video;

[herbmixing]

[ The camera turns on to reveal a young face, currently in transit. It's Rebecca, walking down one of the broad, bright streets of upper Lunatia. She's a little unused to mobile videos, so occasionally she bobs out of frame. You can see her short hair, the pink choker she perpetually keeps wrapped around her neck, and the top of a green baseball tee. It is the nineties, after all.

More of relevance is probably the flushed cheek, the slightly heavier breathing. Iris is in full effect, and it's not giving her a second of mercy. She gathers herself before starting, eyes flicking over the display to make sure everything is set up and working correctly. ]

...you guys really weren't kidding about the effects of these moons. The physical and physiological changes already didn't make any sense, but this is just-- [ She puffs out a breath, shaking her head. ] Maybe there really is some merit to the lunar effect. We have all sorts of old wives' tales back home about how the full moon makes people go crazy, and we've only got one of them.

[ She pauses, glancing up to cross a street. Once across, she flashes an embarrassed smile at the camera. ]

Anyway. That's not what I wanted to talk about. Now that I'm settled in and things seem...peaceful... [ Her expression creases briefly, a nonverbal "for now". ] I was wondering, how do you all fill up your day?

I'll start! I'm Rebecca. [ She gives the camera a little wave. ] I haven't settled on a job yet, so mostly I'm going to the gym or at the cafe if I'm not in my apartment. I love sweet drinks, so it's nice to just relax in the sunshine with a book. I like playing basketball, and piano too, but those sort of fell by the wayside. All that keeps me busy, but when the moon's full, I'm still kinda lacking strategies to...distract myself.

[ It's about the most polite way she can conjure of saying, "Jesus Christ, nobody told me the moon effects were this bad, I'm going out of my mind here." ]

I figure we should all be trying to help each other out, even if it's just with sharing coping mechanisms. I'm always here to help if you need a medic, or even just a sympathetic ear. So...let me know!

weiss;

[ And then, as if by divine providence, a familiar, stylish ponytail of white hair exits a building. Rebecca lowers her phone and squints after her. She's much more put together now, but...yes, it is the girl she'd had that talk with!

Rebecca's wandering route has taken her near to the theatre. Was that where she was going? She's briefly caught in internal debate, not wanting to bother the girl, before managing to push. She breaks into a light half-job and quickly catches up. ]

Weiss?

Comments

[torsion]

[ What about this place doesn't scream it? All the indulgence everywhere, it feels natural for it to be part of the scene. Jill can't stop it, but it feels like it'll go somewhere bigger. She's glad that Rebecca keeps a low-down on it, however, since she's still not sure about this place. About who might be listening or watching when you talk... ]

I get over it just like everyone else. Nothing too big for you, yet? If you get the hankering for a fight, you know I'll be there.

Just you and Leon and I'm grateful for that. I couldn't ask for more. [ But Jill is so blatant and obvious. She and Chris were always close, but it's clear that in the coming years they become so inseparable that it's killing her to be here. ] I guess you're trying to find commonalities, huh? Good luck on that. I've wrote down what I know and can email it to you.

[ She's already on it, though most of the traits are Sanguis and Cordis with the most mild bit of information about Iris. It's clear Jill is drawn to certain types -- or they're drawn to her. ]

If you try to pet me, I'm not going to talk to you for a week.

[herbmixing]

[ She might be even more of a rookie than their resident Rookie Cop, but she still knows when to not talk too openly about things. Like drugs, or dissent, or even being a police officer. ]

Nothing too bad yet. No transformations.

[ Just a persistent arousal that hasn't left or allowed her to focus for days that no amount of running on the treadmill can cure. No big. ]

Some people I've spoken to have counted their time here in years. If it's gonna be that long, I figure I should start making connections. Not that I don't appreciate all your help!

[ A pause between texts as that threat actually makes her laugh, then: ] Has anyone actually been dumb enough to try and pet YOU?

[torsion]

[ Hey, she had two weeks on the job. That's definitely a more solid resume -- plus, how many cars has she crashed? Maybe Jill's just biased, though... ]

Well, I don't want to be a downer but I'd say expect the worst so you can be prepared for it even if it doesn't happen.

A few people I know have been here a little over a year. To my knowledge no one like us has been here for much longer than a year, but I wouldn't doubt there's anomalies.

