strangeandunusual]

"Your grandma sounds really cool." She smiles, checking for the best angle to catch the light. "Was she an explorer when she was young, or something? .... I think it might be best if you stand over here. Then we get good light and the Castle behind you."

[serpentinthegarden]

I don't see why. There are plenty of people I've never made up with. [ Said an idly as a demon could. ] Redemption is really more of an angel thing, not something we demons get into.

[strangeandunusual]

[she doesn't think there's much to tell, but then again, when she was a kid, herself, she probably would have had a million questions]

It's a deal. Do you need directions to the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor? I'm working next door to it.

[strangeandunusual]

But were any of them people who were probably just trying to impress you and not realizing they went about it the wrong way?

[she paused, realizing she was on the verge of pushing a button, if she hadn't already]

I'm sorry. I shouldn't be trying to make you do something you don't want to do.

[serpentinthegarden]

She was trying to snag some free candy...

[ So not impressed but he wasn't feeling snappy either. He was, for the moment, a very lazy demon. ]

How'd she decide to impress you? Steal your socks?

[strangeandunusual]

She flipped the punch bowl over and threatened to set me on fire when I told her to calm down.

[Lydia rolled her eyes, remembering how close she'd been to just giving Mal the enemy she wanted to see everywhere. how her Spark had saved her from it and started a friendship instead]

So I asked her why she was so upset, instead of yelling back, and when she told me, I listened.

[it wasn't any sort of mini-lecture or anything, just simple fact of what she'd done]

[woo_oo]

Webby obediently began to move.

"No, she was a secret agent. Now she's a housekeeper for the world's greatest explorer, Scrooge McDuck!"

[enhancomancer]

That's a weird name! Is it like the non-screaming non-seeing frozen treat?

Yes, I need directions, please.

[serpentinthegarden]

You think I yelled at her? I didn't.

[ He waited for that moment of surprise because he remembered that by the time Lydia had arrived on the scene he and Mal had been well past talking and were about to throw a few fireballs at each other. ]

I actually asked her to put back the candy she had hidden in her pockets. Asked, me! It's ridiculous! Looking back on it I should have just turned her into a candy... Would serve her right. There is no talking with that kid.

[strangeandunusual]

No, I didn't really think about what you might've done before I showed up. All I meant was that I didn't yell at her.

[a little defensive, there, she thinks, frowning in worry. for someone who prides himself on discord, he seemed pretty quick to point out that he wasn't trying to make any there.]

I don't think it was ridiculous. It sounds to me like you were trying not to make a big deal out of it. I'm not making excuses for her or anything - she shouldn't have stolen from you - but she's got a lot of things she's figuring out. I guess I just wish I could help, but I can't do much.

[strangeandunusual]

That's exactly what it's like, because they sell it there. Hang on ...

[she proceeds to send directions as their own text. a moment after she's sent it]

Oh. That was kind of dumb of me, I forgot to ask first: can you read?

[strangeandunusual]

"And he's the one you live with, with your friends, right? That must be so cool. Here, give me your best explorer pose!"

[serpentinthegarden]

[ He doesn't notice the frown as he was far too busy yawning. Bit of a trip Crowley, every now and then, if you were paying attention he would slip up and display a glimmer of a good side just as he had been trying to do that day he had met Mal which was why he felt a touch defensive about it now. ]

Whatever. There's nothing to help. It's her choice to be obnoxious. I'm not looking to hold her hand and sing a rousing rendition of Kumbaya, just...

[ Yawn. ]

Don't worry about it.

[woo_oo]

One knee, both fists out!

"Yep! He's the coolest! He's the richest person in the world, and he lets me go on adventures with him and his family!"

[princess_weia]

Leia nodded, carefully climbing up on the stepladder, running a hand lightly over the nearest page. "You think I'll be able to make stuff like this with my magic?", she asked "I mean, not really more giant books, but other kinds of neat stuff?"

[strangeandunusual]

Am I boring you? [she gave him a teasing smile]

Seriously, though, I - I shouldn't be keeping you from your work, I'm sorry. I'll finish up these pictures and leave you to it.

[strangeandunusual]

Click! "Okay, another one! With the hook, this time ... Is he rich because of all the secret hidden treasures you guys find?"

It sounded like something out of a book, and she was absolutely enthralled, grinning as she kept the camera on Webby. "Give me like, I don't know, three or four more adventure poses, and when I develop them we can pick your favorite for the scrapbook!"

[strangeandunusual]

"You sure can! I think the way a lot of the magic works, you have to be really specific about what you want, or it comes out a little funny. It's an art, I think, and like any other art, making something good takes practice. That's why we have training in the gardens with Merlin and Dreamfinder. ... Did one of them tell you what class you are?"

[serpentinthegarden]

Nah... I'm done with work for the day. I'm just hanging around.

[ To 'help out' if he was needed but he didn't say that. He just stayed there reclined on his bench and yawned again. After a full day's work he was tired but only because he did have to get up so early and not because of the company. ]

How are the pictures coming? The light alright for them?

[woo_oo]

Pose! Pose! Pose! Pose!

"Sort of! You see, he's been trying to build his financial empire since he was my age. He has his hand in almost every business across the world! He invests, he builds, and he creates! But he doesn't go on adventures just for the money... he loves the thrill of being the one to discover hidden mysteries! Of seeing what has never been seen, of doing what has never been done!"

[strangeandunusual]

Oh, okay.

[again, nice of him, but she didn't say anything, just shifted a few of the confections around for a different composition]

They're good. The light in here is actually pretty great for what I'm going to do with them. Nice and even, so when I do the double exposure later, it won't look weird with any of the natural lighting in the other shots. I shouldn't be too much longer.

[strangeandunusual]

She kept up with Webby's movements easily, the tripod even scooting a little to help her get the best position. Sometimes having magic equipment worked just the way you wanted it to - maybe, she thought, Webby was right, and she had brought good luck with her that day. Maybe that was another way people's Sparks just happened to show up.

"Wow, that's impressive! ... My dad would probably really like him, though I think he'd be a little jealous. Dad's a real estate broker, and he's really good at what he does, he just ... gets stressed out really easily, so hidden mysteries aren't exactly good for his heart."

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Damn nice.

And maybe in an effort to counter all this 'nice' he had been doing today he reached over to snag a pre-wrapped brownie from the shelf. Just a little snack before he left to track down some dinner. ]

Once you're done you can take any of those you want. They are all test runs and would need to be tossed out after today anyway.