(backdated) Day 116

[psychoh]

-- even tell time. They've just got little...

[oh hey, that's a lovely picture of an eyeball right there. Luckily, the eyeball moves back a bit and you're treated to the head attached to it. Norman is staring at the communicator, eyes furrowed and lips in a narrow line, trying to figure out how it works.]

What are you doing? [Another head pokes in from the side of the screen. Carrie just seems incredibly nervous.] Be careful, you might break it...

I think it'd probably end up breaking me, first...

(joint intro post! :D tags will come from norman and carrie. yay.)

Comments

[lightgunhustler]

In one piece, for starters.

[She'd been kind of a mess when she'd turned up. She frowns, pressing her lips together as she watches him. Jumpy, isn't he?]

I know, it's pretty overwhelming. If I can help, though -- I'd like to.

[psychoh]

[he considers this]

Uh... W-Well, um, thank you very much for the offer-- but, uh, I really shouldn't.

[lightgunhustler]

Why not?

[She's not going to push it, but his behavior is so strange she can't help being curious.]

I don't bite.

[psychoh]

Well... [how does he explain this in a non-weird way.] Mother wouldn't like it.

[nailed it]

[lightgunhustler]

[She squints a little. What?]

She doesn't like you talking to strangers?

[psychoh]

Yes. Well. Strange women, you know? [as if this is a perfectly usual thing]

[lightgunhustler]

[... well. That's weird.]

But she'd be okay with it if I were a guy?

[Huh.]

She knows you're an adult, right?

[psychoh]

Sometimes I wonder...

[a shrug] She's never "okay" with anything, really.

[lightgunhustler]

No offense, but she sounds like a real control freak.

[She frowns, disapproving. If Ellen had ever tried to pull that, Jo wouldn't have gone for it even for a second.]

[psychoh]

[his lips purse slightly at the word "freak."]

Oh, no, she's harmless, really. Besides, doesn't everyone try to get as much control in their lives as they can? Especially when you're like her, when you're, uh, invalid. It takes a lot of control from your hands, I think. You try to make up for it.

[lightgunhustler]

I guess that makes sense.

[She feels a little bad now, honestly -- she hadn't meant to be insensitive.]

I guess if I were in her place, I might try to do the same. Must be hard.

[psychoh]

It's hard on everybody, but you get used to it.

[no you don't]

[lightgunhustler]

I have a tough mom. I think I get it.

[No she doesn't. She has no idea.]

I stopped noticing a long time ago. Scares other people, though.

[psychoh]

Well, I don't have to worry about what other people think. At least, I never used to. I guess that's about to change.

[lightgunhustler]

If you didn't worry before, why start now?

Just tell them what you told me. You don't need anyone else's approval.

[psychoh]

I've never had to worry about other people. It was always just me and Mother.

[a pause] And the few times it wasn't, well... People like to judge, you know?

[lightgunhustler]

Yeah, I know. They do. Sorry I was one of those people for a moment there.

[psychoh]

It's okay. [oh hey a smile that's sort of a good sign right]

So, uh, what's your name? My name's Norman.

[lightgunhustler]

[She smiles a little in reply. If he's smiling, that's encouraging. They didn't entirely get off on the wrong foot.]

It's Jo. Good to meet you.

[psychoh]

[oh wow this is really quite nice he doesn't even hear mother's screaming in his head right now so hopefully that continues]

So, you been here long?

[lightgunhustler]

A few months now, I think? Admittedly, it gets a little hard to keep track.

[Marking things down on a calendar hasn't exactly been priority number one around here.]