fourth flight; ( video. )

[brands]

[The Vine blooms, and the Mirror focuses first on Fang's arms, crossed over her chest. There's a slight noise, and a familiar, Australian-accented voice pipes up:] Watch it. My eyes are up here. [The Mirror moves, and Fang's face is revealed. She tilts her head to one side.]

Either this is one powerful hallucination, or I'm stuck here again. [She

Comments

video::

[thinkbrave]

Oh, great. You again.

( So lovely to see you again! Are you well? Goodness, and your hair is lovely as ever!

.... :| )

Haven't seen those friends of yours, either. Sadly. ( Why doesn't she sound sincere? )

video::

[brands]

Well, that's some kinda greeting, kid. [Leaning on into the Mirror, hands on her hips.] What'd I do to you, huh? Kill your dog?

video::

[thinkbrave]

Hmm. Funny.

( Her eyebrow arches, and she shifts a little. A little annoyed - rather like a petulant child, despite the unconcerned shrug. ) My name's Ellie, not kid.

You really went home for a bit?

video::

[brands]

Yeah, I know right?

[That gets an eyebrow arch in return, and she pokes the Mirror. It's pretty much a guarantee that, were she in front of Ellie, she'd be poking her instead.] An old lady like me, you can't expect me to remember every kid's name that I talk to. There are a lot of you running around here. But Ellie it is.

That's right. It was the same as I left it.

video::

[thinkbrave]

( If only it were possible to lineface any harder. ) You're killing me, really.

Right, right. No worries then, Nipper, I'll make sure to organise name tags for everyone running about. ( A smile! Sort of. Briefly.

She's not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed, and maybe that shows for just a sec, brow creasing a little. ) Huh. Easy to pick up where you left off, at least.

video::

[brands]

[She hangs out with Lightning. She's immune to linefacing.] Hey, what can I say? I'm a laugh riot.

Name tags would actually be awfully useful. I can't always keep up with who comes and goes.

[She sighs, runs a hand through her hair. Her expression is hard to read.] I guess so.

video::

[thinkbrave]

I can tell.

( She tilts her head a bit. So much for that silly list of annoying synonyms for 'fang' that she was compiling in her head - maybe High School methods of mockery aren't all they cracked up to be. That thought almost earns a little smile. ) Knowing this place, they'd have to get pinned on us every day by songbirds. I'd rather skip that, myself.

( Ellie shifts her focus back to Fang, mouth etched into a frown. ) Lucky us.

video::

[brands]

Those damn birds. I can make my bed myself, thanks. [Not that she ever does, but...] I don't need them flitting around me all the time.

Yeah, we're real lucky. [She scoffs.] S'pose it could be worse.

video::

[thinkbrave]

Mm. They take it a few steps too far. ( A little snort, unamused. ) Nothing like a little flock of birds trying to pretty you up by swarming you with flowers.

Yeah. Everyone could be dead. ( Flippant. ) We're doing really well.

video::

[brands]

Hey now. [She taps the mirror.] Don't be such a downer. There's a lot of other things I could think of that are worse.

video::

[thinkbrave]

( She was glancing down for a moment there, but the tap to the mirror gets her attention. ) Yeah?

( Logically, that's true. War and the constant threat of capture, that was worse than this. ) Like what, exactly?

( Not going to stop her from being difficult and pretty obnoxious, though. )

video::

[brands]

[Her eyes go hard suddenly, freeze over. She's not smiling now, has little patience for flippancy when it isn't her own.] A hell of a lot. If you don't know that yet, you've got a lot of growing up to do, kid.

video:: YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE

[thinkbrave]

Jumping to conclusions, aren't you? ( Ellie's looking pretty exceptionally sour, even for her, mouth twisting down, brow creasing. )

Save it.

video::

[brands]

Come off it. You came in picking a fight. [Her voice is softer, but no less intense.] I'm not gonna assume your life's sunshine and daisies, and this place sure as hell isn't a picnic all the time, but if you think it and being dead run hand in hand with one another, you've got your wires crossed. It's no point in being miserable about it, if you're stuck here for now.

video::

[thinkbrave]

( She shuts her mouth, glancing off irritably for the moment. Jaw set, clenching and unclenching a couple of times over as she listens. Maybe she's right. )

What? We can't--( But no, she shuts herself up, cutting that thought off and irritably clawing at some bark. She was a little more okay with this place, getting more at peace with it, and then things got all stirred up with Jackie.

She takes a moment, because she hates sounds liking a kid, even if she still comes across like a petulant teenager sometimes.) You can't just slap on a smile. What's the point? Just pretend you're happier than you are? This place isn't like death, okay, I get that. It sure isn't something to be happy about, even when it is good.

video::

[brands]

You find your happiness then. Make it. [Fang crosses her arms, glances off at something in the distance.] Pretending won't do anyone any good, but that doesn't mean you give up either. If you're gonna let this keep you miserable, you might as well be dead.