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

[video -> action?]

[originaldragoon]

I will be over soon.

[And sometime later, Rose manages to find Lydia, still wearing her usual leather armor.]

[strangeandunusual]

Hi, Rose.

[she smiles, not bothered at all by the armor. everyone wore what they arrived in for a while, until they got jobs, after all.]

How are you doing? Is it still weird to be here? I hope you have a good roommate.

[originaldragoon]

As well as one can be while trying to adjust to living in a new world.

As for my roommate, Larry is nice though he is quite jumpy.

[strangeandunusual]

He's adjusting, too. [she nods a little. poor nervous guy] Maybe if he talks to someone who's been here for a while, he'll feel better. I could come by and visit, if you think it might help? My Dad ... he's got anxiety issues, too. I know a lot of tricks to help stressed out people.

[originaldragoon]

Perhaps that could help. The man nearly jumped out his skin when he saw me.

[She wasn't that scary looking, was she?]

[strangeandunusual]

I bet he's just not used to seeing a woman in armor. Some men get really intimidated by strong women. ... [a tiny smirk] Which, you know, they should.

[she pauses, thinking as she pours them each a glass of lemonade, sure Rose must be warm in that gorgeously badass armor]

Maybe he should just have a part of the apartment that's completely his. My Dad needed a room to do his own thing with when we moved, because my stepmother wanted to remodel everything else. If people are scared, it's good to give them something they can know is theirs, and safe. Even if they're scared over something really stupid. [a little chuckle] Like the fact that you don't like being vulnerable to whatever it is you usually fight.

[originaldragoon]

[Rose gave a short amused laugh.] That is very true. [How many times has she seen so called "tough guys" shrink away in her presence?]

[She takes the offered glass with a nod. Even with the armor, she wasn't exactly warm. After a while, one gets used to it.]

Neither of us have really been spending much time in the apartment. I think we are both trying to give the other as much space as possible.

Which reminds me, I should definitely avoid the apartment when the full moon comes so that I really do not scare him. I was warned that being part of the Monster class means that I will go through a physical transformation at the time, and Soa knows what I will turn into.

[strangeandunusual]

Yeahhh... [she winces in sympathy] My friend Ace, he's a Monster, too, but he mostly just starts setting things on fire. It has to do with this fruit he ate back in his home world, I guess? I heard there's someone else whose arms and legs get all stretched out and creepy ... I hope you don't have to go through anything too disturbing. But if you do, and I can help you, let me know, okay? I ... it takes a lot to scare me.

[originaldragoon]

I remember him from the banquet. [The man was hard to forget.] He showed me some of his fire powers there.

[She gives a bit of a shrug.] Thank you but I will be fine. I am much older than I look and I have experience more than my fair share of disturbing things. Besides, if the transformation is linked to what we were back home, I can at least give a good guess to what I could possibly turn into.