OPEN | Network or Action

[sanguinescry]

network

Quick question...does anyone else have a gold ball like this?

( She holds up the thing she's talking about for the camera. )

I'm just wondering what it is? Does it do anything or it's just a decoration or...?

( Truthfully, she's pretty sure she's overthinking it because overanalyzing is just a thing that Lydia does. But, she figures, it doesn't hurt to ask. )

Oh, also, I'm Lydia. Hi. I probably should've led with that, but I'm a little distracted.

action

She's still sort of adjusting to this place, but it seems nice enough so far. Lord knows, she can't complain; it's a nice break from the crazy. All day, though, she's spent oscillating between pondering that golden ball she hasn't been ready to try to open yet and reading. It's been forever since she's had the time to just sit and read a book uninterrupted and without an ulterior motive of some kind. It's especially nice that she'd found one on astrophysics that looked especially interesting

Lydia leaves her message on the network, but then she's picked up the ball and headed outside, with Prada on a leash as he trots beside her. He needs to go out and she needs a breath of fresh air while she tries to decide whether this thing is a good idea, a bad idea, or not even a thing she should worry about and she's just overthinking it entirely.

Prada's walking in little circles near the curb, trying to find the perfect place to pee — she'll never understand why dogs do that. Lydia's accepted this as a fact of life — and Lydia transfers the ball from one hand to the other. "What do you think, little man?" she asks the dog who looks up at her and snorts before turning in circles again, as if affronted that she has the gall to interrupt his search for a potty spot. "Should I open it or no?"

Comments

[jerrythevampire]

"One thing I know about anything this place gives you," comes a voice from the shadows. "Is that it's not free."

It's not quite dark yet, which is why Jerry leans against a wall where the sun doesn't shine as of now. He's not a huge fan of dogs, even little purse dogs, he gives it the eye, but gives the woman a smile: she's pretty and nearly blond, right up his alley.

[sanguinescry]

Lydia's so engrossed in muttering to Prada and mulling over the golden ball that she doesn't actually notice someone lurking in the shadows — although, who knows? She might not have noticed anyway. It gives her a physical start; a little jump and gasp before she settles almost immediately thereafter, turning toward the sound of the man's voice. "Anybody ever tell you that's kind of creepy?" she asks, looking partially amused and partially indignant. "Standing in the shadows like that? Derek 2.0," she laughs the last part mostly to herself.

But then she's thinking about what he's actually said, and her eyebrows arch. "What kind of price do the gifts here usually carry...?"

[jerrythevampire]

If "creepy" is the worst that someone can call Jerry, it's a good day. In about ten minutes, he'll be able to step out from where he is now. For the moment, he just crosses his arms over his chest, smiling with a wide grin that has wooed no few women.

"Who knows," he says with a shrug. "Nothing's ever free, is it, though? I mean, you know that, don't you?"

[sanguinescry]

Lydia looks back at him for a moment. Is he serious? Does she look like the kind of girl who thinks that anything at all comes without a price? Her eyes widen and she bats them at him with over the top shock she doesn't actually feel coloring her expression.

"It isn't? Nothing?"

Then her expression drops back down into something a little more Lydia: a little more no shit, Sherlock. I'm not an idiot. "I didn't say that it was. I'm asking what kind of a price. Some prices are worth it. Some are too steep." Lydia knows all too well about that by now. She's been through enough as it is to ever be naive enough to think that any choice one makes will always find a way to bite them in the ass, it's just a matter of sifting out the bites from the nips and the nips aren't so bad, at least, if the payoff makes it worth the trouble.

[jerrythevampire]

Feisty. Jerry likes feisty; his grin turns into more of a smirk.

"If I knew that, sweetheart, I'd tell you. All I know is I'm not trying that," he says, of the little golden ball. "But by all means. See what happens."

That could be fun, too.

[sanguinescry]

"Lydia," she corrects him. Hypocritically, she uses pet names on practically anyone, but feels condescended when others she doesn't know very well do it to her.

She gives him a little facial shrug before shaking her head. "Oh no, I definitely need something more concrete before I open it. I'm leaving it alone until someone who has opened it already weighs in on that price," she tells him.

Prada moves to sit beside her on the sidewalk, having finished his business. "You got a name or...?" Lydia prods.

[jerrythevampire]

Jerry didn't touch the thing and doesn't know anyone who does, so he's not of much help. Of course, he doesn't want to be help, so there you have it.

"Jerry," he tells her with a tip of the head, all chivalrous-like. "And who are you?" He hasn't seen her around before.

[sanguinescry]

"Jerry," she repeats. "Jerry who hides in the shadows and should be a better listener," she teases. Okay, they got off on a creepy foot, but he's hot. She's not blind. What is it with this girl and the fact that she's a magnet for gorgeous, older men who never, ever seem to mean well at all?

