[ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ]

[admemoriam]

[There's a boy staring at the camera.

Light hair, unassuming, face needing a bit of a wash. A little too close to the lens for comfort. He's eating from a bag of M&M's, slowly and reverentially. Really, you wouldn't be glancing twice at the broadcast if it weren't for the fact that he's just looking at you, well past the broadcast's minute mark. Looking at you, at your room, at whatever's behind you - either he's having some neurological symptom, or your surroundings are very interesting.

Then, as if a switch has been flipped, he seems to notice that you're actually looking back. His eyes brighten, and his fingers go fidgety.]

Oh. Oh. [A beat, as he tilts his head. He's close enough to the lens to count his freckles.] Can you see me?

Comments

video

[quaerit]

[ No matter how long he's gone, it's never really a surprise to see that Noah's come back. Whether they're in this world or their own, that's a thing that happens, and what with Ronan's sudden reappearance, it's really not strange at all that Noah would come back to.

Gansey is not surprised. That doesn't make him any less delighted, though. ]

Noah!

I see you. Are you going to stare at that lens all day or are you going to tell me where you are?

[admemoriam]

[He tips back once it dawns on him that something on the screen has changed, and that's Gansey he's seeing now! He breaths out with visible relief.]

Gansey- [But he realizes there's still a handful of M&M's in his mouth, and he quickly chews and swallows them before continuing. Getting used to coordinating basic human tasks again needs to go on his immediate to-do list.] They said I'm in Virginia, but I don't think it's the right Virginia.

video;

[brushoff]

[ Gansey knows this kid. Ergo this kid is interesting. Ergo Dorian is going to bug the shit out of Noah. ]

See and hear you, as a matter of fact. Should we not be able to?

[admemoriam]

[He gives a twitchy, vague little shrug, and pops a few more pieces of candy into his mouth.]

I don't have good luck with cameras.

video.

[tardily]

[ Things that are a good distraction from his life: figuring out why this boy is somehow shocked that people can see them. ]

A little too well. Might want to back your face up just a little. We can still see you even if you do that. [ A beat. ] Did you not want us to see you?

[admemoriam]

Oh. Sorry.

[He moves the device away a bit, and it becomes clear that he's sitting on the front stoop of one of the assigned houses.]

I haven't video chatted before. It's strange.

[Instead of making up a lie, he's skipped right over Barry's question. Sorry bro.]

video;

[fayzedandconfused]

Duh. Are you supposed to be invisible?

[admemoriam]

[A kid. She reminds him of Adele, with her quick eyes, and he looks down.]

Sometimes. If I want to be. [Or if I don't.]

video;

[schrodingersghost]

Is there a reason I shouldn't be seeing you? Its not like you're invisible or anything.

[admemoriam]

[He shakes his head, uncomfortable with all of the questions.]

People don't, sometimes. That's all.

( video )

[hasitsthorns]

[ Rose can't help the amused smile that spreads across her face at his realization. He must not be from a time where there's video chatting, huh? ]

I can see you clear as day! Is this your first facetime experience?

[admemoriam]

["Facetime". He's heard that word. Something to do with iPhones.]

It is! [A tiny wave.] My last phone was a Blackberry.

[ video ]

[dualismum]

Yes, I can see you. Shouldn't we be able to?

[admemoriam]

[He shrugs, like it's something that's up for debate.]

Some people can't. That depends on you.

[Video]

[hawkfire]

Clear as day, kid. Though maybe a little too clear? We don't, like, need to see your pores and all that.

Also, hi!

[admemoriam]

Hi.

[He gives an awkward little wave, which dissolves when his fingers decide to fiddle with his split ends instead.]

Sorry. About my pores, I mean. I haven't washed my face in awhile.

video;

[itstheirworld]

[She does raise her brow at him.]

Why wouldn't we see you? Your face is too close to the screen.

[Does this kid not know how to use technology?]

[admemoriam]

[He pulls away from the camera, his cheeks reddening a little for the first time in years. Having a physical form is hard.]

I wasn't sure I would show up. [Clearly a full answer.] Is this better?

video;

[unguibusetrostro]

[UNIMPRESSED FACE.]

You're too close to the camera, asshole.

[Ah, Ronan Lynch. So kind.]

[admemoriam]

Maybe you're not close enough.

[Great comeback. Makes tons of sense. A+]

( video. )

[aberth]

[ ... ]

I can.

[ It'd be hard not to. ] Where are you?

[admemoriam]

[Adam! His eyes widen a little in acknowledgement, but he doesn't relax quite yet. Why is everyone here?]

Virginia. [Very specific.] They sent me to this house. Gansey said he could come get me.

video

[performance]

I see freckles! That is: yes, and hi. Technical difficulties?

[admemoriam]

[He touches his cheek, self-conscious. He'd forgotten he had freckles.]

Just a little. I haven't used one of these before.

[princeofrats]

[ Mouse has been staring back the whole time, and doing his best not to blink. ]

... Yeah? How else do you have a staring contest?

[admemoriam]

[He thinks about it, his head tilted slightly.]

With your eyes closed, if you had x-ray vision.

[video]

[dreamkid]

[ In contrast to middle Lynch and his unimpressed look, small Lynch gives a broad smile and even waves happily. ]

Hey, Noah! You're back, too.

[ Not that he and Matthew spent a great deal of time hanging out their first go around together here--in fact, Matthew would be hard pressed to remember the exact day Noah left--but that doesn't make his greeting any less cheerful or enthusiastic than he usually is. ]

D'you remember being here before?

[admemoriam]

[He'd already been told Matthew was here, but it doesn't make him any more prepared to actually be greeted by the kid. To Noah's knowledge, they've barely even met beyond an introductory handshake ages ago.]

Matthew. [A little head-tilt of acknowledgement.] I don't. I only heard about it from Gansey.

[systemize]

[ Uncertainly, ]

Shouldn't we be able to?

[admemoriam]

It's not up to me.

[A clear and satisfying explanation.]

[cuff]

Technology's a bitch, ain't it.

[ because everyone has as much trouble with comm's as he does, or so he thinks... ]

[admemoriam]

[Yes, it is, especially when you think you're invisible.]

Yeah. We don't really get along anymore.

[kickingand]

[ Now that's an interesting introduction... ]

Goin' for the trick question, huh.

[admemoriam]

It's not a trick. [Pause.] Unless it is. Maybe you're imagining me.

video;

[bassriff]

Sure can, dude. You ok over there?

[admemoriam]

I think so. [It's a loaded question, but he'll pass.] How do I look? Normal?

video;

[doubleblind]

[Cosima's surprised to see a kid who looks a lot like her former housemate, but with her whole clone situation she's not about to make any premature assumptions.]

I can definitely see you.

[admemoriam]

[His cheeks color just a bit - a new and unfamiliar reaction, after ages without actually having blood. Or cheeks.]

Whoops. Sorry for the staring.

[whitequeens]

[This is... a little awkward. She's waiting for him to say something, but he doesn't. It feels like she should say something. Should she?

Euphie's not sure what to do. By the time he suddenly reacts, it's almost a shock.] --ah!

Y-yes, I can see you. Did you not realize that?

[admemoriam]

Nope. Sorry. [His eyes go a little wide, because he's awkward, and there are a lot of pretty girls here.] I'm not used to the whole video-phone thing.