[ Lydia, don't make fun of the nineties boy, just because you were born in 1994/1995, that's mean. ]
We're not crazy. We're just— okay, you know those horror movies that you may or may not watch on occasion for like Halloween or when you're making out with someone in the theater or on the couch? You're making out because it's not your life and because you want to make out but there's a certain detachment there. Here, you've been plopped right into that horror movie you were making out during. And you can't get out. There's no— end story right now. I mean there's obviously an end somewhere, but maybe were in the beginning act where— whatever.
[ And finally there's one Lydia Martin in front of the screen. ]
Okay, hi, had to deal with a chemical or two that I didn't want to explode, figured you didn't care to see that. [ A beat. ] Arguably, by the way, since this isn't our world or universe, we're technically defined as aliens to Ward and Resnik. And I'm a big fan of a ghost theory.
Seems like there's a lot you think is sad about me. Sure you actually wanna be talking to me?
[He's smiling again, but hey, she's not in front of the screen, she can't see it.]
I was in one of those movies already. Didn't need another one.
[And he'd been hoping he was in the ending act. Maybe it had been the ending for him, and this was some kind of fucked up afterlife. But that was standing top of the list of things he didn't want to think about.]
Yeah, I know the technicals. [He shifts slightly, moving closer to the camera now she's actually paying attention to it, lifting his eyebrows slightly. Girl who knew her chemicals, that was interesting.] You gonna try telling me they're pagans, too?
Maybe I'm attracted to boys I think are sad. Please, you really think I would be talking to you if I didn't want to?
[ The way she says it is more mock offended than anything else, but she can't really help it. ]
Sci-fi horror if it involved aliens. No one wants to be in it, but funnily enough, we can't just click our heels and be able to leave.
[ Not that she has heels at the moment, but the same principle applies. Really. When she sees him moving closer she just smiles and lets out a small laugh before shaking her head and rolling her eyes. ] Pagans, is that the best you can come up with? I think they're weird, possibly not human, but not aliens unless somehow they can appear out of, oh I don't know, thin air.
[Because she did not seem like the kind of girl to waste her breath on anyone she didn't want to talk to. And she might just have kind of admitted to being attracted to him, and that and wanting to talk kind of went together a lot. He shrugs.]
At least I'm genre matching, even if I'm fresh out of ruby slippers. [Sci fi horror into sci fi horror. Just a shame Stokely hadn't turned up to give everyone the insider knowledge.] Can't take credit for that. It was some other dude saying they were a pagan death cult. [But at least he'd made her laugh.] All I know is you don't know what aliens can do, 'til you see them do it.
[ Because she does have to give him credit for that. For realizing that she wouldn't even dream of talking to him if she didn't, because most boys just don't. ]
Ruby slippers change the genre, so maybe that's a good thing. And oh my god, the Topher guy? I swear he's actually gone space crazy because he's been here so long. Of course, maybe that's just how he acts normally. [ She exhales. ] You're really dead set on them being aliens, aren't you?
[And there might be a slight smile there, even if the next part of the conversation wipes it away again, when he looks away, rubs fingers over his forehead briefly.]
I'm not dead set on anything. Seems to me like aliens on a spaceship makes a hell of a lot of sense, but what do I know? We don't have vampires and demons or any of that where I'm from. [Hadn't even had aliens until two days before he'd arrived here. But he'd adapted, and fast, because he'd needed to.] Just gotta take it as it comes.
[ She likes the smile on him, even if she's not even remotely going to admit it right now. ( Or possibly ever. ) Her eyes narrow for a brief moment before they relax. ]
Aliens on a spaceship is cliche and predictable. If there's one thing this ship isn't, it's predictable. This month may be quiet now, but just watch. [ There's a pause where Lydia debates even saying this, but what can it hurt. ] This is me making that taking it as it comes thing a little easier.