Bending down, Lydia scoops Prada up with her free hand. "I'm Lydia," she repeats. "I'm kind of new here. Have you been here long?"

[jerrythevampire]

Jerry is hot; he knows it too. It is very beneficial to his cause. Were he an ugly vampire, his "life" would have been dramatically harder.

"A couple months, Lydia," he says, able to come a bit closer now that the sun has slipped behind a building on its way down. "How do you find this place?"

open

[stillplaying]

[Katniss isn't very good at remembering how to make proper introductions either. Really, she's just not good at most anything that involves being even the least bit social. That's okay. It's not as if she cares very much what people around her think. Or so she keeps telling herself that.

Katniss doesn't see any reason to introduce herself now. That she's replying is more than she's historically done. Still, she and Prim had open their balls. The effects are hard to forget.]

It sings. And makes you happy.

[sanguinescry]

( Then why, Lydia wonders, does the girl look so...unhappy? )

That sounds doable...that's it? There's no catch?

( Because if that's all there is to it, then Lydia is all for opening the thing. She could use a burst of happy, because Allison's birthday is coming up...and Allison will never, ever turn nineteen. )

Just...sings and makes you happy? I can handle that.

[stillplaying]

[Maybe happy isn't the right word. Overjoyed? Euphoric? No, that doesn't seem to be it either. If Katniss had any recreational experience with drugs or alcohol, she might have a better way of defining what had happened. But the only time she's ever really drunk, it had been Haymitch's white liquor and she had only gotten sick. And the only morphling she had been given had been medical, necessary for her pain.

She shakes her head quickly. No, happy isn't the right word. Because there had been a catch, albeit one not nearly as painful as the lost of her sister had felt.]

Elated. I felt elated and I didn't care who knew. [Katniss' brow remains furrowed as she talks, still puzzling out what had happened to her. Really, she doesn't even know why she's trying to help anyway. She doesn't know this girl. She doesn't owe her anything. But if anything ever happened to Prim or Matt... Katniss is tired of being alone here.] And then I didn't and that was... [She scowls.] It wasn't good.

[sanguinescry]

( Lydia's eyebrows go up at that. Elated, that's...happy on crack. Sort of. That's happy on the extreme end of the spectrum, she supposes, makes more logical sense, but either way, she knows what the girl is saying. Or at least what's being implied. There's more to it. Of course there's a catch. )

Was it worth it...?

( She's honestly curious to know whether the other girl feels like it was; whether it's a risk worth taking, because again...Lydia could use some happy and if it's worth the low, she'll take the high. Otherwise, she'll just leave the golden ball alone. No skin off her nose. )

[stillplaying]

[Happy on crack. That's a perfect description of everything that she had felt. Katniss had been happy but it had been more than just happy. She couldn't control it. Nothing could get her down. Nothing could end that happiness until the happiness had suddenly vanished.

She does take the time to consider the girl's question before replying. Was it worth it? Was it worth it to chase her sister around Itinere? Dance with Derek in the rain? Be with Matt without a care about anything else?]

Yes. [Yeah, it had been worth it. But...] There are worse pains than the one that followed.

[And from the way she says it, it's obvious she's experienced said pain.]

[sanguinescry]

( That sentiment is one that hits Lydia a little too close to home. There are always worse pains. Lydia can't actually imagine a worse pain than quite literally feeling her best friend, someone she felt was practically her sister, dying. Feeling the sword vicariously moving straight through Allison's abdomen. Feeling the life leave the one person that Lydia had ever loved that much besides her own mother. There were almost definitely worse pains than whatever the aftermath of the ball might be, but she can't imagine a worse pain than what she felt when Allison died.

That doesn't mean she wants to tempt it by testing the theory.

So Lydia takes a deep breath and nods, her expression drawn down in something between empathy and upset. )

Thanks for your honesty, at least. It sucks that there was a backlash for you, though. I'm sorry to hear that.

[stillplaying]

[It's not something Katniss means to do. She doesn't know the girl and can't say for certain what kind of life she might have lived. It's entirely possible that this girl has lost someone close to her, too. If she were from Panem, Katniss wouldn't doubt it. But this isn't Panem and generally, things seem to be just a little bit better for those who come here. Not much, but a little.

Nothing will ever compare to how she felt after Prim's death. How she felt when she watched the flames consume her sister, still rushing forward even as the flames licked Katniss' own skin. She wears the scars as a visible reminder of her loss. Nothing is ever going to be as painful as that moment or when she woke up sisterless in the medical ward. That had been enough to get Katniss to want to take her life. The repercussions from the ball? No, not nearly as bad.]

I survived. [That much is true. More than anything, it's what she's good at.] Are you going to open it?

