video.

[theguideless]

Ha, um...

[exhale. Marty fidgets, tablet propped up on his lap, himself squeezed against a corner of a room. his face goes through periods of twitchy, half-hearted smiles that he forgets to keep for more than half a thought.

he tugs at a length of hair, his bangs, holding them down as far as they'll go – just short of the tip of his nose.]

I need to borrow scissors. Or a knife. [weak smile #3.] See? It gets into my eyes and hurts when the wind blows too hard.

It'll only be a couple minutes.

[too bad that's not very long at all. not-so-cheap excuse to talk to the void and get some answers? you bet it is.]

Comments

[theguideless]

Oh– [there she goes. he blinks.] Al-alright.

[he meanders toward the kitchen table, setting down and fidgeting in the seat to get comfy, looking around at the place as if he hadn't...looked at it before.

he calls out for her to hear:] Where were the scissors here? Did I not see them?

[fintastic]

I have them in my Sylladex, hold on!

[ And when she comes back out with the towel and the comb, she has the scissors as well. She seems to have gotten the idea to give him the haircut herself, but before she gets to that, she takes a seat herself and sets the things on the table. ]

So what's bothering you?

[theguideless]

[sylladex...right...she can explain that one over and over and he still won't really get it. so he settles on calling it invisible-thing-that-has-stuff. yeah...

wait--] Huh? [bothering? he turns his head following her move to sit, blinking.]

Oh...[right. he fidgets again.] Uh, I don't really know if it's...a problem. [except that anonymous lady sure seemed to think so! even Bariyan was concerned...] My memory's just been foggy, I guess.

[fintastic]

[ Same thing. She's starting to look a bit concerned too though. ]

Foggy? How so? Like you have trouble remembering things, or you don't remember at all?

[theguideless]

Mm... [nodding, reaching out to take the scissors. he's cutting his own hair, isn't he? that's what he thought...] It feels more like...there are things I know I should be remembering better. Is that strange?

[fintastic]

Do you want help with that? [ Uh. ] The cutting, not the remembering. Is it stuff that happens here you don't remember, or stuff from home?

[theguideless]

[hesitating. cutting?] You mean, you want to...? [sorry, he's stuck more on that than the remembering things.]

[fintastic]

Well, it will probably be easier if I do it, and then you can talk at the same time.

[theguideless]

[he thinks about that...and hands the scissors back, sitting up in his seat.]

Then, you want me to just sit like this?

[fintastic]

Yes, good! Now tell me more about your feelings.

[ While she sets in on trimming little bits of the fringe in the front. ]

[theguideless]

Oh, well...

[he hesitates, stuck more on watching her snipping at his hair. give him a minute.

feelings?]

Well, I think I was just...worrying. About forgetting things.

[fintastic]

[ SOMEHOW she manages to talk and cut and not gore either of them in the process. Mad skills. ]

Maybe you should try keeping a diary. Writing things down every day will help you remember, and you can go back and read it if you forget.

[theguideless]

Oh, I... [his response is stilted, distracted by each snip.] I do write...I write letters. Letters back to Olvoski--

[fintastic]

That's a start, but that's just the kind of thing you want to tell others, right?

[ Woah, Martin has eyebrows, and a forehead! And you can see them now! ]

But what about the private things you don't want anyone else to know?

[theguideless]

Private things? [he blinks: half because hey, his vision is not lined with an upside-down hair fence! and half because...well, private?] What sort of things are supposed to be private?

[fintastic]

I don't know. There have to be things you don't really want to talk to anyone else about, right?

[theguideless]

[are there? Martin looks...uncertain.]

Is...that how it's supposed to be?

[fintastic]

Yes? Well, if you want it to be.

[theguideless]

[his expression scrunches up at that.]

I'm not sure...I'm not sure if I want that. I mean...[his mouth twists into a pensive frown.] I mean, unless that's how it should be, but...I feel like I don't have any...[he stops, thinking hard on it.

wait.]

Or...maybe I do.

[fintastic]

See?

[ He should be able to now, what with the adorabubble fringe she's given him, and moved onto the sides to even them out. ]

Those are the sort of things you should write in a diary! Or anything really.

[theguideless]

I can try...

[he trails off, thinking about that...

...oh. but. wait. he blinks, trying to turn his head and see where she's snipping.]

Ah, Feferi...those...I mean, the bangs are just up front...

[fintastic]

Oh! I'm just evening it out so it looks normal. You want it long and scruffy?

[theguideless]

Ouh...Uh, I... [he squints, peering to the side, looking for his hair.] I guess I don't mind, either way...

[fintastic]

[ He seems so confused about everything; at least Feferi thinks so. It's kind of endearing. With one last snip, she sits back and nods. ]

Okay, I think you're good now. Feel better?

[theguideless]

Ah, yes... [smiling meekly, ducking his head.] Thank you, Feferi. It's a lot better now.