Leon grabbed my tail once. I almost put him in an armbar. Reflexes and all. ;)

[ That's just an excuse to beat him up and tease him, naturally. Jill definitely wasn't expecting it and still wouldn't; the appendages don't feel quite like her own. Perhaps because they aren't always there? ]

[herbmixing]

[ Well, technically, a train... ]

Oh, okay. It makes sense there's not much data if this all only started a year or so ago. Still...noted.

Please don't beat up our colleagues, Jill.

[torsion]

[ THE TRAIN WAS ASKING FOR IT!! ]

I think part of it is also the variation, even between people. I've had moons where nothing physical happened to change, even. Harder to put together when there's so many variables even within one person.

Have you heard of people changing their moons, too? To my knowledge it just happens. Nothing that makes it obvious.

Hey, he escaped without a scratch. ;)

[herbmixing]

Really? You can just...change it?

[ What rules do these moons even follow! Rebecca huffs out an annoyed breath at her phone. Being high-key horny for a week, that's just an irritant. But she doesn't understand why the effects are so varied - randomised, even - and that really annoys her. ]

I wish I could talk to my professors about this. Someone with a doctorate in astronomy would be really useful right now.

[torsion]

A friend of mine was Iris but now she's Sanguis. Just happened one moon, she noticed the changes.

[ Jill doesn't either. She wonders if there's any control of it at all, or if maybe it's something about the planets or... hell, she's suspicious enough of the government here. Could be their doing for some end. ]

I definitely think it might have something to do with the moons, but could you imagine telling them about this?

[herbmixing]

[ It requires more research. More information gathering. Her chemistry skills are near-useless in this situation, but still, if she can just collate some data...maybe then she'll be able to do something worthwhile here.

She keeps those thoughts to herself. ]

I really can't. Some might have a heart attack at even the implication of moonlacing, let alone that it actually works.

[torsion]

[ Who knows? Something could be useful and they don't know it yet. It definitely isn't Jill's forte, though she does have a plenty of skills that are spread throughout different subjects. A Jill-of-All-Trades, really. ]

My thoughts exactly. Would be great to have the BSAA's labs on this, but somehow I get the feeling there's no "cure" for any of this.

Just gotta live with it.

Especially when magic's involved in this place. Can't say I'm particularly comfortable with the idea of magic.

[herbmixing]

[ Booing intensifies. ]

Me either. It's useful, but...actually, did I tell you?

I helped this guy out before. He could use healing magic and he was really good with a sword, but there was only so many times he could cast it - and obviously he couldn't fight off angels and heal people at the same time. I guess I'm limited by my supplies too, and it was much more effective than first aid, but I wouldn't want to rely on it.

[torsion]

Lot of people here that seem to be good with swords. Not surprised you've come upon one of em. It's different and a little weird to me, but I'm really impressed with how easily people can use them in a fight.

Be one thing if it could be used forever, right? I want to say it's hard to believe, but we're already here and that would've been hard to believe for me a while ago, too. I'm trying to be more open, though.

[herbmixing]

I guess we'll keep relying on field medicine and firepower. Or hand-to-hand combat, when it comes to you. :)

As long as you keep an open mind, that's the important thing. I'd prefer to rely on things I can touch, too. [ A pause, and then: ] God, I sound like my dad.

[torsion]

Ha ha, I'll take all of the above when it boils down to it!

Sometimes our parents aren't that bad. We can touch BOWs, after all, and I think they might have a harder time believing some of the shit we've seen than not.

At least you don't sound like Barry?

[herbmixing]

That's true. Barry's great, but...no.

I sure hope they'd have a hard time believing it. I don't want anywhere else going through what we did.

[ She knows they do. But still...a girl can hope. ]

[torsion]

Imagine how the girls are gonna grow up. They're either going to hate jokes or never stop telling them!

I definitely understand that feeling. It's what we're still doing our best to prevent. I think we're doing pretty damn good at it, under the circumstances we started under.

[herbmixing]

I can't even picture it.

We are. And we're gonna beat it, too. [ Said with a lot more confidence than she feels. ] With you and Chris and...was it the BSAA, you guys are part of?

[torsion]

Only a matter of time -- and it moves pretty face.

You got it in one. You've definitely contributed to us, but to my knowledge you're going all-lab. Finally, we have a scientist on our side. ;)

[herbmixing]

I'm not a scientist YET.

[ It sounds nice, though...going into the lab and working on a cure, rather than going out guns blazing. She can see why her future self went with it. ]