[sanguinescry]

( Lydia nods. )

That you did.

( She takes a deep breath at the question, letting it out slowly and shrugging a little. )

I don't know. Probably not. I don't know how much I trust a gift from someone I've never met. I don't typically have great luck with that sort of thing.

Lydia

[akatheflash]

Wait, hold on.

[ The screen moves around until it's shining in his face in what's obviously a dark room. He had just seen her message and now he's worried, because he only played some of the responses from the other girl who told Lydia what the ball does. That doesn't sound good... He doesn't even think about the fact that it's hours later and she's probably sleeping when he sends her the video reply. ]

Okay, hold on, just - that sounds bad. That sounds really bad, you shouldn't play with that, that sounds like drugs or... something. LSD. That sounds like LSD - wait -

[ He's grumbling like he's only half awake, because he is. This is what happens when he's trying to get to sleep and there's no Facebook to scroll through. He goes to st up, the camera barely catching the side of his face before showing him reaching in the dark for the light switch. It's too far away. He collapses down in the mattress instead, his face coming back into view. His hair looks like he just spent a few years in a wind tunnel. ]

It's not worth it, did you do it? You didn't do it, did you? What time - wait, this is from this morning - what time is it? Oh -

[ His eyes widen in fear. ]

Oh crap this is from - it's like, one in the morning I'm so sorry, how to I keep this from sending?

[ He's looking around the screen frantically. ]

Don't send, don't send, don't wake her up, oh god, how do I not sen-

[ It sends. ]

Barry

[sanguinescry]

( She's only just barely started to fall asleep when her device goes off with a notification for an incoming video message. She knows, because she's set the notification sounds to differ between text and video so that she'll be able to look her best before opening a video message and sending one of her own back to the other party. Except, it's like one in the morning and Lydia kind of doesn't care that she's not wearing makeup anymore, her hair is tossed up in a messy bun on the top of her head that's not the intentional kind of messy anymore after having been laid on, or that she's wearing her pajamas when she sits up in bed and grabs the device.

Turning it on, Lydia lets the message play as she adjusts herself on the mattress so that she's more comfortable, leaning a little bit forward to stretch just as the message completes and she can't help it that she laughing a little when her own response message starts up. )

You're so cute, you know that?

( She yawns a little, hiding her mouth behind one hand, before shaking her head and blinking her eyes open a little wider. )

For the record, I didn't open it. Yet. I'm still undecided, but for now, it's staying the way it is, but it's really sweet of you to worry so much that you shot off a message before looking at the clock, honey.

Lydia

[akatheflash]

[ Okay, a video feed hasn't opened up yet, which means that maybe it didn't send. Or maybe it did, and he can find a way to sneak into her place, get to her device, and delete it before she gets a chance to see it. Yes, perfect, because that's not worse than sending the message in the first place at all.

The sad part is, he's actually considering it before a video feed starts and he can suddenly see Lydia fill his screen, her first comment making his eyes widen like a deer in headlights. Or maybe it's the fact that it's one in the morning and she's wearing those types of pajamas that women wear to be comfortable in despite the fact that they look like they're not covering much and Barry's eyes are not on Lydia's face for the first second or two. That probably makes him a bad person. He's a bad person. ]

What? No, I was just making sure - I'm sorry, did I wake you up? I didn't mean to wake you up, I didn't even look at the time.

[ He was in the process of climbing back into bed properly when the video started up and now Barry is frozen in place at an awkward angle to try and avoid moving around. The last thing he needs is to flash her his sexy sleepwear and make her think that he's trying something he's definitely not trying. Instead, he's not flat on his back, holding the camera over his face with his head at the foot of the bed. ]

I mean, make the decision to... not do it then. Seriously, that kind of stuff is dangerous, you don't know what's in that thing if that's how it's affecting people. Right? I know I don't have to tell you how neurotoxins can replicate the symptoms of euphoria in the right combination, and we don't know what's in it.

[ He gives her a sheepish frown. ] I really am sorry about that... I'll let you get back to sleep. If you were sleeping. Or if you feel like sleeping, I mean, if you weren't sleeping you can still go you don't have to sit here and talk to me or anything if you don't want to. Although I'm not doing anything, I was just thinking about you. After watching that, I mean, that's why I sent the video without looking and you already know that and I'm still talking so I'm just... [ he starts to trail off ] going to stop... doing that...

Barry

[sanguinescry]

( Honestly, she's a little too half-out of it to notice that his eyes aren't where they belong, but even if she wasn't, Lydia's the type of person who'd probably take it as a compliment and be flattered rather than offended. )

It's okay, Barry, seriously. Don't worry about it. I wasn't sleeping.

