[Video] After Luke Siths out

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Kaylee's trying very hard to stay calm. Stress is bad for the baby. Which really makes all this lousy timing.

So she's trying to deal with this entire situation by the method she's learned from many of her nearest and dearest.]

You know. My favourite thing about Verdana is all the stuff that happened in Mayfield that doesn't happen here. You could count on people to actually stay the same person from day to day. I promise, I am plenty grateful already, I didn't need the reminder.

[She keeps reminding herself that Luke and everybody else will be back to normal sooner or later. But it's not terribly comforting right now.]

I am too hormonal to deal with this.

[She nearly ends the transmission there, but then she remembers one more thing. Luke was supposed to pick things up on his way home from work. And now she's feeling even worse than before.]

Could... somebody pick me up some ginger and crackers? Please?

Comments

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[She recognizes needing to help when she sees it]

I ain't big yet, but I'm feelin' pretty crummy. Ain't really feelin' up to goin' out for anythin'.

[pepperspray]

I'll bring you stuff, then! Just tell me what you need and I'll bring it to you, and you can rest. Mrs. Adams had to rest a lot. She got really bored.

[The prospect of being able to Do Something, no matter how small, seems to be working well to cheer a young Virginia Potts up as much as it does the elder Pepper one. Although a concern occurs a moment later, telegraphed across a young face that hasn't yet learned to mask itself.]

Although... are you very far away? I'm at this place called 'Callahan's' and I don't know where that is compared to anything.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

I'm learnin' to appreciate naps.

[Which were of course pretty doomed once the baby's born. But that's months off. Things might shift to a different, more workable brand of crazy by then.]

Callahan's is pretty in the middle of everything. Pepper knows how to pick a spot. I'm a couple blocks from the old burnt out building.

[pepperspray]

Really? [Virginia is a few years past the afternoon nap age. She has not forgotten being ordered into them, and the novelty of not needing them has yet to fade entirely.] Don't naps make you miss a lot of stuff?

[She seems to be ignoring the mention of 'Pepper'. Being told that you're supposed to be a grownup, and that your grownup self apparently has a really dumb nickname and is not an astronaut after all is a bit much to process.]

[wrench_and_ruffles]

They're better'n tryin' to do anythin' half asleep.

[She went through that phase. The baby will no doubt have that phase. But getting pregnant had really changed her perspective on the benefits of napping.]

[pepperspray]

I guess...

[Pepper is not convinced, but has been cornered and handed enough manners to not directly tell an adult she thinks they're full of crap about the whole sleeping when you could be doing stuff business. She peers owlishly at the communicator's camera, resulting in a mild fisheye effect.]

So what can I bring you? And why is the building burnt out? There was a fire at our old apartment building but it didn't burn the whole thing. It smelled like smoke everywhere, though.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

There was a big fire there 'bout two months ago.

[During which Luke had done predictable Luke things like run into burning buildings. She would never complain about that again.]

Was real tricky to put out and it ain't livable right now. Everyone's okay though.

[From that]

Could do with some soup.

[Her dinner plans got thrown off. ANd Pietro took care of her initial request right quick.]

[pepperspray]

Virginia looks rapidly thoughtful, the expression a younger mirror of one so often seen on the adult Potts when she's problem-solving. (Granted, her problems are generally of more import than soup.)]

I bet the restaurant here has soup. They said I can have whatever I want, so I can bring you some, I'm pretty sure.

[The feed shifts to show the ceiling of Callahan's for a few minutes and there's the sounds of youthful scampering and indistinct conversation in the background before Virginia pops back in again.]

There's ginger pear soup, which sounds weird, and it's a cold soup, which is even more weird, but I got to try a spoonful and it's actually pretty OK.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Long as it ain't protein mash, should be okay.

[Being from space does things to your standards. Though after the baby is born she might never eat ginger again.]

[pepperspray]

Protein mash?

[Virginia is horrified in the fascinated way that children do best. She's also a product of all the 70s and early 80s SF she can sneak in.]

Is that like Soylent Green? I saw that movie.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Don't think that one made it into space. Protein mash... it's got everythin' ya need to live. Travels real well. But ain't much in the way of taste.

[pepperspray]

[Pepper looks around cautiously, checking her immediate area for adults with Opinions about appropriate movies for children before she leans in a little and confesses.]

It turns out that they make Soylent Green out of people. I hope yours isn't like that.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Not the sort of thing she really wants to think about when she's already feeling sick, really.]

The Alliance's got issues, but they ain't that bad. They do somethin' downright frightenin' to beans.

[pepperspray]

Maybe they just need better recipes? My friend's mom makes really good beans and rice, I could--

[But no, Pepper can't ask, not this separated from her home and her people. The young girl looks like she's hovering on the edge of sniffles, but holds them back with a willful nods of her head.[]

Oh look. it looks like your soup is ready. I'll go... get that now. Yeah.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Thanks.

You hang in there, ya hear?

[She's not so wrapped up in her own misery as to miss that it's rough being a kid alone here]

[pepperspray]

[Pressing her lips firmly together, Pepper nods again, the tears pushed back for the moment with the beginnings of what will be the adult Potts' fearsome ability to compartmentalize.]

I'll try my best. Um... what's your name? I probably should have asked that first, maybe.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

I'm Kaylee... Skywalker.

[Even if the person she got the name from wasn't acknowledging that right now]

[pepperspray]

[Virginia doesn't have her adult self's ability to read someone's tone and body language quite as down pat, but the pause between the names is enough to catch her ear. She looks considering for a moment, and then brightens as she comes to a decision.]

I'll be right over with your soup then, Miss Kaylee!

[And so, off of the cameras and a quarter hour later, she does.]