maskormenace | 008 ♍ video ♍ sunday morning 3 a.m.

[ the camera clicks on to kanaya sitting behind the bar in the devil's nest, the only light in the room emanating from her skin, illuminating the bar and casting long shadows around her. hard to say whether she's having a late night or a very early morning, as she tends to do both.

there's something a bit off about her manner, a little lazy and limp, slouching a bit much for her generally prim posture. it's probably related to the glass of too red wine in front of her, the half-empty bottle of cabernet sauvignon next to the metal flask she seems to carry everywhere. her tone is quiet and pensive, putting a lot of effort into keeping her words coherent. it's an important topic she's discussing today. ]

So I think we can all recognize at this point that Earth is very fond of its holidays, but of the lot I think it's Mother's Day I find the most...challenging. On my worst days, I'd regard it with hostility, as if the very idea that motherhood is something to be celebrated is in itself obscene. But, that. That isn't right. My problem has always been that I've grown too bitter, it clouds the perspective. And even I have had the good fortune to know many lovely mothers, even if I wasn't able to become one myself.

[ her eyes have been lingering on her drink this whole time, swishing it around in a circle, but now she finally looks at the camera. ]

What I mean to say is that...it isn't unlikely, or even uncommon, for others to have more pleasant associations with motherhood. Happier stories to share, enough to fill an entire day. So, I'd like to hear them, if you're willing. However big or small it may be, I'd just like something to paint the occasion in a more positive light.

[ operation archangel participants: feel free to action at her, if you're staying at the nest! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I guess it's good to try to keep

[ they would meet and it would be beautiful. ]

Huh, guess that's true. Vampire? [ Pretty easy to confirm that but it's polite to ask. Maybe? ] I'm so glad my dad isn't here. He has a thing about vampires it'd just be too much for him. [ There's an amused tone to her voice. It's just a joke really, partially. Not completely. He fainted with one. ]

The teeth are a bit of a giveaway, but that could be more indicative of my species than my condition. Most of us tend to have something too big to fit in our mouths.

[ hers just happen to look exactly like vampire fangs, like biology conspired to make her a stereotype. ]

But I can't help but wonder how he might react to a vampire that isn't human, as well. [ because human undead all think they aren't, but an undead alien knows exactly how ridiculous that sounds. no one is fooled by it, except maybe other humans. ] Granted, that isn't exactly supernatural on its own, but tossing one more abnormality to a narrow human viewpoint would inspire a reaction worth seeing, I think.

The teeth could be a lot of things and it seems rude to assume. [ She shrugs. ]

Honestly? He'd probably faint again then deny that he'd fainted. [ It was what he'd done and she doesn't expected that he wouldn't do it again. ] But depending on what you mean by not human he might be fine with that part. He likes Superman and he's an alien.

I'm not even sure I believe that Superman isn't human. Not an Earthling, that's for certain, but if he's meant to be from an entirely unrelated biological tree, he certainly doesn't look it.

He might be the most Earth-friendly example of what an alien could be that I've yet encountered.

[ of course, she hasn't really seen his insides, so she can't really speak to that. she knows her own physiological differences are much more pronounced under the skin, but at least she looks the part more on the surface. ]

Maybe that's why so many people liked him. For the most part he just looks exactly like any normal human.

Of course, you think he's one of you, and he might as well be. But it does the rest of us no favors, when it forms a dichotomy of what a good alien is versus a bad one.

I can see how that'd work. It kinda sucks that way I guess. It'd be easier in general if everyone was just more accepting of everyone's differences.

Easier, certainly, in whatever fantasy world things work out that way. Nut this is reality that we live in.

Even the fantasy world where things work out that way kind of sucks.

That's a bit of an empty sentiment. It's better, but still imperfect, and thus undesirable. Perfection is a myth.

In this life, we need to content ourselves with what we are given. Things suck, this is an incontrovertible truth of existence, but better doesn't lose its luster simply because it retains some flaws.

That's...true. And not all things suck all the time.

Well, of course. Kind times still occur, even if it may seem like you'll never see them again. You just have to be sure to enjoy them before they pass.

Is that what you do? Try to enjoy the kind times while you can?

As I can, yes. I always try to recognize them as they're occurring, rather than only missing them in retrospect.

Easier said than done though sometimes, right?

As is anything, nothing worth doing is ever easy. And you will still miss it once the retrospect comes, but you at least won't regret that you failed to appreciate it when it was still there.

That's true.