[ 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?

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?

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]

[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.

[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.

[quaerit]

[ Well, Jesus, that's a good start. He could've still been in Florida. Virginia means De Chima, and that means Gansey can drive. ]

It's all right, I know it.

We're--

Well. We're where The Barns should be, actually. It's different here, it's not our home. But it's ours. You've been here before. You don't remember?

[ It wouldn't be surprising. It's happened to others. It had happened recently, to Ronan. Still, it brings a sinking feeling. How tenuous is their grasp on the time they've had here?

Noah would understand that better than anyone. ]

[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.]

[brushoff]

In the sense that they don't capture your reflection or something else entirely?

[ is this kid a vampire? Of course Gansey would know a vampire. ]

video;

[fayzedandconfused]

Duh. Are you supposed to be invisible?

[admemoriam]

[He shakes his head, looking bit downhearted over his lack of memory. In fact, he's downhearted over a lot of things right now, and seeing Gansey brings them to a slow, tickling simmer below the surface. He swallows. His fingernails ache.]

I'm sorry. I must have... [A small shake of the head. This place - this wrong Virginia - has given him a new body, warm and whole, but could it be that his mind is still decaying?] How long?

[admemoriam]

Something else entirely.

[Kanyeshrug.jpg.]

[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.

[fayzedandconfused]

I knew a kid who could do that back home. He was so annoying.

[ Said in a way that implies "I hope you aren't going to be." ]

But that's cool. You could sneak into free movies anytime you felt like it.

[quaerit]

[ Gansey knows that look.

Noah has always been so sad. Of all of them, he's the one who's sad. Gansey is quick to shake his head. ]

No, don't be sorry. It's not your fault, its happened to others.

Two months, since the last time we saw you. I've been here for eight. Christ, Noah, you must have so many questions. Are you still at the Porter building? I can pick you up.

[tardily]

It's fine— pretty much everyone does that way too close to the face thing when first video chatting. I once showed someone up my nose for half of a conversation before she told me I was being an idiot.

[ He manages a smile. ]

You'll get the hang of it. Or just use texting in the event of deciding that you don't want to figure out how far to hold the thing back.

[ It's okay, Noah. He wouldn't blame you one bit. ] New here, right?

[brushoff]

[ this is like pulling teeth, holy shit kid ]

Is this a something else entirely that can be reduced to bad luck or is it something more? [ a pause, before Dorian continues with, ] Considering all the supernatural nonsense I've had to deal with in my world, it's a perfectly valid question.

( 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?

[ video ]

[dualismum]

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

[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.

[hawkfire]

No, hey, don't apologize. I'm assuming you just...you know. Arrived. Recentlyish.

[Bette's expression softens as she studies him over the feed.]

Are you, like, okay?

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?]

video;

[unguibusetrostro]

[UNIMPRESSED FACE.]

You're too close to the camera, asshole.

[Ah, Ronan Lynch. So kind.]

[admemoriam]

[The disparity between those lengths of time doesn't go unnoticed, but Noah's head is swimming. The air is too warm. Too many things are touching his skin.

He just shakes his head.]

They sent me to this house. [The camera gets angled up so that Gansey can see the building.] Zero-zero-five.