video.

[theguideless]

–hhhgh...

[behold: the underside of a table. if...you're aware of what the underside of a table even looks like, that's surely what you're looking at.

until a hand lifts and then gracelessly drops onto the screen with a heavy THWUMP.

a grunt.]

Get...backhh... [exhale. the view tilts, then dramatically shifts.

behold: Martin's face, sideways, on the floor. red-cheeked, bleary and slow-blinking.

cue nasally, confused sound:] Mruh–?

[a long stretch of just staring, squinting periodically. he is...sure these are words he can read on this screen. hang on. just...a second...........


nah. nah, he's just gonna...gonna let the screen drop flat and display the table again, rattling a little with the careless move, while he mumbles something unintelligible, topped off with some kind of whiny noise.]

Comments

[theguideless]

It's too hot! [a drowsy scoff.] The red ones...I think. I'll check...[...] ...Later...

[deadelfwalking]

Red ones? [he sighs. Maybe this line of questioning is too much.] Martin, perhaps you should drink some water and lie down.

[theguideless]

I ammmm...[that 'm' dissolves into a grumbled sound.] It's weird when I move...

[deadelfwalking]

[Oh, Light help him.]

Don't go to sleep as you are. You will feel terrible upon waking. You must have water.

[theguideless]

I did! [whining, then groaning, growing muffled as he fidgets.

talking into his arm:] Whegh I bgurn'd mh'dungh...

[deadelfwalking]

[He pauses.

And pauses.

Ah.]

Child ... that was not water.

[theguideless]

[mumbly, grumbly sounds all throughout the pause. because it sounds rumbly in his head.

he kind of keeps doing that even after the fact.


beat.]

What?

[deadelfwalking]

[REMAINING VERY PATIENT in tone.]

What did it taste like?

[theguideless]

Uhhhh... [UHHHH. kind of surprised:] Really awful! Because of the, uh...the things, the p-peppers...

[deadelfwalking]

[He exhales, a gesture of pure (albeit fond) exasperation.]

I don't think the peppers are at fault in this case.

[theguideless]

[muttering:] They were really hot...

[deadelfwalking]

[It's a little while before this next reply comes.]

Martin. I am outside your door. Please let me in.

[STUMBLE OVER.]

[theguideless]

[NO THE KITCHEN FLOOR NEEDS ME!!!

that's not true but still. floor.

instead, to a fishtroll:]

Look, uh... [scoots tablet to. CLEARLY LOOKING AT IT WILL MAKE VOICE POSTS HAPPEN AGAIN.

no??

well fine.] Kholtira's at the door...


[long delay.

oh, right. it's just him, some saltines, and maybe water somewhere.

hhhhhhh.

shuffling feet, then the slow turning of the knob. the door opens with Martin pressed up against it, squinting unhappily in the changing light.]