1 🐍 ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ( action for housemates )

[snoobs]

[ When the feed comes to life, Hemali is seated on a couch, her legs drawn up and shoulders and neck hunched over. On the coffee table is a small bottle of nail polish, which she goes about applying with precision over her toe nails.

She doesn't glance at the camera right away, letting the silence linger until she's finished painting the nail the way she wants. Then she finally looks up and smiles, but it isn't one offered up in apology for making anyone wait, not that she believes she has anything to apologize for. ]

Isn't this all interesting? I've never seen a device like this or heard of one that could shuffle people from across the universe.

[ Her eyes light up at the thought, masking any concerns she has about the fact there's something with far greater power than she might ever have. ]

Nor have I heard about machines that could grant people power. What I find most strange having looked over this network, is that so many people would give up these powers if it meant leaving this place? I had always thought people preferred being special and having that kind of security. Does your power not provide that?

[ A contemplative pause. ]

Maybe I am a little excited to travel for once, personally.

[ Not completely, but who needs to know behind a calm affect is a woman who feels threatened by the Porter? She goes back to painting her nails, interested in hearing what these other imPorts have to say in response. ]

Comments

VIDEO.

[aojona]

[ After a hesitation, but not much of one: ]

The people. We might not ever get the chance to meet who we meet here under difference circumstances... different times, different places, different stages of reality. It's a wholly unique reality right in here.

VIDEO.

[snoobs]

I like that answer.

[ She might be displeased about a number of factors, but there are so many people to meet and maybe play around with. ]

Have you been here long then?

VIDEO.

[aojona]

Thank you. I'm glad you're able to, um... relate to it in some way.

[ He considers that, counting vaguely on his fingers. ]

Since the summer. Uh, a few months, I guess? Not that long.

VIDEO.

[snoobs]

You seem to have adjusted well enough.

[ She points with a slender finger to the paint on him, smirking. ]

VIDEO.

[aojona]

Hm? [ He glances down. ] Oh... um, this is just paint, actually. Nail polish gets too expensive, you know? I mean, for me.

[ No offense! Probably not the point she was making, though. He pauses, then goes on to add: ]

I mean, I guess I do okay. I don't really have anywhere else to be, so, uh. I might as well be here?

[snoobs]

[ She can't help a laugh. ]

What are you painting?

[aojona]

[ He pauses, then gestures somewhere off-screen vaguely. ]

Oh, I was doing a mural. Um, well, sort of.

[ He turns the camera clumsily toward one of his walls, showing a very unfinished painting of what appears to be flames, with the outline of a face stenciled over it, still in silhouette. That part isn't done yet, obviously. ]

I don't really know what it is yet, but sometimes, um... like, I have to finish it first, before I can understand it.

[snoobs]

[ That's a perplexing thought, not that she knows much about art to begin with. ]

Shouldn't you know before that? [ It sounds almost accusatory, despite the fact Hemali doesn't actually... care all that much. She shakes her head. ] Do you sell art?

[aojona]

Um... well, no, not always. Sometimes it's more like something else is working through me when I paint, and I don't-- I don't really know what I'm painting or what it means until I'm already doing it.

[ Then he shakes his head. ]

No, I don't sell anything.

[snoobs]

Why not? Haven't you seen art in a gallery? They sell for thousands.

[aojona]

Because I don't-- [ ?? Why do people always ask him this!! ] I don't even know what I'd do with a thousand dollars.

[snoobs]

[ What. ]

Spend it on something nice!

[aojona]

Well, uh... [ A pause. ] What would you spend it on?

[snoobs]

Shoes, jewelry, handbags, manicures and pedicures, haircuts... there's so much money can do for you if you have it.

[aojona]

Yeah, shoes are nice. And, uh, I guess like, paint, food, clothes, makeup...

[ But he's just kind of used to earning money as he needs it. ]

But it's still a lot. If that ever happened I'd probably just end up giving away whatever I didn't need.

[snoobs]

[ That's something she can't wrap her head around. ]

If you don't put yourself first, no one else will.

[aojona]

[ #samefeel, except in reverse. ]

That's all right. I wouldn't know how to handle that, either.

[snoobs]

[ Pablo is already disputing her belief that all men are selfish creatures. How dare. ]

How old are you?

[aojona]

Uh-- [ He considers that for a moment. ] ... Twenty-four? Yeah, twenty-four.

How come?

[snoobs]

I thought someone your age would have figured out how to do that.

[aojona]

It's not that... um, not really. It'd just be weird. I'm not any more important than anyone else.

[snoobs]

Why are you saying that?

[aojona]

Why am I... [ ???? What did he do now... ] I was just trying to explain what I meant, not, um... anything bad?

[snoobs]

Most men are proud. Proud and loud about it.

[ What the heck is Pablo... ]

There's always someone you're more important than... well, usually.

[aojona]

Oh. Um, sorry. [ He pauses, then shakes his head. ] I mean, but... like, I know what you're talking about. I think?

[ Not that he really knows how to rationalize it, whether within other people, or the comparative absence within himself. ]

I don't know. Sometimes people just, you know... are.