tushanshu | o1 ☽ video;

[Hey Foreigners there is a cutie brunette on your screen right now. She’s tapping her chin a little thoughtfully, eyeing the camera] Okay, so I get the whole other realm, hi-you’re-on-a-turtle-and-also-there-are-computers thing. Which, weird – seriously, who expects the afterlife to be so high tech? Also, sorry about the possession thing, that must've sucked. But I have something a little more important to ask about right now.

[She leans back and gestures at herself. She’s wearing a green dress that, while it looks good on her, isn’t exactly appropriate for every day wear] Does anyone have clothes I could borrow? Pants, especially pants. You have no idea how long it’s been since I even saw a pair of jeans.

Other than that, does anyone know if there’s a dance club around here or something? I had a look around myself, but maybe someone who’s been here longer can help. There’s gotta be some place teenagers can go to let loose, right? [She winks, and reaches forward to turn off the camera when something else appears to occur to her]

Oh yeah! I’m A – Catty, I’m Catty. [She holds her hand up in a Vulcan salute] Greetings to my fellow inter-dimensional travellers. Especially those of you with pants.

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[She stills, but the movement (or lack thereof) is so brief it could be passed off as a trick of the light ~~by someone not Annabeth~~] Greeeeat, appearance changing. because that's not creepy as hell.

[Catty can't decide if that makes her feel better or worse. It's good that Vanessa is meeting people, but...what if she's been replaced?] Goddess, nothing too awful, I hope.

[YEAH NOPE she noticed, sorry, Catty. And she sort of squints, but doesn't bring it up.] There's been creepier than the locals, to be honest.

[She grins a little weakly.] I think she just missed you. Which I can understand. [The feeling of being alone and missing people.]

[Likewise, Catty notices the squint, but doesn't say anything about it] Some things never change, I guess.

[This time the pause is totally noticeable, and even Catty can't keep a slightly desperate tone out of her voice] You think so?

I'd say there's comfort in familiarity, but sometimes I'd even take a pass on that if it's the bad kind.

I know so. [It's half because it's true and half out of the way Annabeth notices the way Catty is reacting. There was no way Vanessa wasn't missing Catty, for so many reasons.]

When it comes to creepy? Yeah. Definitely had more than enough of that for one lifetime. [She shudders.

And then Annabeth gets a brilliant smile] Thanks for letting me know. [There's a pause] Has she been okay here? She'll pretty much lie and say everything's been fine no matter what's actually been going on, so...

You and me both. [Even if it'll probably never actually stop.]

[Well, the smile is promising, so maybe Annabeth done good. She grins, but it's kind of weak.] Sure. But - well, you'd have to ask her yourself. [It feels weird being asked, and if the situation were reversed, she's not sure she'd like a friend babbling about her state of being.] A lot's been going on, but - she's definitely a fighter. [Annabeth doesn't necessarily mean that literally, but it certainly applies, too, after that spectre confrontation.]

[Catty's expression is nothing but sympathy] Do ancient evils try to make out with your best friends, too? [Why is this so common in her life??

She's going to count the grin as a win, for now at least.] Oh, I will! She just has this tendency to - well, you know. [Actually, she has no idea if Annabeth knows about Vanessa's tendency to self-deprecate and lie about being fine. There's a part of her that hopes she doesn't, and that Catty just came off better in some made up friendship test ~~please excuse her she gets jealous~~]

Yeah. She's probably one of the strongest people I know. Thanks.

Try to kill them, mostly. [She says it kind of flippantly, but it's entirely true all the same.]

[She raises an eyebrow, because she can kind of understand what Catty's getting at - and on some level, Annabeth has noticed that about Vanessa. Not from anything the other girl's told her, but Annabeth can always just read people with above average skill.] I think she's been okay, overall.

[Missing Catty for sure, she knows that much after that particular conversation, but Annabeth has no place in this situation between them right now.]