[text/action/videro] An Invitation x2/MARIGOLD MADNESS!

[notvitiligo]

[text]
Since the Powers That Be have decided that they want to give us all cavities and diabetes, I am keeping a big pot of stew going at Beaumont for anyone who needs emergency food that is not candy. If I am not there, Bulbasaur or one of the robots will be in charge of it. Do not worry, they are all sanitary. It is free to use so do not avoid it if you do not have food. There are severe health consequences to eating only sugar, which I guess the people in charge do not care about.

-----

Also if there is anybody that needs a place to stay, Beaumont has a lot of rooms open. It is by the lake on the northwest side, and is pretty convenient as far as being close to places. There are some robots here that do the housekeeping stuff. Also you will get a lot of free snacks because I bake a lot. I guess that is not much of a benefit right now but there you go. Pets are OK.

[action/video]

[Hi, Ladygarden residents. Do you like your reality TV to have normally linefaced girls curled up on the ground and crying in the middle of nowhere? Because the Vine has decided that is the hot new thing in entertainment. (The more perceptive viewers might notice she seems less opaque around the edges than usual.)

[After a moment, she notices the mirror broadcasting her. She makes a few awkward attempts to turn it off, then lets her arm flop to the ground.]

Fine. I give up.

Comments

[fionna_time]

[Fionna stays bent down where she is bringing the girl closer to her].

Yeah. It does matter who stays and who goes. I know, because I lost some really good friends.

Did you lose someone you cared about too?

[notvitiligo]

[She manages to pull Jessica a bit, but then suddenly the only thing solid in her hands are clothes. Jessica is still there, but transparent. She hugs herself, shuddering.]

People keep leaving. All I can ever do is sit here and watch them come and go, and even if they're happy and there's someone they love and it's all great...

[fionna_time]

Whoa!
[Falls through on the ground and tries to shake herself off].

Well what about you? i know you see people leave and come and all, but you're not apart from us, right? We care about you too!"

[notvitiligo]

[She sighs and doesn't say anything for a while. After her breathing steadies, she speaks hoarsely.]

...I did it again.

[fionna_time]

What did you do?

Like, talk to me.

[notvitiligo]

[She tries to gesture to herself without showing off any naughty bits.]

This...

Maybe if I concentrate hard enough I can just disappear, like an actual ghost.

[fionna_time]

[It was Fionna, thankfully removed from thinking about naughty bits].

No man. Don't be a ghost. You're here, with us, hanging and laughing and living. Why would you want to be alone?"

[notvitiligo]

Not doing a lot of laughing recently...

I didn't want to be alone, but it keeps happening that way.

[fionna_time]

Yeah, I know.

Are all your friends going away all the time?

[notvitiligo]

Two at the same time, just a while back.

And others, once in a while.

There isn't even a part of them left over like normal. Just poof, gone.

[fionna_time]

What do you mean, a part of them?

[notvitiligo]

[She winces at having let that slip, but decides that at this point, there's just no way she's leaving this encounter with any sort of dignity.]

Normally, people die and there's a ghost for a while. Here, no ghosts. Just... gone.

And of course, no way to do anything. You just lie back and wait for crap to happen to you.

[She considers doing just that, but her sense of modesty remains intact.]

[fionna_time]

I don't think I would want ghosts. I like knowing they went back, to try and live in their wolds happy, to try and in corporate what happened here there.

Do you think you'd be ok, just watching without doing anything?

[notvitiligo]

Nobody remembers when they go back.

What can we do? No way to predict, no way to prepare... no reason to plan, since you could disappear.

[fionna_time]

I remember. I met great friends and have someone awesome caring about me.

And I LOVE you guys. Do you really want to disappear?

[notvitiligo]

...if it'd mean I didn't feel like this?

I know I can't... but...

[fionna_time]

When it gets bad, just talk to your friends, have fun with 'em.

It helps.

[notvitiligo]

You mean the ones that went back?

[fionna_time]

nah, the ones here!

Those that left, wish 'em luck. They're prolly happier back there.

[notvitiligo]

I know one isn't. She was happy here. She wanted to stay. She was married here.

She did everything right. She followed all the rules.

And now she's gone.

And you're trying to act like it's OK.

[fionna_time]

...

Who was she?

[notvitiligo]

Xion.

[fionna_time]

...


She got married?

It was her?

[notvitiligo]

They got older, from the magic dirt.

[fionna_time]

I didn't know dirt could make you older.

That sucks. I really liked Xion. She was always real cheerful, and liked being here.