video 01 | Aortic Aneurysm

[clussy]

(You know who is not going to react to this situation decently no matter how many times it's explained to him? Eddie. You know who doesn't have a good game face against fear? Also Eddie. He's alone, he needs an adult, and he's pretty sure they don't restock on inhalers here. He knew he didn't need it, not technically, but he also knew that his lungs were contracting at a rate that lead to hyperventilating and as far as he was concerned, that was exactly what an asthma attack was all about. He was having an asthma attack. Maybe. His body was thinking about it.

By the way, he's definitely just been staring at the video for a couple of silent seconds, his jaw working back and forth as he just tried to remind himself that he was actually capable of breathing. This kid......)

My mom's going to fucking kill me.

(The words are whispered under his breath and he would think twice about swearing if he realized how many adults might be watching this video. He was enough of a loser that he could get the whole communication device thing, really, that was fine. But he wasn't quite able to wrap his mind around the full extent of it all.

After a second, he decides fuck it. He needs his inhaler. It goes up, he gives it a few shakes, and takes a deep, deep breath in with it. Holds. Holds.

Then his whole body deflates, his eyes rolling up. He closes his eyes and thinks about how he would talk to the police in Derry. Ha. If that wasn't the biggest fucking joke ever. When he speaks next, his voice is pitched higher than before, that typical 'I'm trying super hard to be polite and endearing' voice that he uses to call his mom 'mommy' when he's real apologetic. He's not even trying to be a suck up. The kid's just scared.)

Um. My name's Eddie Kaspbrak. I'm Sonia Kaspbrak's son and I definitely need to be home for dinner which is like, in an hour. So if anyone can help...I would really appreciate it.

.....God, I really hope this isn't that creep who was taking all those kids.

Comments

[culver]

[honestly, nill had done the same exact thing just after arriving on the moira all those months ago. the only person she'd known was badou, and without his input, she'd been loathe to meet anyone before actually knowing who they were and what they looked like. so she obliges immediately, turning on her video feed.

a teenage girl pops up on the screen, all blonde hair and blue eyes and delicate features. she lifts a hand to wave at him, a gesture that may be rendered unimportant by the small, white-feathered wings growing out of her back.

she smiles, head dipping as she looks at her fingers and types.]

Hello.

[clussy]

(Eddie is taken aback by whose on the other end of the screen. It's a pretty girl who couldn't be that much older than him. He stares for a beat longer, not too used to dealing with girls near his own age at all, and for a second he almost feels shy. Girls weren't super nice to him usually, but she already seems nicer.

He gives a bit of a shaky wave back. He doesn't instantly notice the wings and honestly, if he did, he'd maybe think they were a part of some costume.

What catches his attention more is her texting to him instead of talking. Eddie can't help himself.)

Can you not talk? (Might as well ask, right? And then:) You're younger than I thought you would be. You really know how to cook meals?

(Not asking out of doubt but instead out of awe.)

[culver]

[nill doesn't bother deactivating the video feed. she doesn't often use it, because she feels a little awkward just sitting there silently, but she doesn't mind so much with eddie because he's younger. adults just seem to expect too much sometimes.

she shakes her head, shrugging her shoulders. no, she can't talk.

nill nods in response to his second question, and then looks down to type again.]

I am sixteen.

[clussy]

Oh uh- would it be better if I texted too?

(It felt rude to be talking when she couldn't. He's never met anyone with a disability like that before though and he isn't too sure what the ground rules are. The 1950s weren't exactly great at educating the public on how to handle things like this, but Eddie had a good heart and trusted his gut instinct on some things.

Sixteen. That wasn't much older than Eddie technically, but it made her a big kid to Eddie. Not so big that he felt uncertain, but big enough that he knew she was more in charge than he would be and she knew a lot more about life than he did. Or so he figured.)

I'm twelve. Or well, I'll be twelve in November. But that basically means I'm twelve now.

--Uh. Not to be rude but uh- (He was. Starving kind of. For something substantial.) Was that offer for food for now or later?

[culver]

[she waves her hand dismissively and shakes her head, but there's still a smile on her face. it's nice of him to offer, but she really doesn't mind. nill has been listening to people talk her entire life, and even if not everything they'd had to say had been nice. there doesn't seem to be much point in making someone stop talking for her sake.

her wings perk up, and she nods, typing quickly.]

Now if you are hungry. I am not doing anything.