[He could argue with that, say that predictable against unpredictable could double back on itself, eventually. And while burying his head in the sand is not adapting, adapting also doesn't mean thinking about this shit constantly. Maybe he'd rather just take her offer (if it could be considered an offer) instead.]
Yeah? How are you doing that?
[Not that she wasn't doing it already. Just that she's made it sound like she's gonna do more.]
[ Adapting is funny word, varies with people. Lydia could argue that she's been too wrapped up in other things to really adapt to the ship. But she's also— managed to make a life here. So maybe she can say she's adapted. Sort of. ]
By making sure you don't die and are ready for when inevitably the ship goes from eerily calm to everyone running around. Seriously. Do you want a run down of all the stuff I've had to deal with in the eight jumps or months I've been here?
Because trust me, it makes your cute little alien theory seem like a piece of cake.
[And that covered more than eight months of what people had been through, even if it wasn't the specific first person account she might be able to give him.]
And the cute little aliens were tentacle freaks taking over my whole town, so I might've had a crash course in some of the not dying and running around already.
[Skipping over the uncomfortable bit where he's not actually sure he's alive, and he might not have mentioned the whole situation at all, except the piece of cake thing was a little annoying.]
Ianto is an idiot with it. And treats it like that experience he says is what everyone went through. Most people won't say anything so what you get is a sad and pathetic overview.
[ Which is to say, Lydia thinks that entire think is bullshit. ]
I live in a town where an asshole controlling my ex-boyfriend who had the misfortune of turning into an overgrown lizard killed pretty much the entire police force and several other people before drowning all because he was sad that no one tried to save him the first time he almost drowned. My opinion on your ability to not die and run is high up there. But don't act like it makes you special. I know, you think it does, but I killed one of those annoying mutated mutts with a high heeled shoe.
[ She'll choose to believe that he's alive if she ever tells him, because the alternative isn't one she likes to think about with anyone. ]
That doesn't make me special. Doesn't make anyone special. [He says it with raised eyebrows, his tone clearly indicating: even you, Lydia Martin. But that might just be because he doesn't really like being told what he thinks.] Survival instinct is the most basic biological urge we've got.
[Even if, Jesus fucking Christ, was there no one on this ship that didn't have some supreme fucked up lurking in their life story?]
Did you drown him?
[Because he might be starting to feel like this is some weird dick measuring contest, and she hadn't really explained any of her own involvement in the whole (dead, he's assumed) ex-boyfriend lizard thing aside from 'living near it'.]
Regardless, I'm special without it. [ It's said with a smile that could almost be mocking ( it's slightly mocking, technically ) but is more of a challenge for him to tell her different. ] Technically you're right, and yet people have been dying for eons and there's a reason the idea of survival of the fittest exists.
[ There's a moment where Lydia just stares almost disbelievingly at the device before she just laughs. ]
It was my birthday. I had better things to do with my time then drown some pathetic loser who was bitter enough to control my ex-boyfriend and use him as his own vengeance monster.
[ What she doesn't say is she was busy resurrecting another asshole from the dead, but minor detail in the grand scheme of this conversation that Zeke really really doesn't need to know. ]
The thing's text. How the hell am I supposed to look at him?
[Still with the 90's kid problems.]
Yeah, and there's a reason why the theory of survival of the fittest gets totally misused.
[He's going to take a wild guess that you haven't reproduced yet, Lydia. Especially with the ex-boyfriend lizard problems. But that also means she hasn't killed anyone, and Zeke looks away from the camera, voice falling into the flat kind of tone that isn't sad about what he's done, but isn't smug about it either.]
Then I might be a little better at it. [A beat.] No offence.
[ She can't even stop the way it almost sounds like duh coming from her. ]
Because people use it to suit their own needs like just about everything else in the world.
[ Please, Zeke, she only plans on doing that when she's got a fields medal under her belt. But regrettably he is wrong about her killing someone, technically. She's pretty sure Peter might actually count even if she didn't do the actual killing, she still did play a large part in it. Her eyes dart away from the camera for a moment before she focuses back on Zeke. ]
You do what you have to do. [ A shrug. ] Do you want me to make this easier for you? Because I don't actually have to. Which I'm assuming you know. And I think we took this conversation down disturbingly depressing roads.
