[network] @igjwerkekhgjghkl; video, morning of 352 [open]

[fuckingwolverine]

[It's been over a week since Lilly bolted from Kesara, during which time she's stayed entirely off of the network. But she's had a chance to calm down, and so this morning, she's decided she wants to make something very clear.

The tablet is lying flat and facing up, giving everyone a very nice view of the ceiling and no view at all of Lilly. This seems to be more by chance than by purposeful choice, though - she's clearly close by, judging by her voice, and every so often she'll lean into view and give everyone a brief shot of her arm or hair. She, like so many other people, is covered in a mysterious pattern of red lines.

Before starting, she takes a deep breath. This is going to involve more talking than she usually likes to do, but she really wants to get her point across.]

Stay away. Don'wanna go wif you. Don'wanna go wif-- anybody. Stay away.

[What a friendly child she is.]

Don'touch don'grab don'take DON'T. Don'like it. I don't. Like. It. Too many too loud too hard hate it.

[She finishes with an irritable snarl, then bats the tablet away, sending it spinning dizzyingly across the floor. Its films the ceiling and distant sounds of scrabbling for a few minutes before cutting out on its own.]

Comments

[fuckingwolverine]

[There's a looooong pause as she thinks this over. Then, finally:]

Yes.

[sleight_of_fate]

Good. I'll see about getting you some nice things.

I'm Rhys, by the way. Nice to meet you.

[It's easier to pronounce than it's spelled.]

[fuckingwolverine]

Lilly.

[And while she doesn't say it's nice to meet him, she at least doesn't sound hostile.]

Food, too?

[She may be more interested in the blankets, but she won't turn down the food.]

[sleight_of_fate]

Food, too. Have you been eating enough?

[fuckingwolverine]

[She shrugs noncommittally. She's been eating less than she had in the house with Annabel and Lucas, but about as much as she had in the woods. On the one hand, she doesn't feel like she's starving, but on the other hand she's not going to turn down food if people want to give it to her.]

[sleight_of_fate]

[Okay, he's going to try and rephrase that.]

Do you know where to get food? In the shops?

[fuckingwolverine]

Schoo!

[She says proudly. Fuck yeah, she's been to the school; she knows everything there is to know about everything, clearly.]

[sleight_of_fate]

Good girl! They've got good food there, too. Chicken nuggets, and ice cream.

[Part of Rhys will forever be seven.]

When I see you, I'll bring you different food, though, okay?

Is that where you are now? Near the school?

[fuckingwolverine]

No.

[It's a total lie.]

You puddit near the schoo.

[And then she'll come get it from the very far away place that she's clearly in.]

[sleight_of_fate]

Sure, sure. You don't have to meet me if you don't want to.

[Rhys smiles to himself, a certain lightness in his voice, but he's listening. He's not going to push, knowing that she'll retreat if he does.

Gentle, careful here.]

Things will disappear if someone leaves them alone, though. You know about that, right?

[fuckingwolverine]

[She shakes her head, frowning.]

Why?

[sleight_of_fate]

Maybe to make it hard for us to have good stuff. The people that run this place are really bad.

[He feels comfortable saying that. They haven't been much help.]

So keep your stuff close to you, okay? Don't leave it behind. You can't hide it, you have to keep it.

[fuckingwolverine]

'Kay.

[Lilly goes quiet here for a moment, thinking about this. By now, she's been in several houses, and she's found things lying around - clearly that stuff hadn't disappeared. Maybe things don't vanish. Maybe other people - people like her - take them. Maybe if hidden stuff disappeared, it just wasn't hidden well enough.]

Hide it good?

[a.k.a. is there any way she can get around this.]

[sleight_of_fate]

[Sorry, honey. He's the bearer of bad news.]

If you put it in a drawer or a cabinet, it will stay, but someone else might take it. Better to keep it with you if you really want to keep it.

[fuckingwolverine]

[But-- she struggles for a moment between wanting to figure this out, and not wanting to bother explaining.]

I foun' stuff not in da drawers.

[sleight_of_fate]

[Argh. CHILD. He has enough of a headache figuring out this town himself, never mind explaining it.]

That's what the town leaves, not the people.

I know it sounds weird, but it is different. The things you find just laying around are there for you to take, like...presents from the town.

The stuff that people put in drawers is the stuff they try to hide. Usually with notes.

[fuckingwolverine]

[Oh. Okay, that sort of makes sense. She hmms in what sounds like agreement. At least that's one more puzzle piece put together.]