cape_kore | Ned § Video 01 § Day 57

[ The video feed switches on upon Ned's determined face. It's his first video communication; he hasn't been using the network much, but this is an important community matter. ]

Does anyone know who is responsible for these? [ Ned waves a copy of that mysterious flyer which has popped up around town so suddenly. He turns the camera back to his own face, talking directly to his fellow captives. ]

Whoever it is, it seems to me like they are trying to sow the seeds of doubt and turn us on one another. Make us so suspicious of one another so we can't work together. Which makes me think it might have come from the people who are keeping us here. And it makes me think that we're starting to worry them. [ There is an edge of anger to his voice, beneath the surface, if you listen closely enough. ]

But I think they're underestimating us. Gossip? Really? [ He half-laughs and shakes his head in amused disbelief. ] We're all grown-ups here. We aren't going to be- to be manipulated by some anonymous bullies. [ The spite in the way he delivers that last word makes it sound as if he's had some experience with bullies. ] We just need to trust one another, and not let this nonsense come between us. Part of that is... coming clean.

So. Me first. [ Ned swallows, takes a moment to collect his courage. It's a big thing to confess, even if plenty of people already know about it. For all his big talk, honesty is against Ned's very nature. But this isn't exactly a normal place, and at this point, owning up is just a part of damage control. ]

...It's true. I brought someone back to life. [ He exhales, half in relief. It's done, now. No going back. ] It's not like that was a secret. It happened in broad daylight and there were like, a dozen witnesses, so this- [ He brandishes the paper again ] is not exactly an exposé, is it? As for being 'mint-in-the-box', well, I don't even know what that means, so I can't say if I am one way or another.

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I wouldn't worry too much. The people keeping us here are known for playing tricks. Most of them are cruel. I think you're handling it well, though. Very well.

[ Time for a pause, please, because how does one ask- ]

So you can resurrect people?

[ -people how they- Ah. Never mind. Just dive on in, then. ]

[ Ned certainly isn't immune to compliments. Particularly coming so soon after his grand declaration that he's an abomination to nature, and all that. It means quite a bit to him, that she begins by reacting to his behavior, rather than just diving in and asking about his powers right away. It means that when she does ask, his automatic reaction isn't as defensive as it might otherwise be. He rubs the back of his neck, says simply: ]

Thank you. And yes, I can.

Impressive. I've known people who have tried for decades to do that and haven't managed it. [ There's a faint quirk of her lips to show she's joking. ]

May I ask how you do it?

[ Hearing that doesn't surprise Ned. It's a common enough trope in fiction, a common enough human desire. It's nice to have someone treating the concept - not as a joke, exactly, but not as utterly earth-shattering, either. As to the mechanics, he sees no harm in explaining. He's already told other people, already been witnessed in the act, as it were. If he didn't tell her, should could find out by other means ]

When I touch dead things, they come back to life. It has to be direct contact and... [ Lest Sharon begin to think that this is a trick to be used without consequences, he finishes: ] ...and if I leave them alive for more than a minute, something else dies.

[ It's a very roundabout way to admitting that he killed someone yesterday, and he hopes that she doesn't connect the dots too quickly. Best to keep talking rather than give her time to dwell on it ] I don't know how it works other than that, or why I am this way.

[ Unfortunately, connecting dots is what she does. And just like that, she knows this isn't a conversation for public consumption. ]

I'm curious. Could we meet in person?

S-sure. [ All of this feels a hell of a lot safer over the communication devices, but Ned's location isn't exactly a secret, so he knows that security is just an illusion. Still, curious generally hasn't been a good word for him. Curious can have bad implications when you're a living unsolved mystery who doesn't really fancy becoming a guinea pig. His sudden resurgence of anxiety is unmistakable. ] Um. Why?

[ The look she gives him over the feed is completely calm and level. She has no intention of selling him out or in harming him in any way, but there are some things that shouldn't be discussed over a public feed, and Sharon would rather have private conversations somewhere they aren't as likely to be overheard or seen. ]

There are some things best left private, that's all. The dock near the bar in five minutes?

[ Her lack of specificity isn't exactly doing wonders for Ned's anxiety. Neither is her urgency. Ned's instinct tells him to put this off, whatever it is. A day or two might not make much difference, but seeing how she handles a polite refusal might be some indication of what she's planning ]

Actually, tomorrow would be better for me. H-how about House 20, 10 AM tomorrow?

[ Home turf. Somewhere private enough that she might not object, but close enough that if things go south, he might have some chance of getting help ]

[ His home, she supposes. Wonderful. Maybe it's a nice place to dump bodies. ]

[ She can take him if she has to. ]

Would there be any way to meet sooner?

Ned § Video 01 § Day 57

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