( video: locked from yoite - backdated to the virus )

[owlcreation]

[there’s the soft click of an external speaker and the hiss static. the softer sound of shifting, and the murmur of voices. boyish and not, before the image seems to clear up. as whatever it is that is recording the pair seems to spill into clarity. as what is revealed appears like a normal bedroom: sparse white walls and a neatly made bed, but the two that peer into the fractured camera are always a shock. pale hair and bright eyes, but quite simply kouichi aizawa and shijima kurookano. quite simply, enough.

but, there is a pause before either speak up. the damage to this phone(?), perhaps, has been severe. it lags. and kouichi’s posture seems unusually still as he goes to speak up. as shijima blandly sprawls out beside him. only the wild tangle of hair visible within the frame, even now.
but -- ]

[ he laughs, nonetheless. and the mood of his body seems to offset he sound. the easy way of his smile seems to unbalance it. and he goes to reach up to his hair, if a little thoughtful. as if to run his fingers through it, and what follows the path of it is seemingly ridiculous.

a rainbow. (and that seems enough to remind him of why his posture was stiff in the first place. that seems more than enough, as his fingers freeze there. remain there, as he’s speaking. stumbling, if at first: ] It is a little strange to address the entire community, but –

[ and he is stopped as quickly as he starts. he is stopped by the decisive, claw-like motion of shijima’s hand. shooting up. grabbing the one stilled hand from the back of his neck and yanking it down. whatever she does with it is unseen, but the abrupt ow! and the quicker recoil of luminous color following his hand’s wake as he jerks it back to him decides that it is painful. decides without question that shijima will be speaking up, as kouichi silences. even if he looks a little peeved. if only temporarily. if only -- ]

Shut up, bird. Even just your presence is obnoxious today, so hold still and I'll explain the situation.

[but, even off-screen, shijima’s expression is not an unknown. as flat as always, but decidedly a little more serious: ] There's a strange child on the community who goes by the name of Yoite. He's the one who was very reluctant to speak. It's tempting to mess around with him, but we're issuing a warning to anyone who wants to. Don't. Or something very bad might end up coming upon you. That boy is very important to us and the future of this world, so be delicate with him. It's a pain to have to tread so lightly around a sensitive child, but I won't be happy if any permanent damage comes to him.

It's only something to keep in mind.

[ and even though there’s no motion to go with it (not yet), kouichi seems to wish to add something. seems to go to add something, but shijima’s fingers are already looking for the button on the phone to turn it off. have suddenly crept into the frame, as if she’s planned it (unsurprisingly), and with a few muffled sounds of protest and the grumbling of shijima about the unfortunate functionality of phones (blurred background and all) it shuts off.

flickers off. ]

Comments

[losesbest]

Oops!

Too late.

[winterkicker]

Why are there rainbows?

[cattish]

[ shijima doesn't look thrilled to be doing this. she's on her back and not even glancing at the master as she speaks, body and limbs coiled and curved in a strange (catlike) way. ]

I saw. Thankfully, he's a little more resilient than that. I'm only concerned about the point where it becomes impossible to fix, because it will cause too much trouble for someone else.

[cattish]

They emphasise his obnoxiousness.

[losesbest]

Oh, just get the sticky tape, will you?

[cattish]

His psyche is a bit beyond that point; the damage would still be noticeable. It's not that boy that I care about, in any case.

[winterkicker]

They're rainbows...how does that even work?

[cattish]

Doesn't the sight of them make you want to punch him a little?

[winterkicker]

Should they?

[cattish]

I don't know. My feelings are probably biased. When I look at him, I always feel the urge to cause him pain.

[losesbest]

Let me guess! He owes you lot money?

( text. )

[owlcreation]

It is the community.

Of all powers to become stuck with, I am stuck with the absolute worst.

[winterkicker]

Aren't rainbows supposed to make people happy or something?

[winterkicker]

Do they do anything?

[cattish]

[ she smiles, brief and wide. ]

I don't have any use for currency. No, he's become entangled in a very important situation involving another child, and I won't let anyone ruin this plan of mine.

