It's alright, don't worry about it. [She laughs, breathes deep in an effort to calm her heart rate, takes a moment to count back to zero, to ground herself and to not ruin a date she'd been looking forward to.
Once she does, she exhales softly.]
There's nothing to help for it. I promise. Sorry, Connor. I ain't mean to make you worry like this.
[Maybe this isn't a good idea, she thinks belatedly after he leaves her to the rest of her meal. She eats what she can, enough to make it seem like she was hungry, and it's not like it isn't good, he'd clearly spent a lot of effort on it, but eating is hard when you haven't really done it in a long time.
Besides, she does want to watch a movie with him, so the sooner she can do that, the better.]
[Connor is admittedly a little slower at setting up the video player than he should be, being an android and all. But he's used to more efficient technology that he can access with a touch of his hand. This is just... clunky. In any case, he just about has it set up when Kate comes back.]
I think I got it...
[Stepping back, he turns the TV on and the title screen to the Ring appears.]
Ain't never seen it, honestly. Couldn't tell you anything about it.
[And she is excited for it. A new movie, to her specifically. It's been so long since she consumed just about any kind of media that it feels surreal.]
[Sounds normal. Mundane and like what normal people do, and Kate thinks that's the part she'll enjoy more than the movie itself as she takes a seat next to Connor.
It's the same position she'd taken back at the campfire, legs at the ready to spring into action if the fog surrounded her to whisk her away from the safety into a trial.
She doesn't even realize how she looks, like she's ready to bolt and on edge even though she feels... more or less calm, honestly. There's still a sharp focus there, where it's clear she's also taking in her surroundings even as she's looking at the TV.]
[Connor pulls the blanket off the back of the couch and drapes it over the both of them, before tentatively putting an arm around her. This is nice, but he does note her rigid posture.]
You can relax, Kate.
[He still doesn't know what she's been through in the past but it's obviously bad enough that she doesn't feel safe here.]
[His words sort of surprise her, because she hadn't thought she wasn't relaxed. Kate rubs the back of her neck, trying to force her posture less rigid.
In the end, it's obvious that she's forcing it, though she's doing her best.]
Sorry, I... [What? She's not about to ruin this.] I know I'm safe here, hun. S'just how I sit, is all.
[She flinches ever so slightly at the touch, mostly as his hand brushes the part of her back she's been hooked through time and time again.
His question, however, provides a thankful distraction.]
They are.
[She knows, for certain, that they are. Many things she'd once dismissed as being fake are real, and she's... Well, at least more knowledgeable for it, she supposes.]
[Oh, he... kind of wasn't expecting that answer. Or the flinch. He's so curious, but he doesn't want to spoil the date by turning this into an interrogation.]
Well, if you don't want to watch this, we can... watch something else?
[He struggles to think of what would be suitable. He only got this movie...]
Oh! No, it's fine, hun. Don't worry about it, I don't mind. Besides, we already agreed on this, didn't we? [She tries to assure him that she doesn't really mind. Besides, it's fake anyway, isn't it?
And it'll probably be nothing like facing off against The Spirit.]
[Oof, she feels bad for making him worry, honestly. She doesn't want to say anything, because there isn't really anything to say, and anything she could say would absolutely ruin the mood.
And quite frankly, she just wants the normalcy, for a change.
The arm around her is... Only mildly comforting, surprisingly. It's at her shoulders instead of around her waist, where she's been picked up and hauled by before.]
[Connor is into the movie, but he keeps tabs on Kate, too. When the ghost appears on the screen he feels his heart rate increase, and his eyes widen a little. She's kind of creepy? But it's kind of thrilling, too. He knows he's safe, so the little spooks he gets from the movie are enjoyable. Sometimes, his LED turns yellow, but he's pretty quiet overall.
In the meantime, he moves closer to Kate. It's all innocent, he's just enjoying the contact. Enjoying the moment. He feels like a normal person doing normal things.]