[Because Zeke doesn't even remember the number that posted that stuff. Had only just started thinking he needed to keep track of them. But hers would obviously have to be the first.
He smiles a bit - it's thin, not really amused - rubs a hand against his forehead before looking back to the camera, shrugs something more like himself into place.]
How about we just go for making it less disturbing and depressing.
No, just go back and look at his number and maybe when a video post comes up with the same number, take note of the face. Do you always jump to the horrible conclusion?
[ She probably should sound more offended, but she just sounds really amused. Please, even if he did over the comms, that's barely considered stalking. It's keeping an eye out on things. Kind of like how maybe she reserves the right to keep an eye out on his number now.
She pauses and looks around the room for a moment, before she smiles. ]
Only if you come to the lab to talk. As fun as it is talking over these things, personal talking is slightly more entertaining.
[Jumping to the worst conclusion. Easy habit to pick up when your teachers acting weird turns out to be an alien invasion. But he still sounds pretty amused himself, even if what she's explained as what she actually thinks he should do sounds like way too much effort. He really doesn't care about this dude's face.
He might be interested in labs, though, and he leans closer again, eyebrows raised.]
And you want me to be your entertainment. In the lab.
[ She's just saying, except, let's be completely honest, at this point she can at least half sympathize with the idea. And Zeke, shame on you, don't you know it pays to know everyone?
Good job on being interested in the labs though, because that just gets an innocent little shrug and a nod. ]
You're making it sound like I want you to strip or something in the lab. But yes, I want you to be my entertainment in the lab.
[Like he'd had any impression that she wasn't at any point.]
Might disappoint you. [Following direction isn't exactly his strong suit, but he could be persuaded.] I can get obstinate, if the reward isn't evident enough.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
video »
[ Lydia, don't make fun of the nineties boy, just because you were born in 1994/1995, that's mean. ]
We're not crazy. We're just— okay, you know those horror movies that you may or may not watch on occasion for like Halloween or when you're making out with someone in the theater or on the couch? You're making out because it's not your life and because you want to make out but there's a certain detachment there. Here, you've been plopped right into that horror movie you were making out during. And you can't get out. There's no— end story right now. I mean there's obviously an end somewhere, but maybe were in the beginning act where— whatever.
[ And finally there's one Lydia Martin in front of the screen. ]
Okay, hi, had to deal with a chemical or two that I didn't want to explode, figured you didn't care to see that. [ A beat. ] Arguably, by the way, since this isn't our world or universe, we're technically defined as aliens to Ward and Resnik. And I'm a big fan of a ghost theory.
video »
[He's smiling again, but hey, she's not in front of the screen, she can't see it.]
I was in one of those movies already. Didn't need another one.
[And he'd been hoping he was in the ending act. Maybe it had been the ending for him, and this was some kind of fucked up afterlife. But that was standing top of the list of things he didn't want to think about.]
Yeah, I know the technicals. [He shifts slightly, moving closer to the camera now she's actually paying attention to it, lifting his eyebrows slightly. Girl who knew her chemicals, that was interesting.] You gonna try telling me they're pagans, too?
video »
[ The way she says it is more mock offended than anything else, but she can't really help it. ]
Sci-fi horror if it involved aliens. No one wants to be in it, but funnily enough, we can't just click our heels and be able to leave.
[ Not that she has heels at the moment, but the same principle applies. Really. When she sees him moving closer she just smiles and lets out a small laugh before shaking her head and rolling her eyes. ] Pagans, is that the best you can come up with? I think they're weird, possibly not human, but not aliens unless somehow they can appear out of, oh I don't know, thin air.
video »
[Because she did not seem like the kind of girl to waste her breath on anyone she didn't want to talk to. And she might just have kind of admitted to being attracted to him, and that and wanting to talk kind of went together a lot. He shrugs.]
