[video]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Standing in her apartment, Sam is smiling, if a little uncertainly, as she leans away from a silvery snout; there’s a robotic moose nosing at her shoulder, like a horse hoping for a treat. It’s friendly enough, having done no worse than nose, but it’s the last thing she expected to find in her previously moose-free living room.]

The moose is not, itself, a problem. The moose is alright. The moose being trapped in my apartment because it can’t quiiite fit through the door, though---that is a problem. It doesn’t seem antsy or anything, but this is still too small a space for something its size.

Comments

[10_20_15_5_50]

More of the same, which doesn't sound like much, but I'm going to try and set out just where I was at. Home, the hospital, the party after; I couldn't see anything, except for auras. I'd take it, sure---infinitely better than being all-the-way blind; I wouldn't be walking into anybody; I wouldn't be at a big disadvantage for being unable to see the look on anyone's face. But seeing only auras... that was weird. And so when I woke up the second day, and still couldn't see anything else, I started to worry: 'What if they're wrong? They've been wrong before. What if they're wrong and all I'm going to see from here on out is the stuff no-one else is seeing?'

[diagnosispuberty]

[All of this sounds frankly terrifying, Sam, ngl.] But...but you can see stuff now, right?

[10_20_15_5_50]

Oh, yeah. [She nods, turning her palms up.] That night I realized I could sort of distinguish brighter/dimmer, and over the next couple of days my vision went back to normal.

[diagnosispuberty]

...that's pretty freaky. I mean, not gonna lie. Even if it all came back. Did you ever, just...think about pretending you didn't see aura's anymore?

[10_20_15_5_50]

[That question catch Sam off-guard and she tilts her head, considering.]

I don't know how I would've done that.

I mean, it probably could've atrophied away when I was a lot younger if I'd tried to not focus on what I was seeing, but there was no reason to do that. It was, instead, always me trying to make out more. I couldn't not see that there was something, you know?

[diagnosispuberty]

[Hiro shrugs minutely, keeping his head ducked.] Sometimes it's...tempting to pretend you aren't special. Make everyone leave you alone.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Ah, that's the thing. [Sam leans over, enough to touch shoulders, and stays at that angle.] Everyone was leaving me alone already, because the aura thing wasn't really out. By the time I was good enough to sift for actual information, I was old enough to figure I should sit on it.

[diagnosispuberty]

Ohhh. [Have a gentle nudge back.] That's smart. Did you ever tell anyone?

[10_20_15_5_50]

I'm opportunistic. Ask Breakdown, sometime---nobody knows better. But, not between grade three and graduation, no. I've explained a whole four times, twice since hitting Haven.

[diagnosispuberty]

...that's a big secret to keep that long.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Usually didn't feel that way---kind of like the opposite of being colour-blind. Besides, I'm not bad at keeping secrets.

[diagnosispuberty]

...you got any others? Like...are you also secretly a vampire?

[He has a theory, okay.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam laughs at that, because really? Really, bud? What is this theory even.]

Yes to the secrets, no to the vampirism. I used to be brunette? That's one.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Mildly alarmed look.] Aren't you brunette now?

[Hiro might have no idea whatsoever what brunette actually means.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[That prompts an eyebrow up... And a hair-ruffling for Hiro.]

I think my hair's a little too black for me to qualify.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Ack no, not the hair! Hiro smooths it carefully, making a face at Sam.]

Isn't that what brunette means?

[10_20_15_5_50]

I thought it was exclusively 'brown,' brunette.

[diagnosispuberty]

...full disclosure, not totally sure what brunette means.

[10_20_15_5_50]

[She laughs at that, subjecting Hiro to another round of hair-ruffling whether he likes it or not.]

Brown-haired!