Video | un: czerny

[foreversmudgy]

[When the video started, the camera was facing the wrong way.]

Oh! Oops.

[Noah was quick to realize it, at least, poking the screen until the camera changed to display his face. He was alive again but he was still pale, like he hadn't spent a day in the sun. Actually, he probably hadn't since arriving and finding himself in a living body. At least, not long enough to develop any sort of tan.]

Hey! Um.

[It was a little late to realize he wasn't entirely sure he knew what he wanted to say. He knew, but he didn't know. There was an important difference.]

Okay, so like- I think I'm starting to get the hang of things around here. The whole 'we take what we need and we don't have to pay for it' thing.

[It still felt a little like shoplifting...]

But- so, the apartment I picked doesn't have a bed. Is it a faux pas or whatever to just...take a bed from one of the others that no one's using? All the ones I looked at with a bed felt creepy...

[Don't ask him where he'd been sleeping. Actually, don't ask him if he'd been sleeping at all.]

I'd need some help, too, if kidnapping a bed isn't like- dishonor on your family, you know?

Also, this is probably a long shot, but does this place have a gelato parlor?

Comments

[reaperrabbit]

Oh.

[Fuck. Now what? What was he supposed to do? Was Noah crying? Shit. Abort mission, all systems red, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.]

...Well. Uh. [aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa] I'll go eat ice cream with you. If--you want.

[Oh no, he panicked and agreed to a social obligation, fuck his life. Unlife. Existence.]

[foreversmudgy]

[He was only crying a little. He couldn't help it; he might not have been decaying now, but he didn't know what the odds of that changing were or if he'd go right back to it if everyone went home or- It'd been awful, either way, like a slow death all over again.

Sniffling, he rubbed at his eyes.]

You don't have to do that.

[But.]

It might be nice, though.

[reaperrabbit]

I mean, it's free. And I like sweets. Why not.

[If he'd been paying attention to other replies to this post, maybe he'd know at least one reason why not. Selective listening was a terrible thing.]

[foreversmudgy]

[What was the worst that could happen?? Besides, even with all the warnings...Noah wanted to try it anyway.

He smiled, a touch shy.]

Thank you. And you know- if you ever need help with anything in the future, I can lend a hand.

[He would've felt bad--or worse than he already did, anyway--if he didn't at least offer.]

[reaperrabbit]

[The lag between someone else's offer of kindness and Brook's response was getting shorter, at least, if the answer still left something to be desired.]

Okay. I'll keep it in mind.

[Of course, he probably wouldn't. But hey, if Noah was going to keep inviting him out for sweets, he'd have plenty of opportunities to remind him in the future.]

[foreversmudgy]

Okay.

[He almost said thank you, as if...he hadn't just been the one to offer help in the future.]

When I figure out where the ice cream place is here, I'll let you know.

[reaperrabbit]

[Noah, please.]

All right. You can call or text me pretty much whenever. I mostly only sleep at, like, two in the morning.

[foreversmudgy]

Okay! Thanks.

And yeah, my sleep schedule is...kind of all over the place so far.

[Some nights he managed fine, other times he was practically bouncing off the walls until the middle of the night/early morning.]

[reaperrabbit]

Try eating something really warm before you lie down. That knocks me the fuck out.

[--He said, with all the wisdom of someone who'd only been at this kind-of-alive-again thing a month longer than Noah.]

[foreversmudgy]

That sounds like a good idea. I'll give it a try, thank you!

[Sounded like sound logic to Noah.]