At least I'm genre matching, even if I'm fresh out of ruby slippers. [Sci fi horror into sci fi horror. Just a shame Stokely hadn't turned up to give everyone the insider knowledge.] Can't take credit for that. It was some other dude saying they were a pagan death cult. [But at least he'd made her laugh.] All I know is you don't know what aliens can do, 'til you see them do it.
video »
[ Because she does have to give him credit for that. For realizing that she wouldn't even dream of talking to him if she didn't, because most boys just don't. ]
Ruby slippers change the genre, so maybe that's a good thing. And oh my god, the Topher guy? I swear he's actually gone space crazy because he's been here so long. Of course, maybe that's just how he acts normally. [ She exhales. ] You're really dead set on them being aliens, aren't you?
video »
[And there might be a slight smile there, even if the next part of the conversation wipes it away again, when he looks away, rubs fingers over his forehead briefly.]
I'm not dead set on anything. Seems to me like aliens on a spaceship makes a hell of a lot of sense, but what do I know? We don't have vampires and demons or any of that where I'm from. [Hadn't even had aliens until two days before he'd arrived here. But he'd adapted, and fast, because he'd needed to.] Just gotta take it as it comes.
video »
[ She likes the smile on him, even if she's not even remotely going to admit it right now. ( Or possibly ever. ) Her eyes narrow for a brief moment before they relax. ]
Aliens on a spaceship is cliche and predictable. If there's one thing this ship isn't, it's predictable. This month may be quiet now, but just watch. [ There's a pause where Lydia debates even saying this, but what can it hurt. ] This is me making that taking it as it comes thing a little easier.
video »
Yeah? How are you doing that?
[Not that she wasn't doing it already. Just that she's made it sound like she's gonna do more.]
video »
By making sure you don't die and are ready for when inevitably the ship goes from eerily calm to everyone running around. Seriously. Do you want a run down of all the stuff I've had to deal with in the eight jumps or months I've been here?
Because trust me, it makes your cute little alien theory seem like a piece of cake.
video »
[And that covered more than eight months of what people had been through, even if it wasn't the specific first person account she might be able to give him.]
And the cute little aliens were tentacle freaks taking over my whole town, so I might've had a crash course in some of the not dying and running around already.
[Skipping over the uncomfortable bit where he's not actually sure he's alive, and he might not have mentioned the whole situation at all, except the piece of cake thing was a little annoying.]
video »
[ Which is to say, Lydia thinks that entire think is bullshit. ]
I live in a town where an asshole controlling my ex-boyfriend who had the misfortune of turning into an overgrown lizard killed pretty much the entire police force and several other people before drowning all because he was sad that no one tried to save him the first time he almost drowned. My opinion on your ability to not die and run is high up there. But don't act like it makes you special. I know, you think it does, but I killed one of those annoying mutated mutts with a high heeled shoe.
[ She'll choose to believe that he's alive if she ever tells him, because the alternative isn't one she likes to think about with anyone. ]
So, I might be a little better at it. No offense.
video »
[Just saying. Space hell.]
That doesn't make me special. Doesn't make anyone special. [He says it with raised eyebrows, his tone clearly indicating: even you, Lydia Martin. But that might just be because he doesn't really like being told what he thinks.] Survival instinct is the most basic biological urge we've got.
[Even if, Jesus fucking Christ, was there no one on this ship that didn't have some supreme fucked up lurking in their life story?]
Did you drown him?
[Because he might be starting to feel like this is some weird dick measuring contest, and she hadn't really explained any of her own involvement in the whole (dead, he's assumed) ex-boyfriend lizard thing aside from 'living near it'.]
video »
[ Just saying, look at him. ]
Regardless, I'm special without it. [ It's said with a smile that could almost be mocking ( it's slightly mocking, technically ) but is more of a challenge for him to tell her different. ] Technically you're right, and yet people have been dying for eons and there's a reason the idea of survival of the fittest exists.