( video. )

[owlcreation]

[ he expected some opposition. the community was consisted of all forms. but, even so, he's leaning back on his hands a little. tilting his head. and it seems almost a little bird-like, even as he curves his lips up. simply: ] It was monitored.

[ his tone is kindly enough, but his smile shifts into something a little sharper at the edges: ]

You were a little cruel, huh.

[cattish]

They're annoying.

[winterkicker]

So the rainbows annoy people.

[losesbest]

Oh, well, far be it for me to be a spanner in the works. I know how annoying those are.

[losesbest]

Don't tell me you wouldn't be, now.

[cattish]

They annoy me, in any case.

[owlcreation]

Not even a little! While others have something of use, this does not do a thing. It is cruel!

[cattish]

How considerate of you.

Of course, I don't blame you for being inclined to toy with that boy. I've done it myself, in the past. [ once again, she is bad at acting the age that she looks to be. ] But there's a delicate balance that allows me to torment him into doing what I want.

[winterkicker]

They kind of look pretty.

[winterkicker]

At least they're kind of...cute looking?

[cattish]

[ grumbling. ]

And people say I'm the type to be easily impressed.

[ offended as a cat....... ]

[losesbest]

I do what I can, what can I say.

Right! Push the lever too far and the car goes sailing off the cliff, when you want it just teetering over the edge. Honestly, I'm not completely daft.

[owlcreation]

I am not interested in being cruel.

[ and this time, that sharpness doesn't ebb off. it does not flicker to the corner of his mouth. it stays. briefly. only briefly. ]

If it is decided that he is important, then I will not go against it.

[winterkicker]

What's that supposed to mean?

[cattish]

It's just light. Is there a reason for people to think of it as anything more than a nuisance?

[cattish]

I see. Well, I suppose understanding from a person is the best thing I could have anticipated, so I'm pleased by this. People are usually so stubborn, I was expecting to have to force them to comply.

[owlcreation]

It is a joke. The community's humor is not good.

[ his name. chie, look at his name. the joke is in his name. /soft sobbing. ]

[losesbest]

Don't want to break our toys too quickly, I understand.

[losesbest]

It's such a pain when they don't listen the first time. Well! A pain for them, more so.

[owlcreation]

A toy, huh. [ and something subtly shifts. and his posture seems to loosen, just marginally: ] I have no feelings on him; I am only looking out for what is best for everyone.

[losesbest]

Aww. That's touching, really, I'm touched.

[owlcreation]

[ blandly: ] You are a little fond of sarcasm, aren't you.

[losesbest]

Not much gets past you.

[ video ]

[timey_wimey]

[ against the backdrop of the crazy red-blue-green disco lighting that is the cockpit of his ship, he is trying so incredibly hard not to laugh at those rainbows.

he is only just about succeeding because of the srs bsns at hand. ] Message received and understood, sir and ma'am.

( video. )

[owlcreation]

[ barely just succeeding or not, kouichi will make the commentary for you. with a kind of inclination of his head and a lower sigh. any movement he would have done, curtailed. ] How embarrassing.

[ a beat, and he seems to pull himself out of that lament easily enough. tipping his head back up: ] I had a thought we could rely on you.

[cattish]

[ her attention is caught by those colours and that ship. she sits there are stares intently at the screen with her unnaturally wide eyes. ]

You've moved.

( video. )

[timey_wimey]

Well, I like to think I'm reliable where it counts.

[timey_wimey]

Yep, I have. It's good, isn't it? Finally got this ship up into working order so that's me off travelling again.

( video. )

[owlcreation]

[ there's a pause, before he's laughing. if a little: ] I am sure most would not disagree.

[owlcreation]

[ he'll continue on that note, but two can play at that game: ] I guess they had not lied about my perceptiveness, huh.

( video. )

[timey_wimey]

I dunno. There's a few who might.

[owlcreation]

[ a fainter rise of shoulders. the fainter tilt of his head: ] If there are some who don't, then it's only natural. Even if a person has a good head on their shoulders, not everyone will agree.