001 - shenanigans

[citharede]

[ It's three in the morning when she posts this video.

Here is Athena, hanging her head and part of her torso off the edge of her apartment building's roof and filming herself upside-down, the dark streets below outlined in streetlights and marked by the occasional pedestrian. ]

How do you do, fellow kids. [ She dangles one arm alongside her head, hanging on to her device one-handed. ] I'm super fucking bored which I didn't think would actually be physically possible on a moon in another universe, but anyway.

Who wants to go on a firefly hunt? Catch a bunch of the fuckers, turn them loose in a department store. Or an office building. Or a coffee shop. Anywhere we can get in easy and run away fast. [ She rolls over so she's filming herself against the backdrop of the night sky now, instead of the street. ]

Whoever catches the most wins something, whoever gets bit loses automatically and has to go jump in the river.

Comments

[enveloped]

And I'm very good at it.

[citharede]

Can you be less good at it? For meeee?

[enveloped]

The photos may be tragically lost with good behaviour.

It's funny how that happens. If I had a dime for every incriminating photo that mysteriously disappeared off my hard drive, I'd be significantly richer.

[citharede]

Aw man. Good behavior? How much good behavior? Is there a time limit?

[enveloped]

That’s for me to know, and you to find out.

[Sing-song. He’s still a dad, after all. Genetically programmed to drive teenagers bonkers.]

Until then, be a good girl.

Or, at the very least, a safe one.

[citharede]

[ THE ANSWER IS A PROLONGED GROAN. ]

There go my cliff diving plans.

[enveloped]

I’d recommend hang gliding over cliff diving any day of the week.

Better scenery. Equally thrilling. Lower margin for error.

We could go, if you’d like.

[citharede]

Wait, seriously?

[enveloped]

Seriously.

It's fun.

[citharede]

Yeah! I mean, if you really want to, that would be awesome.

[ AND TERRIFYING. But she's not gonna back out now!! ]

[enveloped]

Of course I want to. I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.

I love hang gliding. JJ is scared of heights, so she won’t come with me. I’ve always wanted to glide in tandem.

[citharede]

[ OH GOD WHAT IF SHE CRASHES INTO HIM.

It's cool it's fine she can do this. ]

You know I'm not super coordinated, right.

[enveloped]

Darling, tandem means I’ll be at the figurative wheel and you’ll be riding shotgun.

Like hell I’d let you fly your first time. You would kill us both.

[citharede]

OH. Oh. Thank fuck.

[enveloped]

Language.

[citharede]

[ FFFFFF. She squinches one eye shut in a wince. ]

Does that count against me on the 'good behavior' front?

[enveloped]

I'll give you a pass.

This time.

[She's so fun to tease.]

[citharede]

[ TERRORIST. ]

Between you and Goodsir I'm gonna get completely rusty.

[enveloped]

Who is this 'Goodsir'?

And what kind of name is that?

[Immediately suspicious. As always. And with good reason.]

[citharede]

It's Doctor Harry Goodsir. [ SAID OFFICIOUSLY AND WITH A VAGUELY ENGLISH ACCENT. ] He's working at the hospital, he's like... a naturalist? Really nice. But he's from a billion years ago when ankles were scandalous.

Don't be mean about his name! It's not like he picked it.

[ EVEN IF SHE MENTALLY MADE FUN OF IT TOO. ]

[enveloped]

A naturalist.

[There's an audible snerk. So much for not being mean.]

And you know him how?

[citharede]

He helped me catch a lizard thing that was trying to claw my eyes out. Her name is Phoebe.