[Video]

[eyestothesky]

[What was that? Oh nothing, just the feed flicking on to the sight of one big green eye, before a pink kitten nose was nudging at the lens of the drone’s camera. How did S’mores manage to turn that feature on? Who even knew? It wasn’t like she was telling, just starting in on nuzzling on the drone, her purr sending a nearby glass vibrating across the table it was sitting on. Other than the light filtering in through the partly-drawn curtains? The room being shown was dim, the mood entirely gloomy.

Which of course seemed to match the mood of the bot sitting in an armchair with a book in his lap, though he wasn’t paying the open text much mind, just frowning in the direction of the window, unaware that he was being filmed.]

Comments

[locked]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam doesn't seem to buy it, instead standing and making for the door of her apartment.]

How come I haven't heard boo out of you? You get my messages?

[locked]

[eyestothesky]

[Too bad he only lives a sort jaunt away, not nearly enough time to pretend not to be home.]

Yeah... yeah, I got them. [Avoiding the main question? Yup.]

[locked]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Too bad, so sad. Even if he left now, it would be with the witch in pursuit.]

How long were you planning to hole up?

[locked]

[eyestothesky]

[Lucky for Sam this isn't Rabbit, she'd happily lead a chase.]

...Didn't really plan it in the first place.

[locked]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Mm.

[It's neutral, that little sound of acknowledgement.]

What've you been doing this last while?

[locked]

[eyestothesky]

[He shrugged lightly, one hand dropping down to pet S'mores when she came closer looking for attention.]

Reading mostly. [Or pretending to read anyways.]

[locked]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Any recommendations?

[The exchange is too little, too light, but that's alright. Sam's content to leave the real conversation until they're face to face---which won't be long, now.]

[locked]

[eyestothesky]

The alternate history stuff is kinda interesting. Civil War but with vampires isn't a bad premise.

[locked]

[10_20_15_5_50]

That---does sound like it would be interesting, actually. And now I'm wondering how many alternate histories we actually have represented in town.

[Haven might be spoken of as a city most of the time, and it covers ground enough it does deserve that... but it's not always easy to think of it as a city, with its population being as small as it is.]

[locked]

[eyestothesky]

That's actually a pretty good question. Someone should do a survey and see.

[locked]

[10_20_15_5_50]

You're right; someone should. What d'you say you and me give it a go?

[locked]

[eyestothesky]

...Suppose it couldn't hurt any.

[locked video to action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Going around beakin' off and asking stuff of everybody's worked out well so far.

Also, open up.

[Is that your door, Spine? That's your door. Sam thumps it once in emphasis.]

[locked video to action]

[eyestothesky]

[It's definitely his door, can she hear the loud meowing of his kitty?

At least he doesn't make her ask twice, opening the door and stepping back to let her in.]

[action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Thanks.

[Coming in, Sam pauses long enough to toe off her shoes before she crouches to hold out a hand for S'mores to sniff.]

So, you got my message. How bout the calls? Texts?

[action]

[eyestothesky]

[Just taking his time, closing the door as Sam and S'mores said hello to each other.]

...Yeah.

[action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Don't feel worse, but I was worried.

[action]

[eyestothesky]

[Hahaha.

Yeah about that.]

...Sorry. [A small grimace as he glanced around the room, trying to recapture some semblance of normalcy so Sam would have less reason to worry.]

[action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

We're cool. So's you know. Just... you want to fill me in? On whatever you're willing to, honestly. I'll take what I can get, though there is one thing I want to ask. No. Two things.

[action]

[eyestothesky]

Ask away, can worry about fillin' in after that... [Just gonna head back over to settle on the couch and scoop up S'mores because the little purrmonster doesn make him feel better.]

[action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam moves to sit beside The Spine. Though the question she wants to open with is sort of selfish (even if it isn't unfair) she asks it without hesitating any longer than she has to to indicate she suspects it isn't easy to answer.]

First, why didn't you answer anything?

And you know I'm glad to see you, right?

[action]

[eyestothesky]

[And it's a fair question, selfish or no. He takes a moment, trying to figure out some way to phrase things before finally giving up on making things sound any better.]

Didn't trust myself to. [Was someone a little bit of a mess still? Someone was still a bit of a mess.]

[action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[What was there to say in answer to that? Not much. Finding the right words would've been a tricky bit of business even if she had had only what The Spine said to respond to, but...]

[But everything coming off him (insecurity and guilt and a few finer points muddied together in an uncomfortable static-simmer she wanted to squint at) cinched it, and so Sam slid nearer to put a reassuring arm around the robot.]

And your other answer?

[action]

[eyestothesky]

[That? He certainly wasn't expecting, optics brightening as he went abruptly still with that arm around him, even as S'mores happily sprawled across to Sam's lap, purring mightily.]

...Wasn't expectin' it but I guess it's pretty clear.

[action]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Look; it shouldn't be a surprise. You're a good sort, and I'm glad you're here, and I'm glad you're still here, you get me?

[It's too early to say 'and that you're okay' because while The Spine is once again the The Spine Sam knows, the emotional state his aura indicates isn't okay. Improved from what it was during the malfunction, maybe, but not okay. 'Yourself again' isn't quite right, either. 'Still here' is as close as this conversation can come, though 'still here' is still something.]

I got a favour to ask, for the foreseeable future.