video. un: p.parker | don't drink and vlog, people

[madeupnames]

WOOOOOO—

[THUMP, CLATTER, A CURSE WORD THAT STARTS WITH 'MOTHER' THAT COMES FROM A POLITE LITTLE VOICE.]

Wheeew — Helloooo Riverview!

[There's a shuffling of feet as the familiar voice carries further away, like he's walking away from the feed. Someone calls distantly: 'Enjoy your glory years, kid!']

Thank you, sir! Where's the tram...? Which street again — Oh! I dropped my — [Dropped his phone. Oops. Right! He picks it up, squinting into the feed; Peter looks — well, drunk. He's very drunk. He whispers a little lower:] Hey, sorry, oops — sorry, it's late and I'm kinda noisy. I'll shut up. Shhhh.

[He staggers sideways in his attempt to sneak quietly, so there's that.]

Guys, I was, like, so worried about drinking? But I feel great! Mr. Wilson, thanks for helping me loosen up a little; I dunno why I was even nervous. I even did the karaoke thing on my own. Like, the thing on my bucket list? Man... It was so fun... I don't think I had that much fun in... I don't even know when. Heh. I love you guys. [He whispers in a giggle to himself, looking around and ignoring the feed for a moment:] I have noooo idea where I'm at... Oh, wait! that's Centerfield Lane, I'm doing great...!

But where's the tram again? Shit. Iiii mean 'crap'. Crap is what I meant.

Uuuuh. Hold on. [The feed blacks out again, and there's the telltale sounds of someone clearly climbing up a fire escape toward someone's roof. He's very coordinated for a drunk teenager.] There we go! I seeeee it now. Cool, awesome. Cool.

[He looks at the feed again, the background higher up.]

So I was thinking! I've been spending soooo much time moping about stuff I can't, uuuuh. Do anything about, so I was figuring... why not relax a little? I got this To Do List thing I wanna get done, and I was wondering if anyone wanted to help with it? It'll be fun!

I got stuff like — [He counts off on his fingers.] learning how to kniiit, surfiiing, learning origaaami... Holding a really big snake? When I was a kid I always wanted to face my fears and hold a snake, and I almost got a chance to, but then I remembered how scary snakes are and chickened out...!

[He waves at someone down below, sounding so happy.]

Heeeey! You wanna hug?! I have 'give a stranger a hug' on my to do list!

['Dude, what are you doing on a roof at eleven at night?!' the teenaged kid calls back.]

I'm drunk!

['I guess I can hug you?!' Peter fist pumps.]

Awesome!

[The kid down below yells back from cupped hands: 'Hey—! You're gonna break your neck up there! Get down!']

It's cool, I've got really good balance!

[He gives the guy a thumbs up. This is all still recording. Save him.]

Comments

[madeupnames]

I can help... I'll come clean it up, too—

[He groans, holding his stomach with one hand.]

... Later...

M'sorry, Athena, real sorry.

[citharede]

I told you not to worry about it, dork.

[ She gets her arm around him and pulls him back toward the stairs again, leading him down flight by flight. ]

There was this other time I was with my first girlfriend, out behind the bleachers at school--cliche as hell, right?--anyway, we were there and these guys on the football team were sitting on top of the bleachers and they were totally drunk, so we started pretending to be ghosts and gave them shit until they panicked and ran away.

[ Mostly she's talking from nerves, to fill the air as they walk. She almost trips on the last step, jostling Peter. ]

Sorry! Sorry. You can tell me to shut up by the way, I won't be bothered.

[madeupnames]

[He snort-laughs, in all manner of goofy.]

Dude, you're talking to someone who never shuts up... I jus' dunno if my stomach's gonna... come out of my face with anything I say. [He smiles, looking a little more miserable; the fun of barfing, and it doesn't even sober you up.] Uuuuuhmmm. Oh! Here! I got — I got some mints. You wanna mint? I grabbed a whole handful.

[He's dropping them out of his jacket pocket left and right, there's so many.]

[citharede]

[ Oh Peter-- Oh Peter no--

She tries to catch a couple of them and then gives up. ]

I think you need them more than I do.

[madeupnames]

[He makes a face at that, but doesn't argue it, because she's totally right.]

... I think I overdid it.

[The drinking thing.

Yes, he's just now considering this.

He gnaws at a mint package, trying to open it with his teeth, brow furrowed with concerned thought.]

[citharede]

Gimme that. ...Actually you know what, I'll open another one.

[ She opens two, in fact, pressing them into Peter's hand. ]

Yeah, you kinda did, Pete. Enough to puke is way too much. [ She guides him farther down the street. ] I'll forgive it though. You're a newbie.

[madeupnames]

[Aw, man. He blows out a breath — and then pops those mints.]

I dunno what happened... I dunno how I even drank so much. I swear it was like — bam.

[He wags an arm dramatically, because yanno, that's how you explain drinking too much too fast.]

[citharede]

[ Good because hooboy, that breath smelled. ]

You hit it too hard and you're drunk before you start to feel tipsy.

[ She pulls him to a stop at a street corner. ]

...You have the keys to your new place on you, right? Didn't lose them?

[madeupnames]

Of course! I'm responsible, c'mon. Jus' not with drinking! Yet!

[He pulls out a pair of keys dramatically, which then nearly go flying out of his hands — thwip, and a web shoots out from under his jacket sleeve, catching them and pulling them back to fumble with them some more.]

... No biggie.

[citharede]

[ SIGH. Athena calls a taxi after sitting Peter down on a bench. ]

So this was like... on your list?

[ She can't make herself say bucket list, even if that's what it is. ]

[madeupnames]

[For once, he quiets.

And seems to try to shake himself out of a near drunken wave of sadness.]

Yeah!

Also got a hug from a stranger, so thass cool, right?

[citharede]

[ She shouldn't have said anything. Athena yanks him into a one-armed hug, then gives him a noogie just to make sure it's not too many Emotions at once. ]

Well, you're a huggable guy. I think they got lucky.

[madeupnames]

I love hugs.

[He says it in complete agreement, hands up like he's explaining the allotropes of carbon to a class.]

Who doesn't like hugs? Hugs're so good. A lotta' times they're better than words, too. You can just talk-talk-talk and not meaaan it, but a hug? That's something super special.

[citharede]

[ Oh Peter. Peter. Athena feels a quick surge of emotions, a tangled mess of things that makes her want to cry, so she hugs him properly instead. Boozy breath and all. ]

Loser. [ Said with all the love in the world. ] Let's get you home.

[madeupnames]

Then we can watch something?

[He says it so hopefully, muffled in her shoulder as he sways and falls into her a little.

Thank god you are here to direct the floppy-footed dweeb.]

[citharede]

[ Athena takes his weight without wavering, rubbing his back. ] Sure. Whatever you want, long as you want.

[ The cab pulls up, and she pulls back enough to open the door, though she keeps one arm around him. ] I'm not going anywhere until you're settled.

[madeupnames]

Yeah! Sweet!

[Before she can fully toss him into the car, he smooshes his cheek to hers.]

Thank you sooo much, Athena...!