001 {video}

[wordaday]

[The first few second of video is an awkwardly angled shot of a very tired, very pretty blonde woman, clearly trying to work through how to use her damn phone. She looks like she's recently been through the wringer, face a mess of healing scrapes and a few shadowy bruises. So, she's just not here for any kinda crap today, phone. Behave.]

Oh lord, I’ve never been good at this computer stuff. What is- oh, eeugh.

[Sookie finally gets a good look at herself in the camera, and that angle is doing nothing for her, yikes. She takes a moment to adjust the angle, until she’s satisfied that she looks actually presentable to strangers and not a damn mess like she’s been for the past week.]

I’m Sookie, ah, Sookie Stackhouse. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be so scattered, I’m just a little overwhelmed right now, if you can understand. [She frowns, a little embarrassed at herself. Get a grip, Sook, it’s just a camera.] Ah, so, I’d really really like to know about churches around anywhere? I’m Methodist, but I’m no stranger to a Baptist service, or any of those big nondenominational-

[And then for just a moment, the Fellowship of the Sun flashes across her mind’s eye, and her stomach lurches. No. No megachurches.]

Actually, no, just small congregations are fine for me.

Also, they're telling me that I've got to be on some TV show called, ah.....[She takes a moment to look at something scribbled onto her palm.] Virginia Lakeshore? Anyone know anything about that? How would I wiggle my way out of that, exactly?

Comments

[notsheepish]

Honestly? I'm not sure. I haven't really looked into whether there's some sort of poll about it, but it's probably not far off from 50/50?

[infomodder]

[BLESS HIM cute but married thrice over]

You're gonna get attention either way. That happens to us.

[Ah, he sounds so Understanding. Someone else appreciates privacy




and is also wondering whether or not she can turn into animals. But. One thing at a time.]

[wordaday]

[The optimist in her tells her 50/50 isn't all that bad. The realist in her tells her to stop it with that kind of talk, good lord.]

Do they do it on purpose?

[wordaday]

[Ah HA topic change, she'll take that eagerly.]

My bos- my friend is, yeah. [She pops a bit of blueberry muffin into her mouth, looking a hair relieved.] He's on his way here, so at least we've got that going for us.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ Her expressions brightens just a touch. ]

That's great! This place is easier with familiar faces around. I got extremely lucky when I arrived.

[notsheepish]

Who? The government?

According to them, none of this is on purpose. They lost control of the thing that brings us here years ago, and they don't know enough about it to do anything other than just try their best to work with us when we show up.

[wordaday]

I'm going to be honest, I'm really tired and only half of all of that made sense.

[wordaday]

Alright, someone else told me that, but I'm still not too clear. Why? I'm just some girl from rural Louisiana, why am I special? I'm no one compared to movie stars, or whatever.

[Well, no, she is but absolutely no one needs to know that. Back home, once it got out to the wrong kind of people ("people") her life changed for the worse, kinda. Honestly, she's convinced that getting dragged here is an extension of that trouble back home. It fits the pattern nicely.]

[wordaday]

My gran was fine with it, I just didn't have much cause to.

[She shrugs, the perfect picture of friendliness, but she feels herself getting tenser by the minute. She just doesn't need this right now, and god she wishes Sam would get here faster.]

Why do you ask>

[wordaday]

Oh? You have people you know here?

[restingstitchface]

[Oh. Oh. Her grandmother.

Well then. Doesn't that make everything peachy?]

Curiosity. But also necessity. You asked about churches, and now I know more about you I can make a proper recommendation.

[He texts her the address of a church in Miami; neglecting to mention it's served as a front for the devil. He might also have left out the Morning Star part.]

I've attended in the past. It's not Methodist, but I found it incredibly warm and welcoming.

[wordaday]

Mmm hmm. I definitely believe that.

[Look, she's not one of those conspiracy nuts or like the folks out in Hotshot who eschew the way things are, but when the people in charge are insistent that they're not at fault, usually they're at fault. It's common sense.]

Seems like they'd try to do something to stop it if they really wanted.

[infomodder]

["I'm just some girl" sounds like an alarm, more "I am actually really special for a reason that I keep close to my chest, people might DIE if they knew, it's tragic" but that's because Will's been around a while. He's seen patterns in the Porter, and one of them is that rarely, if never, is anyone picked normal. Rarely is anyone no one. For good or bad, most of them have Some Thing Different that makes them stand out.

But he nods along like he totally understands this feeling of being Normal And Southern And Definitely Not Special.]

