( accidental video | un: duckling )

[danserai]

[ it's a dark and — well it's just a dark month and ahiru never really functions well in the dark. she gets spooked easily which is sort of what happens here. a sequence of events, by a duck.

1. she enters the kitchen. the lights are off and she bumps into various furniture. ]

Ow ow ow ow —

[ 2. her hand brushes against a coat hanging on top of a chair. in her mind, she imagines a snake.

3. She panics and lets out a loud: ]

Quack!

[ 4. ahiru ends up turning into a duck on screen. gasp! not that she has realized she's being recorded.

5. she quickly waddles off and there's the sound of water and she comes back into the kitchen with a relief. ]

— Phew that was clo . . . ooooose, O-Odette! Were you displaying this the whole time?! A-Ah!!

[ ahiru immediately runs in front of the feed, waving her hands frantically. ]

You didn't see that! There's nothing to see! It was . . . uh, uh, a MYSTERY DUCK that broke into the house but it's gone now!

[ alas, ahiru has been well and truly outed as . . . a duck. ]

Comments

[hopesparks]

[ Video might have been a bad choice because his expression is neutral but his eyes betray that he's trying not to laugh. ]

We don't have ducks where I'm from. Are they dangerous?

[danserai]

No, ducks can't really do anything. All they do is swim and fly around and eat bread . . .

Sooo. They may just . . . steal your bread?

[hopesparks]

That's alright. I have plenty of bread.

[danserai]

That's good but you — you should protect it! From — From the mysterious duck!

[hopesparks]

Or I could share it with the mysterious duck so it won't go hungry.

[danserai]

Oh! Uhm . . . That is very nice of you.

[hopesparks]

I was taught that it's important to help anyone in need, no matter if they're human or a duck.

[ Or both. ]

Speaking of which, is your mysterious duck okay? It seemed a little shaken.

[danserai]

Oh, don't worry! I'm sure she's — I mean, it is fine!

[hopesparks]

Glad to hear it.

[danserai]

It's probably done now . . . It's a mystery.

[hopesparks]

Maybe you should keep some extra bread around, just in case it comes back.

[danserai]

Maybe . . . ?

[ . . . does he realize the bird is her, now she's not sure . . . ]

[hopesparks]

[ He does, but he's helping! Maybe! ]

I'm Anakin, by the way. Anakin Solo.

[ He keeps forgetting that he has to clarify. That's going to take getting used to. ]

[danserai]

Hi, Mr. Solo! I'm Ahiru.

[hopesparks]

Nice to meet you. You don't have to call me "mister," though. I'm not that old.

[ Unless somehow sixteen is old in her world. Or from the perspective of a duck. ]

[danserai]

Okay, so Mr. Anakin or Anakin?

[ she does seem older than her, but she can adjust. ]

[hopesparks]

Anakin is fine.

[danserai]

All right! Sorry if I was a bit rude earlier.

[hopesparks]

[ Anakin blinks, visibly confused. ]

Rude? When?

[ He can't think of a single rude thing she's done. ]

[danserai]

For calling you Mr. Solo?

[hopesparks]

I didn't take offense to that at all. You were just being more polite than I'm used to.

[ Did he make a face or something? He knows he can be hard to read sometimes. ]

[danserai]

Oh, good! I was just checking! Sometimes I mess up.

[hopesparks]

Everyone messes up sometimes. It's good to be conscious of it, but don't be too hard on yourself.

[danserai]

I know. That's why it's good to check too. And be conscious of people's feelings.

[hopesparks]

[ A small smile. ]

You're really wise for your age.

[ Well, her perceived age, at least. He's not sure if her age is the same as a human's would be. ]