[VIDEO]

[fire_and_romance]

[It's Jun's second post on the network within a couple of days. She'd love to go to someone she felt comfortable with about this and save everyone the trouble, but there just isn't anyone in particular she feels that close with yet. So instead Jun is left to make a plea for help on the general net.

Unlike her last post, Jun isn't cleaned up and her room isn't perfect. She's dressed and her hair is back, but she's not terribly neat. It looks more like she was rushing. She may have just woken up recently, and when she speaks it's very quietly.]

"What's happening around here...? I-I keep seeing all this talk about x-teams and riots and danger rooms.. I thought we were supposed to be safe here. I don't understand. Did I make a mistake in coming here..?

[Jun pauses, feeling like she might start crying. Her expression is much more troubled now and her voice is full of emotion.]

"I'm scared. I don't know if I should be here... I've never fought anyone before, I don't know if I could. I can barely control my powers. I don't know what to do...Please..."

[Jun doesn't know what she's begging for. Comfort? Advice? Protection? She just doesn't know. She knows her mother and sister would be disappointed in her if she quit, but maybe she's not made for this place.
Maybe she really did make a mistake. This isn't what she wanted at all.]

Comments

[long_live_the_queen]

I don't. My name has colors in it, and shapes. Everything has colors to me.

Your voice looks like smoke right now.

[fire_and_romance]

"Like smoke?"

[That can't be a good thing. She has a sneaking suspicion that Kaede really doesn't like her. Or have the patience for her. She has no idea.]

[long_live_the_queen]

Red smoke. It curls away when you stop talking like smoke does, instead of disappearing like washed out paint.

[It totally makes sense to her, honest.]

[fire_and_romance]

[She's going to have to actually ask.]

"Is that a bad thing?"

[long_live_the_queen]

It's weird.

[Kaede pls

She at least sounds curious now, rather than irritated or annoyed.]

Everyone's voice looks like a color. Yours is the only one I've seen that does that floaty thing.

[fire_and_romance]

"Oh...I-is that so...?"

[Jun looks terrified suddenly. Can she tell? Does Kaede know the truth? Oh, god she can't know! If anyone finds out Jun is ruined. No. She has no way to know. If Jun can just stay calm it'll be okay.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[...now her voice went all wibbly-wobbly. Seeing smoke vibrate like that was so weird.]

Something about your eyes, probably.

[She finally flicks the webcam on; the room she's in is nondescript to the point of being bare, and Kaede is just kind of slouched there in a chair, head propped on a hand and the other tapping aimlessly in front of the keyboard.

Her hair is definitely pink, though. Maybe more reddish on the scale of things, but pretty pink. Her eyes are red but otherwise normal looking, and she's not wearing a hat, so her stubby horns are easily visible.]

Want to talk about them or does it bother you too much?

[fire_and_romance]

[Jun hadn't really expected her to show her face. Well, at least she can put a face to a name now. Oddly enough, jun is much more fascinated by her hair.]

"How do you get your hair that pink? Is it natural or something? I could never do that. My hair is so dark...you're lucky."

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede was prepared to be all bristly and grouchy and defensive when the first thing Jun brought up was her hair.

...but she wasn't laughing at her. That bubbling irritation deflated in her mind. Enough that Kaede didn't have an immediate snarky response.]

I was born like this.

...I wished I did have dark hair before. [Before she found terrorizing people was therapeutic in an awful way.] It would have been easier to look like everyone else.

[fire_and_romance]

"I guess that's probably right...I never really got to know people either. My father always said that people would hate me, so it was better to be a secret."

[Well, it seems like her earlier panic was a false alarm. That much is good.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[She shrugs--and it's actually visible this time.]

People will hate you anyway. Someone always will, because people are stupid. People always hated me, and there was nothing I could do about that.

[fire_and_romance]

"I guess you're probably right..."

[It's...oddly comforting to Jun- this girl's reaction. She's not sure why, but she almost feels at ease. There's still a small part of her that's terrified, but for the time being she feels sort of...like she doesn't care? She's not sure exactly how to put it.]

"I don't really understand why people....I don't know, I don't understand how anyone could hate someone who hasn't done anything yet. Like a child..."

[Maybe this is hitting a little too close to home.]

[long_live_the_queen]

Beats me. And then they act surprised when treating someone like a monster makes them act like one.

[There's some bitterness in her voice this time.]

[fire_and_romance]

"Is that what happened to you?"

[Probably not the best thing to bring up.]

[long_live_the_queen]

Sure did.

[Kaede doesn't seem very distressed by the subject, at least.

It makes the corner of her mouth twitch just slightly into a very brief, but somewhat unsettling smile.]

[fire_and_romance]

"I'm sorry..."

[Jun isn't sure what to say past that and let's it drop to awkward silence.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Yet another shrug.]

I'm past it now.

[no she's not]

They can't get at me here, so.

[fire_and_romance]

"You're much stronger than me. I don't think I could just let it go like that."

Sorry about the wait! I was busy the last few days

[long_live_the_queen]

[...hm. That was...not quite a new thing, but a very, very uncommon one. Enough that Kaede pauses a little longer before continuing.]

If you say so.

["Are you a wizard? That's amazing!"]

Thank you.

[There was a little emotion in her voice there! A little, complicated blip on the emotionless radar of her usual personality.

But that was the right thing to say, wasn't it?]

Oh, don't worry! I've been really busy lately too so it's fine

[fire_and_romance]

[Jun beams, seeing that her comment was at least appreciated. She was sure that thank you had been genuine. It sounded like it, right? Just barely, but it did.]

"I know I kind of said this before, but I think you're a good person."

[long_live_the_queen]

Hmn.

[Wait wait wait too much of herself out in the open now. The emotion wipes from her face as quickly as a gate closing on it.]

If you say so.

[...but her usual deadpan isn't entirely in place when she says that.]

Name's Jun, isn't it?

[fire_and_romance]

"Yes! Jun Carter, actually."

[Jun's a little disappointed to see the other girl try to cover her emotions, but at least Jun got something out of her.]