four { video } hypnotizability

[lurings]

[ abigail is at the bait shop, sitting behind the counter. beside her is a rack of fish themed valentine's and little pink stuffed fish. ]

I was unaware there were so many fish puns that related to Valentine's Day. So... Hook, Line and Tinker is having a sale. By sale... I mean sale. Everything must go. Please take these off my hands. This was a horrible mistake and I regret my life choices.

[ /stares at camera like jim halpert. boy, does she ever. she will probably give them away free if you buy a pack of gum. how are she and will in business still? well, she's actually a really good saleswoman when it comes down to it.

just not right now. when cutesy fish are making cutesy faces at her. ]

Unrelated to flirty flounders, someone asked me about... well, basically about this place and I realized I've been kind of willingly ignorant to anything that's going on around me. I've read the FAQ, but is there anything else I should know?

[ you'd think after three months in a basement she would want to know more, but nope. at least she does now. only took six months. shut up, she's dead. she had to deal with that for a while. ]

Also, small show of hands -- I hope it's small -- who else is dead in their worlds?

[ so casual. she gives the camera a brief, wry smile and cuts out. ]

Comments

[lurings]

Yeah. But it just makes being here better. When regular people go home they just forget anyway, our forgetting it just more... final.

[hands4healing]

Yes.

[Except...she doesn't want Ed to go home without her.]

And it's different than back home, too. Not as.

[Dangerous? No, Mr. Kimblee was here.]

Maybe it just doesn't feel as threatening to me.

[lurings]

Feels like that with me too. There's a lot less people trying to kill me.

[hands4healing]

I don't think anyone wanted me dead back home. [That would be one less...death to power whatever it was they had planned.] Here, it doesn't matter as much.

[At least, not to Mr. Kimblee. Though death was something he probably would find distateful. In theory.]

I'm sorry people in your home world wanted you dead.

[lurings]

It's fine. [ it's not but she doesn't want to dwell on that. ] Do you feel like you've gotten a second chance here?

[hands4healing]

It's not fine, Abigail! [Winry scowls.] People wanted me dead, too; wanted our whole country destroyed. I got caught up in that. I wanted...I want my life to be worth more than some sort of weird power to be used by someone else! And I know you would've wanted more in your world, too!

[...panting while she tries to get control over her emotions again.]

A second chance?

[She screws up her face.]

No.

[lurings]

[ whoa. her eyes widen slightly because she's seen winry get excited about helping people, but she's not seen her get upset, really. ]

It feels like that to me. A second chance. [ well, maybe a third or fourth, she can't be sure anymore. eleventh, if she's being honest. ] I don't want to waste it because I'm upset that someone thought all I was good for back home was a lure, bait.

And I am upset. [ but not mad. it's tricky when you feel affection for two of the people that tried to kill you. and more so when your guilt complex is constantly telling you that you don't deserve any more chances. ] I wish I had a chance where I'm supposed to be, but I don't anymore, even if the Porter sends me home. This is my chance to actually have a life.

[hands4healing]

[Winry sighs, rubbing her temples for a few seconds while Abigail talks. She's not sorry about her outburst.]

A second chance.

[She's trying hard not to think about what Mr. Kimblee said about Ed losing her. Worse, what would she do if Ed went home and she stayed here? If this was all her life would be from now on? She could go on, she knew; she had to be strong for herself and her customers. And her friends.]

I'm glad for you, Abigail.

[It's just harder for her to think that way.]

[lurings]

[ her lips twist, realizing that winry doesn't see it the same way. it's not impossible to fathom, they come from different worlds, they have different lives, they're not going to see second chances in the same places. ]

Thanks.

And I'm glad you're here, Winry. And safe.

[hands4healing]

[Winry smiles in response. Because she is happy for Abigail.]

Thank you, Abigail.

[...but 'safe' remained to be seen. After all, she'd nearly died a couple of times here.]