You're from another rural Louisiana, for one thing. People find that interesting. [Oh you come from another world? That is not something everyone can say.] You've got abilities now, too. Movie stars don't have those without lots of behind the scenes effort.

[trigeminalheadache]

I do! A few less now than before, but I know I'm lucky to have had anyone here.

[wordaday]

Mmm hmm.

[She doesn't believe him, but she doesn't let it show. Still smiling that tight smile, still sweet. Her cheeks hurt a little.]

Thank you. It's, ah, it's a bit far away but the next time I'm in Florida I'll look into it.

[And it's really not a lie, but she's not sure that Florida's going to be in her plans any time soon.

[restingstitchface]

[He smiles again; a calm, polite expression that doesn't hurt his cheeks or make him feel like something inside him is going to snap.]

That's your prerogative. Good luck with settling in.

[wordaday]

[Look sir, you don't have to read her for filth like that.]

Abilities? Oooh, maybe I can fly now, or serve beer extra fast. I bet that would be fun to watch on tv.

[Oh look, she's fallen into this sarchasm, help.

To be fair, Sookie didn't actually read the file they gave her, so if she's got any more powers on top of her brain thing, she doesn't know. She really doesn't want to. Once Sam gets here she'll be passing it off straight to him for safekeeping, or burning, or whatever he wants to do. She knows herself, and she knows that one night she'll get real curious and that'll be that. So, Sam. She trusts him implicitly as it is.]

Sorry, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be ugly. This is just...a lot to take in.

[shifting]

[he can't help but catch that, can't help but pause and nod and wonder just what she went through before arriving here. The last Sam remembered of home, it was Halloween and he'd just buried his brother. Sookie had been complaining about bunny ears, not sporting fresh bruises.

But he resists the urge to ask over the network, which always has too many prying eyes, and shuts off his communicator. He gets to the cafe as quickly as he can manage, slipping in and picking her out from the crowd before he approaches her table. He steadies himself. It's been awhile, and just having her scent back in his nostrils makes his heart ache with a homesickness he's sure he's projecting. Can't help it. Hell, he has to resist the urge to wrap her in a fierce hug the moment she's in range.]

Hey. ...Blueberry muffin, good choice.

[wordaday]

[It's an uncomfortable 15 minute wait, but she spends it asking questions, fielding weirder ones from other people, and trying very hard to be as small a target as possible so the cafe patrons would leave her alone. It's an instant relief the second Sookie feels the telltale red pulse of shifter brain, even before she sees Sam walk through the door.

He may resist the urge to hug, but Sookie has no such self control. She's up on her feet as soon as Sam's within range and she pulls him into a tight hug. It's only been a little over a days since she's seen him, but it feels like years with everything that's happened.]

Oh, Sam.

[Sookie sags into the hug, and whatever emotional fortitude she's been able to muster since she arrived crumbles to dust. He doesn't quite smell like home, but he smells like Sam and that's really all the comfort she needs right now. It's awful that he's always getting dragged into her problems like this, but she figures if they're both here it's more like solidarity. Thank god she cried herself out hours ago, because if she she made a scene in public like that she's never forgive herself.]

Muffin was good. The danishes didn't look fresh.

[Pastries. That's what they really need to be talking about, right?]

[tadeadshi]

A fractured cheekbone.

[HOW ARE YOU TALKING. yeah no, Tadashi's gathering his things already to head over to one of the porters.]

Give me a few minutes? I can definitely help with that.

[wordaday]

[Oh. Well okay, she was expecting this whole thing to happen in a few days but uh. Okay. This might as well happen.]

You don't have to rush on my account! It's alright, it's not like it's an emergency.

[wordaday]

Thank you so much. People have been so helpful already, I'm sure I'll have an easy time of it.

[Except for a few, she wants to say.]

[wordaday]

[Wow, this woman really is a cheery breath of fresh air. It's helpful, to say the least.]

Well, I'm sorry that there's any less than before. Did they....?

[Die?]

[notsheepish]

Maybe. Or maybe they have tried and failed spectacularly. I don't really know.

[infomodder]

[Huh. A nonbeliever? Maybe she isn't like Sam, then, or just knows being like Sam is not normal and is puffing out this whole super normal front.

Still, Will gives her A Look as if he can't believe what he's just heard. Part of him can't, actually, rarely do imPorts come in from his area and he honestly is still getting used to it. Usually he only hears be ugly from the locals. So that's nice, what a refreshing Sookie.]

It is. A lot to take in. You aren't ugly at all. [ain't no lie] There are worse reactions to have.