[network] @hawkguy, video; do you hear the people sing [open, day 162]

[awwnoun]

[ Cue a video of your resident Hawkeye coming on and wincing as he rubs at his bright purple hearing aids. His hair is a mess, he's got a hobo beard starting, and he looks tired as hell, but it's a video nonetheless. Or an approximation of a video, anyway. There's tearing and glitches and static, and Clint's voice skritches in and out as he asks his question, but it should mostly be easy to figure out: ]

Okay, I'm [static] only one who [static] all that screaming, right? Where is [static] from?

Comments

no

[awwnoun]

Do you have e▒▒▒▒▒▒ food?

[mrcreamsicles]

[Not a question he likes hearing, but one he can't really blame him for or avoid. He fetches his bag, digs things out, and lays out the remaining portion of his rations and the jar of baby food he found the other day. It's less than he'd like to have on hand, and between the long journey and now the static, he's restricting himself on how much he eats. He's not in the danger zone yet, but it's less than is comfortable.]

[awwnoun]

[ It's not a lot, but it's enough that it satisfies Clint. ]

And no progre▒▒ on the ▒ords either, huh?

[mrcreamsicles]

[Ords?—No, words? He spreads his hands out and chirps. No luck.]

[Then he puts his stuff back in his bag.]

[awwnoun]

[ No luck. Clint frowns. ]

Suc▒▒. You doing okay p▒▒▒ the whole s▒▒▒▒▒▒ thing? You - you're ind▒▒▒rs.

[ That's a relief. ]

[mrcreamsicles]

[His mouth tightens. He missed about half of that, and once again he finds his mind going back to the other day, Clint's voice phasing in and out with distortion as he wandered out in the snow. He fidgets at his coat—right there, warm, on him—okay.]

[He signs what?, then cups a hand to his ear. He didn't hear enough to understand.]

[awwnoun]

The - sorry. Ask▒▒ if ▒▒▒ were doing okay ▒▒▒▒ the static ▒▒ing. You're indoors ▒▒ that's good.

[ He just wants to make sure Davesprite isn't in danger of walking out into the cold again. ]

[mrcreamsicles]

[He nods, expression no better. He can't say he likes it or that he feels safe. This morning the sound of it woke him before anything else, and he spent a stretch just staring at it and the eyes, fingers pressed to the steady beat of his pulse while he reminded himself that he's alive and all is real. He hasn't panicked—that's not really him—but he closes off inward when it gets too bad. He signs day stop, since he can't get anything more on the mark. No travel today, like he expressed earlier. He'll get moving again tomorrow.]

[awwnoun]

[ Clint gets it, anyway. He hopes Davesprite's voice comes back soon, because Clint really kind of wants to try to talk the kid through what happened. It can't be good for him to keep it in. Clint knows from experience. ]

... Hey, just - you know, call me if it gets bad again. Okay?

[mrcreamsicles]

[And what, relive the whole thing? Right now he's pushing past the discomfort to catch him up on things and convey his plans and so on, but if he were really to be hit with it hard, if he were to wind up in the same pit as before... He can't do that to him again. He can't do that to anyone. But he can't just tell him no and hang up, because how would that come off?]

[After a moment of staring into the camera, lips pressed tight together, he turns aside to dig out his drawing pad and flip through the pages. He finds the horse and unicorn that he'd used before for real and fake, holds it up, and taps the horse firmly. He turns back further to a page with a dead crow, then takes his pen and crosses it out; this too he holds up and taps. This is real. He's not dying. He's not going to die.]

[awwnoun]

[ He'd rather try to talk Davesprite out of it or at least be there with him this time! That's all. ]

Okay. [ Clint gives him a tired little smile. ] Good. I believe y▒u.

[mrcreamsicles]

[His feathers shift, a kind of low-key ruffling and resettling born out of relief. He signs thank you, then chirps to him. They'll talk later, yeah? Davesprite definitely means to once all this is settled.]

[awwnoun]

[ Clint gives him a lazy salute in return, and also signs you're welcome, which he figures Davesprite might pick up on context. Better not to speak if he doesn't have to! He'll be in touch. ]