[It's funny how knowing your safe and feeling that your safe are two entirely different things. Things that Kate has been able to pack away until this moment, when it becomes clear that that sort of thing doesn't matter.
The scares are all real to her. The screams, she doesn't hear them as the characters on the TV, but the voices that she knows. The way the ghost moves, it's familiar in a way that she doesn't like.
Her heart beat is racing, and her focus is sharp with a firm frown on her face as she watches, muscles tensed in a way that makes her readily look like she's about to bolt.]
[Maybe to someone with a more machine way of thinking, the logic comes easy to him. But to a human who has endured similar experiences as what's being shown on screen... Connor pauses the movie upon noticing that Kate seems extremely uncomfortable.]
Hey... is everything okay?
[He can't help it, he worries about her. He notes the racing heartbeat, far beyond what his own escalated to, and that frown is unlike her.]
[It's an automatic response, one she'd readily given at the campfire after she returned to it covered in blood (her own, naturally), when she had to put on a strong face for the sake of everyone else there.
Her hands itch for a pair of wires to connect, a generator to work on. Nothing she'd find here, of course. ]
Jus' real focused, is all. With the movie, I mean.
[Connor doesn't believe it. He's a walking lie detector, after all.]
Kate... please talk to me. If you don't like it, you don't have to say why. Just- don't suffer through it on my behalf. We have other movies in the house. I want this to be pleasant for both of us.
[And right now, with Kate on edge, neither of them are having a good time. Maybe he was wrong in picking a horror movie... maybe it should have been something more light hearted.]
[ If only she knew about him being a walking lie detector, she'd put far more effort into her lies.
As it stands, she inhales sharply, holds it, and exhales slowly in an effort to calm herself down. It doesn't work near as much as she'd like, but she still tries to save face.]
It's alright, I promise. [ The laugh she gives is more shaky than she'd like. ]
[He starts to move, getting up from the couch and untangling himself from the blankets.]
I know where I can find something else.
[And he returns, a minute later, with... anime. Sorry Falco, he's trying to save his date.]
Let's see... there's a story about magical girls saving the world... a zombie apocalypse, but it's supposed to be funny?... and a story about pirates in space.
[He's gone before she can really move to stop him, but when he does come back, she's quick to grab both of his hands, grasp firm on both of them as she stands.]
Hun, it's fine. I promise. We can finish the movie. It's supposed to be scary, y'know?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
plasticasshole) wrote2017-08-31 11:41 pm
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[There's no reason to be afraid here, and she returns the touch to her hand by gently squeezing his in response.]
It ain't anything you did.
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[He scans her.]
Your heartrate is sky high. Something is bothering you.
[Getting up from his chair, he leans in beside her instead, still holding her hand.]
Kate... I'm here. I don't know what is upsetting you, but whatever it is... I want you to know that I'll try to help as best as I can.
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Once she does, she exhales softly.]
There's nothing to help for it. I promise. Sorry, Connor. I ain't mean to make you worry like this.
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[He squeezes her hand, smiling softly.]
People are going to worry when they care, right?
[At least she seems to be calming down.]
I'll be setting up the TV. Feel free to eat what you like.
[Or leave what she likes... if she isn't hungry, she isn't hungry.]
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[Maybe this isn't a good idea, she thinks belatedly after he leaves her to the rest of her meal. She eats what she can, enough to make it seem like she was hungry, and it's not like it isn't good, he'd clearly spent a lot of effort on it, but eating is hard when you haven't really done it in a long time.
Besides, she does want to watch a movie with him, so the sooner she can do that, the better.]
Need any help?
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I think I got it...
[Stepping back, he turns the TV on and the title screen to the Ring appears.]
I was told this was a classic.
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[And she is excited for it. A new movie, to her specifically. It's been so long since she consumed just about any kind of media that it feels surreal.]
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[He goes to sit on the couch, and pats the space beside him.]