( Mostly. She hadn't really fallen asleep yet, anyway. )

Which is why I'm waiting. One person's response isn't enough of a sample group to come to any solid conclusions, so I'm just going to wait to see if anyone else responds who has already opened theirs. And no, you don't have to tell me. ( Her voice softens a little and she looks endeared because really, it's one in the morning and he's talking science to her. It's too beautiful. ) I get the feeling that it's not as simple as science here all the time, though, so like I said, I just...want to get a better read on a bigger sample group before I make any decisions. Until then, that little ball is staying closed.

( Her eyebrows arch with amusement as he goes on. Barry has a way of talking himself into a corner, she's realizing, and it's actually pretty amusing. )

You were just thinking about me, huh?

( She can't not tease him a little for his choice of words, come on. )

I'm up, now. Are you going to bed?

Lydia

[akatheflash]

That makes sense... [ he trails off a little in thought, before ] but there are too many variables in a sample group like this one, it's a pocket dimension, one person's metabolism or organic makeup can be completely different from the next persons. The chances of a group of people surviving just because they're not the same genetic source or makeup as you is much higher here than it would be back where you're from - ugh, I don't know. [ He groans and runs his hand down his face. ] It's too late to talk about probability equations right now, just be careful. That's all.

[ His face burns a little and her question seems to wake him up enough to make him sit up suddenly, completely forgetting why he was lying in an uncomfortable position in the first place. ] No, not like that! I mean, yes, like that, but not like that, you know what I mean? I just didn't want you to hurt yourself or anything is all...

[ Every time he opens his mouth he feels the urge to shove his own foot in it, and Barry moves up the bed with a sigh to sit up against his pillows and lie back, bending his knee so he can rest his wrist on it while holding his device to support his arm. ]

No, I was going to but I think I'm just going to go outside and bury myself, if it's all the same to you.

Barry

[sanguinescry]

No, I get what you're saying; you're making good points. I'm not going to argue that. But either way, having an array of information before making a decision is what makes it an informed decision, so I'm just...hanging in there for a bit before I really settle. The likelihood is that I won't bother with the ball, to be honest. But that doesn't make me less curious.

( A few years ago, the way he stumbles around his words would've made Lydia roll her eyes and call him a lost cause. Now, after so long being friends with Stiles, it's become a more endearing than annoying trait in a man. She's not really sure when that happened, but it works in Barry's benefit, in any case.

She smiles a little and wrinkles her nose with amusement. )

You should come over. We can Netflix and chill or something. Also, are you literally wearing a pair of Star Wars underwear that uses a scientific equation in place of "the Force"? My friend would love those so much.

( Yeah, she noticed, and yes, she's huffing a soft laugh at that. Hey, it's cute, she can't help it. )

Lydia

[akatheflash]

Yeah, I get it. I was curious too, to be honest but I've decided that I'm not going to mess with anything that I don't understand, here. [ His voice gets a little quieter as he says it and he shrugs, his eyes falling downcast for a second.

Then he looks back up and blinks.

Wait, come over? Like, right now? He looks at the time and then back at her. Is she crazy? It's late, she can't possibly want to watch Netflix right now-

Barry Allen, a hot science redhead is asking you to watch Netflix and you're still in bed, this is why you can't have nice things in life. Because of these moments. ]

Uh, yeah, sure! There's this new documentary out, it's crazy, I haven't seen it yet but it looks insane, it's about like, the archaeological discovery of this species of bird that connects avian species to dinosaurs and stuff, it looks so sweet.

[ He gives an excited grin and sits up to turn on the light so he can find pants, but he freezes at her comment and brings the camera back to his face with a deadpan expression. ]

...Lydia. don't objectify me.

Barry

[sanguinescry]

( She gives a little sideways nod of her head and presses her lips together as she does so. He does make a very good point. Even a sampling, however large, may or may not hold any accurate average experience for someone like her. Maybe the ball really is better off left alone, but she can't help being stuck on the part where the girl had said it made her happy. Euphoric was the word, really, but Lydia hasn't been happy in a long time. She's good at faking it, but she's felt largely empty since Allison's death. Little has changed in that vein over the year since it happened.

But her focus is shifting, then, when he starts talking about an actual documentary on Netflix and Lydia's eyes close a little as she smiles, the tiniest shake of her head barely visible in the dark before she opens her eyes again. Either he's trying to play it safe and pull an insurance card just in case she actually means Netflix, or he has no idea what Netflix and chill is and will be surprised when he finds out. Either way: adorable. )

Cool, yeah. And excuse you, I am not objectifying you by asking you a question about your underwear. Now if I was to say that you should skip the shirt while you're getting dressed over there, chief, because half the appeal of you right now are those abs, then I would be objectifying you. ...so now I am, but I wasn't before. To be clear.

( She smirks a little at that. )