Video

[assholic]

[There was a lot of pilfered alcohol, fumbled attempts, and finally resignation that had led to this video. Jessica wasn't great at asking for help, or showing that she didn't know what was going on, but this was so far out of her paygrade, she had no idea where to start. She'd poked around the library, but there were things that she couldn't learn there. Not really.

So the network is treated to a semi-annoyed looking dark-haired woman that some might find familiar. The introduction was minor.]

The name's Jessica Jones and I'm looking for- fuck -help with something. I can do this now-

[She'd never been one to shy away from showing what she could do or trying to hide it. She'd always been one of the more open freaks. But like she'd said to Spheeris, people felt safer when they could pretend they didn't know.

So for the camera, she made a fist with her right hand. A small line of concentration creased the middle of her brow and then - Woosh - a sword made of pure fire appeared in her hand. She didn't drop it, though she did flinch because that was never not going to be disturbing. She waved it around a bit. It looked a little like a scimitar, flaring white hot in the center. Then she opened her hand and it disappeared.]

-and that's great and all, but I don't know shit about swords or weapons or anything.

[She was doing an amazing job of not looking like that freaked her out.]

Who's gonna help me figure out how not to slice my other arm off?

Comments

[assholic]

[Considering how like fire and gunpowder Ivar and Jessica were together, she thought she was being pretty generous. The scolding, because that's what it sounded like, had her scowling.]

Yeah, I do. Trust me, he's not fluttering his lashes and thinking happy thoughts at me that don't involve my being eviscerated.

[madcuriosity]

[Alice doesn't know what eviscerate means, but she's smart enough to guess. Why are things so complicated with adults?]

What even started the fight to begin with? People don't just look at one another and decide "I'm going to hate that person." [Alice is young, Alice is naive, Alice wants to desperately believe in the good in people. But Alice is also wrong and simply doesn't understand.]

[assholic]

[Because the smarter you get, the dumber you get, Alice. Wisdom and knowledge brings more problems. It was life's conundrum.]

You clearly haven't been around a lot of people.

[That had happened many times with her. From both sides.]

[madcuriosity]

My school is a full classroom and I live at the university.

[assholic]

Yeah, that doesn't mean diddly, kid. A classroom and some other kids aren't the world.

[madcuriosity]

A couple of bad people aren't either.

And a couple of interactions do not make a person, Miss Jones.

[assholic]

Sure it doesn't. Look, you wanna be shiny and look at the world like it has a golden bow on it, prepare for a lot of disappointment. The world is shit. My world is shit. This world is probably also shit. And Ivar's a jackass who'd happly cut my head off and eat cereal out of my skull.

[madcuriosity]

I'm sorry you're so bitter, Miss Jones. But you're wrong.

Though, your thoughts would make the cereal taste quite awful, to be sure.

[assholic]

[She could see the fact that this girl didn't get it painted as clear as day. And Alice would be able to see Jessica wrinkling her nose at that notion. Wonderful.]

No, kid, you are. And the fact you think thoughts are involved in eating cereal out of a skull with no brain in it says enough that this conversation is over. I did my social worker quota for the day and warned you off. You want to party with some psychotic homicidal dickbag, that's your gig. Don't say I didn't warn you.

[With a look of utter disgust, Jessica killed the feed.]