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

[herbmixing]

Well, obviously, I'm not as pretty as you. Even getting more than one guy interested would be a job. Then there's...everything else.

I've led a pretty busy life up to now. Haven't really had any time for relationships, though I've had a few dates. So I don't exactly have a lot of experience.

[schmisse]

What are you talking about? You're pretty in your own right.

[ Were it Cordis right now, she'd be talking a lot more about those cute eyes of hers. ]

I didn't really have time for dating either, but it's... it's different here, you know? I'm... actually able to enjoy things a little differently here. Who knows, it might help you to lighten up if you go out on a few dates here, too.

[herbmixing]

Thanks, but really. You're practically a Disney princess.

[ If she only knew... ]

Maybe it is...after talking it over with some people, I'm thinking things might be different for me here too. Maybe I can.

[ Tell her about all the cute boys please. ]

[schmisse]

A what?

[ Does she resemble a princess from one of the kingdoms where she's from? That's how she certainly understands what was just told her. ]

Well, you won't get anywhere if you're not sure of your decision... I think. Oh, I'm excited! What's your ideal date like?

[herbmixing]

You don't have those? They're these kid's movies, mostly adapted from old fairy tales. There's usually a princess with gorgeous hair and a great singing voice, so--

[ She gestures to Weiss. Obviously. ]

Anyway, my ideal date...something simple, I guess? I kinda like the idea of doing something active. Going for a forest walk, or playing some basketball, then going to a cafe and talking for hours.

[ And after that...a lot more comes to mind, thanks to the Iris heat on her, but she leaves it at that. ]

[schmisse]

No, but I was told of fairy tales from other places... Ryuu said that my name means "White Snow", and there's a fairy tale character whose name is "Snow White". I don't know if she sings, though, but the story was pretty dumb to me.

[ See: She does not believe in love at first sight. ]

I hope you intend to shower after playing sports and before that coffee date...

[herbmixing]

Oh, yeah, that's one of the early ones! She does sing, but it's...not such a great movie, I think.

[ Not exactly a feminist piece, that one. Her face clenches in brief embarrassment. ]

...oh, good point. Maybe a light walk would be better.

[schmisse]

That's unfortunate.

[ But Weiss has no intent to soulbond to a fictional character (hah!) ]

I mean... If you want to get physical in the shower, you could save it for last... [ :) :) :) ] If that's the kind of date you're looking for, anyway.

[herbmixing]

W-Weiss!

[ Oh my god. She lights up with a blush immediately. ]

That's not...

[ It totally is. ]

[schmisse]

I was joking! [ Jeez... Bad joke? Probably. ] Even I don't think I could go on a date like that...

[ For the first time, anyway. ]

[herbmixing]

Oh. Right. Sorry, I just...

[ Oof. She presses her hands to her cheeks. Yep, they're hot. ]

This Iris stuff is really messing with me. Even then, I don't think I could either.

[schmisse]

Okay, then a friendly... romantic date? And you go home to your own place afterwards.

[ There! Much better... ]

[herbmixing]

That sounds better.

[ She pauses, frowning. ]

...sort of. [ Then, an irritated exhale. ] It's not like I'm against that kind of date either. I just haven't ever done that kind of thing before.

[schmisse]

... You know, before I came here, I thought I wouldn't do anything like that until I had a boyfriend.

[ It's so complicated here, Rebecca. Her sorrows are tremendous. ]

[herbmixing]

[ She feels you, girl. She feels you hard. Everything changes so much. ]

Do you think it's a good thing? Being more...free with that sort of stuff?

[schmisse]

I'm not sure. [ She'd say otherwise during Cordis, but it isn't that time of the month. ] But... we sort of have to, don't we? If we want to survive here.

[herbmixing]

That's the impression I've got.

[ Hence the hope to find the D soon. The last thing she wants is to survive zombies only to turn into crystal because she couldn't get laid. ]

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Don't think I'm judging you or anything! I just don't know how I'd do it.

[schmisse]

Does anyone?

[ Weiss didn't know how to do it either, she just went in had first, eyes closed. She didn't lose anything! Well, except for her virginity, I guess. ]

[herbmixing]

Someone must.

[ She sniffs out a little laugh. Her fingers rest lightly on the keys, playing a few brief tunes. Just something to cut the silence. ]

I knew plenty of girls in college who did it even without the threat of turning to crystal over their heads.

[schmisse]

There are people here who are comfortable with the idea, even without... you know, knowing about the situation here.

[ She shrugs her shoulders, fixing her hands that are on her lap, bunching up her skirt in the process. ]

Different backgrounds, I suppose.

[herbmixing]

Yeah. I don't want to judge them either. The only thing I can do is just...get out there and do it.

[ Anyway. She turns to Weiss, cheeks flushed. She loves the girl talk but she is mortified at talking about how dateless she is. ]

Want to sing another one?

[schmisse]

[ She fully expects boy chatter in the next coming weeks, Rebecca. ]

Oh— right. [ That's why they're here! ] You can pick the next song, if you like.

[herbmixing]

Well, there is one I can remember...it's not really a song to sing to.

[ She remembers it, though. Kind of can't forget. Finding the right keys, she starts off a rendition of Moonlight Sonata.

A mournful melody for sure. Still, it gives her something to focus on. Something to work at, which is the best cure for jangled nerves. ]

[schmisse]

[ Oh! She listens and even watches Rebecca's fingers as she plays. No doubt, this is something from Rebecca's world. It's beautiful, sad as it may sound. Weiss only speaks when it looks like Rebecca is done. ]

It sounded like something you would hear at night... You know, while you're outside, sitting by the grass in front of a river or something.

[herbmixing]

You're not far off. It's called Moonlight Sonata. Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the great masters, wrote it almost two hundred years ago. It's one of my favourites.