# video / action

[himemiya_anthy]

[There's a quiet rustle, and the blur of green gradually begins to separate into whites, blacks, browns. An eye fills the mirror, framed by a thin black rim.

Any minute now, the eye will blink.

Any minute now.]

Comments

Re: video;

[jemerite]

[She shakes her head.]

No. There isn't much to do.

[Let alone interrupt.]

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Ah, I see. Were you waiting for someone to talk to?

[She leans back into view, but her attention is half-focused on the vine.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

[Zinc's smile is faintly abashed.]

I guess so. I like to talk, to the others.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Oh?

That's not unusual.

[Just incomprehensible.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

There's... no one to talk to. Back home.

[It was very unusual, for her.]

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

[She still doesn't look directly at the mirror, but her voice is soothing.]

That must be lonely.

Re: video;

[jemerite]

[It is, but,]

It's nicer here.

[And she likes to assure newcomers so, but this one doesn't seem very troubled.]

No one is lonely.

[The Queen made sure, in her own strange and irritating ways.]

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

No one?

[Politely enough, but with a faint undertone of disbelief.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

[Well... Perhaps Zinc shouldn't make that promise, Anthy is right. So she concedes,]

They don't need to be. It's safer, not to be.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Is that so?

[It doesn't sound like a challenge, just a meaningless pleasantry.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

It can be dangerous, here. Company helps.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Is that so?

[She does at least have the decency to vary her intonation.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

Strange magic. The Queen can... make a pest, of herself.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Is her company helpful?

Re: video;

[jemerite]

She doesn't appear, often. But... the rest of us. Are here.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Is everyone here helpful, then?

[What lovely news!]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

In... their own way, maybe.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

[This is a definition of helpful that suits Anthy.]

I suppose that's all that anyone can ask.

[A brief pause.] I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Himemiya Anthy. It's nice to meet you.

Re: video;

[jemerite]

Hello, Himemiya.

[She seems to struggle with the name, but her general speech pattern is slow and deliberate, as if it takes her a bit of work to order her words just so.]

My name is Zinc. I am... not much help, but my home is open. If people need.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

That's very kind of you.

Zinc is a nice name.

[This is as close as Anthy will get to asking: how did you end up with such a weird name. Hypocrisy: it smells like roses.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

[She corrects herself absentmindedly,]

It's what I'm called.

[She had been born Carla, but that woman was dead.]

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

Do you have any others?

[Sometimes people have family names.

It wouldn't do to confuse her with all the other Zincs out there.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

Not anymore.

Re: video;

[himemiya_anthy]

[A moment's pause.]

That's too bad.

[She has no idea if it is, in fact, too bad.]

Re: video;

[jemerite]

[Zinc gives her a curious look.]

Don't worry about it.