video

[notimefordreams]

And now that all of the sprouting ears and tails business is over with...

[Among many other effects but whatever. She's adjusting and perhaps at a pace far more speedily than she really ought to be in all the wrong aspects. Ears and tails? That's okay. Thinking about not seeing Toby again for a long while? That's harder. The video tilts and moves a bit as Sarah settles her device a good enough distance away that she can more or less talk to it somewhat casually.

Once she's finally happy with that she leans back in her chair, bearing a mug between her hands. Steam rises off of it just a little and she completely looks like she's settling in for a nice chat with a friend here.]

So I'm not exactly well versed in video over networks and things like that but if I'm going to be here a while, might as well jump straight in. So in an effort to just get to know some of you and maybe satiate my curiosity at the same time, why don't you share a story with me?

[She pauses a moment to blow across the top of her mug, scattering the steam out of view of the camera for a second or so before she elaborates further.]

It can be anything you like. A personal story, a fairy tale, something you heard here or elsewhere, whatever. I'm not picky here.

[Maybe she will be in the future but for now she's feeling somewhat lonesome and stories have always been a way for her to outrun that particular emotion.]

Comments

voice

[barkonthetree]

Isn't that what the book palace is for? Go find stories there.

[Baka.]

video

[notimefordreams]

[She pauses a moment as if rolling that suggestion over in her mind.]

You mean the library?

[Or maybe one of the bookstores?]

1/2

[barkonthetree]

Yeah, that one. Lyeberry.

[oh that's weird]

How come I can still see you...

[Hold on—]

video

[pidgeypidge]

Oh, that's not over.

[Leave it to Pidge to instantly latch onto that one very specific part of this.]

The cycles are a monthly thing for everyone. There's no way to prevent them.

[But that's not even the point of this video, so she switches gears for now.]

Are you going to reciprocate?

video

[notimefordreams]

Of course not.

[She says that with a healthy slathering of sardonic humor. She hadn't figured it would be the last time but she's still glad they're gone for a moment. Or the appetite is at least.]

I don't have a problem at all with that. Most of my personal stories are pretty boring though.

[Or ones she can't really go into details on.]

video

[asaqueenshould]

[Hifumi's still most comfortable using the network's text function, but the camera angle makes it clear this woman wouldn't be able to read and interact with text right away, which would rather defeat the purpose. Camera it is, then; she's sitting on her bed, which is neatly made and covered with a white-blue-orange houndstooth quilt.]

When I was seven, my father and I went to see Christ's tomb in Shingo. There are some people, mostly in that village, who believe it's the genuine article, but even then I could see that the story behind it didn't hold up.

The theory behind it is that, in the run-up to the crucifixion, Jesus' brother offered to take his place on the cross, and Jesus himself fled eastward, eventually stopping in Japan, where he raised a family and lived to a ripe old age. This doesn't account for the resurrection, of course, and the story arose whole-cloth in the 1930s, with all the evidence supporting it conveniently lost during the war. But they still claim to have Christ's tomb - and one for his brother's ear, because that's a logical souvenir to take halfway around the world, and a lock of the Virgin Mary's hair.

It was one of the last vacations my father was well enough to take - he's still alive, but he's been housebound for a few years now.

video

[notimefordreams]

[On one hand Sarah can honestly say the story is rather intriguing. Sure it might be made up and somewhat shoddily so but it's an interesting bit of thought exercise.

And on the other it's a shame it had to be a last vacation. Not because of the place but the circumstances don't sound ideal.]

It sounds like a pretty fascinating place to visit, even if the details are a little sketchy. The last place I went on vacation with either of my parents... hm. I suppose it was before they divorced? I don't think I ever went on an actual trip with my mother after she started up her acting career.

[Sarah sifts through her memories trying to find one moment but after well over a decade of only birthday cards and Christmas calls now and then, it's hard to recall if her mother and her ever did take trips. There were the play premieres and Sarah's early obsession with the glamour of her mother's life but that wasn't a vacation either.]

audio; un: piehole

[tartes]

[ Ned is still a little weirded out by newfangled stuff like video chat so he avoids that part, but he knows how to put his phones on speaker. Sort of. He's doing his best, okay. ]

I'm better at listening than storytelling, but I guess it technically is my turn, huh? I could tell you about some of the stranger homicide cases that my friend Emerson's taken me along to help with.

video;

[notimefordreams]

[Poor Ned. She gets how you feel, buddy. She's more or less forcing herself to do this because she wants to chat and it's easier to feel like she's actually doing that one-on-one with video.

Her brows do rise up though, curiosity evident.]

Your friend takes you along on homicide cases?

[That sounds... unusual?]

video

[trivialization]

Am I going to get a story back?

video

[notimefordreams]

If you want one, sure. I don't mind sharing something. Just a warning though, my personal life is pretty boring.

[Video]

[shithefuckup]

[It's honestly nothing sus to him, but Zack still raises a brow.]

Hah- ?? Ya sure ya wanna hear mine?

[He's got some, but...]

[Video]

[notimefordreams]

Is there a reason I wouldn't? You don't necessarily have to tell me personal stories.

video

[lumberlady]

[now here's a post she doesn't have to rapidly scroll past in scandal!]

What kind of story would you like to hear, though? I'll tell you one.

[notimefordreams]

[Aww, how sweet. She's really diving right in!]

Hm. Well. How about something adventurous?

text;

[accurately]

I don't want to.

[ This was in no way necessary whatsoever, but he knows who she is because she talked to him before so he's trying to talk. He's just also a butthead. So it results in an attempt to interact like this... ]

video

[notimefordreams]

Then don't.

[What's with you kids answering this post just to say no? Don't you guys have better things to do?]

[erasemymyth]

[On the feed pops a man with blonde hair that fades, oddly, towards green tips and holding a glass of red wine. While people are getting comfortable, he does the same.]

Do you want a more cheerful story or sad story this time?

[notimefordreams]

[It's definitely an eye catching look she's got to say.]

How about something more cheerful. It seems like a lot of people have sad ones after all.

text.

[madannoshashu]

a story, huh?

got an old fairy tale if you're interested

video

[notimefordreams]

[Sarah? Enjoying old fairy tales? She gives the figure a broad smile.]

By all means, I'd love to hear it.

Video

[the_archivist]

Well, I do know a lot or stories, if you don't mind that they skew towards the horrific.

Video

[notimefordreams]

I don't mind. It's not like all fairy tales are warm and cozy anyhow.

video

[keichan]

[ Things have been a little too weird around here for Keiichi's tastes, so he welcomes the chance to have a little bit of a distraction. He smiles broadly, a twinkle of mischief in his eye before he speaks. ]

So, you're looking for a story, huh? Well, I've got a few of those up my sleeve... but the question is, would you rather hear one that's made-up, or one that really happened?

[ Spoiler alert: he's going to tell the same story either way. ]

video forever;

[notimefordreams]

[Oh goodness, a choice. Sarah purses her lips a moment unaware of the fact that it's just going to end up in the same choice either way.]

How about something true?