[ There's a moment where Lydia just stares almost disbelievingly at the device before she just laughs. ]
It was my birthday. I had better things to do with my time then drown some pathetic loser who was bitter enough to control my ex-boyfriend and use him as his own vengeance monster.
[ What she doesn't say is she was busy resurrecting another asshole from the dead, but minor detail in the grand scheme of this conversation that Zeke really really doesn't need to know. ]
video »
[Still with the 90's kid problems.]
Yeah, and there's a reason why the theory of survival of the fittest gets totally misused.
[He's going to take a wild guess that you haven't reproduced yet, Lydia. Especially with the ex-boyfriend lizard problems. But that also means she hasn't killed anyone, and Zeke looks away from the camera, voice falling into the flat kind of tone that isn't sad about what he's done, but isn't smug about it either.]
Then I might be a little better at it. [A beat.] No offence.
video »
[ She can't even stop the way it almost sounds like duh coming from her. ]
Because people use it to suit their own needs like just about everything else in the world.
[ Please, Zeke, she only plans on doing that when she's got a fields medal under her belt. But regrettably he is wrong about her killing someone, technically. She's pretty sure Peter might actually count even if she didn't do the actual killing, she still did play a large part in it. Her eyes dart away from the camera for a moment before she focuses back on Zeke. ]
You do what you have to do. [ A shrug. ] Do you want me to make this easier for you? Because I don't actually have to. Which I'm assuming you know. And I think we took this conversation down disturbingly depressing roads.
video »
[Because Zeke doesn't even remember the number that posted that stuff. Had only just started thinking he needed to keep track of them. But hers would obviously have to be the first.
He smiles a bit - it's thin, not really amused - rubs a hand against his forehead before looking back to the camera, shrugs something more like himself into place.]
How about we just go for making it less disturbing and depressing.
video »
[ She probably should sound more offended, but she just sounds really amused. Please, even if he did over the comms, that's barely considered stalking. It's keeping an eye out on things. Kind of like how maybe she reserves the right to keep an eye out on his number now.
She pauses and looks around the room for a moment, before she smiles. ]
Only if you come to the lab to talk. As fun as it is talking over these things, personal talking is slightly more entertaining.
video »
[Jumping to the worst conclusion. Easy habit to pick up when your teachers acting weird turns out to be an alien invasion. But he still sounds pretty amused himself, even if what she's explained as what she actually thinks he should do sounds like way too much effort. He really doesn't care about this dude's face.
He might be interested in labs, though, and he leans closer again, eyebrows raised.]
And you want me to be your entertainment. In the lab.
video »
[ She's just saying, except, let's be completely honest, at this point she can at least half sympathize with the idea. And Zeke, shame on you, don't you know it pays to know everyone?
Good job on being interested in the labs though, because that just gets an innocent little shrug and a nod. ]
You're making it sound like I want you to strip or something in the lab. But yes, I want you to be my entertainment in the lab.
video »
[Is it pessimism if everything really does turn out worst case scenario? Is it paranoia if they really are all trying to kill you?]
Science and stripping. [Sounds like a bad porno. Or a good porno, depending on your tastes.] You gonna give me directions?
[Not completely clear on whether he means to the labs or stripping.]
video »
[ That is potentially not the best comeback, but it's arguably true in her mind. ]
That depends on if you're willing to take direction.
[ She's probably talking about the stripping, but clarification is so last week. ]
video »
[Like he'd had any impression that she wasn't at any point.]
Might disappoint you. [Following direction isn't exactly his strong suit, but he could be persuaded.] I can get obstinate, if the reward isn't evident enough.
video »
[ Like there's absolutely nothing wrong with being picky in the slightest. ]
You'll find I can be very persuasive when I want to be. And I'm sure the reward will be definitely evident.
video »
video »
[ And end feed, suck on that Zeke.
While I flip them into the sun. ]