eleven. [video]

[experiencedlove]

[ The mirror unfurls on a location it hasn't for some time: the rear balcony of a lakeside house in the southern part of the Gardens. A blonde woman who may be familiar to a few of the more long-term residents is standing there, hands resting on the railing, seemingly unaware of the presence of the Vine as yet. The expression on her face is difficult to discern: she might be happy, or she might be close to tears. Perhaps both.

After a moment, she turns a little, catches sight of the mirror in her peripheral vision. She startles, briefly, but then she seems to calm, schooling her expression, and the look in her eyes as she reaches out to graze her fingertips for a moment along the mirror's edge is somewhere between wry and almost affectionate. The Vine is an obnoxious, nosy thing, but it's familiar, at least.

When she speaks, she's plainly addressing the mirror, but her glance is directed slightly off to one side. ]

It's been so long. For a while, I was almost convinced—

[ She stops, and shakes her head. There's the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. ]

I'm not sure this qualifies as 'less eventful.'

[ Finally, she turns her gaze directly to the mirror. ]

I'm sorry. I... may not have met some of you. Call me Caprica.

[ Has it been over a year, as it feels to her, or only a few months? A few weeks? She can't tell. ]

Comments

[mnementomori]

Caprica...

[the woman looks familiar, but it's been a while, and she can't quite place her.]

A lot of people have been coming back lately. Do you have somewhere to go back to? It's been getting cold out.

[experiencedlove]

[ Caprica, on the other hand, recognizes Xion — though it does take her a moment. She hasn't forgotten their conversation, during the storm when they were trapped in the Onsen together. ]

Yes, I should be fine. [ She glances over her shoulder, where the rest of her house is visible behind her. It looks exactly the same as it did when she left, untouched by time — however much time had passed.

The mention of the temperature draws a small frown. She's noticed it, especially since the shirt she's wearing is sleeveless. ]

Is it winter?

[mnementomori]

[if she seems a little distracted, it's because she's trying to sort through the people she's met to pinpoint this one. So many have come and gone since then.]

It's uh--autumn, I think. The Queen made the leaves change color and fall, and it got colder.

[experiencedlove]

So she's learned how to change the seasons.

[ It's an improvement. Caprica would much rather a chilly winter and a blistering summer than the same flawless weather every day, broken only by the occasional bizarre storms that wrack the Gardens from time to time. ]

[mnementomori]

[she nods.]

But it was really...sudden. I'm not sure she's doing it right.