Make yourself comfortable. I have blankets if you need them, too.
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[Sounds normal. Mundane and like what normal people do, and Kate thinks that's the part she'll enjoy more than the movie itself as she takes a seat next to Connor.
It's the same position she'd taken back at the campfire, legs at the ready to spring into action if the fog surrounded her to whisk her away from the safety into a trial.
She doesn't even realize how she looks, like she's ready to bolt and on edge even though she feels... more or less calm, honestly. There's still a sharp focus there, where it's clear she's also taking in her surroundings even as she's looking at the TV.]
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You can relax, Kate.
[He still doesn't know what she's been through in the past but it's obviously bad enough that she doesn't feel safe here.]
Nothing is going to happen here. I promise.
[He'd never let anything hurt her.]
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In the end, it's obvious that she's forcing it, though she's doing her best.]
Sorry, I... [What? She's not about to ruin this.] I know I'm safe here, hun. S'just how I sit, is all.
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Do you think ghosts are real?
[It's a loaded question as he hits play on the tv remote. It's meant to be playful, coming from a world where he's sure ghosts don't exist.]
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His question, however, provides a thankful distraction.]
They are.
[She knows, for certain, that they are. Many things she'd once dismissed as being fake are real, and she's... Well, at least more knowledgeable for it, she supposes.]
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Well, if you don't want to watch this, we can... watch something else?
[He struggles to think of what would be suitable. He only got this movie...]
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And it'll probably be nothing like facing off against The Spirit.]
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Okay. Let me know if you don't like it, though.
[He doesn't want to upset her. The movie starts, and Connor is quickly glued to it.]
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And quite frankly, she just wants the normalcy, for a change.
The arm around her is... Only mildly comforting, surprisingly. It's at her shoulders instead of around her waist, where she's been picked up and hauled by before.]
I will, don't worry.
[No she won't.]
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In the meantime, he moves closer to Kate. It's all innocent, he's just enjoying the contact. Enjoying the moment. He feels like a normal person doing normal things.]
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The scares are all real to her. The screams, she doesn't hear them as the characters on the TV, but the voices that she knows. The way the ghost moves, it's familiar in a way that she doesn't like.
Her heart beat is racing, and her focus is sharp with a firm frown on her face as she watches, muscles tensed in a way that makes her readily look like she's about to bolt.]
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Hey... is everything okay?
[He can't help it, he worries about her. He notes the racing heartbeat, far beyond what his own escalated to, and that frown is unlike her.]
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[It's an automatic response, one she'd readily given at the campfire after she returned to it covered in blood (her own, naturally), when she had to put on a strong face for the sake of everyone else there.
Her hands itch for a pair of wires to connect, a generator to work on. Nothing she'd find here, of course. ]
Jus' real focused, is all. With the movie, I mean.
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[Connor doesn't believe it. He's a walking lie detector, after all.]
Kate... please talk to me. If you don't like it, you don't have to say why. Just- don't suffer through it on my behalf. We have other movies in the house. I want this to be pleasant for both of us.
[And right now, with Kate on edge, neither of them are having a good time. Maybe he was wrong in picking a horror movie... maybe it should have been something more light hearted.]
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As it stands, she inhales sharply, holds it, and exhales slowly in an effort to calm herself down. It doesn't work near as much as she'd like, but she still tries to save face.]
It's alright, I promise. [ The laugh she gives is more shaky than she'd like. ]
Besides, it's all fake anyway. I know that.
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[He starts to move, getting up from the couch and untangling himself from the blankets.]
I know where I can find something else.
[And he returns, a minute later, with... anime. Sorry Falco, he's trying to save his date.]
Let's see... there's a story about magical girls saving the world... a zombie apocalypse, but it's supposed to be funny?... and a story about pirates in space.
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Hun, it's fine. I promise. We can finish the movie. It's supposed to be scary, y'know?
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